Black Gold: Shiny And New!

Sept. 24 2009, Published 6:24 a.m. ET

When the relatively new band Black Gold took the stage at All Points West in New York last month it was nothing short of visually spectacular. “It was a black and gold extravaganza,” says Black Gold drummer Than Luu.

Women bedecked in gold leotards and covered in gold paint, with their eyes painted black, danced on stage and threw black and gold beach balls into the crowd, creating a lasting memory of the baby band for festival-goers.

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And now, after a European tour with Neko Case, the guys are set to kick of a U.S. tour this week. And though you shouldn’t count on dancing women in gold lamé, you can count on a solid rock show experience.

The two guys who make up the band—Than and vocalist/keyboardist Eric Ronick—toured the world for years with the likes of Panic! At the Disco, Ambulance LTD, M. Ward and Rachael Yamagata, before they started Black Gold, whose debut album, Rush, is out now.

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“We’re very indie-minded dudes,” says Than. “In the indie world pop is a four letter world. But to us a good song is a good song.”

On their first collection of songs, Black Gold offers up a good mix of the upbeat and the melancholy, and that juxtaposition is also what inspired their band name. “We like the contrast between dark and light,” says Than. “We’ll have dark lyrics and then shimmering bright choruses.”