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Screamo has been heard a time or two onstage at The Coup, Clarksville's newest all-ages underground music venue. But on Saturday, the sounds of the Nashville band Kill the City will please people who like punk as well as people who like a bit more melody with their music.
"We're stuck in the middle of making catchy music and being influenced by punk music," says Jason Moore, bass player for the band. "We're all about 26 years old. We were influenced by a lot of punk and grunge growing up in the '90s. We play with a lot of punk bands and we love punk music."
In addition to their affection for harsher styles, Kill the City has the skill and verve to make hits that adhere to their own aesthetic while pleasing the masses. If you have any doubts, listen to "Song in Stereo" at www.myspace.com/killthecity. The "I want it all" chorus is intoxicating. Just a taste of this tune will make you want it all — the entire self-titled five-song EP, available on iTunes, Napster, or for $5 at Saturday's show.
"That EP is the first rumblings of what we want to achieve," Moore says.
Playing together for two years, Moore along with singer/songwriter/guitarist Jeff Kneeland and drummer Phil Ko took their time getting the formula right. After a talented drummer left the band, the three guys started shifting instruments to cover percussion, and concocted some powerful chemistry when they landed on the current setup, with Ko on drums.
"When that happened, it was kind of magical," Moore says. "Phil is one of the best musicians I know. He can pick up anything and play it. He's a classically trained musician since he was 8 years old."
Moore says Kill the City will go into the studio in November to record its first full-length CD, and it will be similar to, but a step above, the work on the EP.
"We've really honed in on the kind of music we enjoy making together," Moore says.
Joining Kill the City in a four-band lineup starting 8 p.m. Saturday are The Pleading, Born Empty and Cactus's.
The other three bands are new to him, so Moore looked them up online. He says he's amped to perform alongside them all, but especially Cactus's.
"Cactus's seems like a really wicked group," Moore says. "Playing an all-ages show is awesome, too!"
http://www.theleafchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008808290318
- The Leaf Chronicle
Punk makes a comeback with Kill the City, a band that mixes a classic punk sound with softer rock undertones that make the band truly original. The simple lyrics and the strong power chords will take you back to days of such greats as The Ramones. - Versus Entertainment & Culture
"Kill The City is a rootsy punk power trio that revels in loose rough and tumble rock!" - All The Rage, Nashville TN
Imagine Lou Barlow fronting the Foo Fighters and you get a pretty good idea of what Kill the City sounds like, that is to say incredible!
- Fort Wayne Reader
Discography
Kill The City (self-released 5-song EP)
All tracks can be heard on myspace.com/killthecity
All tracks can be purchased on iTunes, Napster, Emusic etc.
Photos
Bio
Kill the City has been described as a “rootsy punk power trio that revels in loose rough and tumble rock”. That’s a pretty fair description. The three members; Jeff Kneeland, Jason Moore and Phil Ko have been steadily honing their post punk, garage rock influenced sound for the last couple years, although it wasn’t until recently that you could say they really hit their stride. “We’re at a point where we really know what kind of music we want to make as a group.” Strangely, they will tell you that it was no easy achievement, but after a solid year of constant songwriting and incessant touring, they’ve found a sound they can call their own.
“The band went through a lot of personnel in its infancy and so the sound was always changing, it was entirely put together through Craigslist, so we were all total strangers!” However, through out all the change, Jeff, Jason and Phil remained the constant, and after witnessing the experimental jangle/pop of the influential 90’s band Sebadoh, they realized their own potential. “The decision to become a trio was probably the best decision we’ve ever made, Jeff and I just looked at each other, and were like we can do that!”
A good decision, but it meant starting from scratch: trashing their old songs and learning to adapt. “The weirdest thing about the band now, is that none of us are playing the instruments we originally started out playing”. Jeff, who at one point quit playing guitar, now handles all the guitar-ing on top of his vocal responsibilities. Jason, originally the guitar player, now supplies the bass lines, while Phil, originally the bass player, fills in on drums. As if that’s not enough, they still end up switching on several songs and having to sing backing vocals! “In a way it was a real blessing in disguise because it’s allowed us to create a sound that we trusted and believed in, but it also has forced us to become better musicians and songwriters.”
So what is that sound? You could almost describe it as a touch of 90’s alt-rock and grunge, mixed up in a love affair with a 70’s punk bands from Britain. The crunchy power chord songs have angst, but they’re subtle and tingly. They have the skills to make hits that adhere to their own aesthetic, but could accidentally end up pleasing the masses.
“We’re not the next big thing from Starbucks. We probably won’t play a perfect set tonight…or ever….but we’ll play hard and loud….we’d like to drink a beer with you and sleep on your couch…we hope you enjoy our songs”
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