Tag Archives: Blood Pressures

THE KILLS: Lyrics.

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I remember first hearing Keep On Your Mean Side 13 years ago- I instantly knew I had found a home in this loud, manic and powerful sound. I knew that I had found a band that for as long as they made music, they would be always with me. They would be the soundtrack to good and bad moments. Moments that I’ll never forget and moments I partially wish I could. By no means am I tough, but when I listen to The Kills I always feel braver than I am. And just like Nick Cave, they talk about love and all that comes with it in a way that I can fully identify with. I cannot get my head around songs that are full of wanting to be with someone all the time, the sunshine and rainbows- I want the darker side- the mean side. It’s more honest. I’m surprised I’ve never delved into the lyrics of The Kills. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, there are times where it could have been the right moment but I missed out because I got in the way of my own doing so. So here I am. Saturday 23rd April at 4:10pm with nothing better to do than sit and listen to the sounds of my all-time favourite duo. The band that keep me sane. I’m going to try narrow this down to 10 lines that mean the most to me, but please be assured that there are more than 10. I’m doing this blind but the last two I mention are solid. They’ve always been there.

“If I’m so evil, why are you satisfied?” (Rodeo Town) – This is one of the lines where it’s not what is sung, but how it is sung. I love how tired Alison’s voice sounds. As if someone is at the end of arguing with someone that possibly can’t pull away from. It’s one of my favourite songs by The Kills, and definitely my favourite off No Wow. We all think we’re beyond bad at times, and it leads us to question those around us. I’ve always felt fine with questioning everything and everyone- I mean for the most part it is done in the comfort in my mind, but you know. Rodeo Town always reminds me of a road trip gone a bit askew- but hey, where’s the pleasure in things not being slightly chaotic?

 

“Send your love in a rampage, give her everything you’ve got. And when you come to hate her, show her more than just a spark.” (Heart Is A Beating Drum) Maybe I should have just quoted the whole song here, every line is just perfect and one of the strongest moments on Blood Pressures. I’ve got so much sentimental value attached to this record, and I know I’ve got to let it go when the new one comes out. I’ll be fine just doing so. I adore the lyrics to this because it just sums up the fury of love, lust and god knows what else we subject ourselves to. I toyed with using, “And you feel like you’ve been here so many times before. It’s not the door you’re using but the way you’re walking through it” for me that’s a golden life motto to keep with you, it’s like being told to just get on. Easier said than done for most, but this song was a crutch for a long time and it was that line that played a massive part. However, the line I did choose to use is the one that is full of something quite wonderfully sinister. Show the person why you can no longer stand them, it’s totally fine. Sometimes you just have to be quite furious with the emotions you send on to another person. Don’t hold back.

“Lipstick letters and souvenirs, make a mockery of your fears.” (Hook And Line) One of my favourites off Midnight Boom is Hook And Line. I love how the verses are quite gentle then the hook of, “With your hook and line, I still blow away” comes right on in like a madman and smacks you right in the face. I’ve been thinking about this song a lot recently, and I had it on repeat at the gym the other evening when I was struggling to stay motivated. The line I’ve chosen again, is one I love how it sung and the idea of ripping apart what fills us with fear is always appealing. I always wish they made a video to this song, I reckon it would have been something else. There’s a lot of wild imagery in the song that could have been brought to life in such a captivating way. I love that before this song on the record, you’ve got Last Day Of Magic. That song alone I could write about but the things I’d write are too personal. “My little tornado, my little hurricano.” I could, but I won’t.

“Superstition is, your modern eye. With original skin, and original lie.” (Superstition) I’ve watched many live performances of this song online, and it’s one that makes you firmly believe that Jamie and Alison are truly out of this world with the music they make. I love the burning rage in the guitar that goes along with Alison’s scream/groan towards the end of the song. It’s a perfect noise and when you’ve seen it live (online or physically) it stays with you. They both seem possessed and you feel like you’re intruding on something you shouldn’t be. That’s what I love about them. They’ve got this bond that you can only dream of having. If you ever experience it, don’t fuck it up. I remember hearing this song for the first time and just being in awe of the noise I was hearing. I think that’s part of the attraction with Keep On Your Mean Side. It’s a proper noisy record and it just stays with you, you always go back to it.

“What a mess a little time makes to us when time and place collide.” (Satellite) I was going to go with “I loved her too long, don’t love her too” but right now, I’m siding with the first line mentioned. I love this song to pieces. I love the slight reggae feel to the guitar, I love the video and how it makes you want to hit the road, I love the lyrics. I adore the lyrics to this song so much and it’s pretty hard to describe why, but they speak for themselves don’t they? They’re great lyrics that I think anyone can relate to if they dig a little deeper than usual. When time and place do collide, it does have the potential to leave something disastrous in the mind, and that’s what I love about that line. It exposes how chaotic things can be- in mind and body. I’d happily go off on a tangent about this song, but I probably wouldn’t be able to reel myself back in. It just does something to you when you hear it. I love that they both sing it, and Jamie makes the guitar sound like a lightning bolt going right through you.

 

“These are the days we’ll never forget, when the dawn dawns on you.” (Pots And Pans) I was going to go with something from The Last Goodbye but I realised it was too much to take on in one little paragraph. If you don’t know why, just read the lyrics. They are heart breaking, and they automatically make you feel like you’ve had your heart torn out. It’s a brutally honest song, and I really couldn’t do it justice by writing about it. Pots And Pans closes Blood Pressures and it’s the most perfect ending. It feels like a hymn, some kind of ethereal experience that is saved for last. It all comes together as Alison sings the line I picked out. It repeats over and over, like a holy mantra to get you through. It’s to keep you going until the next record, until next time. At first I wasn’t sure about how I felt towards this song. At times I felt it was too slow or something stupid, but I ended up playing it on repeat when I got to the end of the record. Maybe it was my brain saying, “it’s not over, it can’t be-play it again.” I go back to this song a lot, for whatever reason. It makes you feel alright with not having much to offer someone or something, and I think that’s something most can relate to.

“Elevator straight into my skull. The escalator rises as it falls.  I swear our jet is crashing in my mind, you can hold on but I wouldn’t waste your time.” (Black Balloon) The whole song. The whole damn song. From start to finish is just beautiful, sad and honest. I love the line, “Let the weather have its way with you” but I had to go with the opening verse because it’s one of the saddest and most truthful lyrics I’ve ever heard. For me it’s on a par with the genius of I Know It’s Over by The Smiths. It’s got that brutal honesty that gets you right in the gut, and I can’t think of a time where Black Balloon has not been relevant. The sadness in “You can hold on but I wouldn’t waste your time” is so overpowering, you don’t know what to do with yourself when you hear it. The whole song is just a beautiful description of knowing something is done but whoever else is involved is probably oblivious to it. Sometimes you’re oblivious to it, and this song lets you know what’s up.

 “No longing for the moonlight, no longing for the sun. No longer will I curse the bad I’ve done.” (Future Starts Slow) I think it’s pretty obvious how much I am in love with Blood Pressures, but Future Starts Slow was as if someone was coming full speed at you with this thumping drum sound and machine gun guitar- it charges at you, and when the vocals kick in that’s it. It calms down in places then picks right back up. It’s such a great way to start the record off, and the line I’ve picked is possibly my favourite lyric by The Kills. Ever. Have I already said that? If I have, then I’ve changed my mind. If I haven’t, then all is okay. It’s the no longer cursing all the bad- for me that’s just a brilliant way of accepting everything and carrying on. This song makes you feel tough and as if you can do anything. But let’s be honest, you can do anything because when you stick on your favourite song- anything is possible. I told a little lie when I said I had 2 solid favourites- I’ve got 3, and this is one of them.

“Baby says for all I’ve forsaken make something of all the noise, and the mess you’re making. And all the time’s it’s taken.” (Baby Says) Last one off Blood Pressures. For me, this song carries a wealth of imagery that is free for the listener to conjure up. Baby can be a person you’ve met. Baby can be an image or thought in your mind, but Baby makes you feel alright with what you’ve done so long as you make something out of it. It’s one of the most powerful songs on the record, and one of the songs I wish I had written. Any time I write something, this is one of the songs I have in mind. It’s got this innocence to it that isn’t found so often. Baby Says is a strong sense of reassurance, and I’m forever grateful to The Kills that this song exists. It means a hell of a lot, and if I ever met them I’d probably try rustle this out of myself to let them know.

“Jailers in my mind are all dead. I love you so much, never forget.” (Goodnight Bad Morning) Around 2010/2011 I was having issues with sleeping and being a functioning adult. I’d go to bed at 3 and be awake at 7. I was able to disguise being stuck in a rut quite well, but that’s all in the past now along with other things. It has that Lou Reed greatness to it.  This song would be what I would play when I was trying to fall asleep. It’s gentle and it’s pure. It’s apt and aimed- but that’s not up for discussion. It’s such a beautiful song that once you hear it, it stays with you. Again, it’s a perfect song to close a record with. It makes you feel at the end, that you’ve drifted off somewhere. Maybe to sleep, maybe to a place in your mind where nothing else gets to you. It’s one of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever heard, and I do compare a lot of things to how this song makes me feel and think. It’s got a lot of nostalgic and sentimental value. I did have a slight blip where I couldn’t listen to the song- but I realised I was being a daft swine, and got a grip. When I listen to it now, for the most part all I see in my head is the way Jamie and Alison look at each other when they perform this. The song is like the sun coming up when all has been weird before- like you can start over. And sometimes, that’s all you can do. It’s all you should do.

 

It’s now 5:30pm, and all I can now think about are the songs I typically did not mention. Good job the new record is out soon.

The Kills-Wild Charms (video.)

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“How it stirs me, how it stirs me now. To think my fire burnt them out.”

For the past 1o years, The Kills have been more than a band to myself and so many others. I believe that they make music that makes you fall in love with them instantly. They’re not a band you play once and forget about. They’re a band you listen to once, and your mind is well and truly blown. You listen to them, and everything changes around you. You see things differently. You probably see things more clearly. They invite you into their world that is so passionate and brutal and raw. Above all, it is honest. It is a world that makes you feel as if you belong. Be an outsider, struggle for what you believe in. Fight for your art. Be bold, be passionate, be everything those fucks you know said that you couldn’t.

I remember the first time I heard The Kills, I was only 15/16. My uncle and I bonded years before over a love for the Velvet Underground and The Jesus And Mary Chain. It’s a bond that I treasure, and learn from. He handed me a magazine article about The Kills. I read it, and instantly did all I could to listen to their music. Their debut record, Keep On Your Mean Side corrupted my mind in the most pleasurable way and moved my soul in a way no one and nothing else ever will. I don’t just love their music, their videos- I love the way they are with each other in interviews and on stage. They have a beautiful chemistry that I think we all wish we had.

Wild Charms is directed by their good friend, Kenneth Cappello who also took the photos over the past 10 years in their book Dream And Drive. Wild Charms is one of my favourites off Blood Pressures. Jamie’s voice is just so pure; much like the lyrics. It is a delicate ode to love. The video is wonderfully shot. The Kills do make music videos or just songs- they make works of art. Works of art that leave you in awe.

The Kills-Baby Says.

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When Blood Pressures came out last year, it was all I listened to. For a solid week it was all I cared for. Thing is, it still is. I play it every single day now. I play every album by The Kills every single day. I just have to do it. If I get to about 9pm and I haven’t heard anything by them, I stop what I’m doing and just go listen to them. They go beyond being a band to me. Blood pressures is a perfect record. There’s gritty moments, there’s soft moments. Like all their records. With each of their records, I’ve always found one or two songs that utterly captivate me in ways I didn’t know a song could. Then I heard Baby Says.

I know they have over 10 years worth of material. All the B-Sides, albums, covers..they have so much. So why did it take a song from their most recent album to have such an impact on me? What is it about Baby Says that just makes it one of Alison and Jamie’s strongest tracks? It is because the lyrics are nothing like I have ever heard before? Is it how wonderfully Jamie plays the guitar during the song? Is it their voices? All of this, plus much more? Of course it is. If I could pinpoint what it is exactly that I love about this song, I would. I think though, I’m going to have to say it is the lyrics. Not just how amazing they truly truly are- but how their voices together, just create a scene in the song that nothing else has ever done. I have no idea how I’m going to do this, but I have Baby Says on repeat to try to help me make sense of the words that I am about to write. (I need more tea!)

