Tag Archives: Jamie Hince

The Kills- Goodnight Bad Morning.

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It is oh so easy to lose sight of who you are at times. All too often people try to meddle in your life, tell you what to do and what not to do. You wonder why. Why do your actions mean so much to them? Maybe they don’t, they’re just looking for something to control because they are at a loss themselves. You see, it is easy for people to drag up another person’s misfortunes and errors rather than facing their own. People always want to take the easy way out, people never want to try. People have the power to be so vile and cruel. People can break you. There’s sometimes comfort in sadness, but there’s also isolation. Fake a smile if you must. Cry on a shoulder if you can. There’s a song to find the beauty in the darkness we sometimes feel. The aftermath is sometimes bits and pieces of destruction. Smashed bottles, torn furniture, ripped clothes and a chipped tooth. Where were you? Who were you? The come down is a bitch. You don’t have to have taken a thing. This is misery from feeling good. You seek peace. Inner peace. Inhale. Exhale. Inner peace is all you want.

I had half an hour to myself today before I had to be somewhere. As I’m just a regular nobody with nothing going for them, all it was was a hair cut. I had half hour to kill, so I took a walk. I went to the beach/promenade thing I guess you call it. The waves were crashing onto rocks. Hardly anyone was around. A few old couples walking their dogs, but that’s it. Just me, the sea and music. As usual, I was listening to The Kills.

The Kills are a band that I’ve never associated with a person. I used to think it’d be cool to do so you know? Because at times their lyrics are quite brutal but passionate. Loving but full of revenge. The more I listen to them, the less I feel the desire to do this. I’m glad because I think if I ever did associate them with anyone I’d fall apart. Jamie and Alison are beyond words. So I stood staring out at the sea. Goodnight Bad Morning starts playing. Something came over me. I didn’t want to cry. I didn’t want to smile or anything. I just felt something. I felt as if I was the last person left in the world. I felt alone, but in a good way. I felt a gush of inner peace take over me. The song has always meant a lot to me. It always felt like a come down from something good, but not in a way that makes you want to experience the good all over again. Instead, you take the good and put it in the back of your mind, locked in your heart- with all the other good memories. No one can take it from you. Nothing can change them. You have them. Locked.

“The speed’s working, I see it in everyone. Like a lost idea under lightbulb sun. Your eyes, ready for take off melt in your head. What a  beautiful state we are in.”

This is a perfect example of how wonderful their lyrics are. This verse this morning created deeper meaning than previous listens had. Everything about the way this song is sung, especially this verse just makes you feel so at ease. I’m far too laid back for my own good at times. Or maybe I just hate admitting what bothers me, or when someone gets to me you know? I’d rather ignore it, go read a book and waste my thoughts on something worthwhile. Maybe it is a good way to live, maybe it isn’t. All I know that today for those minutes I played this song, I felt weightless and untouchable. Not in an immortal way. Just that nothing and no one for that moment I had created, could bother me.

“The jailers in my mind are all dead. I love you so much, never forget.  All of our secrets are coming undone. What a beautiful state we are in.”

I love this part because I feel, out of all the songs by The Kills that have touched on romance and love- this one truly sums it up the best. Real love is forgetting all the bad and staying with the good. It doesn’t have to be the romantic side of love. It can be any kind. You can have the most tumultuous relationship with your closest chum, but you know how much you love each other- and that’s all that matters. Forget the outsiders, it is just you and them. However, when I was listening to this song this morning I didn’t feel that way. I was preoccupied with the wave of inner peace I was feeling. As I listen to it now, I understand the words even more.

Life is a pain, but life has some good moments. Goodnight Bad Morning emulates that perfectly. In order to have the good, you’ve got to take the bad. It doesn’t matter how long the bad ride is, the good will happen. I’m constantly told to “keep trying” and to “be positive.” I’ll level with you, it is fucking draining and I’m unsure of why I try. I get nowhere. I get nowhere fast. I’m a nobody like the rest of them, but my purpose isn’t to be anything wonderful or to be something I am not comfortable with. You create your own moments of happiness and inner peace. I had mine this morning at 11am whilst watching the sea listening to the band that mean more to me than I can ever put into words. I looked at birds flying past- they are free. I watched the waves crash. I watched the ripples in the sea. I didn’t feel so hopeless. Maybe I found the one thing in life at the moment that makes me feel alright.

