?Kaiser Chiefs? are a five-piece indie rock band hailed from Leeds, England. They consist of frontman Ricky Wilson (Vocals), Andrew ?Whitey? White (Guitar), Simon Rix (Bass), Nick ?Peanut? Baines (Keyboards) and Nick Hodgson (Drums). They are noted for their musical genre in post-punk revival and new wave. Kaiser Chiefs were formed way back in 1996 – 1997. On an interview with BBC, Kaiser Chiefs were named after South African football club Kaizer Chiefs, a club where former Leeds United defender Lucas Radebe played for.

The third album Off With Their Heads kicks off with cheeky ?Spanish Metal?. Pay attention to the keyboard, it?s like a modern background music used in a cowboy flick, especially when two cowboys are preparing to draw their pistols for a gun fight. Just cute isn?t it? Spanish Metal is a heavy guitar-based introducing track, in the verse, you?ll find frontman Ricky singing in a somewhat very subtle voice. I find this track kind of cute. Go Kaiser Chiefs!

?Never Miss A Beat? is very funky and catchy. The combination of the singing and the music fit in very well here. Once the first verse comes in, i already knew i?m going to like this track. Check out the lyrics, ?What did you learn today? I learned nothing. What did you do today? I did nothing. What did you learn at school? I didn?t go. Why didn?t you go to school? I don?t know?? It?s simple, but yet it ables to make me repeat these phrases over and over again. Starting to stuck in my head. Never Miss A Beat is always building up the tempo and climbing up the stairs, once it reaches the peak, then only Ricky and other featured guests can be heard singing together. The featured guests are Lily Allen and three members of indie band New Young Pony Club, Anne-Marie Chirema, Lou Hayter and Sarah Jones. Nice guests appearances.

?Like It Too Much? has this thing that makes me hopes that this track is never going to stop. When it reaches a certain point like the chorus and once Ricky is almost done singing the chorus, the music and rhythm just gets me hoping for more singing from Ricky. It sounds complicated, but it?s true. Like It Too Much is also the only track that features the phrase ?Off With Their Heads? in its lyrics. What makes this track unforgettable is the string arrangements by David Arnold of James Bond fame and the inclusion of a number of instruments such as violin, viola and cello. After a few listens, you would find as if Kaiser Chiefs were performing with the help of a big orchestra. Bravo!

?You Want History? has a strong electronic elements and at times, groovy. Anne-Marie Chirema, Lou Hayter and Sarah Jones of New Young Pony Club again do some backing vocals on this track. The singing by Ricky sounds like a robot to me in his effort to follow the beat and rhythm of the music. The beginning of You Want History is cute with the electronic music going on, as this song goes along, the chorus is catchy as well, as Ricky sings, ?It?s a mystery, oh, it?s a mystery, you want history, oh its a mystery??, the keyboard just comes in. I find it catchy in a faint hilarious way.

In ?Can?t Say What I Mean?, you?d find frontman Ricky hardly has time to gasp for air. It?s fast and groovy. The bass especially sounds like a motorcyle?s engine, it just keeps grooving. The keyboard also being played in a way that is so cheeky i would say. It just has the same rhythm all the way, but it blends in just fine. Great and cute stuff again by Kaiser Chiefs!

?Good Days Bad Days? is very cheerful and positive. It starts from a distance before the rest of Kaiser Chiefs just come in and join the fun. The guitar especially is very, very catchy. Amazing riff! With each verse, the guitar just follows, making it unbearable to miss it. When comes the break, the short guitar solo and the djembe playing are really something to be remembered. When you?re feeling down, have a break and listen to Good Days Bad Days, this music is designed to make you feel good. Have a look at their final verse, ?If you had a different attitude, instead of take and take and take, you have missed an opportunity, and that?s a really big mistake, if you had a different attitude, you?d still have good days and bad days?? I feel great now!

Kaiser Chiefs slow it down with ?Tomato In The Rain?. I would describe this track as soft and infectious. Ricky?s voice is found soft throughout this lovely track and the music in the chorus has a hook that is really infectious. This only part is short, but can cause a stir. ?Yes I do know about you, shall I come home???, what a lovely and simple phrase, but whenever Ricky sings this phrase, the whole Kaiser Chiefs just let themselves in and provide some backing vocals for Ricky. Lovingly infectious!

?Half The Truth? brings the notches up again! The keyboard on this track is kind of good. Ricky doesn?t really sound like singing, he sounds more like rapping and talking his way through this track. Fast and furious! When the chorus comes, the keyboard is played in a way that you would only hear it in a haunted house. Nice and scary. The lyrics are also written smartly, ?I will not lie to you, but i defiantly only gave you half the truth, i wil not lie to you??. It puts smile on my face after listening to it. Kaiser Chiefs also brought in a special guest, Sway DaSafo (A rapper from UK), to help finish Half The Truth in style! Crunchy!