“Baby says she’s dying to meet you,
Take you off and make your blood hum,
And tremble like the fairground lights.”

I just love this, what a perfect way to open a song. Everyone knows how the band are influenced by the Velvet Underground. There’s a fine line between being influenced and straight up ripping off. This to me, just sounds like a perfect tribute to them. Jamie has said that the lyrics to this song are the ones he is the proudest of, and so he should be. They are just so bloody amazing. It reads like a poem. Even if you do not like The Kills, just read the lyrics to Baby Says and it will just come across as a beautiful and romantic piece of literature. There are two verses to this song that just make me shut my eyes and think “This is what euphoria feels like.” The first one is :

“Baby says a howl of romance I’ll get.
From all your sleeping dogs, you thugs of God,
I’ll get one yet.”

If I could tell you what this does to me and how it makes me feel, I would. It is one of those verses that makes you think, “Was this written for someone like me?” I have no idea who or what this song is about (I know Jamie sometimes dedicates it to his wife, Kate at gigs) but I like not knowing and being able to just create your own meaning. This is the kind of song that I hope, someone hears and it makes them want to start a band. I write songs, and I cannot play an instrument..but when I heard Baby Says, I took how I write songs in a different direction. However, I rarely show anyone what I write because it is a bit personal and..you know, I can handle someone saying “Oh Olivia..you really are a shit Music Writer.” But if someone read my songs and said something bad, I’d probably cry. You should never mock or belittle a persons feelings. Ever. Feelings are personal. They should never be toyed with, mocked or ignored.

The other verse that just sends me into an internal frenzy is :

“Baby says for all I’ve forsaken,
Make something of all the noise,
And the mess you’re making.
And all the time’s it’s taken.”

Blood Pressures just shows how much they have grown, in so many ways. For me, this verse is one of the best things The Kills have ever written. I love it so much. Favourite part for sure. What I take from this verse is that, no matter what you are doing- or trying to do, if you are creating chaos in the process, just turn it into something positive. You can ALWAYS do it. It doesn’t take something big to realise this, I found it in this song. I guess this song could be my crutch or something. I listen to it, and I just think, “Fuck it..I’m going to amount to something. I’ll make something out of this.” That’s probably not what the song is about, but that verse especially for me, just feels like that. Like I said earlier, and many times before- The Kills go beyond being a band to me. This song is a perfect path to escapism and growing. I’ve cried to this song, I’ve solved things to this song, I’ve gained confidence because of this song. Baby Says makes me feel like there is something. You cannot wait for something, you’ve got to go get it yourself.

If you are broken, play this song. It’ll fix you up real good. If you just want to feel part of something, feel this song. If you want to feel like you’ve got to where you want to be, listen to this song. If you feel like you haven’t quite got there yet, listen to this song and you’ll get there.

Things take time. Look at what The Kills have accomplished in their 10 years as a band. It is something that makes me honoured to be fan. Then I play this song, and I just..I don’t know. A lot of feelings are involved. It has everything I want in a song. Lyrics that just reach me to the core and make me feel okay with how things are.

Blood Pressures made 2011 worth seeing out. It wasn’t the best year, but it is one of the records that made every bad feeling worth living through. Baby Says is one of the few songs that I had playing over and over in my head when it all got too much. When a band can do that to you, nothing in the world can ever compare to it. Nor can anyone ever take it from you.


The Kills – 10 Year Anniversary.

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“Lost a lot of blood. Lost a lot of cool, cool, cool.”

Ten years ago today, Alison Mosshart and Jamie Hince aka The Kills played their first gig together. On the tenth anniversary of my favourite band- I’d like to attempt to put into words just why I love them and what they mean to me. Over the past few days I have read peoples stories about the anniversary gig in New York on Saturday. I managed to watch it online (no, I didn’t stay up until 4am to watch it because of the shitty time difference. I’m too old for staying up ast 11pm it seems!) Even though I wasn’t there, I could feel the love in the room. You could see just how much Alison and Jamie love what they do. More importantly, you can see just how inspiring and loving their friendship is.