To hell with what others tell you to do, and how you should be. Create your own moments. Go it alone if you must. If they judge it is because they cannot do it. I’m grateful (understatement for sure) to The Kills because every feeling I’ve ever known is in their songs; and this morning, I am sure that my love for them over the past 10 years grew dramatically. I get it now, I really do. You’ve got to do things your own way.

 

*I don’t expect any of this to make sense to anyone. I never do.

 

Jamie Hince.

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

There is something entirely captivating about a duo. The way they are on stage makes you totally believe in all they do, all they stand for and all that they are. Duos fascinate me because they seem to make more noise than a band with 4+ members. They seem more inclined to prove themselves. They play with such aggression and sincerity. There is one man who I firmly believe as being one of the most underrated guitarists of the past decade. I say decade because that is how long he has been in the band I have followed since the start. All hail Jamie Hince from The Kills. I’ve already written about my love for Alison, so it is only right I delve into my love for Jamie and why I love him so. This could take some time, this may read like a rant that will never make sense. I know of no other way to write it seems.

I love the way Jamie holds the guitar on stage as if it is a machine gun, as he directs it towards Alison and the crowd. The way he moves on stage and makes the sounds of his guitar with his mouth. The way he plays is how a true musician should play. With power, with passion- with a gang mentality. Do or die. That’s what you get from The Kills. The Kills, for me just go beyond being a band. They become a way of life. Anyone who truly truly loves and adores this band will know what I mean. The way he plays is enough to make me want to start my own duo with someone I can menacingly yet playfully point a guitar at. But I’ve resigned myself to the fact that I just cannot and will not ever be able to play an instrument. I’m okay with absorbing all the music I can from the bands I love rather than try start my own thing.

What fascinates me about Jamie is how he manages to make so many sounds without making you get all confused about what you are hearing. You take in every single note, you take it all in and it becomes part of you. Something takes over. When I listen to songs like Fuck The People or Pull A U, it feels likes some kind of brutal tension building up. With Alison’s delicate vocals and Jamie’s aggressive guitar playing you become so enthralled with what you are hearing. What do you do? Do you just sit there? NO. You fucking dance/move as if you are possessed, as if you are about to start a fight. Why be gentle when you can make a mess.

Their debut record, Keep On Your Mean Side will ALWAYS be my favourite record by them.  I personally feel it shows Jamie at his most aggressive. The record starts with Superstition. You combine THAT scream Alison does with his guitar skills, you fast become aware that you are about to hear one of the best records of all time. It is one of the very few records that instilled something in me that goes beyond words. It is one of those records that I will always look back on and think, “this record defines so much for me.” The Kills aren’t just a band I listen to for any specific reason other than I just HAVE to. It becomes part of my routine. I play them in the shower, singing Jamie’s guitar parts which sometimes causes my mum to yell “WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN THERE?!” I just have to constantly have their thrashing and passionate sounds in my ear. Since I first heard them all those years ago, I have not gone a day without listening to them. I love watching how, when Jamie plays it is like he controls how Alison moves on the stage. At times she stalks the stage like a panther. Then you see her move as if something is taking her over. It is the crowd, the energy and the way Jamie plays. Their chemistry goes beyond being able to put into words. It is sacred, but you feel part of it. How she spins around and bends her body from how Jamie slays the guitar causes you to move the same. They both control you in their own way. Jamie causes you to move like a person possessed and Alison captivates you with how she stares deep into you as she sings the songs that own your heart.

One thing I truly appreciate about Jamie’s guitar playing is that you never hear any sadness. With some guitarists, they can make it sound sad. With Jamie it always sounds so full, hopeful, passionate, raw and alive. Pots And Pans is a prime example of this. For me that song just seems so hopeful. I’m not sure what the hope is directed at, but there is something positive there. I’m not sure if I could pick a favourite track by The Kills but I know Keep On Your Mean Side is my favourite record.

