The Kooks - Be Who You Are

1. Who are The Kooks?

The Kooks are a commercially successful indie pop rock band from Brighton, England. They started in 2004 and put down four long players. Be Who You Are (March'17) is a new single cut from their greatest hits album Best Of... So Far (May'17). 

2. Does Be Who You Are cut the mustard? 

Be Who You Are is a nostalgic reminder of what The Kooks used to do well; mawkish romance juxtaposed by a frisky, laddish, singalong. Nevermind that Be Who You Are has as much substance as cotton candy. With lyrics like, “Be who you are, baby you’re a star,” it's corny and it's supposed to be.

3. Who do The Kooks sound like? 

The Fratellis, Kasabian and Kaiser Chiefs. 

4. What have the rags said about Be Who You Are? 

“A fun, bright cut that is a pleasant blast from the past” – Baeble.

“As loveable as ever; all chanting chorus and feverish hook” – TMRW. 

“Upbeat and emits a positive vibe” – Wavebyte. 

5. Which bands have influenced The Kooks? 

Some of their influences are The Police, The Rolling Stones, Blur, The Strokes and The Libertines. 

6. Why should I listen to Be Who You Are? 

Because you like rollicking indie pop numbers with a little maudlin on the side. Because we all need a little frivolity. 

7. What are The Kooks best songs?

Naive obviously. It was the bands fourth single from their debut album and is The Kooks best selling single to date. Bad Habit from their last album, Listen (2014), is a good 'un and London Town is sound as a pound.

8. Any more words? 

Legs. 

“Never be a slave to your own name”

The Kaiser Chiefs are a successful indie rock band from Leeds, England. They have six albums on their roll of honor. Kaiser Chiefs are similar to Kasabian, The Kooks and Franz Ferdinand. They are influenced by The Clash, Blur and The Kinks. I Predict A Riot (2004) was the second single from Kaiser Chiefs' debut album Employment (2005). The poor bastards peaked early because it remains their best, and most well known, song. Drowned In Sound said this indie rock anthem has “a force not unlike a Boeing 747” that “makes you want to bounce up and down like a nutter.” I Predict A Riot is the musical essence of a horrible fucking menace.

“Girls scrabble around with no clothes on,

To borrow a pound for a condom,

If it wasn’t for chip fat they’d be frozen”

Ra Ra Riot - Absolutely

 

 

 

 



1. Who are they?

Ra Ra Riot are an indie synth pop band from Syracuse, New York. Absolutely (Jan’16) is the second single that comes dancing and prancing off their fourth album Need Your Light (Feb’16).

2.   What kind of tune is Absolutely?
 

Seize the day, boundless optimism, bouncy dance synth pop with jangly guitar and violins to add some substance.

 

3.   Who do Ra Ra Riot sound like?
 

Absolutely sounds like every other synth pop song. Oh specifics. Well Passion Pit. Doesn't everything? Definitly a bit of Selaphonic and Prides. The band have been compared to Vampire Weekend. Ra Ra Riot singer Wes Miles went to elementary school with Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend and they played in bands together.

Others similar artists are Tokyo Police Club and of course Discovery who Wes Miles formed with Rostam Batmanglij of Vampire Weekend.

 

4.  Who are Ra Ra Riot's influences?
 

In a 2010 interview Ra Ra Riot mention The Police, Fleetwood Mac, Etta James, Kate Bush and Dolly Parton. They have also given a shout out to Paul McCartney and U2. Their facebook page lists bands they like are Tokyo Police Club, Vampire Weekend, Princeton, Maps & Atlases, Givers and Delicate Steve. Genesis were also singled out on an earlier album.

5. What’s the good word from the press?

“Ebullient,” gushed Stereogum after searching their thesaurus. Consequence of Sound managed to string a sentence together, feeling that Absolutely is "a synth pop whirl wind that asks us to seize 2016 without hesitation." On the topic of the new album Need Your Light, Aisle 5 felt that "it looks towards the future with an optimistic gaze" and is "an album that is celebratory without being saccharine."

 

6. Why should I listen to Absolutely?

 Absolutely is so upbeat it should be illegal and sold on street corners. It feels so good you should find it should find it in an adult store. It's an indie pop anthem.

 

7.   What other good tunes do Ra Ra Riot have?
 

So you still wanna riot? Start with Beta Love for more of the same happy synth pop. Dying Is Fine is a brilliant indie pop rocker and last but not least the first single off the new album, Water, is a slower, more deep and meaningful track.

 

8. Anything else I should know?

Need Your Light was produced by Ryan Hadlock who has broken rocks in the hot sun for The Lumineers and Vance Joy.

Rostam Batmanglij of Vampire Weekend produced and co-wrote two of the songs on the album and sang on the first single Water.

Ra Ra Riots second album was mixed by Chris Walla who did production on The Thermals new album We Disappear (March’16).

“Break, break, breaking free

No gravity is keeping me down”

 

The double team is from Discovery the indie electronic pop collaboration between Wes Miles and Rostam Batmanglij. Swing Tree (2010) is a sweet little leccy number.