Sunflower Bean to open at Bill Graham on Thursday

Sunflower Bean, a young Brooklyn trio emerging from the wake of the sounds of TV On The Radio and Here We Go Magic, are set to play a string of performances through the US and Europe accompanying bands like Best Coast, Cage the Elephant, and Portugal the Man. Their full-length debut Human Ceremony, released early February on Fat Possum Records, holds its ground on a few familiar tracks.

In isolated segments of the record, Sunflower Bean don’t do anything novel. But the band’s recent success derives from their ability to soundly execute multiple styles at once. They bring out monotone vocals over hazy and dreamlike guitar baths that work oh so well along occasional switches to heavy driving riffs reminiscent of the golden age of metal… all in the same song! Sunflower Bean manage to compile a list of crazy influences, naughty and nice, and throw them into a crucible that spits out a song that you forget the beginning of, come the last chord.

Prior to releasing their debut, the group had been playing together for about two years. We loved them earlier this year in LA. They aren’t shy to the stage and won’t be in San Francisco on Thursday at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium.