Customer Reviews

Keep On Your Mean Side

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

When an album like this is considered by many to be the most passionate rock album of the year then that would be nothing less than more evidence that the rock scene has got a major problem.
But such a statement could be easily misunderstood, so, some exegesis is badly needed here.
"Keep on your mean side" is indeed a brilliant LP. It sounds authentic from the get go, and has a pathos that you can't miss even if you've lost all ability to feel.

Musically, it's a simple recipe really, but as it's well observed over the years simple is more than often beautiful. It is obviously influenced -in a -major way- by the likes of P.J Harvey
but it goes beyond that because the whole mix has an intense sexuality, a "dirtyness", and a rockiness that Polly Jean hasn't achieved (at least to that degree).

Having said all that though, it is not to say that listening to the Kills isnt rewarding. It is, in fact, as rewarding as a sin to let "Keep on your mean side" go through your ears. And i'm sure they must be a treat live as well.
If we're trapped to suffer hordes of wannabes, pretenders, untalented copycats and fake hard n tough "rockers" then I'll take the Kills every single time.
After all, this is one case where you cant say "copy Kills music", if you get my drift.

This is a great album - dirty, twangy, guitar driven bluesy rock with plenty of feedback left in for your listening pleasure. Buy this now!

FYI - they sound absolutely nothing like the White Stripes. If I had to make a comparison, they remind me a lot of the Velvet Underground and Jesus And Mary Chain, but much more upbeat than either of those bands (which are also really good).

Even IF the rest of the album sucked, it would be worth buying this record for the song "Wait" which is by far one of the best tracks of the year! It's kinda slow, kinda moody, and very freakin' smooth. Think Kristen Hersch of the Throwing Muses, cross pollinated with PJ Harvey and you have an idea of the sexy, soulful sound of VV's voice. On other tracks she's got that "cat in heat" cry in her vocals that make you fall for her like a kid in the school yeard- even before seeing her picture ( which, by the way, only encourages the attraction!)

...but wait, I got off track... Yes, "Wait" is a killer tune, but the fact remains that the rest of the record lives up to the meter set by that song. Songs like "Cat Claw," "Fried My Little Brains," "Black Rooster," and the final acoustic track "gypsy death and you" stand out as works of mastery. On "BR" and "FMLB" VV's other half, Hotel ( yes, that's his name), create duets that conjure up the sounds of Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore. Their influences seem to be all over the place- from the noise rock of Sonic Youth to the soulful sounds of the Detroit Blues. Yet what they do with those influences is pretty damned original.

My only complaint about this album is that the 3 strongest songs ("W," "BR," and "CC") also appeared on their EP entitled "Black Rooster." So that if you already have that hard to find EP, you may be a bit disappointed that the other songs don't quite live up to what you've already heard.

One last thought for those of you who haven't heard the Kills yet: This is a band you NEED to hear!

The Kills are an extraordinarily intense band. Alison (VV) and Jamie (Hotel) complement each other well. His guitar playing is catchy and gritty at the same time. Her vocals are passionate and raw. There is absolutely no showmanship in their performances. The track I enjoyed the most was 'Wait', a slower sweeter song. I have always been a sucker for Alison's softer singing even back in the days of her pop punk band Discount. She has a truly amazing voice. With the surge in the popularity of rock and blues music it would be easy to group these two with some of the more widely known musicians making headlines, but they truly deserve a place of their own. The music is honest, chaotic, sexy and above all artistic. It's Brit meets America and it will blow you away.

This sounds nothing like the white stripes! Have you people even heard the white stripes...or just clumping them together because of the two person band deal? Listen to the album and then write a review. The album is far more derivitive of The Royal Trux then the White Stripes.

In a quest to always find good new music, I first read about the Kills in NME, and found them to be very interesting. The band consisted of two members: Hotel, a guy from London, and VV, a girl from the States. NME seemed to be enthralled with them, and with good reason. They do make very good music.

I find it hard to put a specific finger on what type of music the Kills make. I consider it alternative bluesy rock. Their inspirations seem to range from P.J. Harvey (when I first listened, I was surprised to hear how similar VVs voice is to P.J. Harvey. She also sometimes reminds me of Elasticas Justine Frischmann or Bettie Serveerts Carol Van Dyk), the Velvet Underground, and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club to the noise pop of the Jesus and Mary Chain. Their music can sometimes be loud with bursts of fuzzed-out raw guitar noise and feedback, and at times acoustic and very melodic.

There are stand out tracks throughout. I personally like Superstition, Cat Claw, Kissy Kissy, and the last six tracks the best, but all are great. I was especially fascinated by the last track: "Gypsy Death & You." And just a slight warning: the Kills have a penchant for using the f word  something that pops up numerous times in a few songs. It seems befitting of their attitude. That aside, they definitely have their own sound that is not like other bands.

It is a great listen and I totally recommend it for anyone - especially for fans of the musicians listed in this review. Not the best debut album of all time, hence 4 out of 5 stars, but a great one. I'm definately looking forward for more of their music in the future and wish them the best.

When it comes to indiefolk co-opting the blues, I think this is how it should be done. The Kills are 2 pretentious scenester-types, caught up in the dingy romance of the down-and-out-poseur life. And it sounds great. I'll take this over Jack White's squeaky-clean reverance any day (sorry Jack, but I think this kind of self-mythologizing is truer to the spirit of the blues; but, that version of "Death Letter" on 'De Stijl' tears it up). My one complaint is that it's a little bit samey: "Fried My Little Brains" sounds a lot like "Hitched" sounds a lot like "F*#k the People." Not that that's a bad way to sound, it just gets a little tiresome. But speaking of "F*#k the People," I think it gets the award for Best Use of Profanity, 2003. It's tough these days to get any kind of thrill when a pop singer cusses, but I think I'd be more likely to turn down "F*#k the People" than I would something dumb like the Offspring's "Bad Habit," if my mom were around. Dunno why exactly, it just sounds dirtier coming out of VV's (assuredly filthy) mouth. Anyway, if you're looking for a bluesy minimalist indie punk album, pick up 'Keep on Your Mean Side.'

You've got to hand it to The Kills, this whole album is bursting at the seams with sexual tension. Seedy, sleazy, and sordid, but still utterly compelling.

It has it's weak moments, but overall it's a pleasing effort.

So I was thinking when I got this that it would be another garageist reviaval band. It's not, trust me. There's more sophistication in the lyrics, more polish to the sound (which is so rich I want to go out and buy this in Vinyl--and a turntable), and yes, even more anger and heart. Sometimes it's the only record I want to listen to.

Yes, that means I like them more than the White Stripes and the Strokes.

Oh yeah, and VV is the freshest female vocal since Corin Tucker.

And Oh, there's an electric viola somewhere.

And to think, this is their first album. I'll definately be following this band around.

The White Stripes, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Black Keys... Forget all of them. This is the band that deserves all of that hype. From the raucous "Cat Claw," to the sweet "Gypsy Death & You," The Kills have what it takes to make a name in rock music.
The one fault I can find is that some of the songs can be repetitive. But it's in a neat Jesus and Mary Chain sort of way... not a "Oh, God When Will This Song Change" White Stripes sort of way.