Taking the Myth?

Myths have formed around the eclectic indie rockers Klaxons since their startling Mercury Prize-winning debut. Real Groove sets out to debunk the theories with guitarist Simon Taylor-Davis.

As far as the media consuming public are concerned, Klaxons are on their last chance bid to save their careers. The ill-fated second album was turned down by record label Polydor, with drug binges and over indulgent prog rock all part of their lost weekend in the French and Italian countryside with producer James Ford. Sent off to musical rehab, anyone would think the British quartet were punished by being paired up with producer Ross Robinson, the so-called Godfather of Nu Metal who has worked with acts such as Limp Bizkit, Korn and Slipknot.

Black Kids Interview

THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT

Party lights are on dude. Florida’s Black Kids are here to show you how.

Reggie Youngblood, sister Ali and drummer Kevin Snow are pretty exhausted. Chatting with three members of Jacksonville, Florida’s pop darling band of the moment Black Kids, I’m getting a grasp on how much work their chance at breaking out of their hometown to an international stage has been. The easiest part apparently was being discovered; the band was playing at the Athens Pop Fest in August of last year to around forty people including several bloggers. After seeing the band they got typing and launched them into the worldwide blogosphere, though not necessarily with all the facts. An early blog mentioned the band sounded like My Bloody Valentine and Arcade Fire and since then almost every article about Black Kids has picked up the same thread. It’s something they are keen to dispel.

Kaiser Chiefs

It was clear from the start that these boys would do well. They rode in to town on the white indie horse and saddled up at the bar right next to Franz Ferdinand.