Kaiser Chiefs | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Specializing in a melodic blend of classic Brit-pop, post-punk, and new wave, Kaiser Chiefs early blue-collar, pub-style take on indie rock managed to split the difference between timely and nostalgic. Comprising vocalist Ricky Wilson, guitarist Andrew White, bassist Simon Rix, keyboardist Nick Baines, and drummer Nick Hodgson, Kaiser Chiefs resurrected the mod spirit of the Jam in "I Predict a Riot," a supercharged class-of-1977 power pop single that quickly electrified the British press when it was released in 2004. The song was inspired by Wilsons days as a club DJ in Leeds, England, where the group was formed. The single and Kaiser Chiefs pogo-inducing, boot-stomping live performances had them pegged as rising stars in the neo-new wave revolution with Franz Ferdinand, Dogs Die in Hot Cars, and the Futureheads. When Kaiser Chiefs first 7", "Oh My God," reached number 66 on the U.K. charts -- a startling achievement for an unsigned band -- doors opened for the group to share the stage with larger acts, consequently grabbing the attention of A&R; scouts who wanted to sign them. "I Predict a Riot," on the other hand, reeled in U.S. modern rock radio programmers caught in a blooming new wave revival. Without an American label deal, Kaiser Chiefs (named after the South African football team) crash-landed on some of the biggest U.S. alternative stations with the "I Predict a Riot" import single in late 2004. That same year they recorded their debut album, Employment, for the U.K. label B-Unique. The album was released domestically in the U.S. in spring 2005. The groups follow-up, Yours Truly, Angry Mob, arrived in the spring of 2007. The album featured one of their biggest hits, "Ruby." The next year, they expanded their lad-rock sound with Off with Their Heads. Featuring guest appearances by U.K. grime rapper Sway, composer David Arnold, production by Mark Ronson, and Lily Allen, who returned the love after her cover of Kaisers "Oh My God" appeared on Ronsons covers project, Version. For their next project, the band opted for an unconventional release method. U.K. fans who pre-ordered the album were able to choose ten of 23 songs for the track listing of their own personalized version of the album, as well as personalized artwork. For everyone else, the final version of The Future Is Medieval was released for mass consumption in the U.K. in 2011. In the United States, four of the tracks -- "Out of Focus," "Long Way from Celebrating," "Dead or in Serious Trouble," and "Coming Up for Air" -- were swapped out for "On the Run," "Cousin in the Bronx," "Problem Solved," and "Cant Mind My Own Business" for the renamed 2012 version, Start the Revolution Without Me. That summer, following tours of the United Kingdom and North America, Kaiser Chiefs treated fans to Souvenir: The Singles 2004-2012, a definitive compilation of releases from a highly eventful eight-year period for the band. At the end of the year, Hodgson amicably parted ways with the band, his spot behind the kit filled in by Vijay Mistry. This was followed by the news that Ricky Wilson would be appearing in the touring stage show of Jeff Waynes epic War of the Worlds in late 2012, playing the part of The Artillery Man, originally portrayed by David Essex. The year 2014 saw the release of Education, Education, Education & War, the bands fifth studio album and first to feature new drummer Mistry. The Kaisers returned in the summer of 2016 with a brand new sound on the electronic dance-pop track "Parachute," the first single from their sixth album, Stay Together. Produced by Brian Higgins (Girls Aloud) and mixed by Serban Ghenea (Rihanna, Taylor Swift), Stay Together also included appearances by MNEK and One Direction songwriter Wayne Hector. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 10 Title: Employment Released: 2005-03-07 Tracks: 12 Duration: 44:16 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Everyday I Love You Less and Less (03:37) 2 I Predict a Riot (03:53) 3 Modern Way (04:03) 4 Na Na Na Na Naa (03:01) 5 You Can Have It All (04:35) 6 Oh My God (03:35) 7 Born to Be a Dancer (03:30) 8 Saturday Night (03:27) 9 What Did I Ever Give You? (04:09) 10 Time Honoured Tradition (02:45) 11 Caroline, Yes (04:11) 12 Team Mate (03:24) |
