Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Swift Tracks: Inner City Kids and Klickitat

By Brenna Rushing

Electronica pop seems to be getting more popular every second. Everywhere you turn you hear another band with a synthesizer trying to get famous. Inner City Kids is another one to add to that list, but definitely towards the top.

Four baby-faced cuties make up the group, who all seem to be 21 or younger. The newest members are the drummer, Bobby, and Donakin, who takes care of the synthesizer and effects.

Don and Bobby of Inner CIty Kids

“Houston We Have a Party” describes the feelings that come with attending a party and seeing a girl you like. The beginning hooks you in with rhythmic notes, which only makes you want more.

Sound effects are played throughout the entire song, making it stand out and throwing you for loop. While not drowning in all of the business of the track, the singer makes his voice known showing how great he sounds.

ICK have one album and an EP out. Both the album, Beg for Backrubs, and the EP, The Lochness, came out this year.

The lyrics are simple and to the point, which is expected for a bitpop group. The song as a whole comes together very well, showing their early talent and potential.

Their next show will be on August 23 at the Benefit “Kids from Kid Kraddic”. More details are on their Myspace.

The other “pop” sensation I’m highlighting is Klickitat, a one-woman show that comes out of Dallas.

Klickitat seems to be in her own universe full of unexpected lyrics and a peculiar style. She says that her inspiration comes from TV channels. She explains this habit saying that she falls asleep in front of the TV regularly, and uses what she hears unconsciously for her lyrics.

When I started to play one of her two demos, “Calamity,” I didn’t know what to expect. The result is a quirky tune describing a man she may have liked (?) and how he reacts to her.

Klickitat and her band

She seems to have a lot to say by the number of words in the song. This indicates that there will be a multitude of material coming from her in the future.

My favorite line is, “don’t need a bath to get a drink.” It seems like she’s very basic in her lifestyle and her thoughts are blunt and transparent. Everyone likes a person that can speak his or her mind, right?

The only weakness would be how to go about building a lineup for her. Since she’s one of a kind, her sound doesn’t really blend with any other artist. This could be a challenge as well as a chance for her to make fans where they were least expected.

From the looks of her Myspace, there is no album or EP out yet. There are also no shows listed. So if you like what you hear, I suggest writing her a message asking for more self-promotion on her page.

Related stories

• Pegasus News Week in View: m.pegnews.com edition (July 10, 2008)

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• Arts > Popular Music > Electronica / Bitpop
• Arts > Popular Music > Pop
• Arts > Popular Music > Singer / Songwriter