Transatlantic blues rockers The Kills are set to re-issue their debut album ‘Keep On Your Mean Side’.
After The White Stripes left Detroit to blow everyone’s minds the world suffered a glut of garage-blues two piece groups. Bass players were left to starve on the dole queue as four stringers were jettisoned from bands across the planet.
The Kills are amongst the best, and longest lasting, of these bands. Way back when, the duo emerged clad in black calling themselves VV and Hotel. A series of stunning gigs showcased a band for whom looks and attitude were just as important as the music – and the music was extremely important.
Early EPs such as ‘Black Rooster’ and ‘Fried My Little Brains’ built a devoted fanbase, but it was their debut album ‘Keep On Your Mean Side’ which really made their reputation. Gathering a selection of dark, dark blues anthems it sounded like little else around at the time.
Sure, since then The Kills have dropped the pseudonyms (hello Jamie Hince and Alison Mosshart) and perhaps lost the visceral thrill that made them so exciting the first time round, but time hasn’t diluted the impact of their debut album.
With Hince now dating supermodels and Mosshart fronting Jack White’s new project The Dead Weather, this is perhaps an appropriate time to check out what made them such an enticing prospect.
The Kills will re-issue their debut album with a number of bonus tracks. The band will include EP only tracks such as covers of Dock Boggs’ ‘Sugar Baby’, Jonathan Fire*eater’s ‘The Search For Cherry Red’ and Captain Beefheart’s ‘Dropout Boogie’.
The Kills will re-issue their debut album ‘Keep On Your Mean Side’ in the United States on May 5th.
Full tracklisting as follows:
‘Superstition
‘Cat Claw
‘Pull A U
‘Kissy Kissy
‘Fried My Little Brains
‘Hand
‘Hitched
‘Black Rooster
‘Wait
‘Fuck The People
‘Monkey23
‘Gypsy Death & You
Bonus tracks:
‘Gum’ (Black Rooster EP)
‘Jewel Thief’ (Fried My Little Brains EP)
‘Sugar baby’ (Fried My Little Brains EP)
‘The Search for Cherry Red’ (‘Pull A U’ single)
‘Dropout Boogie’ (Black Rooster EP)
