KillGordon

The story of KillGordon is rather typical. An ambitious young kid records a few lo-fi songs in his bedroom, gets excited by the results, shows it off to his friends, and forms a band. The ambition in this case stems from Kyle Gordon, a 23-year-old from Atlanta, Georgia whose hobbies includes anything to do with music, great films, and foreign girls. I’m quite fond of those three specifics as well. Like most modern young men looking to succeed in the music industry, Gordon is a fan of classic rock, citing The Beatles, The Kinks, and the Rolling Stones as his primary influences. Such influences are expressive in his band, KillGordon. After recording those lo-fi demos in 2005, Gordon showed the songs to bassist Cyrus Shahmir after meeting him through a friend at a local Atlanta recording studio. The duo found inherent musical chemistry and looked to push the project forward. After the addition of drummer Daniel Brett, Kill Gordon was final. These days, three members seem like a sparse amount for a band. The sound fits perfectly for KillGordon, who still utilize an explosive sound even with their linear guitar-bass-drums delivery. Those bedroom demos eventually became the Early EP, their six-song debut EP wich was released in March 2005. They later released You Need This EP the following October, a three-song collection that featured two songs from their upcoming debut album, “In The Know” and “Pop Song (White Lady)”. More of a teaser than anything, it was a precursor to the band’s promising debut. When it comes down to it, KillGordon are just another garage band capitalizing on the thriving scene and publicity that the revitalized genre is garnering. They have still received a good amount of local attention though, playing at Atlanata’s High Museum of Art and being a chosen performer at an ASCAP music showcase. They have also been on the cover of several local Atlanta-based publications, boasting that music and touring “is in our blood”. Despite the common sound and delivery, their self-titled full-length debut album KillGordon contains some of the most enjoyable songs of the year so far for everyone’s favorite form of dirty garage rock.

Lead guitarist and vocalist Kyle Gordon works wonders, boasting his own youth and proving himself to be an enigmatic frontman. Though their debut KillGordon occasionally lacks variation, the often predictable songwriting is a result of new and inexperienced band looking to get their sound out. Still, the potential is there and the album is not without gems, such as the catchy “Pop Song (White Lady)”. Gordon leads the way over a steady rhythm section, with his vocals containing the same energy that his own influences, such as Kurt Cobain and J Mascis, delivered in the past with raw power and innovative energy. His vocals are touched with a certain form of raspiness that adds an even more grittier feel to the already intentionally tarnished sound. Considering Gordon’s fondness for foreign girls, it’s up to your own interpretation to figure out whether it’s an insult or a compliment toward the white girls. Not to stir conflict or anything, but I find it humorous how Gordon’s infatuation over foreign girls carries into songs such as this. Gordon is intent on saying “count me out” even though “my friends say you’re fine”. Maybe he’s just referring to relationships in general, or maybe I’m just looking too much into a song that’s sole purpose is to create a catchy and loose atmosphere. “No Word From Me” and “Merith” both begin with an acoustic strum, providing for a nice shift from the usually electric dramatics. Both songs eventually collapse into a free-spirited electrical output though, even though the first chorus in “No Word For Me” is as soothing as KillGordon will get it. The song build steadily though, increasing intensity as it progresses. Like in “Merith”, Gordon has a tendency to let his guitar and vocals fly free during the last minute or so of the song, demonstrating his tendency to close off a song with genuine emotion. KillGordon brings little in terms of innovation but overall catchiness and energy certainly makes up for it. The album was released last month and is available in Atlanta at Criminal Records, Decatur CD and Wax’n’Facts. For those outside of the area, it will fortunately be available online very shortly.

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KillGordon – Pop Song (White Lady)

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KillGordon – No Word From Me

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KillGordon – Merith

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Official Web Site