The Kills

The Kills - Silent Night

Spend this Christmas Eve with The Kills.

Recorded last year during a special session at BBC 6, Jamie and Alison capture the melancholy undertones of the holiday season in their heartbreakingly beautiful rendition of this classic. As joyous as this holiday is supposed to be, it wouldn't truly be a Christmas if there weren't a sense of lugubrious wistfulness -- something Vince Guaraldi, Charlie Brown, and The Kills understand eerily well.

Grab a glass of whiskey, and take a moment to get gutted by The Kills.

Alison

The Kills On Tour

Have a gander at these photos of The Kills on tour, taken by none other than Alison and Jamie themselves. For the full album, head over to Facebook.

The Kills – I Call It Art

As blasphemous as it is to say, I must make the bold claim that this Kills rendition of “I Call It Art,” is even better than the original. Sorry Mr. Gainsbourg, the original vocals just didn’t do the hypnotic melody justice, while Allison Mosshart nails it with her dark sultry voice.

The Kills @ Third Man Records

Have a gander at some amazing photos of the always photogenic Kills taken from their live show at Jack White's Third Man Records, courtesy of Jamie Goodsell. For those poor souls who couldn't make it like myself, the word on the street is that Third Man will be releasing a live vinyl recording of the show, so keep your eyes out for that.

In the meantime, have a look at my favorites below or head to Third Man to see the full gallery.

Oh yea, and how effing amazing is this show poster?!

AA's Frivolous Conquests - The Kills 10th Anniversary Tour Poster

Sound the golden trumpets of glory for I have succeeded in my quest to obtain a print of The Kills' Tenth Anniversary Show in NYC tour poster.

Designed by Rob Jones, only 235 were printed and I was lucky enough to snatch a copy in a fevered online auction battle. This beauty is now hanging proudly in my room. Huzzah!

The Kills Tenth Anniversary Show Video Warmup

Ever since The Kills announced their 10^th Anniversary show in NYC several months ago, I’ve been wracked with anxiety, breathlessly eager for the show to begin. Now that we’re only one day away from total blues rockin’ mayhem, I thought it only fitting to share a few of my favorite Kills videos that I’ve had on repeat over the last several weeks.

Enjoy.

For a special treat, check out this beautifully shot short film that gives you an inside glimpse into the band’s nervous pre-show jitters and what they do to get ready for a show.

Top ten albums of 2011

Yup, it’s that time of the year again, so without further ado, here are my top ten albums of the year.

#10 Dirty Beaches – Bad Lands

If Wong Kar Wai had a band, it would sound a lot like Dirty Beaches. Filled with 1950s cool, lovesick yearning, and all the raw emotions and frenetic longing of a Wong Kar Wai classic mixed with the dark malice of David Lynch, Alex Zhang Hungtai successfully creates a unique sound and aesthetic unlike anything I’ve seen or heard in a long time.

#9 Caroline Smith and the Goodnight Sleeps – Little Wind

With a voice every bit as adorable as their name, Caroline Smiths and the Goodnight Sleeps have more than enough folksy charm to spread around. Like Thao Nguyen and the Get Down Stay Down, these indie-folk rockers know how to transform quiet songs into foot stomping danceable goodness.

  "Calliope" - Caroline Smith & the Good Night Sleeps by PlanetaryOnlinePR

#8 Abbe May – Design Desire

The third album from this hard rocking Aussie lass is somethin’ mighty fierce. Abbe May’s monstrous rock riffs will swallow you alive, but underneath that tough veneer lies an unspeakable tension. There is so much energy and emotion coiled tightly below the surface that each track fills you with anxiety as you wait in wide-eyed fear for it to explode like a jack in the box. If that doesn’t do it for you, her powerful voice will. Unlike Allison Mosshart, Janis Joplin, and other rock goddesses, Abbe May’s voice is soft, pure, and angelic. Her hushed whispers prove to be an unsettling juxtaposition to her vicious guitar playing.