| Employment : Allmusic album Review : Inspired by that moment sometime in the late 70s when punk gave birth to new wave (and looked back to the heyday of 60s mod for inspiration), the Kaiser Chiefs debut, Employment, expands on the sharp, sussed sound of their singles in surprising ways. A look at British life and its discontents, Employment is a remarkably ambitious debut album that aspires, right down to its cheeky liner notes and graphics, to be the Parklife or All Mod Cons of the 2000s. While it doesnt quite reach those heights, it does have its fair share of memorable songs. Chief among them is the one-two punch of "Everyday I Love You Less and Less," a tightly wound "get lost" song that seamlessly mixes the bands punky guitar-bass-drums attack with synths and drum machines, and their signature single, "I Predict a Riot," another prime example of the bands barbed, pissed-off pop. "Saturday Night" is another standout; with its brassy stomp and lyrics like "watching the boys on their motorbikes/I want to be like those guys," its a Quadrophenia-like understanding of what it is to be lonely in a crowd. On songs like moody-yet-stylish "Modern Way" and the cheeky, contradictory "Na Na Na Naa," the Kaiser Chiefs sound so effortlessly "on" that its something of a surprise when Employment begins to lose momentum. Despite its pretty 60s pop melody, "You Can Have It All" drags a bit, while the vaudeville-tinged "Time Honoured Tradition" and "Born to Be a Dancer" are too precious and theatrical for their own good. Although its not among their best songs musically, and its Beach Boys piss-take title is a little annoying, "Caroline, Yes" is one of the Kaiser Chiefs more interesting bits of songwriting: on the surface, the narrator is upset because the other guy took Caroline away from him, but what really gets him is that the other guy is "everything I want to be in my life." Likewise, Employment ends with "Team Mate," a tantalizingly short character sketch that is also the bands best ballad. The Kaiser Chiefs ambition is a double-edged sword: its admirable that they wanted to branch out in so many directions on their first full-length, but it might have been a better -- or safer, at least -- move to stick to the amazing rockers that made their name in the first place. Employment is an uneven but still very promising debut that suggests that one day the Kaiser Chiefs will pull off something even more ambitious. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 10 Title: Lap of Honour Released: 2006-01-18 Tracks: 7 Duration: 26:20 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Sink That Ship (02:34) 2 Hard Times Send Me (02:41) 3 Think About You (and I Like It) (04:48) 4 Not Surprised (03:24) 5 Na Na Na Na Naa (Polysics remix) (04:32) 6 Seventeen Cups (03:35) 7 Take My Temperature (live) (04:46) |
 | Album: 3 of 10 Title: Yours Truly, Angry Mob Released: 2007-02-23 Tracks: 15 Duration: 55:29 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Ruby (03:23) 2 The Angry Mob (04:48) 3 Heat Dies Down (03:56) 4 Highroyds (03:19) 5 Love’s Not a Competition (But I’m Winning) (03:17) 6 Thank You Very Much (02:37) 7 I Can Do It Without You (03:24) 8 My Kind of Guy (04:06) 9 Everything Is Average Nowadays (02:44) 10 Learnt My Lesson Well (05:25) 11 Try Your Best (03:42) 12 Retirement (03:57) 13 The Angry Mob (live) (04:39) 14 I Like to Fight (03:38) 15 From the Neck Down (02:27) |
| Yours Truly, Angry Mob : Allmusic album Review : Its no secret that the Leeds-based Kaiser Chiefs love the Jam. The bands 2005 excellent but uneven debut Employment was an infectious salute to all things mod and Brit-pop, boasting three solid singles ("I Predict a Riot," "Oh My God" and "Everyday I Love You Less and Less") that held great promise for future endeavors. On Yours Truly, Angry Mob, the group takes a little more time in establishing its pop acumen, offering no immediate pay-offs despite its insatiable thirst for FM melody. Opener and first single "Ruby," a rowdy, mid-tempo singalong that gets everything right but feels a little tossed-off and disposable, is indicative of Angry Mobs first half -- "Heat Dies Down," "Loves Not a Competition (But Im Winning)" and "Highroyds" have all of their cogs well-oiled and reliably dressed, but theres nothing here that warrants the inevitable second listen in which a perfectly constructed pop songs true genius is revealed. To that end, Angry Mob is creatively back loaded (though not genius), relying on a series of rewarding and occasionally subversive tracks like "I Can Do It Without You," "Learnt My Lesson Well," "My Kind of Guy" and closer "Retirement" to avoid the dreaded sophomore slump, revealing a band that is likely to continue pumping out albums with a few great songs on them until the requisite "Greatest Hits" collection arrives. [Yours Truly, Angry Mob is also available in an edition with three bonus tracks.] | ||
 | Album: 4 of 10 Title: Off With Their Heads Released: 2008-10-17 Tracks: 11 Duration: 35:35 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Spanish Metal (02:19) 2 Never Miss a Beat (03:08) 3 Like It Too Much (03:23) 4 You Want History (03:46) 5 Can’t Say What I Mean (02:49) 6 Good Days Bad Days (02:53) 7 Tomato in the Rain (03:51) 8 Half the Truth (03:44) 9 Always Happens Like That (03:12) 10 Addicted to Drugs (03:53) 11 Remember You’re a Girl (02:37) |