Nostalgia and questions fill you as you listen to The Kills. Jamie’s guitar playing makes you feel like you are battling everyone around you. You are part of this road trip that they are taking you on. You’ve been on it for so long, and you know you will never leave. Do or die. Do or die. It will never leave. You feel like you are on some chase. Desert road or highway, you are being sought after by the law. Or someone who possibly hates you. The windows are down, dust hits your face, drive harder, drive faster. Don’t give up. That’s how he makes you feel. You cannot give up. Then Alison’s voice makes you feel comforted. They are on this journey with you. The music is your keeper, your safety net. For me, my lifeline. There is no deeper or greater love.

A band can sum up a generation. A band can be your life. A band can be that friend at 4am when you have no idea what is going on. A band can be that thing you lean on as you stumble home in a drunken haze. A band can be the hangover cure. A band can be the ultimate cure. A band can lead you to wherever you want to go. For me, The Kills are that band. It was love at first listen (and sight of course.)

It does piss me off that Jamie doesn’t get the recognition that he really deserves, but it makes you treasure his genius even more. When I walk around listening to them, I feel like nothing or no one can touch me. They make me feel invincible, less alone and capable. They give me something that I’ll never get anywhere else. The Kills are home. The Kills are all I know. Their lyrics, their songs are like a guide. “It’s alright, to be mean.”

When I saw them live, it was like my eyes had been opened up to another world. I denounced all that came before, all that came after was to be compared to that moment. If it doesn’t move me or make me feel like that night or like a record by The Kills does- then I don’t want to know. I want to feel like my soul has been shaken. That my face has been confronted with Jamie’s machine gun moves. A brutal force takes over and you realise- YOU ARE FUCKING ALIVE.

The Kills give me hope. They have proven that you do not need much to be heard. And if they can’t hear you- be a bit more mean (alright so I cannot be mean and I’m too gentle for my own good ssshusssh.) and turn it up a touch more louder. Don’t let them take you alive, and always ALWAYS put up a fight.

It feels wrong to write about Jamie without falling back on Alison. They are two of the most important people in my life that I’ll never meet. When a band change your life, you feel as if you have so much to say. I haven’t even covered half of how I feel. The love is there though, the love will always be there.

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.

 

The Kills-Black Balloon.

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I’m not one for enjoying songs that are about sunshine, rainbows and love. It isn’t real. I like songs that are dark, creepy, frightening, fragile and thought-provoking. I like songs where you can really feel what the singer is going through. If the song oozes desperation, I’ll probably fall in love with it. However, just because I like songs like this doesn’t make me a morbid bugger- most like to think I am, but they’re wankers.

There’s a song by The Kills on every album that always breaks my heart. Keep On Your Mean side has Gypsy Death & You, No Wow has Rodeo Town and Blood Pressures has The Last Goodbye.

Midnight Boom has Black Balloon. I know that whatever I say about this song doesn’t do it justice, but that doesn’t stop me. Well, sometimes it does. Not today.

Lyrically and musically, it is painful. In a good way, not in a “this is so bad make this shit here stop” kind of way. Alison’s voice on Black Balloon is so vulnerable, the way she sings “Let the weather have its way with you” makes you feel for her. That whatever or whoever this is about, you really connect with her. It’s a simple song but with such wonderful imagery in the lyrics.

“Elevator straight into my skull. An escalator rises as it falls.”  Personally, I feel that the elevator is this feeling she cannot shake, and it constantly gets to her. The escalator is a symbol for the highs and the lows. As soon as you feel good, some fuckwit has to come along and drag you back down. Maybe that isn’t the case, but it’s what I get from that line.

“You can hold on, but I wouldn’t waste your time.” It’s so true isn’t it? You hold on for something or someone, and in the end it’s actually a waste if your time. It just turns out to be so awfully pointless. I love the honesty and disappointment in this line. We’ve all felt this way, and you get to a point where you know waiting around is just a waste, there’s no point- so why bother? My advice? Don’t bother; you’ll get further if you don’t.

“….on the edge of a dream that you had. Has anybody told you it’s not coming true?” Again, the honesty and disappointment here is just beyond. You can dream all you want to, but they will not come true. You’re taught to dream as a kid, but when you hit adulthood it just goes to shit. Maybe if you hold onto the dreams a little bit, it’ll get you through the day. I wouldn’t bother though.