#7 Big Deal – Lights Out

Consisting of a guy, a girl, and two guitars – one electric and acoustic – you couldn’t get more basic than Big Deal. Their minimalist sound immediately earned them comparisons to The XX, and deservedly so. In candid lovelorn songs, these two lay their hearts bare without sounding heartsy or sappy – in fact they even manage to come off a bit like badasses, like it’s cool to talk about your emotions.

#6 Army Girls EP

#6 Army Girls – Close To The Bone

I know I’m cheating here because it’s not a full-length album, but I just love Army Girls so much that I couldn’t resist. Compared to other guitar and drum duos, Army Girls has a surprisingly lush sound. In particular Carmen Elle draws you in with her powerfully captivating voice that shifts with uncanny ease between soothing coos and raw spitfire. Their EP is filled with some of the catchiest and most melodic songs I’ve heard in quite some time, and it is certainly a good indicator that an amazing album will soon follow. 

ARMY GIRLS - THE POWER from untold city on Vimeo.

#5 Arctic Monkeys – Suck It and See

Abandoning the dreary English weather for the sun-soaked beaches of California for their latest album, the Artic Monkeys have opted for a more mellow doo-wop 50’s vibe more fitting of their new climate. Their sound is as sharp as ever with cheeky songs like “Love is like a Laserquest” and lyrics like “thundersuckle fuzz cannon.” Since their initial album, the band has become increasingly precise and tightly orchestrated to the point that each song has become pure genius compacted into four minutes.

#4 Chapel Club – Palace

Take a trip back to 1980s Manchester with Chapel Club. With heavy doses of The Smiths and Joy Division, these Brits pay homage to the best of 80’s New Wave by replicating it perfectly while adding a touch of modern sensibility. So hurry up and throw on a chunky sweater and a pair of acid-washed jeans and jump into the Morrissey time portal.

#3 The Kills – Blood Pressures

If you haven’t heard this album yet, it’s time to get baptized in hellfire, cheap whiskey, and cigarette smoke. The Kills are without a doubt one of the most badass rock duos out there and Jaime Hince proves once again that he’s one of the meanest guitar-slingers in the West. One listen to the “Gimme Shelter”-esque riff on “Baby Says” and you’ll be knocked down faster than a rickety fence in a hurricane. While not as melodic as “Midnight Boom” and not as in your face fuck off intense as “Keep On Your Mean Side,” their latest album sits in between finding a nice balance of simmering blues and explosive rock.

#2 Voxhaul Broadcast – Timing Is Everything

For thirteen glorious tracks, Voxhaul Broadcast will punish your speakers with bleedingly good indie rock. Throw in a pinch of southern blues rock, a dash of soul, a smidge of falsetto, and some garage rock to boot and you get one helluva party.

#1 US Royalty – Mirrors

Like their name implies, US royalty takes the best of Americana and distills it into a potent bourbon that will have you instantly wobbling. Drawing on Southern blues, raw Detroit rock, and the optimism and vitality of the West, these indie rockers have put out an album that will put some serious iron in your veins. From jangly river basin blues to dreamy folk and even an insanely catchy indie banger to boot, this album covers a lot of ground, but underneath it all lays a strong blues tradition steeped in sorrow, whiskey, and howling guitars. One listen to “The Desert Won’t Save You” and you’ll understand why US Royalty has quickly become one of my favorite bands.

To quote an earlier review of mine, “A powerful lone guitar rolls out a nice delta blues progression while vocalist John Thornley howls mournfully and the drums beat out a rhythm that sound like someone was keeping time using a good ol’ fashioned hollow crate. This nice little interplay slowly builds to a crescendo until Paul Thornley unleashes a savage barrage of Black Keys-esque guitar lines. Then, at a moment's notice, the attack disappears and we’re left with the quiet rumblings of the bass guitar. This build and retreat pattern happens repeatedly, gaining in ferocity each time for nearly seven minutes of gloriousness.”

My Current Playlist

Just thought I'd share my current playlist. 

A bit of a mixed bag here, some dreamier ethereal sounds, some rollicking blues rock, and some good summer jams.

