Deerhoof

Deerhoof released Offend Maggie on the label Kill Rock Stras on October 7th. Rollingstones states:

If Dora the Explorer cut an album with Sonic Youth, it might sound like Deerhoof.

This is funny and entertaining especially if you have children like I do and you have been forced to endure hours of Dora the Explorer. The review rundown goes like this Pitchfork 7.6 out of 10. Spin 3 out of 5 stars and Rolling Stone gives it 3.5 out of 5. The college kids are digging the sound as the album has spiked to number for on the CMJ chart.




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Wikipedia:

Deerhoof is a San Francisco musical group, currently consisting of Satomi Matsuzaki (usually vocals and bass), John Dieterich (usually guitar), Ed Rodriguez (usually guitar as well) and Greg Saunier (usually drums).
Although typically classified as indie rock due to their having been on an indie rock label (Kill Rock Stars) for the entirety of their career, the unconventional nature of Deerhoof's music makes genre identification difficult. But several recurring features can be said to constitute Deerhoof's distinctive sound: unassuming vocal delivery set against hyper-expressive instrumental playing; an elastic approach to group dynamics and rhythm more akin to the rubato of classical music performance practice than rock; odd melodies; harmonic sophistication and dissonance; disjointed, condensed, asymmetrical and otherwise unconventional song structures; raw and at times strident sound surfaces; and improvisation.
Contents[hide]


Origins
In 1991, the classically trained Saunier, directly after graduating from conservatory, moved to San Francisco and joined a short-lived quartet called Nitre Pit, on drums. When this quartet broke up suddenly with shows still booked, Saunier and then-bassist Rob Fisk formed a duo, dubbed Deerhoof by Fisk.[1] They forged a convulsive, improvisatory playing style to make up for their lack of material and stark instrumentation.
One such show where Fisk and Saunier were called upon to substitute for their former band was the 1995 Yo Yo A Go Go Festival in Olympia, WA. The audience was instantly polarized by the jarring ferocity of this unknown duo, but among them was Slim Moon, founder of the independent Olympia record label Kill Rock Stars. Moon signed Deerhoof on for one 7" single. The duo, budgetless, recorded themselves on four-track and released "Return of the Wood M'lady", featuring the drawing of visual artist Fisk.[2] Deerhoof's do-it-yourself ethic turned out to be an appropriate match with Kill Rock Stars, and Deerhoof has remained on this label for the entirety of their career, ultimately becoming the longest-running and best-selling artist on the label's current roster.
The histrionic instrumental style and massive volume of the early duo made vocals difficult to perform, so in 1996 Fisk and Saunier began looking for a singer to join them. In May of that year, through a mutual friend, they met Satomi Matsuzaki, who had just arrived in San Francisco from her native Tokyo in order to study film. Although she had no musical experience, all three quickly agreed that her calm singing style was what had been lacking in Deerhoof's sound. Within one week of her joining, Deerhoof went on their first tour as a trio. In this early incarnation she sang into a strange microphone Fisk had constructed out of papier mache and Walkman headphones.

History

The Man, The King, The Girl—Halfbird
By the time Deerhoof released their self-recorded first album The Man, the King, the Girl in 1997, a vast stylistic difference from the first single was apparent. The album was a mix of swirling noise and facile melody, played in a wild improvisational style, and produced using a wide and bizarre sound palette. Matsuzaki's childlike voice brought an unresolved tension that has remained a hallmark of their style. As on all Deerhoof albums, there were elements of the "concept album" at work. Deerhoof submitted the "completed" album several times before being satisfied with it. The artwork was painted by Fisk.
Matsuzaki began teaching herself to play bass and Deerhoof toured the U.S. several times over the next several years, often leaving audiences confused by the cheerful pop elements that seemed incongruous in a noise rock band.
In 1998, Deerhoof added Kelly Goode on keyboard, and by the release of 1999's Holdypaws, Deerhoof had once again drastically altered their sound, focusing on extremely strict performance of tightly composed songs, completely removing any element of noise, improvisation, or unusual instrumentation. The artwork was once again by Fisk and echoed the newly dark tone of the music. One could say that all of Deerhoof's subsequent albums have fallen between the aesthetic extremes posited by these first two.
Sales were low, band and label were losing money, and Deerhoof seemed destined for obscurity. When both Fisk and Goode quit in fall 1999, they left incomplete a third album, Halfbird, begun before Goode joined. When it was released in 2001, it revealed an increasing compositional sophistication, as well as a more subtle and layered orchestration that belied their modest DIY recording methods. The artwork was by Fisk.