Then comes the giving up, “Let the weather have its way with you.” Sometimes, whatever it is or who it is that you were holding out for, in the end, you just have to let it go- hand it over to fate, so fate can have its way with it. One of the best feelings a person can experience is the euphoria of letting something go. Go on, get a balloon- and watch it go away. Seeing something just float away on its own is such a grand feeling. When you let a person/emotion go, when you get past the feeling awful stage- you reach this part where nothing matters because you are free. You’re a person again who isn’t being held down. I know a lot of people who have trouble walking away from something or letting go, I don’t understand why. Or maybe I’m a terrible person because I can leave things behind without feeling bad? I have no idea; I don’t feel bad for it. Everyone is different. This is why Black Balloon means so much to me.

When I bought Midnight Boom, I had heard it before its proper release, so I just played Black Balloon over and over. It is a sad, dark song but if you dig deeper you can see it’s got this sense of freedom to it. What I love about The Kills is how fearless their music is. They can sing songs that are about being rock bottom or just bring frustrated, they are not afraid to indulge in what many regard as ugly emotions. They have this real, raw feel to their music which makes them so approachable and easy to relate to.

Black Balloon live is emotional, you cannot take your eyes off Alison as she stands there singing this song. I used to think that this was their most emotional song, but The Last Goodbye has taken over from that. I imagine The Last Goodbye live will just cause a wave of emotions to take over, not that I mind. Its how a gig should be.

Black Balloon has a bluesy feel to it mixed with a hint of the Velvet Underground, and also the despair of a Townes Van Zandt song. Everything I love in one.

I know I haven’t done the song justice with my words, if that was the case- I’d be paid to write like this. That won’t ever happen; instead I’ll just kill time and keep my brain busy by doing this. The Kills have taught me a lot, you don’t need to know- but its songs such as Black Balloon that keeps this tired heart going.

The Kills-Midnight Boom.

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I was doing a work placement a month before Midnight Boom came out, and whilst I was there Midnight Boom was constantly played. Before it was released, I knew every word to every song. My obsession with The Kills has been huge ever since the first time I heard their first album, Keep On Your Mean Side. Midnight Boom just catapulted it to great heights, and I know that there is no coming down from this. I don’t ever want to, if I’m honest.

The album opens with U.R.A. Fever, one of the best singles The Kills have ever put out. I’m not fussed on the singles bands put out, I prefer albums. I love having a collection of songs. Luckily, The Kills are perfect so I don’t have to worry about ever feeling disappointed with any release. Besides, they put Black Balloon out as a single- personal favourite.

I came up with an analogy of The Kills last night, well 2.30am this morning. Basically, Jamie’s guitar sounds like a machine gun and Alison sings like a frustrated Angel. If I had to describe them to someone, I’d use that description. I’m pretty proud of it- and I’m rarely proud of myself.

U.R.A Fever is amazing to watch live, just like any of their songs. When they sing together, all this mind-blowing chemistry just flies out. You want it for yourself, but you know it’s rare. What you witness between Alison and Jamie is so rare. Maybe you’ll have your own version of it one day, just don’t go looking for it.

The term Midnight Boom refers to the time where the moon comes up and everyone goes to bed. However, if you’re like me and sleep is your enemy- the term is lost on you. I’ve always loved the titles The Kills come up with for their albums, Keep On Your Mean Side will always be my favourite.

Alphabet Pony hits you hard, it attacks you in a way that you cannot defend yourself from- but why would you want to? Their sound on their third album is as brutal as ever. The video to Last Day Of Magic just sums up the fury in their music. Loving but just oozing frustration. Not in a, “I hate myself and the world” kind of way, but just knowing you can do something, it’s just doing it. I don’t know, I’m not very good at wording things like that, I just feel too much I guess.

Lyrically, this album is just as cruel as previous releases. Recently a perfume advert has decided to use Cheap And Cheerful as part of their ad campaign- I bet their perfume isn’t. I know, poor joke.  I love the line, “I’m bored of cheap and cheerful. I want expensive sadness. Hospital bills, parole. Open doors to madness.” Alison’s cough at the start is strangely attractive too. The way she sings, “It’s alright, to be mean.” Over the little drumming solo is pretty damn good too. The album just bursts so much energy and harsh lines. Like all their albums, there are no bad tracks. Every song just flows into each other so perfectly.