Like most who adore The Kills, it goes beyond adoring the music that they make. It is an admiration of two people having a vision, and going with it- not giving a fuck about anything but the art. Staying true to their hearts and not ever compromising their art in the process. Over the past 10 years of being a fan, this is just a hint of what they have taught me. The Kills haven’t just opened my eyes and mind to a different world, they, in some respects have made me who I am. Now, for most- who I am isn’t exactly good. But for me, I’m bloody well proud. Their music has been the one  of very few that I turn to when I’m feeling low, and has also been there when I feel insanely happy. It’s everything to me. Do or die.

I want to talk about their bond before I really get into the music because I feel this may take up a lot of space. When I first heard The Kills..shit I can’t remember but I know it was Fried My Little Brains. I probably saw the video whilst flicking through the music channels aged 15/16. That age where everything sticks and the smallest thing can change you in a way you never thought something could. This noise that was coming through just blew me away. How could two people make such a noise? I wanted to know everything about their music, what influenced them, their music background- I wanted to know it all. So, I read up about them. Read as many interviews as I could find. I remember staying up late and hearing them on a John Peel session. I think that really nailed my dedication to them. From then on, I knew I had found the band to be my guide. They would be the ones to make me feel less cack about growing up and becoming a person I was probably scared to be. I’ve always been a bit socially uncomfortable, but a band like The Kills broke that down. Their bond is the most inspiring friendship I’ve ever EVER seen. Alison pretty much gave up her life in America to move to London to make music with Jamie. Listening to him play the guitar, like a loveable stalker then turning into being one of the most influential and honest bands around. Things take time, they say- and in those 10 years everything they have done has been so open and passionate.

The way Alison stalks the stage with her hungry eyes, caressing the mic in her hands singing the words that make you think “FUCK YES. THIS IS THE REAL THING RIGHT HERE.” You sing along with everything you have. Jamie stands beside her using his guitar as a weapon. Holding it, aiming his guitar at Alison and the crowd like a gun. Every note he churns out is a bullet to the soul. It wakes you up. It shakes you. His violent gestures merge so heavenly with Alison’s sweet, delicate voice. The way he mouths the notes he his making from the guitar like a man possessed. Alison looks at the crowd and moves like a woman possessed. They both are; by the music. And you, the audience are also taken over. Everything takes you over. You take in every single movement by Alison and Jamie. You are in awe of their chemistry. Some like to say it is sexual chemistry. Personally? You can honestly see how they are like brother and sister. It probably goes deeper than that. They are each others life. You can see how much they love what they are doing, and how happy they are sharing the moment with each other- and the crowd. It’s them against the rest of the world. That’s how it should feel when you meet your best friend, your soulmate. With them, you can do anything. Without them, they are still around somehow to make you feel like you can do it. It’s the most innocent and beautiful thing one can ever feel. It is unconditional and forever accepting.

Now, the music. Where on Earth do I begin with this? From recording on an 8-track in a soundproof cupboard to touring the world with their incredibly distinctive sound- The Kills are EASILY not only the best band around, but the best duo around. Two people can make a Hell of a lot of noise kids, don’t ever think they can’t because they really fucking can. Over the past ten years they have given us brutal riot infused songs such as Cat Claw to haunting heartbreaking songs like The Last Goodbye. Every record of theirs has played such a great role in my life. To someone who doesn’t love music, everything I have written here, and ever write will just seem like utter nonsense. Maybe that’s the case. You know, if I was going to be professional about this- I’d ignore the fact that I am a fan and write from a critic standpoint. I just cannot do that. What I learnt from The Kills is one thing in particular- always do it from the heart and with all you have. That’s how I write, and how I live. If it doesn’t feel right in my heart, I’m not playing any part in it. This is why I will NEVER write on here about something I hate and rip it apart. The world has far too many negative vibes; I don’t want to add to it. I want to write about things that I am passionate about, in the hopes someone reads it and thinks..”I feel the same.” And they don’t feel so alone with being passionate about a band, or even a song.