Reveille—The Runners Four
In late 1999 Saunier and Matsuzaki found a replacement in self-taught guitarist John Dieterich, and spent the next two years crafting a new approach to writing, playing, and recording. The result was Reveille, released in 2002. Though still self-produced, it was recorded in a combination of home and studio settings, for certain songs using the engineering aid of Jay Pellicci and Ian Pellicci. As a result, the sound quality was more powerful and more polished than on previous releases. Dieterich's guitar playing added a new element of guitar virtuosity to the band. Matsuzaki's vocals were at once more confident and more minimal, often acting as another instrument in the mix, and often with seemingly meaningless phonemes for lyrics. The stylistic contrasts between and within songs were more unpredictable and daring. The artwork was by Matsuzaki, and had religious connotations and a grandiose tone that was echoed in the lyrics and musical style. It was at this time that Deerhoof first started to receive more serious critical attention.
By the end of the recording process, the band had developed a close relationship with Chris Cohen, then playing in his band The Curtains. Cohen joined Deerhoof, primarily as a second guitarist, Saunier joined The Curtains for several years, and Cohen and Dieterich formed another band called Natural Dreamers. For the next three years Deerhoof toured and recorded as a quartet, slowly building towards the international renown they receive today. The formerly shy Matsuzaki developed into a commanding stage presence. During this time Deerhoof released Apple O' (2003), Milk Man (2004), and The Runners Four (2005) in rapid succession, each receiving more critical attention, sales, and airplay than the previous. Milk Man is notable for being the band's first release to be distributed in Europe by ATP Recordings, who have done the same for all major Deerhoof recordings since that time. A lesser-known EP, Green Cosmos (2005), was also released during this time.
Despite the addition of Cohen, or perhaps as a result, Apple O' strips away the multi-layared and often electronic sounds of Reveille in favor of simple, live-sounding production without overdubs. Most of Apple O' was recorded in one nine-hour session with Jay Pellicci engineering. Exceptions were "Sealed With A Kiss", which was apparently created entirely on home computer using only samples from songs about apples, and the final two tracks which were acoustic and folksong-like. Matsuzaki's role as vocalist was larger than on Reveille, although she still often sounded like another instrument along with the guitars, which sometimes doubled her melodies in unison, a recurring feature of Deerhoof's music. Apple O' focused its artwork (again by Fisk, though he was no longer in the band) and lyrics around mythic themes of love and war, featuring repeated allusions to Adam and Eve, the atom bomb, and extinction.
Around this time, the quartet decided to leave their jobs and tour fulltime. Matsuzaki had been editing a San Francisco Japanese magazine, Dieterich and Saunier had been doing data entry for legal and consulting firms, and Cohen had been a waiter at a Thai restaurant.
Milk Man began as a cartoon character created by Japanese artist Ken Kagami, a longtime friend of the band. Using this drawing as a starting point, they created lyrics and music that told an ambiguous story about an all-white, masked character with fruits stabbed into its body, who takes children on a magical journey during the night. In contrast to the earnest guitar rock that predominated on Apple O', Milk Man featured a broad palette of orchestral colors, echoes of music theater and camp, polished and gaudy arrangements, Stravinskian harmonies, and a more stylized, anonymous playing style resulting partly from recording most of the instruments at separate times rather than playing together as a band. Milk Man's connections to both music theater and to children were embodied later in a theatrical version created by Courtney Naliboff and performed by children of the North Haven Community School in North Haven, Maine in fall 2006. The Milk Man Ballet was later released on DVD.
The EP Green Cosmos was the first Deerhoof release to be sung almost entirely in Matsuzaki's native language of Japanese. Musically Green Cosmos took the aesthetic of Milk Man a step further by combining an even more expansive orchestral sound, some live playing as fierce as anything Deerhoof had recorded, and references to disco that at times completely replaced live drums with programmed beats and samples. Artwork was created from original tarot cards designed by Dawn Garcia.
In the fall, Deerhoof released The Runners Four. Unlike the short albums of Deerhoof's past, The Runners Four was in essence a double album, with 20 songs, the result of several intense months of recording together in their rented practice space in Oakland. The idea was to give each band member equal say in its creation, and to work out arrangements as a live band rather than in the computer. Matsuzaki and Cohen reversed instrumental roles, with Matsuzaki playing guitar and Cohen bass. All four members were featured as vocalists at various points. This was their wordiest release, a contrast to the telegraphic simplicity of Reveille and Apple O'. Lyrics were ambiguous, but certain motifs - time travel, smuggling, allusions to Noah's Ark - recurred throughout. Artwork was by Trevor Shimizu, formerly of The Curtains.
After an extensive world tour, Deerhoof was invited by the San Francisco International Film Festival to perform a live, original score to a silent film of their choosing. They chose Heaven And Earth Magic by Harry Smith, and performed their hour-long soundtrack, largely composed by Dieterich, in spring 2006. This was to be Cohen's last activity with Deerhoof, as he left to pursue The Curtains fulltime.[3] The split was apparently amicable and, to commemorate Cohen, Deerhoof posted one of their occasional free mp3 EPs on their website. The band didn't assign a name to the EP, so reviewers referred to it as Untitled E.P.

