Cold War Kids

One Liner: Good music, annoying singer

Poster Position: 6

Thoughts:  I saw these guys a few years ago at a SXSW show at Stubb's, and I recall being underwhelmed.  I had it in my head that they were going to be amazing, as I'd had multiple people tell me that they liked their sound.  Unfortunately for these dudes, I saw them right after wandering back to Stubb's from a Diarrhea Planet show at the Longbranch, which was loud, fast, and generally bad ass, and to transition to this vaguely whiny indie rock was likely impossible, so it is no big surprise that no sparks flew.  I stayed for a few songs and threw in the towel.

So, in giving them a more robust listen, they've got a few hits that you have likely heard before on alternative radio, and then a bunch of older albums that started to truly get on my nerves after a while. So, despite really wanting to like the band, I've pretty well established that this is not my thing.  In an afternoon of listening, by the time I got to 2008's Loyalty to Loyalty, I decided that I had to change the music or I was going to fight something.  Their top track is "First," from their 2014 album Hold my Home, which fires up 42.5 million streams.

Fine tune, pretty sad.  Funny thing, after listening to these dudes all day, I had a moment where I forgot who I was listening to and thought it was fun.  The band, not the adjective. The vocal tone on most of the album is not as high pitched, but it has that same whiny quality that I associate with the fun guy.  Their second most listened to track is from 2013's Dear Miss Lonelyhearts, and is called "Miracle Mile," but I'm going to play the third place song instead, which is "Hang Me Up to Dry," from 2007's Robbers and Cowards."

19 million streams.  Again, the music itself is just peachy keen, but something about the vocal tone just grates on my nerves.  Its like one of my kids whining for the iPad when I just want to CHECK MY FREAKING FANTASY SCORES YOU LITTLE SON OF A WHORE! GO WATCH WILD KRATTS ON THE DAMN FULL-SIZED TELEVISION IN THE FREAKING LIVING ROOM! GIVE ME FIVE DAMN MINUTES OF PEACE! Seriously, listen to the last 30 seconds or so of that song, its just the singer squawking about HANG ME UP TO DRIIIIII over and over again in a way that makes me want to commit crimes against humanity.

Although, here is the thing, critics loved their first album.  So maybe I am just the outlier here.  You may love everything they do.  I have to admit that I was hoping for a super schmarmy tongue bath review from Pitchfork so I could make fun of them, but instead, they actually gave it a poor review, saying "With superficial storytelling, monolithic melodies, and the heavy-handed symbolism of a school project, Robbers and Cowards insults our intelligence a few times too often."

Unless forced by my wingman, I do not plan to go watch this band at the festival.