Logo
DiS Needs You: Save our site »
  • Logo_home2
  • Records
  • In Depth
  • In Photos
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Search
  • Community
  • Records
  • In Depth
  • Blog
  • Community

THIS SITE HAS BEEN ARCHIVED AND CLOSED.

Please join the conversation over on our new forums »

If you really want to read this, try using The Internet Archive.

The Kills

Keep On Your Mean Side

Label: Domino Records Release Date: 10/03/2003

mirvine by Michael Irvine March 9th, 2003

VV and Hotel. Alias Alison Mosshart and Jamie Hince. The Kills. The latest addition in a growing number of boy girl (or is it girl boy?!?) combos. The vacant stare, the James Dean pose, the faded blue jeans, dusty leathers and an obvious stench of too much nicotine. Fresh from the back of an old pick up they step off like two people here to save the world from the threatening grip of uncool.

The Kills have produced a scuzzed-up, fuzzed-out, beat-laden, melody-spewing, guitar-based frenzy that is so lazy, hazy, sexy, sleazy, sassy and saucy they have not only gone through the back pages of the best in garage punk rock, they have re-written it. This is mean, this is nasty, and it will tear your head off, stomp on your flower beds and steal your ice cream given half a chance. This is not an album simply for your listening pleasure. This is a necessity. An addiction. A calling. And it will become a big part of your life. Quite simply put your record collection will not be complete without it.

The shared vocals are sung in a sugar-coated, could-care-not Kim Deal, Lou Reed fashion. And they’ve taken the blues and sat it neatly on their sleeve. Every now and again whipping it out and wielding it like a pair of nunchuks with the intention of brow-beating their songs into the next level Bruce Lee style. In most cases this works fine, sadly in some they come off a bit of a second rate Chuck Norris next to the likes of The Soledad Brothers. However, the guitars are psych-chomping, punk-munching, riff-beating distortion-laden beautiful, sexy noise machines full of that lovely little raspy noise that makes the hairs on the back of your neck just stand up straight, throw on a pair of jet black blacker than black shades and light a cigarette. Kind of like how I would imagine it to be if James Williamson from the Stooges and Keith Richards ever jammed together with Johnny Cash producing.

'Cat Claw' from the recent 'Black Rooster EP' has charging, thundering guitars and an angry take it to you riff. 'Pull A U' oozes of underlying menace, 'Hand' adds a mix of MC5 lemon to a New York Dolls spritzer, 'Black Rooster', quite possibly the best on the album reeks of that wah-wah funky blues riffage that just carries your feet into the centre of the dance floor, 'Fuck The People' uses a charging rock riff, a kind of rockabilly sound associated with the likes of The Sonics, the godfathers of garage rock. And 'Monkey on my Back' is a chilled-out, almost epic rock track that takes from early Jesus and Mary Chain and up to date BRMC with an almost Spiritualized feel to it.

Overall this is a furious mix of PJ Harvey angst, the laid back NY cool of the Velvet Underground and the staunch ‘punkness’ of the Stooges. This is the kind of music that walks up to the likes of the White Stripes, blows a pool of smoke in their faces and then takes a hold of the red carpet the UK has so lovingly thrown out for them, before whipping it right out from under their very feet and laughing furiously as they hit the ground falling. Yes, people, Music is finally going back to the roots of what it should all be about. The attitude. Being able to smell it on the cd case before you even pick it up off the shelf. Feeling it oozing from every section of the box as you peel back the plastic cover. And knowing that what you are about to pay for is worth every penny without even having heard a single track.

Next to this, the Ikea of modern day musical furniture, everything else is just a bog standard flat pack B and Q special offer reduced for quick sale. Simply lovely.

  • 9
    Michael Irvine's Score
Log-in to rate this record out of 10
Share on
   
Love DiS? Become a Patron of the site here »


LATEST


  • Why Music Journalism Matters in 2024


  • Drowned in Sound is back!


  • Drowned in Sound's 21 Favourite Albums of the Year: 2020


  • Drowned in Sound to return as a weekly newsletter


  • Lykke Li's Sadness Is A Blessing


  • Glastonbury 2019 preview playlist + ten alternative must sees



Left-arrow

The Used

The Taste of Ink

Mobback

The Vines at Camden Electric Ballroom, Camden, Thu 19 Feb

Mobforward
Right-arrow


LATEST

    news


    Why Music Journalism Matters in 2024

  • 106145
  • news


    Drowned in Sound is back!

  • 106143

    news


    Drowned in Sound's 21 Favourite Albums of the Y...

  • 106141
  • news


    Drowned in Sound to return as a weekly newsletter

  • 106139

    Playlist


    Lykke Li's Sadness Is A Blessing

  • 106138
  • Festival Preview


    Glastonbury 2019 preview playlist + ten alterna...

  • 106137

    Interview


    A Different Kind Of Weird: dEUS on The Ideal Crash

  • 106136
  • Festival Review


    Way Out East: DiS Does Sharpe Festival 2019

  • 106135
MORE


    news


    The Neptune Music Prize 2016 - Vote Now

  • 103918
  • Takeover


    The Winner Takes It All

  • 50972

    Takeover


    10 Things To Not Expect Your Record Producer To...

  • 93724
  • review


    The Mars Volta - Deloused In The Comatorium

  • 4317

    review


    Sonic Youth - Nurse

  • 6044
  • feature


    New Emo Goth Danger? My Chemical Romance confro...

  • 89578

    feature


    DiS meets Justice

  • 27270
  • news


    Our Independent music filled alternative to New...

  • 104374
MORE

Drowned in Sound
  • DROWNED IN SOUND
  • HOME
  • SITE MAP
  • NEWS
  • IN DEPTH
  • IN PHOTOS
  • RECORDS
  • RECOMMENDED RECORDS
  • ALBUMS OF THE YEAR
  • FESTIVAL COVERAGE
  • COMMUNITY
  • MUSIC FORUM
  • SOCIAL BOARD
  • REPORT ERRORS
  • CONTACT US
  • JOIN OUR MAILING LIST
  • FOLLOW DiS
  • GOOGLE+
  • FACEBOOK
  • TWITTER
  • SHUFFLER
  • TUMBLR
  • YOUTUBE
  • RSS FEED
  • RSS EMAIL SUBSCRIBE
  • MISC
  • TERM OF USE
  • PRIVACY
  • ADVERTISING
  • OUR WIKIPEDIA
© 2000-2025 DROWNED IN SOUND