| Off With Their Heads : Allmusic album Review : Though "Ruby" was one of the Kaiser Chiefs biggest hits, it and the rest of Yours Truly, Angry Mob were disappointing, trading Employments ambitious spark for workmanlike consistency. It seemed like that could be the fate of the rest of the bands output until Lily Allens funky pop cover of "Oh My God" appeared on Mark Ronsons album Version, which ultimately led to Ronson working on the Kaisers third album. The golden touch Ronson had as a producer for artists like Allen and Amy Winehouse is also evident throughout Off with Their Heads: he imbues the bands spiky Brit-rock with his pop and dance music flair, throwing together strings, synths, live and programmed drums, exotic percussion and lots of guitars in a new wave-y/rave-y mix that nods to bands like Klaxons and Late of the Pier. The cheeky "Addicted to Drugs" gets an extra kick from Ronsons a go-go bells, giving the song a kinetic beat even though the rest of the track is straight-ahead guitar pop, while "You Want History"s brisk hi-hats and surging synths flirt with the dancefloor. Ronson also brings in Allen as a guest vocalist for the excellent, slightly paranoid pop of "Always Happens Like That" and rapper Sway on "Half the Truth," who gives the songs angry young man rant against doublespeak a sharper edge. Of course, all the creative production and guest stars Ronson offers wouldnt mean anything if the Kaiser Chiefs songwriting wasnt focused, but Off with Their Heads delivers on this front too. The band rails against stupidity and conformity like they did on Yours Truly, Angry Mob, but this time they know that while its smart to be witty, its even smarter to be insidiously catchy. The bands commentary is fused to some of their most pointed hooks: "Never Miss a Beat" rails against how "its cool to know nothing" to a fittingly relentless rhythm. "Like It Too Much" touches on the Kaisers latent XTC fetish -- words like "You are descended from animals/And you are constructed of chemicals" could have flowed from Andy Partridges pen, and the songs lumbering stomp only heightens the similarity. Elsewhere, "Cant Say What I Mean" is wittily tongue-tied and "Good Days and Bad Days" manages the impressive feat of being happy-go-lucky with sounding complacent; more importantly, they show that the Kaiser Chiefs remember the playful spirit of British rock that a lot of traditionalist U.K. bands forget. A couple of songs lack the urgency of the albums best moments (though "Tomato in the Rain" boasts the great lyric "A policeman on the take/Weighted down in a lake" and "Remember Youre a Girl" has a naggingly deja vu-inspiring melody), letting Off with Their Heads fall just short of greatness. Still, this is easily some of the Kaisers finest -- and most consistent -- music. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 10 Title: The Future Is Medieval Released: 2011-06-03 Tracks: 13 Duration: 59:28 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Little Shocks (03:43) 2 Things Change (03:45) 3 Long Way From Celebrating (03:03) 4 Starts With Nothing (05:31) 5 Out of Focus (04:09) 6 Dead or in Serious Trouble (02:38) 7 When All Is Quiet (03:28) 8 Kinda Girl You Are (02:36) 9 Man on Mars (03:44) 10 Child of the Jago (04:41) 11 Heard It Break (03:07) 12 Coming Up for Air (05:35) 13 If You Will Have Me / Howlaround (13:28) |
| The Future Is Medieval : Allmusic album Review : Despite the unlikely presence of hotshot producer Mark Ronson, terrace anthem extraordinaires Kaiser Chiefs previous album, Off with Their Heads, failed spectacularly to stop the rot that appears to have set in amongst the wave of British indie pop bands that dominated the mid-2000s, selling just a tenth of their 2005 debut, Employment. Refusing to admit defeat, the Leeds quintet has continued to think outside the box for its fourth effort, The Future Is Medieval, but this time round its the release strategy, rather than any changes in musical direction, thats attracting all the attention. Joining the likes of Radiohead and Ash on the list of bands attempting to change the way we buy music, Ricky Wilson and company have allowed fans the opportunity to become A&R men by asking them to choose their favorite ten songs (from 20 made available), running order, and cover artwork from their official website for a fixed fee. A revolutionary approach it may be, but unfortunately, as evident on this official 12-track physical release (selected by the band), the actual content never matches the ambition of its