Cold War Kids
are a technically indie band from California
but their influences stem from blues, funk and rock more than anything. Lyrically, they stick to the everyday: school
halls, drunken patriarchs, stealing from church, and the general human experience
through the eyes (and voice) of a fictional protagonist. Most of their songs,
especially in their first album, are backed by strong percussion but after the
release of their second album in 2008 they moved on to a more 'full' sound with
a little more guitar and electronic effects.
The band first
started in 2004, and released their first EP Mulberry Street
in 2005. After touring in 2005 to 2006, they released two more EP's, With Our Wallets Full, and Up in Rags. At the end of 2006 they
switched labels to Downtown Records and released their first full length album,
Robbers and Cowards which was
relatively popular, with their song Hang
Me Up to Dry making it into the Triple J Hottest 100.
In between the
release of their first album, they featured on a Radiohead cover tributed
album, OKX and toured with bands such as Muse, the White Stripes, and Tapes
n' Tapes. In 2008, they released a free MP3 of a track Something Is Not Right With Me and later released their newest album Loyalty to Loyalty, in September 2008.
Members of the
band:
- Nathan Willett (vocals, guitar
piano)
- Jonnie Russell (vocals, guitar,
percussion)
- Matt Maust (bass)
- Matt Aveiro (drums)
Discography:
Singles:
Although
they're a bit of an 'acquired taste', if you enjoy musicians like Jeff Buckley
and Lou Reed, and if you like something original, both lyrically
and musically, they're definitely worth listening to.