Kill Bosby

Kill Bosby - On Thursday We Leave For Home
2007, Kill Bosby

Concept albums have a long history in Rock and Roll, from the glorified (The Who's Tommy) to the reviled (Styx' Kilroy Was Here). Bands always take a tremendous risk in taking on concept albums. This commitment limits the range of material to a band in its writing and can cause musical strains trying to fit music and ideas together. Kill Bosby is a brave little band. In On Thursday We Leave For Home, Kill Bosby has crafted a succinct and musically interesting narrative based on the Twilight Zone episode of the same name.

Kill Bosby uses this story to highlight their use of tight harmonies, jangly guitar pop and soaring choruses to navigate the narrative. Today Is... begins the story with a musical vignette that suggests tedium turning to resolution and the stark excitement of Captain Benteen's castaways at being saved from their exile. DNA exudes the control crisis Benteen suffers on his way to extending his own self-imprisonment on V9-Gamma. The guitar and keyboard on this track have a distinctive 1980's feel to them.

Free is straight forward guitar pop and may be the most commercial tune on the album. Satellites & Submarines is probably the best song on On Thursday We Leave For Home. The combination of interesting dueling guitar hooks and lofty harmonies creates moments of musical beauty in the form of a vaguely maudlin song. The EP closes with I'm Leaving, a hopeful yet vaguely troubled epilogue to the television tale.

While the subject matter here is a bit unusual for rock and roll, the songwriting and execution are right on. Kill Bosby manages to break a Twilight Zone episode into five musical vignettes that managed to illuminate the story without overpowering or over-explaining it. On Thursday We Leave For Home is great pop music with a melancholy twist. This is required listening, particularly if you are a singer/songwriter who's ever struggled for writing ideas. Kill Bosby proves that the most mundane or esoteric ideas can be musical fodder when re-imagined from the right angle.

Rating: 4 Stars
Wildy's World
- www.wildysworld.com

Musicianship – 9 out of 10
I usually get to know a lot more about the musical abilities of each member of a band; with Kill Bosby, however, I have to admit that the players seemed less important than they band that they form! I’m sure that each individual brings something special to the table, but as a listener who had no prior knowledge of the band, I didn’t find that any one single person stuck out to me! Each member does his thing very well, providing solid (if not understated) work that blends with the efforts of all the other members very nicely!

If you are interested in the individuals that form this band, and the part that each plays, there is a listing of musical credits included with the liner notes! For me, though, I think it would be best for you to sit back, relax, and enjoy the show! Kill Bosby is a great collaborative effort, and they succeed in much the same way that bands like U2, Genesis, and Chicago succeed! All members are important, and without any one, the entire project would suffer!

Songwriting – 10 out of 10
Many songwriters try to write deep songs, and end up looking silly in the process! Kill Bosby does just the opposite: they go out of their way to look silly, and yet they write music that is very personal, very intense, and very deep! They build their songs on a strong keyboard foundation, and shore the sound up with strong rhythm parts that provide momentum. This subtlety hides the real strength of their songs – the lyrical content.

For me, the first listen was a hoot! I got caught up first in the fluid, silky melodies of the songs! On my second listen I began to hear the words of the songs, and their meaning only became more clear with each subsequent listen! By my last trip around the block, I knew what to expect at every turn, and I enjoyed the process of looking for the small features that make Kill Bosby’s tunes so wonderful! I’m sure that if you give the album an opportunity, you’ll see the same things that I did! These guys are great songwriters, and I think you will really like this record!

Sound Quality/Professionalism – 9 out of 10
As I mentioned above, this is definitely a CD that grows on you the more you hear it! The subtleties in the mix are powerful, and they await discovery at almost every turn. In addition, the music is full and rich, with a lot of different instrumental pieces that have been included in the recording process. The vocals are also very rich, featuring multiple layers of sound that truly touched me! Last but not least, listen for the lyrical subtleties. Kill Bosby has a lot to say as a band, and they make good use of the opportunity afforded them in the recording booth! All music should be this intense!

Packaging – 8.5 out of 10
I like the simple design of Kill Bosby; the cover art is a child’s depiction of the band, and the inside is a pictorial collage of many different candid band moments! The one thing that I wish the band would have included in the packaging is lyrics; they say a lot of cool things in their music, and I’d like to have the opportunity to peruse the words of their songs while listening. Other than that, I like what they’ve done with the album packaging, and also with their website!

Favorite Tracks
After Dinner Mints
Mirrors
Join or Die
Life & Death
Forever For Now

Overall Rating – 9 out of 10
In truth, there are artists making records in the Indie scene today that are probably better musicians than the guys in Kill Bosby, but there are none as intense as they are! If a comparison had to be made, I guess that I would compare the band and their music to the work of Michael Moore in the film industry. They have a keen sense of humor, a strong wit and heartfelt convictions that are hidden from view on the outside by a totally goofy exterior. They describe themselves in a very self-deprecating way, but have something very serious to say when it comes down to it. For those reasons, I truly expected something totally different when I began listening to their record, and was blown away in the end by what I heard. Their music is incredible, and I appreciate their level of artistry!

