Video: The Walkmen, live from Juan's Basement

Hamilton Leithauser might be one of the most intense performers we’ve ever seen. With every song, he reaches deep into his gut to unhinge that driving wail, completing the signature Walkmen sound. As Jeff Bracco wrote in his review of the fantastic You & Me, “the wall of sound that the band had incorporated as a signature is reserved when they wind up and need to break out, but every instrument is given room to breathe like never before, and Leithauser’s voice is the anchor.”

In this video, we see the band performing “In The New Year” on “Juan’s Basement” via Pitchfork.tv. This is the first video of a three-part series, and the stripped-down setting proves to be quite excellent for this intricate, intense song:

- Article by Anna Gazdowicz.