Customer Reviews

No More Kings

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A while ago, my partner at American Hit Network sent me an e-mail response after I had forwarded him info about No More Kings. In a nutshell, he pretty much refused to post any information about this disk on our site. I believe his exact quote was, "This would be a new low for us." I hadn't even heard the disk yet, so who was I to argue? And besides, his instincts seemed right - any CD that features a song about Tony Macchio as "The Karate Kid" must be ridiculously bad. Add in a song about zombies and another about Charlie Brown's piano playing friend, Schroeder, and another that references both the Beastie Boys and Darth Vader in one couplet, and you've got some corny, formulaic crap, right? Don't you think? Wouldn't you expect?
Well, don't jump to conclusions. I've finally obtained a copy of this CD, and I haven't been able to pull this disk out of my player since I popped it in. Until then, I'd been sharpening my pen, preparing scathing observations about clueless whackos who pretend to be musicians and obviously watch too much television. Instead I found myself singing along, laughing out loud, and playing tracks for my friends. I have been sucked into their nerdy world, and I love it. For one thing, these guys are very good songwriters and excellent musicians. The songs are catchy as hell, and the strange topicality is a truckload of fun; it's such a relief to hear new musicians who don't feel compelled to take themselves too seriously, but play as though they mean it. The package itself is a wonderfully colorful cartoon collage of lyrics, and it captures the mood of the disk perfectly.
You want an example of what I'm talking about? Here is that couplet I mentioned above, from a track called "Someday";
Throw on some nylon pants and bust a Hammer dance
I'm kicking moves to `You Can't Touch This'
Tucked in my corduroys, I got my Beastie Boys tape
Fight for my right to party, `though I'm not invited.
Fell like Darth Vader with this helmet on my head (I can't see)
I'm in there somewhere past the plastic shell...
It's sort of as if Napoleon Dynamite made a solo record, and that's only one track. Imagine an entire CD with lyrics as strangely engrossing as that, all accompanied by songs that you find yourself humming at inopportune moments. This CD by No More Kings may look ridiculous, and it certainly sounds ridiculous on paper, but once you hear it, you'll be singing a different tune. A- Tom Ryan

I stumbled across this gem while listening to Pandora Internet Radio. I'm sure glad! I enjoyed the first track I heard, "Zombie Me," and so I decided to look into No More Kings. The album was getting great reviews on Amazon, their website was awesome(!), and the music video for "Sweep the Leg" is genious. I'm not an audio-phile, or even an avid music listener--This is my first music CD purchase, ever (and no, I don't download music illegally)--but I recognize skilled musicians. And these guys are. They really enjoy themselves (just look down the names of the songs, and tell me they don't love fun) and it shows off in their music. The music is catchy, varied, and funny. If you aren't fully convinced by listening to the samples (or this review!) they have full versions of the songs to sample legally on CNet.

And download the whole album, not just individual songs. I wasn't too sure, because I thought I'd just like a few, but I'm loving about 11 out of 13. I think "About Schroeder" is funny, but doesn't deserve to be a full song, and "This" seems like a forced attempt for something completely serious. There are many gems that you'll overlook if you just download individual tracks--Girl in the Sea is probably my favorite, most underated song.

Great Album, and AmazonMP3 worked quite well! I'm listening to it on my computer as I type, and I enjoyed the songs on my Sony Ericsson W300i phone earlier today.

This is one of the greatest cds to come out lately. This band is absolutely amazing. I usually listen to heavier music, but from the moment I heard Zombie Me (the first track on the album) I was hooked. Each song is so unique. Each track seems to tell a story. This is just a really fun cd to listen too. I highly recomend buying this album. And if you get a chance to catch them at a live show, they are great. I just got their second album "And the Flying Boombox", it is different but just as good. Give "No More Kings" a try, you will not be disappointed.

