Sleigh Bells are an American noise pop music duo. The group released their debut album, Treats, on May 11, 2010.Based in Brooklyn, New York, Sleigh Bells are composed of Derek E. Miller (songwriter, guitarist, producer) and Alexis Krauss (vocals). Miller was formerly the guitarist for the hardcore band Poison the Well, and Krauss was a member of the teen pop group Rubyblue. Krauss also appeared in a Nickelodeon Magazine commercial as a young girl.
The duo met and formed in 2008. Miller was waiting tables on Alexis and her mother at a neighborhood Brazilian restaurant called Miss Favela when he mentioned he was looking for a female vocalist to work with on a musical project; Krauss' mother immediately volunteered her.
The duo performed at the CMJ Music Marathon in October 2009. They have since signed to M.I.A.'s N.E.E.T. Recordings and Mom + Pop Recordings. They initially released several tracks online, and gained attention from The Guardian, New York Times, Pitchfork Media, ABC News's Amplified, and other sources. The Guardian named them Band of the Day in December 2009. Pitchfork named their song "Crown on the Ground" the 57th best track of 2009. Miller recorded the track "Meds and Feds" with M.I.A. from the album Maya towards the end of 2009, and began recording Treats with Krauss in 2010.
The group released "Tell 'Em", the first single from their debut album, Treats, as a free download in April 2010. Treats was released on May 11, 2010 exclusively through the iTunes Store by Mom + Pop Music. They performed at the 2010 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April 2010, the Primavera Sound Festival in May 2010,[10] and the Pitchfork Music Festival in July 2010. The song "Kids" off of the album "Treats" was used in the MTV Promo for the US version of Skins
The duo also samples songs, an example is the song Rill Rill features a sample of the Funkadelic classic "Can You Get To That"