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Review: Jack Foley
THE Kinison are signed onto the La Salle Records label owned
by Blink 182's Travis Barker and can be seen supporting the Blink
boys during their forthcoming winter tour dates.
Yet anyone expecting some feel-good rock to rival the Blink 182
sound is in for an ear-splitting surprise.
This is heavy, shouty stuff, packed full of angry guitar rifts
and even more furious lyrics, that borders on metal territory.
What Are You Listening To? was recorded in just 15 days
- and it sounds like it.
Tracks such as Wild & Crazy Kids, You Kissed Lilly
and Farm & The Girls are full-on power tracks, with
vocals that occasionally resemble Rage Against The Machine, and
a guitar sound that could have come right out of the downstairs
basement.
The energy of their live shows is certainly contained within
the album experience, but it's a particularly excruciating, unrelenting
affair, that is for the die-hard rock purists only.
The band first got things going in Oblong, IL, sometime in 1999,
when long time friends, Aaron, Chris and Bub got together having
become disgusted with the local music scene.
In late January 2002, still unhappy, they headed out to California
in search of a new bass player and drummer, recruiting Mike V
and Mikey to the fold.
Then began the non-stop touring and occasional EP recording,
which helped them to land eye-catching slots at the indie rock
festival, This Aint No Picnic and then Coachella, in the Spring
of 2003.
During this spell, they caught the eye of Travis Barker, who
promptly signed them to his label, and who subsequently helped
them to deliver What Are You Listening To? with the help
of producers, Pelle Hendricsson and Eskil Lovestrom (Refused,
Poison The Well, Hell Is For Heroes).
The result is a headache inducing riot of noise that will probably
leave your ears bleeding if you play it loud enough.
The end couldn't come fast enough for me.
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Track listing:
1. Farm & The Girls
2. Oh Boy That Girl Can Move
3. You'll Never Guess Who Died
4. Lake Calmerin Is Full Now
5. American Collectibles
6. Every Genius Has Their Hang-Ups
7. I Have Something to Say
8. You Kissed Lilly
9. Wild & Crazy Kids
10. Xoxoxo
11. No Talk
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