distribution. Perhaps keen to distance themselves from their lager-swilling lad-rock reputation, the Brit Award winners have suddenly gone all serious, eschewing their trademark singalong choruses and reining in the quirkiness that briefly made them one of Britains biggest guitar bands, in favor of a more downbeat and slightly psychedelic sound that may be less annoyingly infectious but is also ultimately less fun. "Out of Focus" is a self-indulgent mess, whose aimless swirling organs and dreary echo-laden vocals sound like theyve escaped from a particularly pretentious 70s prog rock concept album; "Man on Mars" is a substandard Bowie pastiche (perhaps the fault of producer Tony Visconti), whose lack of memorable melodies suggests the karaoke singalong part of the promo video was meant to be ironic; while even some Morricone-style twanging guitars and spacy sound effects cant prevent the lethargy that swamps the mediocre sci-fi score of "Child of the Jago." However, there are a few signs that the Chiefs are capable of restoring former glories. "Little Shocks" combines effective horror movie-style synths with Maximo Park-esque angular indie pop to produce one of their best, if not exactly immediate, singles; "Heard It Break" is a convincing jump aboard the nu-synth bandwagon, and sees Wilson wittily declare "It feels like I broke my heart again/But its just a sprain" over a backdrop of steel drums and dubstep beats; and drummer Nick Hodgson does his best John Lennon impression while taking a rare lead vocal on a heartfelt message to his father on the string-soaked closer, "If You Will Have Me." But these are few and far between, and despite its innovative approach, The Future Is Medieval is just too disjointed, too meandering, and too pedestrian to halt their "law of diminishing returns" fate. | ||
 | Album: 6 of 10 Title: Souvenir: The Singles 2004–2012 Released: 2012-05-11 Tracks: 16 Duration: 58:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Oh My God (03:35) 2 Ruby (03:23) 3 I Predict a Riot (03:53) 4 Never Miss a Beat (03:08) 5 Everything Is Average Nowadays (02:44) 6 The Angry Mob (04:46) 7 Listen to Your Head (04:03) 8 Everyday I Love You Less and Less (03:37) 9 Little Shocks (03:43) 10 Love’s Not a Competition (But I’m Winning) (03:17) 11 Good Days Bad Days (02:53) 12 On the Run (04:08) 13 You Can Have It All (04:23) 14 Modern Way (04:03) 15 Man on Mars (03:44) 16 Kinda Girl You Are (02:36) |
| Souvenir: The Singles 2004–2012 : Allmusic album Review : After the release of 2005s highly enjoyable Employment, it looked like the Leeds-based rockers were set to take over the planet. The bands explosive mix of blue-collar, pub-style indie rock and classic Brit-pop felt both timely and nostalgic, and tracks like "I Predict a Riot," "Oh My God," "Everyday I Love You Less and Less," and "Ruby," the latter of which appeared on the groups decent yet uneven sophomore outing, Your Truly, Angry Mob, proved to be durable stadium singalongs that would follow the band well into the next decade. Subsequent records like the likable but gimmicky Mark Ronson-produced Off with Their Heads and 2011s fan-sculpted Future Is Medieval and its 2012 American counterpart, Start the Revolution Without Me, suffered from a severe lack of the infectious hooks that drew listeners into the fold the first time around, which is probably why Souvenir: The Singles 2004-2012 begins with their three most notable hits. Ultimately, its a winning strategy, as Kaiser Chiefs have always been the kind of group that was going to be better off compiled, as their best stuff was always sandwiched between veritable loaves of filler, but front-loading the collection with the cream of the crop makes wading through the rest of the playlist, despite some solid tracks and a brand-new song in "Listen to Your Head," a little laborious. | ||
 | Album: 7 of 10 Title: World Cafe - NoiseTrade EP Released: 2014 Tracks: 4 Duration: 17:22 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Coming Home (04:43) 2 Bows and Arrows (03:38) 3 I Predict a Riot (03:49) 4 Misery Company (05:12) |
 | Album: 8 of 10 Title: Education, Education, Education & War Released: 2014-03-31 Tracks: 12 Duration: 53:42 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Factory Gates (03:32) 2 Coming Home (04:51) 3 Misery Company (05:13) 4 Ruffians on Parade (03:35) 5 Meanwhile Up in Heaven (05:12) 6 One More Last Song (04:05) 7 My Life (05:08) 8 Bows & Arrows (03:43) 9 Cannons (06:02) 10 Roses (04:38) 11 Song for Stephanie (04:21) 12 Nerve (03:22) |
