Less than two years active and without an album or EP to their name, male/female duo Sleigh Bells may still be finding their groove sonically, but together, Derek Miller on guitar and synths and Alexis Krauss with her rap-esque vocals, brought a hefty amount of bounce to Carniville Austin. The hands were definitely in the air for this up-and-coming act based in Brooklyn.

Krauss especially is a curious figure on stage. She stands out in the already colorful Carniville of course with her turquoise pants and ornate tattoo of La Virgen on her upper arm, but it’s the vocal styling that makes listeners step closer. On tracks like the bumping “Infinity Guitars,” she swerves from a shout style of rapping to a whisper like calm. And that’s not to mention the intermittent screams, which make Krauss’ presence all the more unpredictable—in a good way. Whatever vocal timbre she chooses at the moment, though, she sends out positive vibes into the crowd.

The vocals of Krauss aren’t the only agile element of Sleigh Bells as Miller’s production, a mash-up lo-fi rock and hip-hop, doesn’t always stay in a single lane. Another one of their singles performed at Carniville, “Crown On The Ground,” is a good example of Miller’s approach—it’s a club cut that could please guitar fiends just as easily. It’s that gritty, riff-laced bounce music that’s building momentum.

With dozens of shows lined up from Austin all the way to Montreal, Sleigh Bells know they’re onto something—with or without a whole lot of material to their name (apparently though they have been in the studio recently). And if they pass by your city in the next months, don’t hesitate to check out this duo before they really blow and you’re trying to play catch up.

Words by Max Herman, Photos by Dustin Downing