Friend Opportunity
Now back to a trio, in summer 2006 they began working with first-time director Justin Theroux on the soundtrack to Dedication, released in fall 2007. (Dedication Film Soundtrack, featuring four tracks by Deerhoof, was also released at this time.)
Using the Heaven And Earth Magic score as a starting place, the trio began recording a new album. In contrast to the raw and at times "retro" guitar rock sound of The Runners Four, Friend Opportunity was marked by the extreme clarity of its dense layering of sounds, both acoustic and electronic, and one could detect a hip hop influence for the first time. Matsuzaki, Saunier, and Dieterich did not divide their contributions according to their onstage roles, and each contributed percussion, guitar, bass, keyboards and production. The stylistic incongruities between songs were large even for Deerhoof. It was mostly recorded in late summer 2006 in Dieterich's Oakland apartment, between two legs of a concert tour opening for Radiohead. Though self-produced as always, some portions were recorded once again by Jay and Ian Pellicci. It was mixed largely while on the road. Lyrically dark, it moves through the promise, development, corruption, and negation of human relationships. Paintings were by well-known Scottish artist David Shrigley, whose compilation Worried Noodles features the Deerhoof song "Kidz Are So Small." On Worried Noodles, the song is entitled "You, Dog (AKA Kidz Are So Small)."
When Friend Opportunity was released in January 2007, Deerhoof began a world tour that continues at present. The album has been their most critically successful and best-selling work. In early February, 2008, guitarist Ed Rodriguez joined the band as a full-time member.

Offend Maggie
On June 3rd 2008 Deerhoof announced details of their new album Offend Maggie. The album was released on October 6th 2008 in the UK on ATP Recordings and October 7th in the USA on Kill Rock Stars.
Six songs from Offend Maggie were performed in a concert given in Prospect Park, Brooklyn on Friday, July 18th, 2008; the songs were "Fresh Born", "Chandelier Searchlight", "Buck and Judy", "Numina", "Basket Ball Get Your Groove Back", and "The Tears and Music of Love". The performance was aired live on WNYC2 and NPR Music with host David Garland. At the show, Deerhoof also gave away an additional song from Offend Maggie, "Fresh Born", in the form of sheet music, with the intention that fans create their own versions of the song. WNYC Culture created the first, in the form of a video. The sheet music was then made available online by Deerhoof and Cash Music.[4]

