| CD REVIEW The Kings Of Nuthin’ |
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Band : The Kings Of Nuthin’ I could’ve sworn I’d reviewed an album by this Boston based Retro Rock Punk band before, but apparently I was wrong. In fact, after checking this appears to be the first album by the band that sees a review on Concrete Web…meaning yours truly feels compelled to bring you this band’s history! Well now, that difficult enough, as I was unable to log onto the band’s own website and had to make due with the info entailed in the band’s MySpace page. However, I’m happy to share my findings with you. The band started back at the end of the ‘90s when a bunch of Punks, who’d made an habit at being obnoxious at Punk and Rock shows, was trying to recreate an authentic Rhythm ‘n’ Blues Rock ‘n’ Roll sound in a leaky abandoned warehouse using whatever equipment they could get their hands on (beg, steal, or borrow in exchange for a coupla beers). They called themselves The Boston Blackouts, and had as main goal to continue their obnoxiousness, and to get as many free beers as possible. The current monicker was taken on in Summer 1999, and since then the 8 members have had more than their share of bad things coming their way. Broken vans in the middle of nowhere, broken down instrumerts, homelessness, being banned from venues for the audience they attract and the havoc they reek themselves…there’s even been untimely line-up changes, and deaths! In latter years things have been looking up for the band though, and tours with the likes of Dropkick Murphys, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, U.S. Bombs, Demented Are Go, The Robins and The Extraordinaires combined with independent shows on their own has seen the band come a-cruising throughout the US, but also promoting their specific brand of music in such European countries as Germany, England, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, France, Holland, the Czech Republic, and Poland. Okay, about the band’s output…they have, so far, released the 2000 full-length debut LP/CD Get Busy Living Or Get Busy Dying (originally released through small imprint Reckloose Records, then self-re-released in 2004 in the US and re-issued in Europe through German label Bad Reputation the same year), the 2000 Shit Outta Luck 7-inch (on Haunted Town Records, it contained earlier non-album versions of a couple of songs – the EP stands proudly in my own collection, thanks to a friend selling it to me 6 years ago), the 2004 full-length CD Fight Songs For Fuckups (on the now defunkt Disaster Records), the 2004 split 7-inch EP with the Briggs (also on Disaster) and the band’s 2006 full-length, titled Over The Counter Culture in the US (issued through Sailor’s Grave Records) and Punk Rock Rhythm And Blues in Europe (where it was their debut on People Like You). According to the info I’ve got, the band failed miserably in re-creating the syle of music they set out to copy…but the Punk-flavoured thing that came in stead sure is unique! Piano (brought by Zack Brines, check!) and saxophones (usually one alto and one lower, but occasionally just 2 altos…even if only one Heyden Cummings is credited for playing the instrument) play the starring role in the instrumentation, with the drowned-out guitar (check: Trafton Waldrio) mainly in the background, even if it does come out of the rubble for the short solos! Short, fast-played tunes (other musicians include upright bassist Thomas Lerioux, drummer Liam Crill, and washboard player Necro, the latter adding wacky extra percussion sounds to the seemingly chaotic sound of the band) that succeed each other in a rag-tag tempo without any mute moments in between. Some exceptions to the band’s usual piano/ saw dominance game include “Silver City”, which is played with two guitarists and sees the participation of an uncredited female singer for a duet (she comes back as part of the backing vocalist gang in “You’re Fucked”)…and the album closing ballad “Congratulations”, which is just vocals, piano, and some strings (a cello?). Somewhat out of the ordinary is also the so-called instrumental “Man Down” (the song hàs vocals, but only a repeat of the title). Also special is lead singer Torr Skoog’s really hoarse voice. For audio on this band, there’s only myspace.com/thekingsofnuthinboston I can direct you to, and you won’t even find any music off the new album on there (at least there wasn’t any posted when I last looked, a couple of days ago). Still, what’s posted should already give you an idea of what TKON sound like! Huhuh…just saw a nice description of the band’s sound : “Little Richard huffs with The Ramones and puts his 45s on 78”! 84/100 Tony. |