Spring Break
Black Kids makes breakout debut on Partie Traumatic
Dana Hanson
Issue date: 9/10/08 Section: Entertainment
09/10/08 - Black Kids has released a new album filled with songs to add to your "party mix" this year. This Indie band is an interracial gang of five Floridians that's been popular in the UK for a while and is now making its way to the United States.
Open your ears to this new wave disco movement with its popular songs "I'm Not Gonna Teach your Boyfriend How To Dance With You" and "Hurricane Jane" off its latest album Partie Traumatic.
Lead singer and guitarist, Reggie Youngblood's lyrics of jealously, solitude, and vanity are accompanied by the band's upbeat rhythms and harmonizing voices. The result is that Black Kids creates a sound all its own.
Ali Youngblood and Dawn Watley accompany Reggie on vocals while also mastering the keyboards. Owen Holmes plays the bass guitar and Kevin Snow brilliantly rocks out as the band's drummer. It is safe to say that the best part of this band is the vast differences its members encompass- not only instrumentally but vocally as well.
Its mega-catchy beats combine a variety of genres including rock, pop and R&B that has earned the band comparisons to The Cure and Arcade Fire. To get a taste just visit its MySpace page or band Web site, where you can play selected songs from the album and even download its free single of the week.
Last week's free song was "I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You," which has proven to be its most popular track off the album. On Partie Traumatic the song shows up twice, once in its original version and again as a remix; both are equally contagious.
One of my favorite songs off the album is "Love Me Already." Reggie's emotion-filled voice desperately sings for his girlfriend to love him after he finds out she's cheated.
While the lyrics tell a sad story the beat is surprisingly happy and gets you easily singing along. Female bandmates, Youngblood and Watley, sing the girlfriend's role in a calming and soothing tone, which makes for a great contrast against Reggie's pleasantly harsh voice.
The tracks have memorable and intriguing names: "I Wanna Be Your Limousine," "Hit the Heartbreaks," "Listen To Your Body Tonight," and "I'm Making Eyes at You," just to name a few. Each shows the talent this band has and the fresh sound it has created.
Observer Music Monthly says that Black Kids' sound is "pleasingly random," which perfectly describes the band's music. Rolling Stone dubbed them one of the ten "Artists to Watch" in 2008- and with widespread approval from other top entertainment magazines like Spin, Filter and The Phoenix it is safe to say that Partie Traumatic has made an unrivaled entrance into this year's music scene.
Open your ears to this new wave disco movement with its popular songs "I'm Not Gonna Teach your Boyfriend How To Dance With You" and "Hurricane Jane" off its latest album Partie Traumatic.
Lead singer and guitarist, Reggie Youngblood's lyrics of jealously, solitude, and vanity are accompanied by the band's upbeat rhythms and harmonizing voices. The result is that Black Kids creates a sound all its own.
Ali Youngblood and Dawn Watley accompany Reggie on vocals while also mastering the keyboards. Owen Holmes plays the bass guitar and Kevin Snow brilliantly rocks out as the band's drummer. It is safe to say that the best part of this band is the vast differences its members encompass- not only instrumentally but vocally as well.
Its mega-catchy beats combine a variety of genres including rock, pop and R&B that has earned the band comparisons to The Cure and Arcade Fire. To get a taste just visit its MySpace page or band Web site, where you can play selected songs from the album and even download its free single of the week.
Last week's free song was "I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You," which has proven to be its most popular track off the album. On Partie Traumatic the song shows up twice, once in its original version and again as a remix; both are equally contagious.
One of my favorite songs off the album is "Love Me Already." Reggie's emotion-filled voice desperately sings for his girlfriend to love him after he finds out she's cheated.
While the lyrics tell a sad story the beat is surprisingly happy and gets you easily singing along. Female bandmates, Youngblood and Watley, sing the girlfriend's role in a calming and soothing tone, which makes for a great contrast against Reggie's pleasantly harsh voice.
The tracks have memorable and intriguing names: "I Wanna Be Your Limousine," "Hit the Heartbreaks," "Listen To Your Body Tonight," and "I'm Making Eyes at You," just to name a few. Each shows the talent this band has and the fresh sound it has created.
Observer Music Monthly says that Black Kids' sound is "pleasingly random," which perfectly describes the band's music. Rolling Stone dubbed them one of the ten "Artists to Watch" in 2008- and with widespread approval from other top entertainment magazines like Spin, Filter and The Phoenix it is safe to say that Partie Traumatic has made an unrivaled entrance into this year's music scene.