Discography

Studio albums
Dirt Pirate Creed LP (1996)
The Man, the King, the Girl CD (1997)
Holdypaws CD (1999)
Koalamagic CD (2001)
Halfbird CD (2001)
Reveille CD/LP (2002)
Apple O' CD/LP (2003)
Milk Man CD/LP (2004)
Green Cosmos CD EP(2005)
The Runners Four CD/LP (2005)
Friend Opportunity CD/LP (2007)
Offend Maggie CD/LP (2008)

Compilations
Bibidi Babidi Boo free online only (2004)
Untitled Deerhoof EP free online only (2006)
+81 online retailers only (2006)

Videography
Deerhoof/ XBXRX Home Video (NTSC VHS, directed by Vice Cooler, NFJM, January 2001)
Gore in Rut (directed by Children of Hoof Education Center) on Video Fanzine #1 (NTSC VHS, Kill Rock Stars, April 1999, KRS200) [1]
Wicca Wind (directed by Aida Ruilova) on Video Fanzine #2 (NTSC VHS, Kill Rock Stars, 3 October 2000, KRS300) [2]
Dog on the Sidewalk (live) on Video Fanzine #3 (NTSC DVD, Kill Rock Stars, 12 July 2005, KRS400) [3]
Wrong Time Capsule (directed by Martha Colburn, November 2005) [4]
The Perfect Me (directed by Eric Landmark & Peter Venuto, March 2007) [5]

Chart positions
The Runners Four 2005 #50 Independent Albums, #46 Heatseekers
Friend Opportunity 2007 #3 Heatseekers
Offend Maggie 2008 #150 Billboard 200, #23 Independent Albums, #2 Heatseekers

References
^ http://www.huliq.com/34815/walker-art-center-presents-art-rock-trio-deerhoof
^ http://drownedinsound.com/directory/artists/Deerhoof
^ Azerrad, Michael. "Deerhoof". ATP Recordings. Retrieved on 2008-01-18.
^ http://deerhoof.cashmusic.org/

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
Deerhoof
Deerhoof official website (tourdates, news, blog, contacts, interviews, videos)
Press page
The Milk Man Ballet
Deerhoof at MySpace
Kill Rock Stars
MP3s on ibiblio
Deerhoof concerts on NPR Music
Oct 2008 Interview with L.A. Record
2008 Interview with Greg Saunier

Deerhoof

Cold War Kids

Cold War Kids released "Loyalty to Loyalty" on Downtown Records September 23rd this year to pretty much poor to average reviews. I featured this band before and was very much into "Hang me up to dry" So I was excited when I heard about the new album. Pitchfork gives the album a 5.1 out of 10 and states:

"But ultimately, Loyalty to Loyalty leaves a weird aftertaste, and it's not just because the penultimate "Relief" tries to prop itself up on Willett's falsetto harangues and stuttering slap-bass, before "Cryptomnesia" ends the record collapsing into a rumpled heap."

NME gives it a 7 out of 10 which seems like a pretty average rating, while SPIN hits them with a 2.5 stars out of 5. The reviews could be better and I gotta says upon first listen, I am not as excited about this album as I was about the last.


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Wikipedia:

Cold War Kids are an indie rock band from Fullerton, California, USA. Band members are Nathan Willett (lead vocals, piano, guitar), Jonnie Russell (guitar, vocals, percussion), Matt Maust (bass guitar), and Matt Aveiro (drums).
Contents

