Sunday Morning Music: The Antlers' "Two"

I saw the Antlers in a tent at SXSW, waiting for Les Savy Fav. It was one of those moments that I felt I'd been put in the right place to discover a band that had previously flown under my radar. I was also delriously tired, the kind of tired where you cross over into the surreal. The Antlers and I fell in love lit by stage lights reflecting off of stark white tarp.

"Two" is a pretty epic song. I'm a sucker for things that build from a simple beginning, adding instruments and urgency. The Antlers build you up, drop the floor out, then cradle you until the end. Once I'd heard the lyrics clearly, it remained in my head, making me seek it out. I love it when that happens with an opening band, and it's a bit of a rarity.

This happens to be the very song that changed my mind from "oh, they're servicable while I wait for LSF" to liking them on their own merits, aside from being forced to stand in front of them and listen. The video for "Two" is cute, but it was really the live version that won my allegiance. Played live, it sounds more raw and urgent. I was torn between including the real video or a performance (which I prefer), so you get both. It's been a few weeks since the last SMM, so consider it a bonus.

They're on tour with the Editors right now, including dates at Lollapalooza. I'd see them again, for sure.