The Kills

Black Rooster (2002)

wyzo

This is a tricky release. See Alison from Discount decided to move to London. She is in the Kills. Her and this guy. Hotel. Her name is VV. So this band gets labeled as a UK band with hotel and VV, and I say HA! I know its you Alison from florida, you can't fool me! I am just so very smart. Anyway, this is a 5 track/ 4 song Ep which after the cover song "dropout boogie", is really 3 original songs. Yet it plays like a record twice as long, because its 4 good songs, even the cover is good. I bought it without hearing what they sounded like, and the reviews I read didn't help. So I went in blindly. I'm glad I don't listen to myself a lot, and bought it. It's not pop-punk, and Alison's code name may just to prevent being tagged as that singer in Discount. All I know is its really good. As far as music, its rock. Not nirvana, or the vines rock, and not old classic rock. I mean midtempo garage rock with an emphasis on attitude. Its only two people, and live they use a drum machine, so its a straight forward and minimal rock machine. The moment you hear the first track "Cat claw" head bob out, your hooked. Alison, or if I must, VV, sings the first line with presence and attitude ending with "cmon, sugar" before snare drum rim taps come in, and you can't believe how much style this has until the chorus of "Got it, I want it" over and over rocks your sorry ass into submission. The second song trades off vocals between Alison and Hotel, in an equally rocking number "Black Rooster (fuck and fight)" before my favorite song "Wait", which slows down a bit and has them trading vocals that contrast and compliment the down home feel of the song.
The recording is raw and strong.
There's also a picture of VV with her hair down over her face, Alison's normally dreddy hair nowhere to be found, I almost didn't recognize her.
I have to admit this isn't the kind of music I'm used to describing so if you're still trying to figure it out, all I can say give it a try, if you like the rock sound nostalgically being brought back, this is much better than any of that elitist crap with twice as much style and pizzaz. Check out their band page for more information. I'm fortunate enough to see them play on the 12th. Other Discount members are in UNITAS and I know the one guy whose married to the girl from Bis are in a project together called The Kitchen who have a split coming out with the selby tigers.