History
The band started in 2004 in historic downtown Fullerton in guitarist/vocalist Jonnie Russell's apartment above the restaurant Mulberry St. Ristorante (their first EP title).[2] The band relocated to Los Angeles and began recording their first demos, and after signing to Monarchy Music, the band released their debut EP Mulberry Street in the spring of 2005. The band toured extensively in 2005-2006, which ultimately created internet buzz amongst the blogging community. While touring, the band released two more EPs, With Our Wallets Full and Up in Rags in 2006. In the summer of 2006, Cold War Kids signed to Downtown Records (home to Gnarls Barkley, Art Brut) and released their debut LP Robbers & Cowards that fall.
In 2007, they contributed to OKX, a tribute to the 10-year-old Radiohead album OK Computer, recording their version of the track "Electioneering." Willett identified Radiohead and the album as a strong influence, saying, "It's the only album that I feel compelled to say way too grandiose things about, that rock journalists have already said plenty: Like that OK Computer is the single most important album to be released during my youth and that it was a rite of passage. But that really is the truth and I have never had an emotional connection with an album quite like I have with this one." He also explained why the band chose to cover "Electioneering" from the album: "I'm not saying 'Electioneering' is the best song on the album, but (still, a big claim!) it's certainly the most badass. It's lyrically everything we want to do - bursts of concrete imagery."[3]
Also in 2007, "We Used to Vacation" was the second track on music magazine Q's Best of 2007 promotional album.
Cold War Kids were long said to be keen backers of organic farming, but this was recently confirmed as nothing more than a bizarre rumour by keyboardist Nathan Willett. They are, however, avid supporters of unsigned talent such as the band Electric Furs. They have toured in support of Two Gallants, Tapes 'n Tapes, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Sound Team, Muse, and The White Stripes. Their music is heavily inspired by artists such as Jeff Buckley, Bob Dylan, Velvet Underground, and Johnny Segment. Recently they starred in an MTV2 special titled "Cold War Kids Takeover!" They appeared on Soccer AM and were announced as Norwich City F.C. Fans. They were going to tour with The White Stripes for their Icky Thump tour, but The White Stripes had to cancel. They recently played to a sold out gig at London's Bloomsbury Ballroom on 11th August 2008 and will be returning to UK shores to play the legendary Astoria venue in London on the 7th November 2008.
As of December 2007, Cold War Kids have returned to the studio to work on their second album. In June 2008, the band posted a video on their website containing an in-studio video featuring new song material. Later they put up a free MP3 of a track from their sophomore album, entitled "Something Is Not Right With Me." They also revealed that their new album will be called Loyalty to Loyalty, and it was released on September 23rd, 2008.

Members

Nathan Willettvocals, piano, guitar

Matt Maustbass guitar

Jonnie Russellguitar

Matt Aveirodrums

Discography

Albums
Robbers & Cowards (2006) #173 US, #35 UK
Loyalty to Loyalty (2008) #21 US, #68 UK, #20 AUS

EPs
Mulberry Street (2005)
With Our Wallets Full (2006)
Up in Rags (2006)
We Used to Vacation (2006)
Live from SoHo (2007) (iTunes Exclusive)
Benefit At The District (2007)

Singles
"Hair Down" (2006)
"We Used To Vacation" (2006)
"Hang Me Up to Dry" (2007) UK #57
"Hospital Beds" (2007)
"Hang Me Up to Dry (Re-Release)" (2007) UK #65, #26 US Modern Rock[1]
"Something is Not Right With Me" (2008) #40 US Modern Rock[2]

Appearances in media
"Passing The Hat," from their LP Robbers & Cowards was featured in the episode entitled "The Dream Team" of the HBO TV show Entourage.
"Hang Me Up To Dry," from their LP Robbers & Cowards was featured in the series premier episode entitled "Pilot" of the CW TV show Gossip Girl.
"Saint John," from their LP Robbers & Cowards was featured in the episode entitled "Joan of Arf" of the Comedy Central TV show The Sarah Silverman Program.
"Something Is Not Right With Me," from their LP Loyalty to Loyalty was featured in the episode entitled "Fire Sale" of the HBO TV show Entourage.

