Kill Ze Kid!

Kill it Kid is a fairly new band from London, formed only about a year ago. I got a note today that they’re heading out on tour and then supporting Brandi Carlile in August – just in time for their release of their new 4-track single Burst Its Banks.

With themes on “Heaven Never Seemed So Close”, “Burst Its Bank”, and “Send Me An Angel Down”, I get the impression that they’re heavily influenced by religion. Combining a weird blend of southern blues, with rock, and with that struggling vocals from Chris Turpin – this should be an interesting band to watch out as they develope.

There is one song on the EP that’s a bit of a gem for me, it’s called “Private Idaho” (I’m assuming this was named after the movie?). The acoustic song is short and sweet and sung by, I think, Stephanie Ward. It just really stood out because the other three songs have Turpin on vocals, and suddenly this woman started singing on this song. Which also means this song sounds nothing like their other songs, that it wouldn’t be such a great song to represent them.

You can grab their teaser single, “Send Me An Angel Down” on their record label, Indian. Look for Burst Its Bank and forthcoming album in the coming months.

PS, I quite like the cover for Burst Its Banks. I believe the art is by David Gibbons (not to be confused with Dave “Watchmen” Gibbons), whose style reminds me a lot of Paul Pope.

Ze! – I Am Glam Ze! Tour Dates 06/26/09 tbc Berlin 06/27/09 Ghetto Noize (with GoldieLocks) Zurich 06/27/09 tbc Zurich 06/28/09 Kinki Mag interview @ Soul*sol (kinkimag.com) Zurich 07/01/09 @ Villa Berlin 07/03/09 Bangers & Mash @ Proud, Camden (postponed!) London 07/10/09 Hot Cheese Crew ARN Gallery Kassel 07/11/09 tbc Berlin 07/15/09 Fantasio @ Korsakoff Amsterdam 07/17/09 tbc Delft 07/18/09 LoveDance Festival (with Don Diablo, Jessica 6 of Hercules & Love Affair, Wannabe a Star, and more!) Spaarnwoude 11/30/09 Zigfrid Von Underbelly (Art Bar, East London) London

ZE!
zebrainpink.com ♥ myspace.com/zebrainpink

When bands submit one or two songs, we generally just ignore them. We seem to get a lot of demos, remixes, or a random b-side from a 6-track EP (talk about odd). And I would’ve ignored Ze! altogether, if not for her funky MIA-esque look.

You know that saying, “never judge a book by its cover”? It doesn’t apply here, she’s what you’ll expect, and that’s not a bad a thing. I mean it would be awful if it turned out she was singing polka or something (which actually now that I think about it, that would sound cool).

Ze! (pronounced “zay”), according to her biography is influenced by (who else?) MIA, Santigold, Yelle and Peaches (whom, for one year I saw saw her and Gonzales play four times at different dates). Her background is from television commercials, before venturing to rapper then to hip hop/drum ‘n bass.

It said she’s released a full length, Shameless, in 2005 and an EP in 2003, but those releases sounds very different than her current music. And currently, “I am Glam” and “Hello Disco” are both excellent electroclash dance songs. The lyrics are simple and not to mention catchy (“I am glam, glam is what I am” and “take me to the disco/bring me to the disco“) which suits this style of music. You’re not really concern with what she’s singing, only that it sounds good (however “Disco” sounds deep in some parts).

I think Ze! has a lot of potential, but people might be turned off by the MIA-crazy-outfits-look. You can pick up her latest songs from popcuts.com. She’s doing some live dates through the UK.