Rilo Kiley - The New Fleetwood Mac?

[DeadliestPoison]

Originally Posted by JazmenFlowers

2) is that Bobbye Hall?!

I think that's Kristin -- she's the singer & drummer in another band called Grand Ole Party. They're opening for RK during part of this tour.

3) who's doing the harmonies on the verses?

ORENDAAAAAAAAA. Orenda Fink. <3 <3 <3

I'm stoked they did "Dreamworld," as it's my favorite on the album. And I love that Jenny was effectively sideline'd for the performance. They did "Close Call," "The Moneymaker," "Portions For Foxes," and "With Arms Outstretched" later.

[The Catdancer]

Fleetwood Mac comparisons easy to see at Rilo Kiley show

By NATE LIPPENS
SPECIAL TO THE P-I

Los Angeles band Rilo Kiley played to a sold-out, all-ages crowd Saturday night at the Showbox. A mix of hipsters, teenage girls dressed like lead singer Jenny Lewis (vintage dresses, black tights, white face powder), and slightly uncomfortable-looking weekend warriors filled the venue to capacity. Everyone bobbed along to the band's tight set, which drew heavily from the new batch of songs on "Under the Blacklight." Older numbers were punched up, with a heavier emphasis on the rhythm section.

MUSIC REVIEW

RILO KILEY W/JONATHAN RICE

WHERE: Showbox at the Market.

WHEN: Saturday Sept.8.

The focal point of the show remains Lewis, who combines the unflappable and slightly distant cool of early Blondie's Debbie Harry with an understated sex appeal and commanding stage presence. Guitarist Blake Sennett struck a spastic, stylized series of poses that would make Lindsay Buckingham proud and underscored the Fleetwood Mac comparisons that are being lavished on the band by rock critics.

Part of this comparison comes from the very '80s California pop sound suffusing "Under the Blacklight," which is a departure from the country-tinged mood of their earlier albums.

Then there's Sennett's and Lewis' broken romantic history, another Fleetwood Mac echo. Of course, from the funk-infused single about the porn industry, "Moneymaker," to the slinky and soulful "Breakin' Up," it's clear that the band is cribbing from a variety of sources without turning into a pastiche.

The lyrics are simpler than the clotted verbiage of past albums, but they are also darker.

The California that Lewis sketches out in songs such as "Close Call" and "15" is closer to the sleaze and disillusionment of seminal punk band X's angry dreams than Fleetwood Mac's blue skies. ("15" is about underage Internet sex. "How could he have known that she was only 15?" goes the chorus.)

There's a friction between Lewis' coquettish delivery and the cynicism of the band's lyrics.

Tough vignettes and hard-luck characters you might find inside a country ballad are lurking inside shimmering pop songs.

The band delivered all of this with panache. When they turned to songs from 2005's "More Adventurous," it became clear that their stylistic restlessness may be one of their greatest assets.
Nate Lippens is a Seattle-based writer. He can be reached at njlippens@gmail.com.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/pop/330992_kiley10q.html

[TrueFaith77]

Originally Posted by The Catdancer

The California that Lewis sketches out in songs such as "Close Call" and "15" is closer to the sleaze and disillusionment of seminal punk band X's angry dreams than Fleetwood Mac's blue skies. ("15" is about underage Internet sex. "How could he have known that she was only 15?" goes the chorus.)

There's a friction between Lewis' coquettish delivery and the cynicism of the band's lyrics.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/pop/330992_kiley10q.html

I actually just read this the other day. It made me so angry. First of all, I hate this X-Mac dichotomy. Second, I don't hold a grudge against Rilo Kiley, but they'll never compare to Fleetwood Mac and X.

[Livia]

http://www.browardpalmbeach.com/2007...-confidential/


Rilo Confidential
Can a band reared on indie ethos survive a move to the majors, flak from its fans, and its own emotional upheaval?
By Lee Zimmerman
Published: September 27, 2007


autumn de wilde
The sleek look of a band on the rise

Details:
Rilo Kiley performs at 7 p.m. Monday, October 1, at Revolution, 200 W. Broward Blvd., Fort Lauderdale. Art in Manila and Grand Ole Party are also on the bill. Tickets cost $20, and doors open at 7 p.m. Call 954-727-0950, or visit www.jointherevolution.net.Rilo Kiley is on an ascent. It's one that may take them from cult status all the way to the big leagues, as far as the music industry is concerned. With a critically acclaimed new album on the streets and a major label backing them, now is a telling time for these former indie icons trying to navigate unfamiliar territory.

