The moment I saw We Are The World perform at The Smell in early January 2009, I knew they were onto something good. Nevermind the horrible sound quality of the venue, with harsh reverberations coming off the concrete walls, or the fact that the stage is difficult to catch a clear glance of the band. These guys rocked it that night.
Resurging onto my playlist after gaining popularity in the outside music world (as opposed to my local LA band music world) by releasing exclusive videos on Stereogum, their album last April through Manimal Vinyl, and a nod from Lady Gaga on her Twitter, dubbing them her “favorite band,” I feel like an element is missing when I listen to them at home. If you have trouble envisioning their sound in your head, think The Knife and Fever Ray, with a touch of new-wave/industrial beats by the way of Depeche Mode.