Dark Room=not as sexy as it sounds

Dark Room
Lower East Side
165 Ludlow Street (b/w Houston and Stanton Streets)
New York, NY 10002
212-353-0536

Is it an indie lounge? Is it a club? Dark Room itself seems to not know, and neither do I. After walking down an almost-hidden concrete staircase and entering this basement bar, I was left feeling confused and underwhelmed at Dark Room's general vibe, or lack there of. Admittedly drinks are cheap, but the bar is dark (shocker) and under-decorated with diner-esque leather booths and scarily low ceilings. The music is good by "credible" standards if not predictable in terms of mainstream indie rock (think MGMT, Ting Tings, M.I.A.), and would be much appreciated in a laid back bar as compliment to catching up with friends. However, actual conversation is next to impossible at Dark Room as the DJ seems to have missed the memo that he's not exactly spinning dance music, and thus should turn the volume down about 50 decibels. Drunken wannabe indie girls awkwardly dance anyway, and guys seem more than happy to watch them gyrate to the latest dope beats from Feist. However, for the rest of us standing around not knowing whether to join in the forced fun or down our cheap beers and bounce, Dark Room is just one hot mess.
Rating: 1.5 stars