The album closer (if you don’t have the bonus track, Night Train) Goodnight Bad Morning is so fragile and vulnerable. At times, their lyrics pour out so much vulnerability- especially with how Alison sings them. “The jailers in my mind are all dead. I love you so much. Never forget.” The way Alison and Jamie sing this together, you just believe them more than ever. It’s just a gorgeous song. Everything about it just moves you.

Hook And Line is another ruckus (noisy not unpleasant) track. “Nail it down with jealous bones.’Til it goes off like a feather on its own.” Try all you want to, but you cannot control or stop her/The Kills. Reading their lyrics, it’s almost a guide to life. Teaching you that sometimes it’s okay to do bad things (not to the point where you hurt someone on purpose.) Its okay to keep your guard up, you probably always should.

Tape Song for instance, “Time ain’t gonna cure you honey. Time don’t give a shit.” So true. People are quick to fool themselves with the idea that time heals all. It doesn’t. What you do is, you adapt. You’re never cured, whatever is irking you will always be there. Time is just a concept- not a healer. As they point out that time doesn’t heal, you have to do what you can to move forward, “You’ve got to go steal ahead.” If anyone is in need of some kind of guidance in life, then listen to this song. It’ll sort you out, no problem.

Midnight Boom gave Alison and Jamie more success than previous albums. They featured on Jools Holland, Jonathan Ross- I remember sitting on the floor staring at the screen like an attentive child watching their favourite cartoon. I was just proud that my favourite band was finally getting the recognition they deserve. I’ve loved them since the start, and to see them finally being praised for what they are doing is just beautiful. This album caused their career to take off, but if you listen to all their albums- this sound has always been there. That raw, bluesy feel- no one else has done it as well as The Kills and honestly? I severely doubt anyone else could.

Oh, and remember “It’s alright, to be mean.”

The Kills-Keep On Your Mean Side.

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If I had to list my favourite albums of all time, I’d probably put all four of The Kills albums in there. However, there’s one album of theirs that owns my heart slightly more than the others. It’s not because of sentimental value, all four albums hold that. With the album I’ve chosen to focus on, it is the pure Punk feel to it- that menacing raw sound. I remember when I first heard it, I was just instantly drawn in to Alison’s delicate voice and Jamie’s aggressive guitar sounds. Keep On Your Mean Side will forever be one of my favourite debut albums I’ve ever heard.

As most are aware, The Kills are influenced by the Blues. You listen to how Jamie plays guitar, and the influence of the Blues is so obvious. Not in a rip-off sense, far from it. I firmly believe that Jamie Hince is severely underrated as a guitar player. You honestly do not have to have seen The Kills live to know this. Just listen to songs such as Wait, Pull A U, Fried My Little Brains, Baby Says, Last Day Of Magic- basically all their songs, you dig? Good.

They are also influenced by the likes of Captain Beefheart and The Velvet Underground. I’d also say hints of Townes Van Zandt are present too. Basically, as they influenced and admire such great musicians it is really no surprise that they make music which is on the same level as their influences.

When I first heard Keep On Your Mean Side, the immediate feeling I got from it was that I felt like I was taking a road-trip on some desolate and dusty road. Just getting away from everything and forgetting it all. The Kills are brilliant if you feel like a lost cause/soul. They help you find parts of you; they reach parts of you that not even someone so close to you could ever get to. Their lyrics are your life, the band are your lifeline.

There are a handful of albums and artists that make me feel this way, but with The Kills it is entirely different. Maybe it’s because of the bond Alison and Jamie have with each other, as there are only two of them making this heartfelt music- you feel it more because it’s much more personal.

I think my favourites off Keep On Your Mean Side have to be Wait and Gypsy Death And You. Both songs have this unexplainable emotion to them. The images you get from both songs are astounding.

When I listen to Gypsy Death And You, I picture a lonely person in a hotel room collapsing out of utter despair with regard to their life and the one they love. They can’t bear to look at them because it aches too much, “She covers one eye ‘cause she can see into your soul. And she no, longer wants to.” The song is full of understanding, that’s its okay to feel like that, “If that’s the way that you feel, then that’s the way that you feel.” It’s just such a comforting line. Besides, why should you have to justify how you feel? Feeling it is bad enough, you don’t have to explain.

