Pages tagged “black kids”

Blog band delivers on early hype with danceable first LP

Childlike call-and-response vocals, ecstatic, shiny dance-floor sensibilities and enough hooks to reel in an entire sea of club-going teenagers buoy this debut full-length release from Jacksonville, Fla. quintet Black Kids. The band hits hard with the follow up to its 2007 demo EP Wizard of Ahhhs, which previously released four of the tracks on this new LP. Black Kids first experienced a massive hype wave last year in the U.K., then eventually in the States, despite having no proper record and being largely unable to afford any real promotion. Having finally nailed down solid support and with settling levels of backlash, Partie Traumatic largely makes good on the band's early promise with dance-pop anthems like "I've Underestimated My Charm (Again)" and the standout "I'm Not Going To Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance."

Almost a year after piquing the blogosphere's interest at its decisive Pop Fest performance in Athens, Ga., Black Kids will return to the road this fall to show the hype propagators who's bad.

Black Kids are addictive. The Jacksonville, Fla., rockers' debut, Partie Traumatic, has yet to be released, but that hasn’t stopped them from selling out shows at home and abroad during a gigantic tour that continues on both sides of the pond through October.

In our May edition of the "Paste 7" I called your attention to the free e-card website, someecards, which features electronic greetings that are witty, sometimes crude and very timely (example, a whole slew of cards dedicated to this summer's blockbuster movies). Categories include: Anniversary, Breakup, Cry For Help, Flirting, Get Well, Somewhat Topical, Workplace, and more.

But there is one category that has been glaringly omitted: Indie.

But don't worry, someecards masterminds! I've gone ahead and made some mock-ups for you! Might I suggest these additions to the someecards collection, inspired by some of my favorite indie musicians?


(Inspired by The Black Kids)


(Inspired by Camera Obscura)

The boogie-lovin' Jacksonville, Fla., five-piece known as Black Kids had a hell of an '07. Starting in August, they wowed the crowds at Athens Popfest, which was swiftly followed by a cascade of blog posts and swooning reviews of the band's sole output to date: a self-released demo/four-song EP entitled Wizard of Ahhhs that, until recently, the band was offering for free download on its website.

The poppy upstarts garnered a dedicated post on the New York Times blog during the weeklong, can't-stop-the-music CMJ Marathon, and there's no rumble strips in sight for '08, either. Black Kids have already been tagged a Rolling Stone 2008 Artist to Watch and one of NME's ten selections for the makers of New Noise 2008. All this with not one LP to the band's name and no American tour outside of the Southeast.

That's about to change, though. According to Pitchfork, the band will begin recording a full-length sometime in March of this year; until then, fans will have to be sated with the UK-only CD/7" single of "I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You."

As for getting the rest of the U.S. into the groove, Black Kids can cross that off the to-do list starting in April, when the group hits the road with Australian "pop/pop/pop" band Cut Copy. Before that, Black Kids will wrap up some UK dates with Kate Nash and The Futureheads.

Where to attempt to teach your boyfriend how to dance (with or without you):

February
24 - Belfast, Northern Ireland @ Hall Auditorium (w/Kate Nash)
25 - Dublin, Ireland @ Olympia Theatre (w/Kate Nash)

March
1 - Wolverhampton, England @ Wolverhampton Civic Hall (w/Kate Nash)
2 - Nottingham, England @ Rock City (w/Kate Nash)
4 - Manchester, England @ Apollo (w/Kate Nash)
5 - Preston, England @ Guildhall (w/Kate Nash)
7 - Glasgow, Scotland @ Barrowlands (w/Kate Nash)
8 - Lincoln, England @ Engine Shed (w/Kate Nash)
9 - Portsmouth, England @ Guildhall (w/Kate Nash)
10 - London, England @ Hammersmith Apollo (w/Kate Nash)
12 - London, England @ ICalif.
13 - London, England @ ICalif.
20 - London, England @ Brixton Academy (w/The Futureheads)

April
27 - Indio, Calif. @ Empire Polo Field (Coachella)
27 - San Francisco, Calif. @ Mezzanine (w/Cut Copy)
28 - Portland, Ore. @ Doug Fir Lounge (w/Cut Copy)
29 - Vancouver, BC @ Richard's on Richards (w/Cut Copy)
30 - Seattle, Wash. @ Neumos (w/Cut Copy)

May
2 - Salt Lake City, Utah @ Urban Lounge (w/Cut Copy)
3 - Denver, Colo. @ Larimer Lounge (w/Cut Copy)
5 - Omaha, Neb. @ Waiting Room (w/Cut Copy)
6 - Minneapolis, Minn. @ 7th St Entry (w/Cut Copy)
7 - Chicago, Ill. @ The Abbey (w/Cut Copy)
8 - Detroit, Mich. @ Magic Stick (w/Cut Copy)
9 - Toronto, Ontario @ Lee's Palace (w/Cut Copy)
10 - Montreal, Quebec @ Cabaret Musée Juste Pour Rine (w/Cut Copy)
12 - Boston, Mass. @ Paradise (w/Cut Copy)
15 - Washington, D.C. @ Black Cat (w/Cut Copy)
16 - Philadelphia, Pa. @ Pure (w/Cut Copy)
17 - Baltimore, Md. @ Sonar (w/Cut Copy)

June
18 - London, England @ ULU

July
13 - Kinross-shire, Scotland @ T in the Park
19 - Dorset, England @ Camp Bestival

Related links:
BlackKidsMusic.com
Black Kids on MySpace
Youtube: "I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend..." live on MTV2

Got news tips for Paste? E-mail news@pastemagazine.com.

The Black Kids are hitting the road. The much-hyped Jacksonville, Fla. natives have already found much success with the self-release of their EP Wizard of Ahhhs. Now, the band is taking its tunes on the road.

Good for the southeast but bad for the rest of the U.S. (for now), Black Kids will be sticking to playing shows near their hometown, and then taking off for the U.K. Still, don’t get too distraught. You can always go on to their official site and download their whole EP. That should be able to hold you over until they decide to embark on a full North American tour. And, at the rate these Kids are going, you won’t have to wait too long.

Black Kids tour dates:

November
15 - Atlanta, Ga. @ Star Bar
16 - Athens, Ga. @ Flicker Theater
21 - Tampa, Fla. @ New World Brewery
24 - Miami, Fla. @ Circa 28
27 - Gainesville, Fla @ Common Grounds
28 - Tallahassee, Fla. @ Club Downunder

December
5 - London, England @ King's College
6 - London, England @ ULU
7 - London, England @ Barfly
8 - London, England @ Astoria 2
9 - London, England @ Nambucca

Related links:
Black Kids on Myspace
BlackKidsMusic.com
YouTube: Black Kids - "I've Underestimated My Charm (Again)"

Got news tips for Paste? Email news@pastemagazine.com.