Delta Spirit – Gimme Some Motivation

Delta Spirit – Bushwick Blues (Live Version)

The Kills – DNA

Cults – Abducted

Seapony – Blue Star

New Navy – Zimbabwe

We Are Trees – Dear Chan Marshall

Phantogram – Mouthful of Diamonds

  

Land of Talk – Quarry Hymns 

The Kills – Blood Pressure Review

My review of The Kill’s latest album Blood Pressures just got published over at Donnybrook.

Here’s a snippet of my take on the album:

“Showing incredible growth, Blood Pressures exhibits the band’s increasingly complex and textured sound. No longer just malevolence and brashness, the band deftly manipulates our emotions by vacillating between slow boiling sensuousness and wicked guitar driven snarls, even managing to infuse it all with tinges of nostalgia and wistful longing…

In particular, “Baby Says” stands out as evidence of the band’s expressive new sound. Opening with a “Gimme Shelter”-esque riff, the track is more melodic and lovesick than anything I’ve heard from The Kills to date. Instead of bludgeoning you with his abundant talent, Hince chooses to quietly display it with a smooth perpetually rolling riff that ebbs and flows perfectly with the essence of the song. Meanwhile Mosshart’s vocals are breathier and more passionate than ever, as she coos wistfully over a steady driving beat. Other songs that deserve repeated listens include the smoldering sexuality of “DNA,” the hypnotic “Heart Is A Beating Drum,” and the southern twang of “Pots and Pans.””

Head over to Donnybrook to read the rest.

The Kills – Blood Pressures Released Today!

Quick! Dress yourself in all black, throw on some boots, and douse yourself in booze and cigarette smoke because The Kills have just released their fourth album, Blood Pressures, on Domino.

Dark and sensual, the album sounds a bit more like their initial sound rather than 2008’s Midnight Boom, which was a bit on the peppy side.

Although, the flagrant hell-fire and fury from their debut album is missing, they are still every bit as stylish and charismatic. There is no doubt that The Kills are still pure un-adultered rock in its truest sense, but it seems that their sound has grown in different directions.

Check out this excerpt from arecent interview in which they discuss their influences for this album and Allison Mosshart’s experience touring with Dead Weather:

‘Obsessive and claustrophobic?’ repeats Jamie Hince: ‘yes, I like that. After we’d made the record, Alison and I talked about the theme: there’s a lot about gender, about relationships; it’s about sex – so, blood pressures’.

‘Right now, I would say it's quite a dark record,’ says Alison Mosshart; ‘the lyrics are a little twisted. I think I always say that about every record I do. I think we're just both obsessive people. Obsessive about what we love and maybe even more obsessive about what we hate. I need to perform this record live to see what it really is, and what it's really communicating’.

The music’s changed because Alison was on tour with The Dead Weather for much of last year,’ Jamie continues. ‘It was really freeing to take ideas of hers and to change them musically. “The Last Goodbye” for instance changes from 4/4 to waltz time’.

‘The Dead Weather is a very different kind of band,’ Alison agrees. ‘For one, it's a 4 piece band with a lot going on, and it's pretty spontaneous. I wasn't used to not knowing what was going to happen next on stage, having been so familiar performing with a drum machine. So I think I got better at using my voice as an instrument to make sounds and noise that could compete with guitars and feedback, rather than just delivering lyrics’.

Stream the album now or hurry up and pick up your copy.

But wait! Before you do that, check out the video to “Satellite” the album’s lead single.



As an added bonus, check out this great fan vid made from footage from the great Kills documentary “I Hate The Way You Love.”

AA’s Current Playlist

Here’s a playlist of some things that I’ve been listening to compulsively.

Nothing special, just a mix of old favorites and some newer stuff, but mostly everything is mellow and introspective with a subtle underlying optimism.

Enjoy.

High Highs – Open Seasons



Warpaint – Undertow



Freelance Whales – Enzymes



Here We Go Magic – Tunnelvision



MillionYoung – Calrissian



The Kills – Goodnight Bad Morning



U.S. Royalty – Raincoats (live version)



Arctic Monkey’s – The Afternoon’s Hat

18 - ARCTIC MONKEYS - The Afternoons Hat by Quimera

Childhood – Blue Velvet



Cloud Nothings- Hey Cool Kid