Band of the Week: No Kids

[July 6 - 13]
No Kids
Sounds Like: Indie-Pop
Drinking Buddies: Throw Me The Statue, Architecture In Helsinki, 1090 Club.
Synopsis: Groovin' beats with a western Canadian flair.
Makes You Want To...: Dance; Walk in the park; Clean the house.
[Myspace]




One week, one band. You know the drill.
This week, the featured artist is No Kids.

Feeling thoroughly independent? I certainly am. After the Fourth of July and all those crazy fireworks, the United States had a major celebration on their hands. Sadly, though - not counting Labour Day of course - which I never do - there are no more real prevalent holidays for the next four some-odd months! This is officially a tragedy, and we'll all be certainly mourning a good excuse to have a party. Blistering hot summer days, the start of school in autumn, the closing of the public pools, declining business at the amusement parks. It'll all down here from here 'til Halloween, folks.

Ironically, there's a band out there who can respect the holiday that is Halloween. As well as the summer time, and fun times in general. I mean, c'mon, they do have a song titled, "For Halloween," after all. Who else would this trio of cohorts be? None other than No Kids. I was recommended No Kids by a friend of a friend, Cristina, who said she was listening to this nifty band all the way across the North American continent.

Hailing out of Vancouver, No Kids breaks it down with some sweet, grooving indie-pop that soothes the soul, glazing it with glorious, eclectic, eccentric sounds fused with steady rhythms and flowing sounds. No Kids' has some unbelievably catchy songs in their repertoire. If you can imagine the eccentricity and instrumental variety of Los Campesinos! mixed with a solid musical artist, like YACHT, you'll have a good basis for No Kids. Reader, if you have any idea how addicting their song, "The Beaches All Closed" - essentially the indie version of what sounds like a modern R&B/hip-hop hit - you'll sympathize with how difficult it was to write this article while leaving that song on repeat. Irrefutably, No Kids is the best band I've heard about all year.

Our tender trio has in fact recently returned to Vancouver as of last month, after their tour of Europe with Mount Eerie. Before that, they were wandering about with good friends the Dirty Projectors. Now they're chilling at home, no doubt relaxing after the rigorous touring, producing nifty podcasts for their fans.

But there's plenty of No Kids to go around. No Kids, of course, has a Myspace. But on the topic of their aforementioned European tour, they released a split EP with Mount Eerie, for exclusive sale on their tour abroad. As it so happens, there are still some left over, which you can snag for international order from CAFF/FLICK. And let's not forget about No Kids' debut album, Come Into My House, an excellent endeavour released on Tomlab Records, which you can pick up right over here.

Did I mention that "The Beaches All Closed" is incredibly addictive? I believe I did. If you need me, it'll still be on repeat... all week long. Until then, have a wonderful week, and enjoy that devilishly hot sun.