I will ALWAYS say that Keep On Your Mean Side is my favourite record by The Kills. However, when Blood Pressures came out last year I was in a wonderfully low place. Certain things happened that I had no power over. I couldn’t do a thing (my job at the time ended, my mum was diagnosed with cancer and a bunch of other shit.) To say I wanted to throw in the towel was a fucking understatement. I heard Blood Pressures and every ounce of passion and love in me just came back. It’s like it filled me up with fight and hope again. DNA and Pots And Pans are two songs that just made me think “Fuck..I gotta do something.” The Last Goodbye broke my heart, and I stand by “How can I rely on my heart if I break it, with my own two hands.” As being my favourite line of 2011, and the lyric that saved my soul. The vulnerability in that song made everything easier. To know someone could sum up how lost I felt, knowing it was someone I look up to- it made it mean more than the World to me. It became my world.

I still play No Wow, Keep On Your Mean Side and Midnight Boom every day. Not a day goes by when I don’t listen to The Kills. Over the past ten years, they have been more than just a band. If you regard The Kills as “just a band” you’re no fan. They are more than two people making the best music around. They are two people who give music obsessives like me something to cling onto and hold so deep within their heart. Their music will never stop being like the blood in my veins. I do not care if any of what I have written makes me sound mental. I know that at least one person in the world who may read this will connect, because fans of The Kills are the most passionate and sincere people you will ever meet and know. We are a dedicated bunch.

This has been my tribute to the two most perfect human beings I will probably never meet. If by some stroke of luck they see this- I just want to say Thank You. Thank you for giving this hopeless kid a fuck load of hope and passion ten years ago, and with every listen- I gain more hope and passion. Thank you for making music that allows one to feel so much, and that feeling mean isn’t always a bad thing. Thank you for having a bond that makes me, as a fan, want to find my own. Maybe I will, maybe I won’t. Thank you for teaching me to stay true to myself even though at times it can be hard. Thank you for that gig in November 2008 in Stoke at The Sugarmill. You left me speechless and inspired.

Alison, Jamie- thank you for the past ten years. Here’s to many many more. Much love, Olivia xx

The Kills-The Last Goodbye (video.)

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I honestly didn’t think I could love Alison and Jamie more than I already do. I didn’t think my love could grow and deepen anymore. I was wrong. I was awfully wrong. There was once a time where I would’ve stayed up until 5/6am waiting to see a video, but seeing as I get up at 6am to go to the gym now- I decided to just sleep, and watch it later. Treat it like Christmas/a Birthday. Except this means more; this is so much better.

The song means a lot to me. So I was kind of unsure about this song being released. Don’t get me wrong, I adore the song with all I have. It’s probably my favourite off Blood Pressures. I guess I just didn’t want a song that means a lot being put out as a single. I didn’t know if a music video could do the song justice. Again, I was wrong. If you’ve noticed- I am rarely right.

As I was watching the video, I could feel myself getting more and more attached to The Kills. I didn’t know if to laugh or cry watching the video. When it’s just Alison in front of you looking so sad and singing words so heartbreaking, and vulnerable- it gets to you. Then Jamie appears, making all these crazy faces. Towards the end, they both are. It just shows that their friendship is so beautiful; in so many ways. They evidently have a bond, a chemistry that most of us wish we had. I know I do. To have that much faith in a person and so much love- it is a truly rare thing, and something most take for granted.

They’ve been doing this for 10 years, and I hope they never ever call it quits. I have no idea what I’ll do if they do. I really don’t. However, something tells me that this video is just the start. They’re only getting started with this.

There is no band around aside from The Kills that have this passionate but brutal, loving but raw, aggressive sound. They’re everything I want in a band, and more. The Kills aren’t just a band to me at all. They’re my heroes, my inspiration. Lifeline. Their music has been a crutch that is always firm- never letting me lose my balance.

Also, The Last Goodbye contains my favourite line from a song from 2011 :

“How can I rely on my heart, if I break it- with my own two hands.”

http://www.nowness.com/

The video is up on the link above.