In the rare instance when I actually receive some high-quality rock'n'roll sent to the magazine, it's a cause for celebration that no amount of critical analysis can describe.
Holy Roller Novocaine from The Kings of Leon was the cause for such a celebration. When I heard it, I flipped out. I felt like starting a parade or something. These guys are everything that The Strokes, The Hives, The Vines, or any other band with "The" in its title have ever dreamed of sounding like.
Lead singer Caleb Followill has a voice that is such an amazing throwback to classic rock that it would really sound best on vinyl. It's intoxicating. And the guitars are rich with the magical balance of southern twang and modern ferocity. The lyrics are simple and incendiary:
"I know all about the little games you play/Shakin' your apple right in my face/Only when you know that I'm beggin' for a bite," Followill sings on "Wasting Time."
To top it all off these guys have the coolest behind-the-music story EVER! Sure it was more than likely generated by some greasy publicist, but for God's sake, the band members [three brothers and their cousin] grew up in Tennessee living out of cars while their dad traveled around the south as an evangelical minister. That's 10 times better than those other pussy bands that grew up on the mean streets of West Hollywood.
Way to go greasy publicist!
Reach the reporter at joy.hepp@asu.edu.
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What we thought... |
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Holy Roller Novocaine [EP] The Kings of Leon RCA Records
(out of four) |