Then again, Rilo Kiley is accustomed to the roller-coaster ride accorded by showbiz... or, for that matter, drama in general. The band's two principals and cofounders, Jenny Lewis and Blake Sennett, are, after all, former child actors (mostly on television shows like, for her, Roseanne and Pleasantville and, for him, Family Ties and Third Rock From the Sun). When they released their aptly titled debut, Take Offs and Landings, in 2001, their relationship was both personal and professional. But by the time the group — which includes drummer Jason Boesel and bassist Pierre de Reeder — released The Execution of All Things a year later, Lewis and Sennett's romance was on the rocks. Still, the music remained as indelible as ever. Their effusive melodies, iridescent arrangements, and an uncanny ability to cross the divide from brash, bubbly indie pop to edgy Americana to Lewis' teary-eyed torch songs put them in the same league as Death Cab for Cutie, Bright Eyes, Arcade Fire, and a handful of other indie outfits whose musical charms seemed ready-made for mass consumption.

Although their third album, More Adventurous, was distributed by Warner Bros. in 2004, its follow-up, Under the Blacklight, found them actually recording on a major company contract. Still, reaching the masses via a juggernaut label like Warner can bring about a moment of reckoning and, for some bands, even a crisis of conscience. Does accepting the helping hand of a big-time, multinational conglomerate also mean sacrificing independence and integrity for the sake of a hit?

"I see that all the time, and at times, we struggled with it ourselves," Boesel confides via phone from Chicago. "It's a tough thing in any artistic profession to make that leap to the masses. It can be uncomfortable to expose yourself to so many more people. I think major labels keep going for that. But I also think major labels are no longer equated with big huge record sales anymore. Look at Arcade Fire. They aren't on a major label, but they're selling tons of records.

Still, one has to wonder if the record-company suits tried to tamper with the band's pop precepts, perhaps even coercing it into crafting something commercial enough to compete with Justin, Fergie, or any of those other formula-fueled acts dominating the charts these days.

"I think there are certain artists that experience that, and I guess there are artists signed to labels under a different pretense," Boesel reasons. "But we came to the label with a track history and a pretty decent-sized fan base. So they kind of took us on for what we were and just let us make the record we wanted to make."

Boesel is adamant that, despite its sound, Under the Blacklight wasn't conceived with a major label in mind. "I don't think it had an overall effect [on] what we were doing in the studio," he asserts. "It was a personal choice on the band's part. We had more freedom, believe it or not... to be in the studio longer and try things we wanted to do, switch producers or not switch producers halfway through... all things I don't think we would have felt comfortable doing if we were on a smaller label, monetarily speaking."

Boesel's denials aside, Under the Blacklight does bear the sound of a major-label opus, given its glossy arrangements, catchy hooks, and ready refrains. Songs such as "Silver Lining," "The Angels Hung Around," and "Close Call" as well as the title track draw obvious references to such radio-ready templates as Fleetwood Mac, Heart, and the Eagles, given Rilo's preoccupation with Southern California '70s soft-rock sensibilities. Other tracks, "The Moneymaker" and "Dejalo" in particular, recall the L.A. new wave sound of the Motels and Missing Persons, circa the same era.

"We just kind of went after those sounds and had fun doing it," Boesel says. "We kind of referenced all these records that we loved, like Fleetwood Mac. Their albums were extremely glossy. We just kind of liked the way that stuff sounded and wanted to explore it."

Inevitably, though, some fans see the band's ambitions as evidence that it's selling out. Mixed reviews followed the album as well, with everyone from Pitchfork to Rolling Stone taking small jabs at the band for its well-financed sound. It's a complaint Boesel is aware of.

One thing all can agree on is that Rilo Kiley's music remains rife with sexual tension. That's especially evident in such songs as "Breakin' Up" and "15" from the new album and earlier outpourings like "Does He Love You," "Love and War," and "My Slumbering Heart." Much like their heroes Fleetwood Mac, Lewis and Sennett have rarely shied from sharing their romantic wreckage with listeners. Each has also recorded outside the band — Lewis with the Watson Sisters and Sennett under the aegis of the Elected — which might make things uncomfortable for their colleagues.

"Yeah," Boesel says. "When I first started in the band, they had just broken up, so that's inherently awkward. To get out of a relationship and then be forced to tour with that person for like a year... It's strange, but the nature of their relationship is strange. It wouldn't allow them to be together, but it also allows them to spend a lot of time with each other. Personally, I don't think anyone really wants to hang out with their ex."

So does it ever get weird? "It's not too bad," Boesel says. "Pierre and I just sort of stay out of it. They have their issues that they work out, and we kind of just let them go. It works out well."

As have the band's fortunes. With the attention Under the Blacklight has garnered from its first week of release, it appears expectations have definitely been heightened. "Yeah, I think there's a feeling — just with all the press and stuff like that," Boesel observes. "Certain aspects are definitely exciting, but it's not like overnight there's 100,000 people at every show. It's definitely always been a gradual climb, but I think that this record is a definite ascension."

[mylittledemon]

Well I wouldnt call any band the "new" Fleetwood Mac. Just the same if any band came along and they were calling them the "new U2"...well no band is ever going to take the place of these artists. I do, though, hear the Fleetwood Macish-ness in the latest Rilo Kiley album. I *think* one of the guitar players even plays like Lindsey.

