THE VALLEY BEAT OCTOBER 9, 2013 Page 16
By: Scotty Scotty Brilliant Brilliant By:
the record is “Don’t Matter,” which has a raw fifties-style riff underneath a hooking chorus. “Beautiful War” is one of my favorites from the record, with Caleb’s voice sounding better than ever. Another hit is the slightly sappy, but still awesome “Wait for Me,” which Gina Crash actually showed to me before it was even releasedthe perks of being a radio DJ. This takes us into the second half of the record, which is better than the first. “Family Tree” has a very bluesy feel to it, with an awesome bass riff provided by Jason. Some of Caleb’s best lyrical work can be found on “Comeback Story,” with the chorus “I walk a mile in your shoes / and now I’m a mile away / and I’ve got your shoes.” I think this is pure genius. “Tonight” is another one of my favorites and worth listening to a few times. Caleb lets us in to his mind once again on “On the Chin,” with the heartfelt lyrics “All my life I was born to lead / worry not just leave me be / I’ll abide till the end /
I’ll take it all on the chin for you my friend.” Crank It Don’t Matter Wait for Me Tonight Skip It Temple Last Mile Home Mechanical Bull is one of those albums you can listen to from beginning to end without skipping a track. I’m not saying every song is good, but every song is listenable. So next time you’ve got a long drive… or maybe just trying to get off Route 22 on a Friday afternoon, throw on this record. Chances are, you’ll enjoy it… probably not as much as Work Release Fridays on 107 The Bone, but hey, at least you won’t have to worry about Tom Ring screaming between tracks. Scotty Brilliant is the Afternoon Drive Personality on The Valley’s Real Rock Station, 107 The Bone. Hit Scotty up for a Road Rage or Work Release Friday request, or let him know if there is a new album you want him to review! Find him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ScottyBrilliant.
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Call it the comeback story of a lifetime; a band on the brink of uncertainty manages to fight adversity, regroup and release what could be there best album to date. Okay, maybe that’s a little exaggerated, but the underdog story is not too far off for Kings of Leon. They have had some rough times internally over the last couple of years, yet despite this, they seemed to pick back up right where they left off. 2010 was the last time we saw a release from Kings of Leon, but their history as a band dates back many years before that. The band consists of brothers Nathan, Caleb, and Jared Followill, and cousin Matthew Followill. They all elected to go by their middle names instead of their first names. The band’s early music was a blend of Southern Rock and Blues, but has gradually expanded to more of an alternative rock sound. You wouldn’t believe that the long haired, bellbottomed 70’s throwback Kings of Leon is the same band that you hear on the radio today. Don’t believe me? Go to YouTube and search for Kings of Leon’s first single “Red Morning Light” and you’ll see what I’m talking about. Kings of Leon achieved initial success in the United Kingdom with nine Top 40 singles, two BRIT Awards in 2008, and all three of the band’s albums at the time peaking in the top five of the UK Albums Chart. Their third album, Because of the Times, also made it to the number one spot. But it wasn’t until their release of Only by the Night in 2008 that the band saw commercial success in the US. Even if that title doesn’t ring a bell, you sure as hell know the hit singles from the album. Does “Use Somebody” or “Sex on Fire” sound familiar? I hope so, because they were on heavy rotation on just about every rock radio station in the US. Times got a little tough for lead singer Caleb in 2011, less than a year after the release of their fifth studio album, Come Around Sundown. At a concert in Texas, Caleb appeared to be heavily intoxicated and slurred incomprehensibly between songs, often rambling about nothing. He left the stage, claiming he was going to vomit, drink a beer and return to play three more songs. He never returned, causing the rest of the band to apologize to the crowd and end the concert abruptly. As a result, they went on to cancel the rest of their US tour. This led to the band announcing a hiatus after their Australian tour finished up in November 2011. Now Kings of Leon are back and more focused than ever. This is evident on their latest effort, Mechanical Bull, which has lyrics inspired by their two year break from song writing. The album begins with the ultra-catchy first single release, “Supersoaker.” One of the heavier songs off
THE VALLEY BEAT OCTOBER 2, 2013
ALBUM ALBUM REVIEW REVIEW