This was one of the only albums I've purchased in 2008. I heard No More Kings on an acoustic radio performance in New Hampshire (Rock101) and was blown away. I immediately hit amazon mp3 and purchased the entire downloadable album.

The lyrics are funny, creative and have just enough humor to allow the emotional style to work well. Not as vulgar as Tenacious D (who I also respect for their music and creativity) but with the right amount of passion and humor to the lyrics to make you listen over and over in detail.

The vocals are spot on, rhythm makes you want to jam out and the full band package makes you want to take up a musical instrument and reach for the stars.

In a world which tries to push the edge of acceptable lyrics and music, these guys dial it back a notch and show you how talent, creativity and emotional intensity sells albums.

If you don't own this, you really should.

Honestly, I bought the album after seeing the Sweep the Leg video. The music was so great that I figured the album would be worth a shot... and was I ever right! I like to listen to music that has some depth in its arrangements and instrumentation and No More King's scores big there. Whether you listen to progressive rock, pop/rock, power pop, etc. there is something for you on this disk. The lyrics are great, very humorous, very well crafted. You'll find everything from the standard guitars and pianos to brass and string instruments. The playing is top notch as is the production. The album is very accessible and unlike some progressive music, it'll have you hooked after one listen. Give it a shot!!

Like most of the other reviewers, I wasn't quite sure what to think about this CD with its wacky song titles and album art that looks as if the artist was equally influenced by Napoleon Dymanite, bad 70s karate movies, and marijuana.
And yet...this CD is FUN!!! The songs make me laugh out loud, dance along, and nod with amused understanding at the same time. The lyrics could have been written by your brothers college band, if all of the band members happend to be Harvard English majors with exceptional musical ability and a talent for comic timing. The overall impression sounds like Relient K joined the Gym Class Heroes, as fronted by Jason Mraz and produced by Justin Timberlake's producer.

I highly recommend this CD!

This albumn is fantastic. I love every track. I have had it playing in my car constantly for the last few weeks, and i'm still not sick of it!! Strongly recommend this to anyone interested in a band that appears to be the love-child of Maroon 5 and Tenacious D, yet still maintains an awesomely distinct flavour.

Listen to it.
Buy it.
If you are related to me; expect it for Christmas this year.

In short, the album is amazingly catchy and unbelievably clever.

Let's ignore the words for a second--the instruments are incredible. The album brings everything from a slow piano ballad in "About Schroeder", to the bubbly ukulele in "Someday", to the pensive violin and accordion waltz in "Girl in the Sea", to the guitar hook from "Michael" that will NOT get out of my head under any circumstances. If you're looking for an album that all sounds like the same song--Owl City, anyone?--this isn't it. If you like a wide variety of music, here it is.

Now, about the lyrics--you know it from the other reviews, but these aren't your standard I'm-sensitive-and-male-and-I-love-you lyrics. Pete Mitchell's M-O is to take some character you've seen before, and shed some new light on the story. You've seen the list of references, so I won't repeat them, but I will say that Pete Mitchell is a technically strong lead man who can pull off this variety of sources with conviction.

I, like many others, found the music on Pandora--but if you want to try before you buy, don't forget to look at their music videos on YouTube. Trust me--you won't be able to just listen once.

As to the advice in the title, I bought the album on iTunes, thereby missing out on the album art that Pete Mitchell drew; he's apparently an animator as well, who has worked with Disney Studios and Jim Henson Studios, so I did miss out a bit when buying digital. I don't think there are any bonus tracks or anything, but just be aware, these aren't your standard liner notes.

...before you get suckered into buying some unfairly popular pop-music that doesn't measure up to this at all.

Every song is great and unique, and usually also hilarious. (You WILL burst out laughing near the end of "Leaving Lilliput" if you pay attention.) But when they aren't funny they're actually meaningful. Sometimes they end up being both at the same time.

If this band's name means they hope to bring down the arbitrary "kings" of rock, they might just do it. And they won't even need ninjas.