The Antlers outdo the hipster crowd with Burst Apart

The Antlers: not hipsters or lumberjacks

Readers1 may have figured out by now that I'm not a big fan of hipsters or hip. Every time I listen to something by a Brooklyn band these days, I brace myself for the usual cascade of disappointment, bewilderment and rage. So much of the Williamsburg scene seems like empty posturing and hapless harmonizing.

So I was surprised to find that I really enjoy Brooklyn-based The Antlers' new record, Burst Apart. I've only listened a few times through but haven't been able to pull myself away.

The trio -- singer guitarist Peter Silberman, drummer Michael Lerner and keyboardist, etc, Darby Cicci -- has put together a really terrific album of atmospheric songs composed of everything from reverberating guitar chords to shimmering electro-key effects, longing trumpet calls and dance beat drums, churning through a lot of different sounds but never straying far from a key aesthetic that seems all their own. 

RANT: Why Fleet Foxes drive me nuts

Stephen Bishop's guitar is about to get what's coming to it courtesy of Bluto.

It's nothing personal, but I hate Fleet Foxes. To me the Northwest band of bearded bards represents an arm of indie music (no way we can call it rock) that drives me a little nuts.

I've got nothing against beards or acoustic guitars, hippies or harmonizing. But put them all together and it gets a little tedious. From indie darlings like FF to run-away head-scratcher success stories like Mumford & Sons and their Grammy nomination (I mean, WTF?), there's something just plain old fashioned antediluvian about the whole thing. These finger-picking acoustic poseurs are not much more than a museum-piece schtick recycling of the sounds of Alan Lomax.