Singles going steady 16: The Kills

Two singles going steady in one week? You would think that I've got nothing new to write about. Well, that's partly true, but it's also kinda topical because this week The Kills released their new single U.R.A. Fever, their first new material for almost three years, and their first under a new non-musical media spotlight. It's also prompted me to break with my alphabetical convention, but hey.

The only Kills CD single in my collection is their debut EP from 2002, and it's great. Back then, there weren't very many bands doing that sort of dirty, scuzzy blues-influenced indie rock, and they were something genuinely exciting. The four tracks on the Black Rooster EP, three of which were recorded onto 8-track at the legendary analogue Toe Rag studios in Hackney and one which was a live recording, had an immediate resonance with me. It was one of my favourite things that year, and I think it's still the best thing they've done. Not that the album that followed (Keep on Your Mean Side) wasn't also a sleazy rock delight, but the follow up No Wow in 2005 didn't really do it for me. I also saw them live around that time too, and they were pretty rubbish. So for me, it's still all about that first EP. Listening to it again for the first time in ages it still sounds fresh and distinctive, even although East London is currently full of young bucks trying out similar ideas.

From the couple of listens I've had, I'm not too impressed by U.R.A. Fever, and I've no idea if the new album will be any good or not. Let's hope so. In the meantime here's a couple of tracks to remind us of how good they were.

Download: The Kills - Black Rooster
Download: The Kills - Wait

See, I almost made it though this whole post without mentioning Kate Moss, but not now.

Buy U.R.A. Fever. Black Rooster is still available for silly money on Amazon, but it's worth tracking it down elsewhere.

Check out the rest of Singles Going Steady here.