The Black Kids' story sounds it could be the plot of high school musical 18. Almost everyone knows who they are, and even those that don’t know the words to their hit song, but no one can really figure out how they got where they are so quickly, and almost effortlessly. Its a little reminiscent of Paris Hilton.
Black Kids have climbed the ranks of music’s food chain faster than anyone could ever have imagined. Primarily made up of a few big hitters and tons and tons of little guys, blogging about music has turned into an arena of file sharing, link listing and name dropping beyond what anyone could’ve ever expected. With the words “Black Kids” on everyone’s lips, with a million remixes to boot, the question that has arisen is whether or not Black Kids deserve the hype.
The short answer is yes. When Black Kids released their EPs, the Wizard of Ahhhs, as a digital download in 2007, there was a distinct need that needed to be met in the current indie scene. As Indie music became more saturated, Black Kids arose to meet a need in the scene. Here was a band whose music was incredibly mixable, whose songs could be changed over and over and over again, a band who able to break the barriers of Indie-land and launch a surprise attack on anyone listening. Blogs pick it up and help moving it along. A name like Black Kids only helps that even more.
Recently when band’s keyboardist Dawn Watley took a minute to talk to me, she was in London having just finished the Leeds Festival-Leeds and The Last Days of Summer, mid tour. The light at the end of the tunnel being that the Jacksonville band will soon be making their return to the States, and for the first time, will get to tour their home state of Florida.
Talking to one of the Black Kids, it becomes perfectly clear that Black Kids have an advantage that had helped them get to the top of European and dance music charts. The band members’ individuality, their tenacity and their serious dedication have led to their bands success. They are serious about their work, but they still play simply for the entertainment of it.
Now much of the buzz has quieted down, but the Black Kids are still touring, still chasing their goals. Every so often, a new remix of “I’m not gonna teach your boyfriend how to dance with you” pops up on the blogs. It has become clear that is very possible that the very blog hype that initially threatened to destroy them instead has helped launch them towards becoming what end up as the Beatles of a new generation. And if not, at least maybe the Monkees.
Black Kids have been writing new material while on the road. They hope to be back in the studio soon and plan to release a sophomore album in the summer of 2009. They perform in at the Social this Saturday, giving you a chance to judge for yourself.
Read the full interview up on Orlando Weekly.
Also, if youre the artsy type or just looking to feel incredibly posh, check out the Munny show at Uberbot. The last Munny Show boasted over 200 entries from amazing artists the world over, and there are sure to be lots of awesome entries this time around. For a taste of what you can expect, be sure to check out the gallery from the last show here (its at the bottom of the page).
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