Kill Bosby is a band that has something to say, and they are effective in communicating their message, especially because they are so disarming! I like that quality! I also like the fact that they take simple musical elements and simple vocal harmonies, and make awesome complex music out of it! You have to hear these guys! They will blow you away, I guarantee it!

—Mark Lush, Midwestbands.com, 12/22/05 - Midwestbands.com

Hey man, hope you're doing well. We've added the new CD to The Source and....WOW. Those are 5 really great songs! I'm a big fan of "I'm Leavin'" and "Free" especially. Production is fantastic, packaging is great too. A killer effort!

Looking forward to the next new one! Still hope to get out and see you guys so I can sport a KB shirt at one of our gigs.

Sam Lawson
Director of Promotion
KPTM FOX42 / The KXVO CW15 - www.killbosby.com

Kill Bosby Releasing New Album

Albums have been inspired by many things over the years. Issues surrounding a girl, rebelling against the government, or self-awareness. Local duo Kill Bosby’s latest record “On Thursday We Leave For Home” was inspired by an episode of The Twilight Zone that shares the same name as their album. The band will be holding a CD release party this Saturday at the Waiting Room with friends Icares, Goodbye Sunday and the World Against Rob. I ventured over to Council Bluffs this past week to sit down with the brothers Bosby and discuss the new record, its concept and some of the trials that have been surrounding the band.

Kill Bosby started four years ago when vocalist Damon and his brother Dane Mychal moved to Omaha from Iowa City. The brothers are the core of the band, but they have been fleshed out most of the time by bassist Tim and drummer Joe. The band aggressively courted local music fans by playing many shows at pretty much any venue that would have them. They converted many with their catchy and sometimes humorous songs and those harmonies that only two brothers can have together. The band released their first record in 2005 and continued to play around the area following that. Recently, Damon has been splitting time between Omaha and Florida where he has a job in the music industry that he is secretive about and will not discuss. The brothers have also made the decision to go it on their own again and the upcoming Waiting Room show will be their last with Joe and Tim. On Thursday, “We Leave For Home” finds the duo much more focused than their previous efforts and the harmonies and hooks are all the better for it. The CD is well produced and contains five pure pop songs that are destined to be stuck in the listener’s head. Dane-Mycahl explains The Twilight Zone influence: “We have both been a fan of The Twilight Zone since we were teenagers. That episode has always stood out to me. It has a really powerful message.”

The album actually tells the story of this episode, though its songs truly stand alone for those not aware of the concept. Dane-Mychal explains why the story affected him and Damon: “It’s about a colony of pioneers who leave earth for outer space. They leave earth for something less evil and with less problems. What they find is the opposite of paradise and they are forced to survive on this desolate planet. At its core these people have been alive for 30 years because of the leadership of one man. He has had to keep their spirits alive for 30 years. When the rescue ship actually arrives he gets into a power struggle with the leader of the rescue ship. He does not want to give up power."

That man stayed on the desolate planet by himself and Damon parallels that to recording the album with the full band and then continuing on without them, I think that you can kind of tell that you don’t get anywhere by yourself. It is kind of fitting and ironic because this wouldn’t be as good of a record if we didn’t do it with those guys. I look at music from the approach of when it is done and now it’s going to be here forever. I owed it to the songs and to those people to do it the best that I could. So it is kind of like that episode.”

The duo plans to spend the next year pushing the album and recording its follow up which will actually be the second half of this concept. They also plan on pushing the song “DNA” as this album’s single. “We know it is not a gimmick song, but it is good enough to be played on local and national radio,” Dane-Mychal stated in a sly manner. The band will also be working with college radio and other media outlets as Damon explains, “We are working on getting these songs in another media like television or movies. I know it’s going to happen. It’s just a matter of when.”

-Marq Manner; City Weekly 10.17.07 - City Weekly

You know? Sometimes the best press comes from the most unlikely sources. This time it comes from a small town outside of New Orleans, LA. Sure, it's not something the public will ever read, but that makes it mean so much more...

Wow guys. You are amazing! I am so impressed with your music and style! I usually never can get past the second song when listening through artist profiles, because most of them are awful-but I listened to all of yours and am very impressed!!!! I have an ear for talent and for hits and you have both! Ya'll are going to be big! Your music is addicting, captivating and your style, unique. I already have my favorites :)!!! I've been to both myspaces! I have become an instant fan!

I soooooo wished I lived in Nebraska, didn't have plans here in New Orleans, and wasn't so addicted to my family :( I even wish I lived in one of your neighboring states! I would join your band in a heartbeat! I would pay to join! This is the kind of band I've always searched for and didn't know that harmonies existed anymore! Wow, I am taken aback, and I am estatic that I found your music! I was trying to go to sleep (it's 4am here) but I can't now! I'm loving your music soooo much, even the Disappearing, Inc stuff. Seriously, I am in love with your stuff. I want to wake up my all my family and tell them to come in and listen to this! My God!!

Please accept my friend request. And if you ever relocate to New Orleans, send me a message, hehehe :) Send me one even if you're just visiting! Really, ya'll are rare, a diamond in the rough, the kind of musicians that only comes around one every few decades.

Take care guys. I hope to collaborate one day, catch a show, get an autograph and say hello!

-Chad Rocky
http://www.myspace.com/beatprogression - Chad Rocky