I mentioned the other day that the Kings of Leon are about to be huge. Maybe they already are huge; I’m really not the one to ask (as seen by my recent discovery of Led Zeppelin). But I think the time is now for the Kings.
One, they just appeared on SNL. Two, they released a new album safely entitled “Only By the Night” today. Three, they’re coming to St. Louis on November 3 at the Pageant. Any band coming to St. Louis means that they’ve really hit the big time.
So yeah, it’s all happening for the Kings (I’m on a first-word basis with them). If you’re unfamiliar with their work, I’d recommend the following three songs from old albums. I suggest three songs because how often do you have someone tell you about a new band and they just say, “Try them, they’re awesome.” And you’re stuck sorting through a hundred songs on iTunes trying to find one that sounds good from the 30-second sample clip. Or, even worse, you buy an entire album, only to find out that it’s really not your kind of music. Recommend individual songs, people:
Ragoo
Fans
King of the Rodeo
As for the new album, I’ve only listened to it once, but I think it’s pretty good. They seem to be trying a little too hard to be U2, but their lead singer and lyrics make up for that transgression (and know that I love U2—I just know there’s only one U2, and I’d rather the Kings just try to be the Kings). Here are what I currently think are the three best songs on the new album
Sex on Fire (first song played on SNL)
Revelry
Manhattan
Give them a try. I guarantee that you’ll like them. (Small print about the guarantee: If you don’t like them, the Truth will buy three of your favorite eclectic band’s songs, sound unheard [that’s like sight unseen for music].)