The "next big thing" of july 2003 was the Kills, a London-based duo formed by
Florida's vocalist Alison "VV" Mosshart and British guitarist Jamie "Hotel" Hince.
Their debut album, Keep on Your Mean Side (Rough Trade, 2003), was one
of the most predictable takes on the rudimentary blues-punk style launched by
Jon Spencer and popularized by the
White Stripes. Mostly, it sounded like
an amateurish cross between Royal Trux and
P.J. Harvey
(their signature tune Black Rooster, Cat Claw),
with occasional glimpses of Patti Smith
(Superstition) and visions of a jam session between
Robert Johnson and the Velvet Underground
(Kissy Kissy), peaking with the
psychotic voodoobilly Fried My Little Brains.
The lyrics are a bore, but No Wow (RCA, 2005) actually improves over
the kammerspielen of the first album by introducing a stronger, rougher,
more lively vocalist (frequently evoking Polly Jean Harvey).
At least the country-ish Rodeo Town, garage-y Love is a Deserter
and No Wow justify their fame.
Midnight Boom (2008) was even more predictable and even more hyped by
the press.
Fashionable music and fashionable attitudes, but not much content.
Dozens if not hundreds of bands can write more intriguing and catchy ditties
than Last Day Of Magic, Tape Song and Cheap and Cheerful.
Dead Weather, a supergroup formed by Alison Mosshart (of the Kills), Jack White on drums (of the White Stripes and the Raconteurs), guitarist Dean Fertita (of Queens of the Stone Age) and bassist Jack Lawrence (of the Raconteurs), debuted with
Horehound (Reprise, 2009), that introduced them as
heirs to the sloppy alt-rock of Royal Trux and Jon Spencer.
Hang You from the Heavens is a thundering power-blues, and
So Far from Your Weapon a sinister swamp blues a` la Nick Cave.
60 Feet Tall is instead reminiscent of the
chaotic jamming of the Jimi Hendrix Experience, and
I Cut Like A Buffalo is an ominous dub-industrial shuffle.
Mosshart shines throughout the album, and particularly in Treat Me Like Your Mother, where her junk vocals (a` la Fetchin Bone's Hope Nicholls) engage the dissonant background.
Fertita is an adequate partner, stealing the show in the
hyper-funky Bone House and the
instrumental
3 Birds
(mainly a showcase for his alien guitar noise).
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(Translation by/ Tradotto da Vincenzo A. Vella)
La “next big thing” del luglio 2003 sono i
Kills, un duo di stanza a Londra formato dala vocalist americana Alison “VV”
Mosshart alla voce e dal chitarrista britannico Jamie “Hotel” Hince.
Il loro esordio, Keep on Your Mean Side (Rough Trade,
2003), è quanto di più prevedibile sia mai stato realizzato sul versante
blues-punk lanciato da Jon Spencer e poi reso popolare dai White Stripes. Per
riassumere, il suono della band può essere descritto come un incrocio un po’
dilettantesco fra i Royal Trux e P.J. Harvey (vedi le canzoni Black Roster e Cat Claw), con qualche spunto occasionale preso da Patti Smith (Superstition) e qualche accenno di jam
session che ricorda Robert Johnson e i Velvet Underground (Kissy Kissy).
I testi lasciano
proprio a desiderare ma, nonostante le premesse del primo album, con No Wow (RCA, 2005) il duo decide di
introdurre un cantato più intenso, più duro e diretto (il modello è Polly Jean
Harvey). Il ritmo country di Rodeo Town, il simil-garage di Love is a
Deserter e No Wow danno un
senso a questo album.
MidNight Boom del 2008 è ancora più prevedibile
dei precedenti, ma non si può dire che il gruppo abbia perso l’hype che
l’accompagna fin dagli esordi. La musica e lo stile dei Kills rispetta tutti i
canoni estetici in voga negli ultimi anni, ma latita di contenuti rilevanti.
Probabilmente esistono al mondo dozzine, se non centinaia di band che
potrebbero scrivere riff più intriganti e catchy di Last Day Of Magic, Tape
Song e Cheap and Cheerful.
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