Black Kids is set to release a new, full-length album (albeit for Columbia Records) called Partie Traumatic on July 22.
With danceable, catchy songs reminiscent of a mix between The Cure and Arcade Fire, Jacksonville, Florida's indie outfit Black Kids have received a heavy dose of critical acclaim, blogger buzz, and the inevitable backlash over the past year.
The band, who made it on to the indie music map with the singles "I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You" and "Hurricane Jane" (see link below) is now under enormous pressure with the upcoming release of their debut album, and fans and critics will be expecting more than just a hurried release containing a set of mediocre songs.
However, it is important to note that the band's 'debut' only contains three new songs. That is not something that works in the band's favor or will necessarily sell more records than an album that contains a full set of new songs.
It's always amusing, and somehow pretentious, for the naysayers of indie rock 'sensations' - as Black Kids have become - to conveniently praise a talented new band and then turn around and bash them for becoming popular, which is sort of what I'm doing here, but not really, because overall, their music speaks for itself - and does a fine job at that.
If they were pretentious and in-your-face about their indie stardom, as some musicians are, that would be a different story. So far, all indications point to an amazingly creative and exciting band with catchy sound and name.
If you are not familiar with Black Kids, you can listen to this free MP3 from Black Kids and also following some of the music links to stream their music, get more information about the band and access their playlists on various social networking sites.
MP3: Hurricane Jane by Black Kids from the upcoming debut album, Partie Traumatic
The following is the song and video - "I Don't Want To Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You" - that put the band into the spotlight (especially in the U.K., where the band has a large, loyal following):
This listing will be expanded in weeks to follow - 2/27/10
Best 2009 Indie Releases
Favorite 2009 indie albums in no particular order; strongly recommend these for your music collection.
Roman Candle - Oh Tall Tree In The Ear Built to Spill - There Is No Enemy Fanfarlo - Reservior Family of the Year - Songbook The Middle East - The Recordings of the Middle East Freelance Whales - Weathervanes Echo & The Bunnymen - The Fountain The Sun - Don't Let Your Baby Have All The Fun Kings of Convenience - Declaration of Dependence Foreign Born - Person To Person Real Estate - Real Estate Elephantom - Swim. Towards The Sun Wiretree - Luck Them Crooked Vultures - s/t debut Volcano Choir - Unmap Au Revoir Simone - Still Night,Still Light Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix The Raveonettes - In and Out of Control Ramona Falls - Intuit Holiday Shores - Columbus'd The Whim Why? - Eskimo Snow Neon Indian - Psychic Chasms Cage The Elephant - Cage The Elephant The Dead Weather - Horehound Portugal The Man - The Satantic Satanist Port O'Brien - Threadbare Broken Records - Until The Earth Begins To Part Headlights - Wildlife Bango or Freakout - Upside Down EP The Clean - Mister Pop Sin Fang Bous - Clangour Passion Pit - Manners The Flaming Lips - Embryonic Brazos - Phosphorescent Blues Spring Tigers - Spring Tigers EP Sea Wolf - White Water, White Bloom The Big Pink - A Brief History of Love Bodies Of Work - Flyers The XX - XX The Black Hollies - Softly Towards The Light Sonic Youth - The Eternal Youth Dinosaur Jr. - Farm Modest Mouse - No One's First and You're Next Generationals - Con Law BLK JKS - After Robots White Denim - Fits/Exposion Rodrigo y Gabriella - 11:11 Monsters of Folk - Monsters of Folk Atlas Sound - Logos The Avett Brothers - I And Love And You Califone - All of My Friends Are Funeral Singers Taken By Trees - East of Eden Chet - Chelsea Silver, Please Come Julian Casablancas - Phrazes for the Young Washed Out - Life of Leisure Camera Obscura - My Maudlin Career Deer Tick - Born On Flag Day The Clientele - Bonfires of Heath Iron & Wine - Around The Well Pete Doherty - Grace/Wastelands It Hugs Back - Inside Your Guitar Peter Bjorn and John - Living Thing Conor Oberst & The Mustic Valley Band - Outer South Paper Route - Absence Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest Throw Me The Statue - Creaturesque The Dodos - Time To Die Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion M. Ward - Hold Time Deastro - Moondagger The Decemberists - Hazards of Love Matt & Kim - Grand The Antlers - Hospice Arctic Monkeys - Humbug The Brakes - Touchdown Andrew Bird - Noble Beast Wilco - Wilco (The Album) Yo La Tengo - Popular Songs Franz Ferdinand - Tonight Frightened Rabbit - Quietly Now We Were Promised Jetpacks - These Four Walls The Times New Viking - Born Again Revisited A Sunny Day in Glasgow - Ashes Grammar Pet Lions - Soft Right Paramore - Brand New Eyes Bonnie "Prince" Billy - Beware Bishop Allen - Grrr Cage The Elephant - Cage The Elephant Birds of Avalon - Uncanny Valley Sunset Rubdown - Dragonslayer Ben Kweller - Changing Horses The Acorn - Heron Act The Twilight Sad - Forget The Night Ahead AC Newman - Get Guilty Dan Auerbach - Keep It Hid Cursive - Mama, I'm Swollen Beirut - March of the Zapotec & Realpeople: Holland The Most Serene Republic - And The Ever Expanding Universe Patrick Watson - Wooden Arms Woodpigeon - Treasury Library Canada Wye Oak - The Knot Vica Voce - Rose City Pomegranates - Everyone, Come Outside! Dananananaykroyd - Hey Everyone Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca Akron/Family - Set Em Wild, Set Em Free Lemon Sun - Run With the Faithless Eels - Hombre Lobo Fruit Bats - The Ruminant Band Mellow Down Easy - Cosmisutra The Mary Onettes - Dare EP Odawas - The Blue Depths The Veils - Sun Gangs Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz White Rabbits - It's Frightening Loney Dear - Dear John The Lonely Forest - We Sing The Body Electric The Uglysuit - self-titled debut Handsome Furs - Face Control Vampire Hands - Me & You Cherry Red/Cuz It's a Beach Funeral
Black Kids is set to release a new, full-length album (albeit for Columbia Records) called Partie Traumatic on July 22.