References
^ "Cold War Kids". MySpace. Retrieved on March 10, 2007.
^ Band profile: Bonnaroo 2007, bonnaroo.com, retrieved November 27, 2007
^ stereogum presents...OK X: A Tribute to OK Computer

External links
Official Cold War Kids website
Downtown Records
Monarchy Music
Cold War Kids at MySpace
Cold War Kids at Last.fm
Cold War Kids at Amie Street
Cold War Kids Online - A Cold War Kids fansite
Cold War Kids feature on hardrock.com
Free video of entire Amsterdam concert (18-11_2006)
Cold War Kids live on WOXY.com, October 23, 2006
Cold War Kids music downloads from RCRD LBL
Orange County Weekly - Photo Slideshow from March 2008
Podcast of the Cold War Kids live in Paris, 2007

Interviews
Random Rules: Nathan Willett The A.V. Club
Daytrotter Session (Free Songs)
October 2006 Interview with Nathan Willett

Reviews
Silent Uproar review of Robbers and Cowards
Spin Magazine review
Rolling Stone review

Cold War Kids

Kings of Leon

Kings of Leon released Only By The Night on RCA in the United States on September 23rd. As we ran a post on the prior album I decided to follow up with this one. Looks like most of the critics are giving it more than a passing grade. NME 7 out of 10, rolling stone 3 out of 5 and spin gave it 4 out of 5 and put them on the cover. Pitchfork slams the band with a 3.8 out of 10. The reviewer who slams the album states: "But even the move from "southern Strokes" to "southern U2" is way better in theory than in practice-- these are the same clunky Kings of Leon songs, just now presented in an incredibly weird context." Take a listen for your self these guys seem to be getting alot of press on this one and are attempting to make the move to mainstream.


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Wikipedia:

Kings of Leon is a rock band made up of three brothers and their first cousin from Tennessee, USA. The band performs a mix of southern rock, garage rock, hard rock and blues, and have released four full length albums. The group's name is derived from Nathan, Caleb, and Jared's father and grandfather, both named Leon.[1]


History

Holy Roller Novocaine and Youth and Young Manhood

Kings of Leon's first release, The Holy Roller Novocaine EP came out in 2003. Four of its five songs would later be released on Youth and Young Manhood, with the songs "California Waiting" and "Wasted Time" being remade. The EP also contained the B-side "Wicker Chair". All the songs were co-written by Angelo Petraglia.
Their debut album, Youth and Young Manhood, was a success, particularly outside the United States where they were dubbed one of the driving forces behind the so-called "new rock revolution" by the European press. Their stakes rose when they were chosen by popular rock bands The Strokes and U2 to tour with them. According to Jared, the title of the album was taken from their father's Bible. All songs were again co-written by Petraglia, who also contributed guitar and co-produced the album with Ethan Johns. The songs "Molly's Chambers", "Red Morning Light", and "Holy Roller Novocaine" were used in various video games, movies, and TV advertisements and "Holy Roller Novocaine" was used in the the films Stuck on You[2], and Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby [3]. The first single, "Molly's Chambers" became a minor hit overseas.

Aha Shake Heartbreak

Main article: Aha Shake Heartbreak
The band's second album Aha Shake Heartbreak was released in the United Kingdom in October 2004 and in the United States in February 2005. Building on the southern-infused garage rock of their first album, the album broadened the band's domestic and international audience. "The Bucket", "Four Kicks", and "King of the Rodeo" were all released as singles, with the "The Bucket" rising into the Top 20 in Britain. "Taper Jean Girl" was used in the 2007 thriller movie, Disturbia.[citation needed] The band also garnered accolades from several of their rock peers, including Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse, Bryan Adams, Noel Gallagher of Oasis, Kelly Jones of Stereophonics, Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam, Radiohead, and Bob Dylan[4]. The band toured with Pearl Jam and Bob Dylan for much of 2005 and 2006. The album was produced by Angelo Petraglia and Ethan Johns with Jacquire King handling the recording and mixing duties.[citation needed]