Wait feels like a road-trip with someone you’re not really close to, but want to get close to. I think everyone has someone that they look at and wish they could figure out. I personally don’t, but that’s because I think not being able to understand someone makes life more interesting I guess. Some people are the way they are, just because I suppose. Not everything needs a reason. I love Wait because it is so simple.

“So tell me something bad you done. Tell me ‘bout your ghosts.” You just want to know the person, the good and the bad. It’s just a beautiful song; I can never get tired of playing it.

I can’t write about this album without mentioning two of the most ferocious songs by The Kills; Pull A U and Fried My Little Brains. Anyone who has seen these two songs performed live knows how mental it is. The chemistry on stage Alison and Jamie have just truly comes alive in these songs- I know it’s there with all songs, but.

The intro to Fried My Little Brains just makes this part of you lose your mind. You cannot help it, you just go crazy. You have to. That’s the beauty of The Kills, they make you feel free and give you the ability to lose your mind.

Pull A U feels like a punch in the face. The guitar in it is just mind-blowing; it just makes you feel like you’ve been smacked in the face. But you don’t care! You don’t care because it feels good.

The way their voices merge together on these songs is sexually charged, but at the same time- it isn’t. You know that Alison and Jamie are just the best of friends, and what makes them so gifted is that they can make you believe it’s something more/ they just have this insane chemistry that is really, do or die- life or death for them. This band is everything to them. This band is everything to me, and the connection they have just inspires you greatly.

The scream in Superstition is fucking incredible. The way that Alison can hold that note just leaves you in awe. It’s just beyond. Every song on Keep On Your Mean Side is so powerful and overwhelming. It makes you want to just start your own band, your own movement. They make you want to grab someone lovingly by the scruff of the neck and scream the words to Cat Claw at them.

I cannot say that this album is the most brutal sounding album by The Kills as each album has that sound. When this album came out, nothing else sounded like it, and four albums on- no one else sounds like The Kills. They’re just a perfect band. Everything about them just appeals to me. The lyrics, the aggression, the frustration, the importance, the sound- everything. You can sense in every single song just how important that song is to Alison and Jamie. You can feel just how important they band is to Alison and Jamie.

Some bands change for the worst, some change for the best. The Kills have stayed the same, but not in a way that causes them to make the same record four times over. What I mean is, they have stayed true to that Punk ethic, that harsh and raw sound that has not been done since the Velvet Underground.

Keep On Your Mean Side is a cruel and fragile album. Most people that act cruel are fragile. I’m not saying Alison and Jamie are cruel- but their lyrics can be. You love and care for someone so much to the point you cant stand them. But you need them around. That’s how you can tell that these two are the best of friends. Nothing and no one will ever come between them. They love each other with no complications, they just take each other for who they are and accept it. That’s how it should be.

If you ever wonder what the true meaning of love, friendship and loyalty is- just look at how Alison Mosshart and Jamie Hince are with each other.

The Kills.

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I love bands that play with everything they have. I adore it when you can tell a band is doing it for the music and not to seek approval of others. Every word sung and every note played is done with such importance- it is as if their life depends on it. The connection band members have on stage is one of the greatest things you can witness. To see a band just bounce off each other’s vibe is incredible. You can sense their love for each other and the music they play.

One band in particular that do all this, and so much more are The Kills. Anyone who has been fortunate enough to see them live knows exactly what I mean. Alison and Jamie do not even have to interact with the crowd much, how they are with each other is more than enough.

I saw them live just after Midnight Boom was released, I had an (un)healthy obsession with them as soon as I heard the album Keep On Your Mean Side, and to see them live was like watching something you shouldn’t be watching. They have this connection on stage that I have never ever seen before. I have never seen two people have that bond before- whether famous or not, it is so rare. I think in our lives, you do find someone like that. You will probably argue with them and want to throttle them- but at the same time, if anyone ever hurts them- you feel it too. It is the most important relationship you have (not in a coupley/sexual way). It’s your lifeline. That’s just my take on it.

