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KINGS
OF LEON
Rocking the USA!
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....KINGS OF LEON
What a great fresh sound, the Kings of Leon hail from Tennessee and consist of
three brothers -- Caleb (lead singer, rhythm guitar), Nathan (drums), and Jared
(bass) Followill -- plus Matthew Followill (lead guitar), their first cousin.
The band's primary influence is their unusual past, as the boys grew up
traveling the country with their father who was a United Pentecostal
evangelist. Their first introduction to music was the church, where Nathan
first began playing the drums. Over the years, the guys would play at services.
When their father left the church, Nathan and his brothers began to explore
music in a more independent manner. A few years after completing high school in
Mumford, TN, Kings of Leon (so-called because "Leon" is the name of
both the Followills' father and grandfather) moved to Nashville, began writing
songs and scored a record deal with RCA one year later. As the music on their
Kings of Leon debut EP for RCA Records shows, their songs teem with primal
emotions and rangy rhythms, revealing that Kings of Leon are, in general, a
hauntingly unusual, yet classic band. Holy Roller Novocaine doesn't have one
song on the entirety of the E.P. that fails to make you tap your foot or shake
your head. It starts out sounding like a really great album from the 60's minus
the record pops with the badass tune "Molly's Chambers." The song is
2 minutes and 17 seconds of pure southern-fried rock n' roll, and is by far my
favorite on the record. They throw a pleasant curve with the third track, the
obvious Mamas and the Papas referenced "California Waiting," proving
not only that they can rock hard but that they also aren't afraid to show a
softer side. The brilliant title track is the perfect closer for this album,
not being too fast or too slow, but just at a steady pace. The song is about a
corrupt preacher who likes to use his authority as a means to take advantage of
little girls; subject matter that surprisingly no band yet has delved into, in
lieu of semi-recent events. The album lags slightly in the middle, but for the
most part this is a superb recording and gets back some of the glory of what
rock n' roll once was. Kings of Leon have shown that they can really rock the
shack. Their blend of southern rock and true garage sensibilities had me hooked
from the start of this record to the very end, and if this E.P. is any
indication of things to come, then I look forward to a full-length from this
group very soon. As this album has proved, Kings of Leon either have the
potential to be the next big thing or rock's best kept secret
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,By Randy Cohen
...... By Randy Cohen
.This is the Official Rock Publication Web Site All
photos and written material courtesy of Rock Publication
.Copyright © 2003
E-mail at
Rockpub@aol.com
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KINGS OF
LEON:
Caleb Followill (lead singer, rhythm guitar) Nathan Followill (drums) Jared
Followill (bass) Matthew Followill (lead guitar)
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.. 2003....
