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In House With Chairlift: Brooklyn Duo Moves Forward With 'Something'


Damon Dahlen, AOL

In House is AOL Music's series in which we welcome artists into our offices to play some music, chat with our staffers and, generally, just hang out. For our latest visit, Spinner sat down with Brooklyn electropop duo Chairlift to discuss their past success, lineup changes and their new album, 'Something.'

Chairlift are finally back with 'Something,' the follow-up to their 2008 debut, 'Does You Inspire You,' which amounts to what geologists might term an era in today's fast-changing musical landscape. Since then, much has evolved in the Chairlift camp. Several personnel shifts have led to somewhat of a sea change in their sound, while founding member and frontwoman Caroline Polachek's star continues to rise.

Chairlift first broke onto the mainstream in 2008 when their song 'Bruises' was picked by Steve Jobs to be featured in an iPod Nano commercial. When asked how she felt about Jobs' passing, Polachek responded simply: "Scared." Since then, if anything, Chairlift have favored the iPod-commercial-friendly aspect of their personality, though maintaining a very healthy dose of art-school weirdness.

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Listen to Chairlift's Full 'Something' Album for Free

In 2010, guitarist and founding member Aaron Pfenning quit Chairlift to pursue his solo project Rewards, leaving Polachek and Patrick Wimberly to carry on as a two-piece. The duo found their new democracy-subverting, majority-less lineup to be more conducive to songwriting. "Everybody has to agree before we can move forward," Wimberly explains to Spinner.

This more direct line of communication had immediate effects on the sound of their second album. Leadoff singles 'Amanaemonesia' and 'Sidewalk Safari' are driving and poppy where their forebears were dreamlike and hazy. Though Polacheck still deals with cerebral topics, her approach is more instinctual. 'Amanaemonesia' serves as a fitting example. "It is a made-up word, made from combining a bunch of other different words," Polachek says. "It means everything it sounds like."

For the 'Amanaemonesia' music video Polachek further delved into the idea of free association. She rented out a room at the Brooklyn Academy of Music for $10 and sequenced choreography to the song through improvisation. If a sound panned right-left in the song, she would move her arm to emulate it.

Wimberly, who lent his talent to Das Racist's 'Relax,' composes streamlined structures that complement Polachek's more immediate approach (though Polachek jokes that his collaboration with Das Racist "sounds like the room smells"). The result is an album, which despite its many twists and turns, is anchored by a potent musical and emotional core. Stream it above and check out our exclusive photos of Chairlift below!
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So addicted to the new album!
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