Fullerton, California
is known as "Bourbon
Street West" to some of the people who frequent the party in this Northern Orange County
city. It is mainly known for the
University, Cal State-Fullerton and the origins of No Doubt. However, more recently another band has
emerged from this area whose music is a dark contrast to anything No Doubt
might record. The band is Cold War Kids.
Cold War Kids are unlike anything I could attempt to provide for comparison.
They list their influences as Tom Waits,
Bob Dylan, Velvet Underground and Jeff Buckley.
However, this barely adds a few brush strokes to the musical canvas this
band painted with their first full album, Robbers & Cowards . My best attempt at
comparing them to someone more modern is The White Stripes but that doesn't
really do it either. Their stripped down
bluesy sound is made up of guitar, bass, drums, and piano. However, the way the band arranges its music
for each instrument is purely original. The
vocalist Nathan Willett would be able to add depth and set an eerie tone if he
was lead singer for Hanson. However, this
concoction of a band affords him the opportunity to let his vocals drape over
the ghostly vibe provided by the instruments.
The jangle sound of the vintage
Yamaha CP70 punches up the authenticity of their basic sound. The guitar tone (Jonathan
Bo Russell) varies along with the mood from song to song but when matched with the
piano (Willett) and the fat bass tones (Matt Maust) and jazzy drums and
percussion (Matt Aveiro) a complete canvas is created. On "Saint
John" you could easily see them playing on the front
porch of a run down shack barely hanging on the banks of the Mississippi River
Delta. In "Hospital Beds", they could
be perched on a stage in a gritty New
York City dive in the Bowery. They also possess the ability to bounce
between time signatures seamlessly.
Although, this ability does not offer complexity, it adds depth.
The band began on top of the Mulberry Street
restaurant in Fullerton
without these instruments that define their sound now. They used a primitive approach by chanting,
stomping, and banging on pipes to give birth to what has evolved into their sound
and musical approach. This primitive
beginning fits them well as they travel down unbeaten musical pathways.
Once their musical ideas grab hold,
it is important to pursue the lyrics, which provide yet another level of
profundity. It is refreshing to find a
band whose lyrics are so thoughtfully crafted.
However, you might expect this somewhat from a band with a name
including a reference to the Cold War.
As these lyrics are sung, you are drawn to the stories and personas
defined for each song. "We Used To
Vacation" cleverly draws you in to the mind and intentions of an alcoholic being
allured by the "soothing" feelings provided by one more glass of liquor despite
the promises he made his family. "Passing
The Hat" also is told in the first person.
This time the singer provides a confession of stealing money from a
church offering. He attempts to justify
this disgusting deed by explaining his fear and predicament as the offering
"hat" is passed. The last verse ruins
any sympathy felt as his intentions are revealed. He explains how the money will
fund his trip to Europe. The way the confession is delivered drags us
down into disgust as he attempts to justify his actions.
Many meaningful
musical morsels are present with each soulful song on Robbers and Cowards. The recording is actually their first release
since their signing with the Downtown
record label. It rejuvenates my faith in
music to know bands like Cold War Kids exist.
I assume Cold War Kids may not top the pop charts anytime soon. However, I am not sure this band would
consider that fulfillment. Instead, I
believe, they would most like to remain making music which moves them, as it
does me, for the rest of their careers.
Their trip to SXSW 2006 was
successful by making them more noticeable on the concert circuit as well as
getting them signed. They have been
traveling steadily since then, toting their Yamaha CP-70 piano
across the country as they explained on their KEXP live
podcast. Unfortunately, I found
about them too late to enjoy them at the SXSW show last March. However, this year as I cover the festival
for Quirkee.com, they are definitely on the agenda.
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