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Kaiser Chiefs
I can hear what you're thinking now: "Little Miss Rock'n'Roll, did you ever get over Britpop?" And the answer to that would be a thundering like, no way! And I swear, I'll probably never fully be over it.
Conveniently, it's been bandied about in the UK music press recently that a modest little band from Leeds known as the Kaiser Chiefs (that's after a South African footie team) are on some hare-braned mission to save Britpop.
Sounds like a lot of blustery PR to me -- but if that's really the case, I say: Go for it, fellas! Keep up the good work and here's a pat on the back. You're doing just fine! (But really, they don't need too much support from my corner -- championed by NME and BBC DJ Steve Lamacq, the Kaiser Chiefs' first two singles, "Oh My God" and "I Predict a Riot," are demolishing the indie charts in the UK.)
But enough of the statistical data -- listen to the Kaiser Chiefs, and you'll hear the influences writ large on the sleeves of their cute little blazers and track jackets. It's all the usual suspects. Top the list with Madness, Super Furry Animals, and Blur. Wrap it up with the Small Faces and The Beach Boys, and you've got some idea of the sunny sweet sound of the Kaiser Chiefs. Rousing, stompy, singalong choruses. Jangly guitar. Soaring harmonies. Big, big hooks. A keyboardist in a porkpie hat. And gratuitous use of the cowbell.
But don't get me wrong, it's not all sunshine and fluffy bunnies and chocolate milk. There's a little twinge of darkness in there as well, in the grand tradition of pop songs written in bleak times -- hidden in the lyrics, the subtly gloomy basslines, and the drone of the near-unobtrusive keyboards -- especially in the four tracks below.
So, let the Kaiser Chiefs rock your cubicle, your iPod, your car, or your living room and have a little dance party today. I promise I won't tell anyone that you're having fun listening to music again.
Kaiser Chiefs - I Predict a Riot
Kaiser Chiefs - Everyday I Love You Less and Less
Kaiser Chiefs - Na Na Na Na Naa
Kaiser Chiefs - Caroline, Yes
The Kaiser Chiefs' official website. Their debut album, Employment, will be released in the UK on 3/7 and the US on 3/15.
Posted by Little Miss Rock'n'Roll at 02.16.05 at 2:31 AM
Comments
I've seen them live and they nearly tore down the house: great, great performance.
Posted by: Queen of the Front Row at 02.16.05 at 12:05 PM
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