Because of the Times

Main article: Because of the Times
In March 2006 Kings of Leon were back in the studio, working on their third album. Drummer Nathan Followill told NME: "Man, we're sitting on a bunch of songs right now that we wish we could let the world hear!". The band's third album was titled Because of the Times, which may be a reference to a large UPC ministers conference of the same name held in Alexandria, Louisiana that the brothers often attended.[citation needed]
The album was released on April 2, 2007 in the UK, and a day later in the US. NME said that the album "cemented Kings of Leon as one of the great American bands of our time"[citation needed] and Entertainment Weekly called Because of the Times "an epic wide-screen movie of a CD and the band's best to date."[5] Another reviewer described Because of the Times as, "an accomplished album of unbelievable beauty and familiar, loveable grit. Kings of Leon is maturing wonderfully and with patience, not forcing anything musically or lyrically that doesn’t sound natural."[6]
After this album was released, Ed O'Brien of Radiohead admitted he was a fan, adding them to a list of Radiohead's favorite acts. He said, "I don't get jealous when I see other bands, but when I see them I think, 'Man, I'd love to be in that band'. They're young...they remind me of... the Bunnymen or something like that. They're growing, they're evolving... They're amazing players, the drummer, he's amazing. They're all great but he's really special."[7]
The album debuted at #1 in the UK and Ireland and entered the US charts at #25, selling approximately 70,000 copies in its first week of release. The album was preceded by the single "On Call", which became a hit in Britain. The album showed a clear evolution from the band's previous work, as the band's trademark dirty, southern-fried swagger was replaced with a more mature, polished sound. Other singles from the album were "Fans" and "Charmer." The album was produced by Angelo Petraglia and Ethan Johns.[citation needed]

Only by the Night

Main article: Only by the Night
In early 2008, frontman Caleb Followill confirmed to UK magazine NME that the band is working on tracks for the fourth album. In an interview Jared (the band's bassist) said the next album will "rock harder", and that they are "ready to tackle their southern roots...again." Recording began in February 2008, when the band completed its 2007 tour. The album was produced by Angelo Petraglia and Jacquire King.[citation needed]
In the June 2008 issue of Rolling Stone Magazine, Caleb discussed how he believes his pain medication (which he took after a fistfight with brother Nathan) inspired him to write some of the "most beautiful" songs, so much that he's claimed he is "proud track-by-track." Caleb also cited little known Royston Vasie as the next up and comers and most likely to support them on their Australasian tours. The band have already debuted three new songs entitled "Crawl", "Sex on Fire" and "Manhattan", which can all be found on Youtube. Other titles to emerge include "Closer", "Use Somebody", "Revelry", "17", "Notion", "I Want You", "Use Somebody" and "Cold Desert".[citation needed]
They have announced that they will be touring Ireland and Great Britain with their new album material in December 2008. This is following headline sets at T In The Park in Perth and Kinross, Scotland and Oxegen Festival in Co. Kildare Ireland in July, V Festival in mid-August and the set they performed headlining the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury 2008. In September 2008, they performed on the BBC2 TV show Later with Jools Holland.
The song "Crawl" from this album was released as a free download on the bands website on July 28th. On August 5, 2008 the first single "Sex on Fire", which was written about frontman Caleb contracting a sexually transmitted disease, was being released on their MySpace page and subsequently released to radio.[citation needed] Sex on Fire was then released as a single to download in the UK on the 8th September achieving their first top ten hit and first British number 1.
On September 20, 2008, Kings of Leon performed on Saturday Night Live with James Franco as guest host. They performed two songs from their latest album, "Sex on Fire" and "Use Somebody". Three nights later they again performed on The Late Show with David Letterman.
On September 28, 2008, the album entered the UK Albums Chart at number 1, with sales of over 220,000 copies. [8]