You can easily see how much they adore each other. From the way Jamie grins at Alison during certain songs to how Alison just looks at him in awe when he pretty much goes mental on the guitar. The look of love and understanding they have for each other is so precious and so beautiful.

I can’t remember exactly where I was when I first heard The Kills; all I know is what just after Keep On Your Mean Side was released. I fell in complete love with what I was hearing. I wanted to know everything about their sound. How it was created and what influenced them. They kick-started my obsession with The Velvet Underground and the blues all over again. I was just so happy that a band combined everything I loved about music and made their own sound. It was so different, it still is. There is no band around that are doing what The Kills do, and have done. They make this harsh, brutal music that just constantly has you in a chokehold and you don’t want it to ever let you go. If it does, what are you left with?

When I listen to The Kills I feel like nothing can touch me. It becomes like a protective shield. I urge anyone to go for a walk listening to Fried My Little Brains or Cat Claw and not feel fucking invincible. Songs such as Kissy Kissy just ooze vengeance and rage, I love it. That’s why I love The Kills so much. All this frustration just pours out of their songs, but they do not do it in a self-pitying way. None of their songs are self-pitying, that’s why I love them. Yes they touch on heartbreaking subjects (see Black Balloon, The Last Goodbye) but none of it is “woe is me” at all. They do it in a way that just breaks your heart yet you feel fine because Alison is singing the things you wish your heart could channel your mouth to say. I guess, this just proves other people’s words can mean more than your own at times. Or maybe, you trick yourself into believing that because you cannot find the words to say. Call it whatever you want, it’s just beautiful.

In their interviews the intelligence and passion they have is so breathtaking and so calming but as soon as they hit the stage, it is totally different. Alison stalks the stage like a lioness and Jamie is in his own world- with Alison. You can truly see that they live for music and playing live is everything to them. That’s why you can easily believe in everything that The Kills are.

Each of their albums instantly threw me. Although each albums sound different from the last, they have always maintained that raw, unapologetic, aggressive sound. They are one of the few (or possibly the only bands) contemporary bands to carry the true Punk ethic in their music. It is so inspiring.

A lot of bands, to create a sound so distinctive need layers and layers to their music. They need to have certain producers to have a specific sound or they need a gimmick. The Kills quite simply, don’t. They are two best friends making music that is beyond. It is beyond words, beyond emotions. Sometimes it is hard to get your head around the fact that it is just two people making this sound. Something I find highly inspirational about the band is that Alison just left everything in America to come to London to start The Kills with Jamie. There is something so utterly inspiring about this, it makes you want to leave everything and achieve your goals.

From a personal perspective- this is why The Kills mean so much to me. They sacrificed so much and invested so much to be where they are now. There is no doubt that they are one of hardest working bands around. They give you hope that if you cast everything aside in order to get what you want- you can get it.

An image that is constantly evoked for me when I listen to The Kills is two outlaws on the run, on a neglected, dusty road in America. The fierce sound just conjures up some fantastic images in your find. The words they sing just blow me away. Lines such as “Elevator straight into my skull. An escalator rises as it falls.” from Black Balloon and “She covers one eye ‘cause she can see into your mind, and she no longer wants to.” from Gypsy Death & You are lines that just always always leave me in awe.

When I heard Blood Pressures, I was just taken aback with what I was hearing. The waltz feel on The Last Goodbye really hits you in the gut, and I firmly standby “How can I rely on my heart if I break it, with my own two hands.” being the best line I have heard in a song this year, it’s quite painful how much I can relate to it- but it gets you through the day doesn’t it.

The Kills own a large chunk of my heart. Their lyrics, the way they are on stage and in interviews, the chemistry they have with each other, their music- everything about them. It just means more than the world to me. They just blow my mind every single time I listen to them. Every time I play their music it is like I am discovering them for the first time. They are timeless and influential. If a band can make you feel like this with every listen, then hold onto them. Something tells me The Kills are a band that won’t let go. The fight and drive in them is inspiring. It’s important to find something to fight for and believe in, music is mine- especially with bands such as The Kills. They also prove that all you need is two people to make some of the greatest music ever, and sometimes all you need is just the one person to believe in you- and to see the good in you when no one else does.