posted by Nate on July 24, 2011
The Kills are the kind of band that your parents warned you about. The kids who would skip class to smoke behind the art block, get drunk on weekends and have the cool kids hanging off their arm. The Kills, to me, are a musical representation of all that rock ‘n’ roll stands for, a cocktail of good times and good vibes, with a massive indie splash and a hint of grunge thrown in for good measure.
Their look, especially from vocalist Alison Mosshart (also of The Dead Weather fame) of blazers, ripped jeans and heavy black make-up screams “don’t f*ck with us,” and the latest offerings on the new album Blood Pressures, is indie rock at its finest. Jamie Hince (the newly-wed husband of model Kate Moss, who is also a big fan of their music) has a strong and unique voice, and although on most tracks he takes a backseat to Mosshart’s verbal offerings, she by no means cancels him out.
Mosshart – my current girlcrush of the moment, demands your attention entirely. Her vocal range is impressive and as the album plays on you know that she means business. The grunge hint that I mentioned earlier can be picked up in certain songs, especially those with guitar solos, but, like The Kills as a whole, it compliments everything perfectly, with nothing standing out of place. Each song tells a story, glimpsing at love and the past without a slight hint of sap, a refreshing breath when many bands tend to dwell on such subjects in a sickly sweet light.
It took me a while to pick a song that I slightly favoured over the others, or one that would be appropriate to justify what I have said so far. After much thought, I decided on “Nail In My Coffin,” a song about pesky ex-lovers and moving on from things in life that get you down. I love the guitar riffs in the track that are cut short by Mosshart’s chanting, to then have both of them contending together. The song peaks at occasions and keeps that strong yet subtle indie vibe that I would say The Kills know they have, yet don’t rub in the faces of their listeners. I was lucky enough to catch them on tour in May and no doubt it’s in my top three gigs of 2011 so far. The duo literally captivate, and throw themselves into the music so much that you’d think they’re just playing for yokes in their garage. Such dedication to music is delightful to see, and I know I’ll be listening to The Kills for a long time to come.
The Kills – Nail in My Coffin (Downloaded 480 times)
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» Meaningless labels: Catchy • Danceable • Driven • Female vocal • Grungy
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August 16th, 2011 at 10:15 am
You have created the greatest articles.