| Education, Education, Education & War : Allmusic album Review : The fifth long-player from the Leeds-based festival rockers with a penchant for climbing lighting rigs and crafting innocuous, arm-waving anthems that fuse the anthemic scope of classic Brit-pop with the insular, somewhat opaque, progressive cynicism of early-2000s indie rock, begins with the rousing "Factory Gates," a distillation of all of those aforementioned attributes that sounds almost exactly like what is arguably their most well-known song, 2005s "I Predict a Riot." Written in multiple cities and countries and recorded in Atlanta, Georgia with producer Ben Allen, Education, Education, Education & War promises the golden vistas of a new frontier, yet delivers once again the quintessential Kaiser Chiefs album. Even its moniker, a quote from former prime minister Tony Blair, is stuck in the past, but if theres one thing that Ricky Wilson and company excel at, its being themselves, and this ten-track collection of paeans to permeable dissatisfaction is as much a tribute album as it is a defiant gaze into the abyss. As arena anthems go, you could do a lot worse than the infectious, aforementioned earworm of an opener and the like-minded "Ruffians on Parade," or the propulsive and pugilistic "Misery Company," a wily and willfully melodic ode to self-deprecation thats built around a chorus of maniacal laughter, but they are ephemeral at best. Theres a refreshing, devil-may-care cavalier attitude to Education, Education, Education & War that eradicates much of the desperation that was beginning to creep in after 2007s Yours Truly, Angry Mob, but it still doesnt change the fact that youve heard it all before. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 10 Title: Stay Together Released: 2016-10-07 Tracks: 11 Duration: 51:41 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 We Stay Together (04:32) 2 Hole in My Soul (04:27) 3 Parachute (03:52) 4 Good Clean Fun (05:08) 5 Why Do You Do It to Me? (04:26) 6 Indoor Firework (03:57) 7 Press Rewind (05:01) 8 Happen in a Heartbeat (03:20) 9 High Society (03:47) 10 Sunday Morning (04:30) 11 Still Waiting (08:41) |
| Stay Together : Allmusic album Review : At one point in Kaiser Chiefs sixth album, Stay Together, frontman Ricky Wilson declares "Pop music. This is pop music. We are writing and recording pop music." Indeed, Stay Together marks a giant shift for the Leeds band. Its a cheery collection that celebrates love and life, incorporating electronic dance elements, funky bass rhythms, and a shiny sheen courtesy of Xenomanias Brian Higgins (Kylie Minogue, Sugababes, New Order), mixer Serban Ghenea (Rihanna, Taylor Swift), and songwriters Wayne Hector (One Direction, Westlife) and MNEK (Beyoncé, Madonna). While the Kaisers may have started as Blur-lite party-starting lads, theyre shooting for pop glory on Stay Together, in a fashion similar to Coldplays jump on "A Sky Full of Stars" or A Head Full of Dreams. Taking it from the club to the disco, the party never stops, its just the tempo that bobs and weaves. The main inspirations run the generational gamut. Classic New Order basslines abound. They channel Iggy Pops "Lust for Life" on "Sunday Morning" and Lets Dance-era Bowie on the glorious opener, "We Stay Together," where Wilson does his best impression of Damon Albarns falsetto commonly employed with his other band, Gorillaz. The distorted tropical vocal effects popularized by Jack U on the Justin Bieber hit "Where Are U Now" pop up on the explosively buoyant single "Hole in My Soul," while Empire of the Sun get a nod on the glimmering neo-disco jam "Indoor Firework." "Good Clean Fun" might be Kaiser Chiefs first song overtly about sex, where Wilson dons an early-90s George Michael jean jacket and gyrates his way through lines like "sex makes everything better." Most of these risks land without much distraction, but like the jarring addition of grime rap that appeared on Off with Their Heads, Stay Together will no doubt divide fans. For those who appreciate fearless exploration of new ideas from a band that is hungry for change and reinvigoration, the Kaisers brave step into the future is a fun diversion from their usual rollicking and energetic rock show. While the pop flair and immediately addictive nature of these songs may not be as nourishing or urgent as past "rock" efforts, Stay Together is undeniably upbeat and revels in its conviction to make you move. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 10 Title: Duck Released: 2019-07-26 Tracks: 11 Duration: 40:50 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 People Know How to Love One Another (03:35) 2 Golden Oldies (04:03) 3 Wait (03:50) 4 Target Market (04:24) 5 Dont Just Stand There, Do Something (02:52) 6 Record Collection (04:17) 7 The Only Ones (03:50) 8 Lucky Shirt (03:47) 9 Electric Heart (03:09) 10 Northern Holiday (03:36) 11 Kurt vs Frasier (The Battle for Seattle) (03:24) |