Background, influences and style

Jared, Nathan and Caleb were born in Tennessee, while Matthew was born in Oklahoma. Matthew is a cousin to Nathan, Caleb and Jared. The brothers spent much of their youth travelling around the South with their father, Leon, a traveling United Pentecostal Church preacher and their mother, who taught them when they were not in school. According to Rolling Stone magazine, "While Leon preached at churches and tent revivals throughout the Deep South, the boys attended and were occasionally enlisted to bang on some drums. They were home-schooled or enrolled in small parochial schools. Except for a five-year stretch when they settled in Jackson, Tennessee, the Followills spent their childhoods driving through the South, camping for a week or two wherever Leon was scheduled to preach."[citation needed]
Although it was rumoured their father was defrocked, in an article for Q Magazine in July 2007 Leon himself stated "I was not defrocked, I was forced to resign."[citation needed] After various jobs, the brothers moved to Nashville in 1998. They formed a band in 2000 with their cousin Matthew. The band claim that their music is influenced equally by their religious upbringing and Jack Daniel's. Brothers Nathan and Caleb originally sang country music and later moved to playing rock and roll. They worked for a brief period of time with label and management group Pistol Creek Productions. They spent their time with this label mainly singing at rodeos. They also were members of the West Tennessee Mass Choir for a short time.[9] Nathan, the eldest of the brothers, graduated from Christian Life Academy (a private school that is now defunct) in Henderson, TN. Caleb dropped out mid-senior year to pursue country music.[citation needed]
They were introduced to Nashville-based, Emmy-nominated singer/songwriter/producer Angelo Petraglia, who had previously worked with artists such as Patty Griffin, Emmy Lou Harris, Trisha Yearwood, Martina McBride, Brooks and Dunn, and Be Your Own Pet. Petraglia would prove very important to the band, moving them in a more rock-oriented direction and co-writing many of their songs. Eventually Petraglia and the two Followill brothers went to NYC along with manager Ken Levitan. They played for nine labels in two days, the two brothers singing, accompanied by Petraglia on guitar. Out of the nine auditions they got four offers and ended up signing with RCA records. They returned to Nashville and began writing what would become their first album, Youth and Young Manhood.[citation needed]
In an interview Caleb Followill cited Neil Young and Bob Dylan as some of the band's early influences. Caleb also stated though that "...because of the way we [the band members] grew up, we were really sheltered from music and we didn't know that much...", going on to say that the significant musical influences have only been in very recent years.[citation needed]

Members

Caleb Followill (born Anthony Caleb Followill, January 14, 1982) — (lead singer/rhythm guitar) Brother to Jared and Nathan and cousin to Matthew.
Matthew Followill (born Cameron Matthew Followill, September 10, 1984, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) — (lead guitar/backup vocals) cousin to Caleb, Jared and Nathan.
Jared Followill (born Michael Jared Followill, November 20, 1986, in Memphis, Tennessee) — (bass guitar/backup vocals/synthesizer) Brother to Caleb and Nathan and cousin to Matthew.
Nathan Followill (born Ivan Nathaniel Followill, June 26, 1979 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) — (drums/percussion/backup vocals) Brother to Caleb, Jared and Cousin to Matthew.

Touring

"Nacho" Christopher Mitchell Followill - (keyboards/synth)

Discography
See also: Kings of Leon discography
Youth and Young Manhood (2003)
Aha Shake Heartbreak (2004)
Because of the Times (2007)
Only by the Night (2008)

Notes
^ Leahey, Andrew. "Kings of Leon". Allmusic. Retrieved on February 5, 2008.
^ Stuck on You (2003) - Soundtracks
^ [1]". Retrieved on July 01, 2008.
^ Kings of Leon Overwhelmed By Bob Dylan-Starpulse Entertainment News Blog
^ Collis, Clark. "Because of the Times". Entertainment Weekly, March 30, 2007. Retrieved on February 05, 2008.
^ Harper, Alana. "Because of the Times". Okayplayer.com, 2007. Retrieved on February 05, 2008.
^ Radiohead to debut 'In Rainbows' live in the US?". NME, November 19, 2007. Retrieved on February 05, 2008.
^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7640893.stm
^ Bao, Amanda. "CD Reviews". Daily Californian, April 02, 2007. Retrieved on February 05, 2008.

External links

This article or section includes a list of references or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations.You can improve this article by introducing more precise citations where appropriate. (September 2008)
Official website
NME Artist page featuring news, reviews, videos, and photo galleries
Rolling Stone article


Kings of Leon