THE KILLS – Filthy Blues Garage Debut LP ‘KEEP ON YOUR MEAN SIDE’ Turns 15…

Going back in sonic history looking for memorable albums…

30 March 2018

BAND: THE KILLS

ALBUM: KEEP ON YOUR MEAN SIDE – debut LP

RELEASED: 1 April 2003 – 15 years ago…

Pitchfork wrote: “The Kills won’t need to fish for complimentary comparisons, suckers are jumping out of the water. I’ll be damned if vocalist ‘VV’ (nee ‘Alison Mosshart’) doesn’t have a picture of ‘PJ Harvey’ at her bedside, and the same goes double for instrumentalist ‘Hotel’ (Londoner Jamie Hince) re: Neil Hagerty. These influences aren’t as disparate as they seem:
while ‘Harvey’ and the ‘Royal Trux’ worked on different sides of the fidelity line, they were both attempting expansive, ambitious modern updates of the blues. ‘The Kills’ aim is just about the opposite, despite the stylistic similarities, they’re trying to return the pillaged form to its simpler roots. If they should break through to the mainstream, ‘The Kills’ probably deserve it more than most. Their poses are balanced with enough genuine emotion to approach the sum of their influences; they play with more style and flair than almost any band in a scene where the former is usually all that matters. Still, it’s a bitter reality: they’d never be getting this kind of attention if it weren’t for the ‘White Stri– fuck!”

TURN UP THE VOLUME! says: When this raw, basic rock ‘n’ blues powerhouse came out it sounded like nothing else around at the time. Hince‘s roaring riffs, red-hot riffs and bang-up licks along Mosshart‘s primal screams, sensual howling, and sexy healing just felt spot on. Thrashy nasty and kick-ass bluesy. I became a fan instantly. I still am.

* FRIED MY LITTLE BRAINS – Hell bloody hell yeah!…