Recap & Photos: The Kills (clicky)

On Wednesday evening, you could've found me at The Earl, checking out the post-punk duo The Kills. Their "thing", you see, is that they consist of only two members and rely on a drum machine to provide the underbelly of their tunes. There's just no way you could conceive of two people with guitars (sometimes just one) and a drum machine sounding so mind-blowing, but somehow The Kills do it. And that's exactly what they accomplished on Wednesday.

Back in 2005 (I think), they played Coachella and upon returning home, I noticed that a lot of people were commenting on their set and saying how awesome it was. I took a minute to get into what I missed out on and got very little out of it. Either I wasn't there mentally or I just didn't get the sound or whatever, but their newest album at the time (No Wow) refused to stick with me. So I kinda brushed 'em aside and that was that. Then they came out with Midnight Boom this year and things changed. Lead-off single "U.R.A. Fever" got stuck in my head for days and refused to leave. What was really odd what that I didn't really think the song was that special after first hearing it. I decided to go back to what I previously cast away and listened to No Wow and I was swept up in it, along with this new record. After hearing that their tour for Midnight Boom was ending in Atlanta, I wanted in and prepared for anything. I just couldn't think that their kind of setup would be as propulsive and explosive as what was hyped.

Damn, was I wrong. They brought it hard and they brought it loud; it was insane! There was a screen playing various videos behind them while they were doing their thing, with videos of seemingly random things to performances of Patti Smith and Tom Petty. Alison Mosshart, who does most of the vocal work, really had my attention most of the night, and she definitely commanded it. Whether it be through her creepy glances to the back of the club or through her odd stage antics (like walking in circles or distinct squares in between songs), I was drawn to her. The other player, Jamie Hince (who provides a vast majority of the guitars), displayed tons of intensity throughout their set, often yelling while playing. You'd think that with their kind of guitar sound (especially how LOUD it is), the guitars would be enough for noise, but apparently not.

At any rate, the show was awesome and a great surprise. Here are some decent pics from the gig and hopefully they'll do the show justice.

Today the Moon, Tomorrow the Sun - TONITE!

Today's a day I've had circled on my calendar for a long while now, for it is Today the Moon, Tomorrow the Sun's record release party at Vinyl.

I've known about this band for a little less than a year and I've heard the songs live several times over that period. A few months ago, my wife and I were invited to their studio to listen to some early mixes of songs that were slated to appear on their debut release. While this band is meant to play live, the rough takes sounded awesome and their official release finally sees the light of day, uh, tonight. Weird sentence there.

ANYWAY!

TTMTTS' debut EP, "Hurry Up and Wait", will feature most of the live staples from the past year and I'm sure that they will not disappoint. This band just tears it up in the clubs and I cannot wait for them to rip apart the speakers of my car.

If you're not doing anything this evening, I highly suggest that you take a trip to Vinyl (located in the CW Midtown Music Complex with Center Stage and The Loft). The show starts at 9PM and tickets are only $8. Sure, gas is pricey these days, but when you can get your face melted for only eight dollars, I'd say that's a tremendous deal.

Currently, their myspace is hosting a few songs from their EP. It's only a click away. Get yourself warmed up for tonight!

Also, the Atlanta Rock Blog conducted an informative and insightful interview with all four members of the band. Part one is here, and here's part two.

Gobbledigook

I like Sigur Ros' first album alright.

Then came their second album and I kinda got bored with it.

Saw 'em live after that record and was, at points, in awe, and, at other points, seeing zzz's.

Takk... was released and I got back into the band for a minute.

Was really excited to see them at Coachella in '06 for the sunset. I seriously wasn't impressed.

And, now, it looks like we have a new Ros record on the way, called Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust. Thank goodness for copy and paste, right?! Somehow it translates to With a buzz in our ears we play endlessly. Whatever, guys!

At any rate, the first song is available for download at their website, and that has the childish title of "Gobbledigook". Finally, a Sigur Ros song title that I can actually pronounce! And you know what? I actually like the song a lot! The band claims that this record will be Sigur Ros at their happiest. "Gobbledigook" definitely reinforces that statement. There's a bunch of "lalalalalala"s going on in the intro that are reminiscent of the last Flaming Lips record, and that leads into a propulsive, kinda muted drum beat with nicely melodic vocals. I'm really digging it.

Actually, it gets a little better. The "Hopelandic" stuff is taking a backseat and more Icelandic is prevalent on this new record. But the killer is the last song on the LP. It's called "All alright" and it's apparently sung in English. This could get a little crazy.

There's such a beautiful sense of mystery with the band's music, partly because of these so-called lyrics that no one can understand, except "the band" (and who knows if the lyrics have meaning or are simply sounds to gorgeously accompany the music). Now that the band has been around for close to eight years, we all know what to expect when listening to a Sigur Ros album. You're gonna get swept away in the lush soundscapes and the words/vocals will mean whatever you want them to mean. There's no trying to read between the lines with this band; each person's listening experience will be different. That's what makes Sigur Ros so profound - messages transcend meanings.

So how will this English track be received? Will the magic of the band disappear as they now have an appeal to a whole other audience? Granted, everyone has emotions and their music should have an impact on everyone simply because the sounds they create are so emotive. But now that ONE song is sung in English, does that change the dynamic of the band or their fanbase? Will the band face any kind of backlash because of this decision? It's definitely an interesting move for the group and we'll see how it pans out.

Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust is released to the masses on June 24 (US). Enjoy your Hopelandic/Icelandic Sigur Ros while you still can!

Look what the foocow dragged in...

Exhibit A: Miikka


Exhibit B: Vesa


Welcome to the family, Miikka and Vesa!