[Sarah]

Originally Posted by mylittledemon

I *think* one of the guitar players even plays like Lindsey.

blasphemy.

thou shalt have no other lindseys before me.

[mylittledemon]

Originally Posted by Sarah

blasphemy.

thou shalt have no other lindseys before me.

Yeah I think I saw him playing pick-less in one of their vids.

[Sarah]

Originally Posted by mylittledemon

Yeah I think I saw him playing pick-less in one of their vids.

Just because there isn't a pick, that doesn't mean he plays like Lindsey.

[GarboSpeaks!]

"X" ?!?!?!!? Are they effin high or sumthin? Do they just mean in the relationship world? Cause an "X" comparison musically, well I just don't see that at all. An FM "relationship/california-LA-sound" ok, but even that point is quickly thinning for me. I've just bought Take Off's & Landings today, so I'll give my final "what I think" but I'm seein' what the big hype all around is. I still comletely love UTBL though. Donka!

[GarboSpeaks!]

ooh girl. rabbit fur coat is a lovely country album that jenny released last year. personally i think the lyrics are a bit weak in spots but the harmonies with the watson twins are killerrrrr. if you want to get to know the RK catalogue, i say just work your way backwards. their previous release, more adventurous (2004) is pretty much flawless ... it manages to cover a wide range of sounds and styles without sounding schizo. definitely my favorite album of theirs.

Hmm, thought I had posted my view of MA for you, cause I'm intrigued to hear what people's favs are. I like it, but don't love it. What stands out for me is Love & War. I like that song. But then one that Sennett sings alone. Ripchord I think. Shoot me in the head. But I'm trying to find good. Tomorrow I'll get a chance to listen to T'off's & L's. There is one more though right? 4 releases as RK?

[carrie721]

Originally Posted by GarboSpeaks!

Hmm, thought I had posted my view of MA for you, cause I'm intrigued to hear what people's favs are. I like it, but don't love it. What stands out for me is Love & War. I like that song. But then one that Sennett sings alone. Ripchord I think. Shoot me in the head. But I'm trying to find good. Tomorrow I'll get a chance to listen to T'off's & L's. There is one more though right? 4 releases as RK?

i hated - hated - ripchord until i saw him do it live on ACL. then i kinda fell in love. i just love MA, though - especially "i never," "me a man then jim," and the title track. and, like, all the others and yes, there's one more - the execution of all things. i like that one more than TOAL, but i'm curious what you think of TOAL

[JazmenFlowers]

Originally Posted by carrie721

"me a man then jim,"

one of the best songs ever.

[carrie721]

^you ain't lyin', friend.

[Livia]

Rilo Kiley: All About Jenny
posted by JimAbbott on Oct 3, 2007 2:02:13 AM

Rilo Kiley isn't the new Fleetwood Mac, as Spin magazine suggested on a recent cover, but the poppy songs on the new Under the Blacklight indicate the band is ready for such mainstream comparisons.

In concert before an attentive audience on Tuesday at House of Blues, lead singer Jenny Lewis and her musical partner/ex-romantic foil Blake Sennett mixed a good deal of the new material with older favorites in a 90-minute set.

Lewis, with her long legs and long red bangs, was the focus of the crowd's devotion, with good reason. She delivers a song with almost theatrical style, whether playing guitar, keyboards or prowling the stage as she did in "With Arms Outstretched."

That song, introduced only by Sennett's acoustic guitar, marked her return to the stage after Sennett's solitary, ukulele-powered "Ripchord."

His "unplugged" interlude was a nice contrast to the band, but it also lacked the electricity that radiated when Lewis was onstage. Even Sennett's muddled lead singing in "Dreamworld," the most Fleetwood Mac-ian of the Blacklight songs, was oddly ineffective.

Some of the new songs paled against the urgency of older material such as the opening "It's a Hit" and the exuberant "Portions for Foxes."

By comparison, Blacklight's "Breakin' Up" is overly cute and "The Moneymaker" needed all the strobes that the band used to bolster the beat.

More subtle and expressive was the 30-minute opening set by Art in Manila. Fronted by the ethereal Orenda Fink, the band put out a textured, lovely sound that rocked gently on songs such as "Anything You Love" and "Set the Woods on Fire," the title track of the band's new album.

"Can you hear me through my hair?" Fink asked the crowd, alluding to the bangs that covered half her face. Art in Manila was followed by the three-piece Grand Ole Party, which banged away harder, but less inventively, for 30 minutes of its own.

At its best, Rilo Kiley flexed its own muscles on songs such as the More Adventurous track "A Man/Me/Then Jim" to wring emotion out of intricate narratives.

That doesn't make it the next Fleetwood Mac, but a band with the potential to be something more original.


http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/ent...iley-all-.html

[Serrart]

I quite like Rilo Kiley. They're a bit "light" but interesting. I agree though that any comparison with FM doesn't make sense.

Romy