?Always Happens Like That? is a funky and groovy pop song from Kaiser Chiefs. It has the quality to make one dance. After each verse, Ricky will go, ?And it always happens like that?? Lily Allen is also featured on this track, they make a great team singing together. The guitar on Always Happens Like That is also everything but sad. It?ll make you feel better and happier, just like Good Days Bad Days. At times, it reminds me of Nick Valensi of The Strokes with the chirpy guitar sound.

?Addicted To Drugs? awed me at the beginning with the Agogo bells (Courtesy of producer Mark Ronson). It?s very delicious how the Agogo bells fit in so well into this track. It?s very, very groovy here. The music here doesn?t fit the title at all, it sounds more cheerful than it should be if you just look at the title, Addicted To Drugs. This track alone can be the anthem for Off With Their Heads, the part where Kaiser Chiefs go, ?Woah? Yeah?? will definitely straighten you up right away. In fact, Kaiser Chiefs make this song sweaty sexy as well.

Wow, after a great deal of some cheeky and catchy tunes, Kaiser Chiefs? ?Remember You?re A Girl? is also not to be taken lightly. Remember You?re A Girl is a lovely indie pop tune that you?d find almost every member of Kaiser Chiefs contributes on the singing part. It?s very soothing to listen to such track after a long hard day at the office or work. Ricky and co. can be heard singing in a softer tone, as if singing to little children who are fast asleep. Just so lovely and sweet!

Stand-Out Tracks (My Picks): Never Miss A Beat, Like It Too Much, Good Days Bad Days, Tomato In The Rain, Half The Truth, Always Happens Like That, Addicted To Drugs and Remember You?re A Girl.

Cheers!
Darren Tan
Indiesurf.com

?Grand Archives? are an American five-piece indie band from Seattle, Washington. They are Mat Brooke (Vocals, Guitar and Harmonica), Ron Lewis (Guitar, Piano and Organ), Jeff Montano (Bass), Curtis Hall (Drums) and Thomas Wright (Guitar). Their main music genres are indie rock and folk rock. Before they were known as Grand Archives, according to Three Imaginary Girls, they called themselves Archives and Mat Brooke was a former bandmate of Carissa?s Wierd and Band of Horses.

The Grand Archives opens with the soothing and somewhat cute ?Torn Blue Foam Couch?. It?s more like a pop rock track where Mat sings effortlessly accompanied by the orchestra-like music. As always, Torn Blue Foam Couch starts off by climbing up stairs and building up tempo. It ends very beautifully where by all the instruments come together, just like an orchestra performance. A down-to-earth opener!

The swaying harmonica and whistling at the beginning of ?Miniature Birds? is really good. It just reminds me of my childhood. The music on this track is sunny and jovial, you?d move your head from side to side listening to Miniature Birds. Grand Archives also make an impact on this track?s chorus where Mat goes, ?It didn?t take that long?? and the rest of the band just come up with the beautiful music, especially the keyboard. And at times, they join the singing with Mat. Another notable mention is the French horn and trombone used in this track, it just completes this track!

?Swan Matches? is a slow ballad that features Jen Ghetto as guest appearance. When Jen comes in, Mat and her do a duet, ?And I remember how fast we ran, i remember how fast we ran, we flew over fences, we dodged all the moving cars, and the dry Arizona faces, the dry Arizona faces?? The guitar on this track is , i can feel that Grand Archives just strum and pluck the guitar according to their music instinct, totally without a music sheet. Total adult folk getaway.

?Index Moon? is another ballad that sees Mat sings passionately. The guitar by Grand Archives on this track is slow and at times draggy. When it comes to the verses, the music just get into a softer tone. When it?s the chorus, the music just comes alive in the background with Mat?s singing. If you listen carefully, you would find there?s a subtle voice in the background that goes, ?Woo? Hoo??. Index Moon is such a good track, it?s slow, but it?ll not hold you long enough till you get bored waiting for the chorus to come. Just lovely. Try it!

?George Kaminski? if i?m not mistaken, is one of the characters that appears in Japanese manga and anime Case Closed, also known as Detective Conan. This track is pure acoustic, with the guitar and harmonica playing along, Mat will just sing along. Throughout this track, it?s hard to grab the lyrics that Mat sings, i have to look at the lyrics if i were to understand the words. George Kaminski also sounds sad at times through the voice of Mat. This could be the only track that turns out to be the best if performed in an unplugged jamming session.

?A Setting Sun? can be regarded as the best track off The Grand Archives. If you look at the lyrics, it?s very smart written, ?Could you be quick or be, could you be quick or be tired, the tock, the tick of it, atop the funeral pyre, we?re in the thick of it, so bite the brick of it all?? Now we all can see the flow of the lyrics, the rhyme of the words that Grand Archives use. And throughout A Setting Sun, you wouldn?t be surprised if you find yourself enjoying this song and moving your head from side to side as an act of appreciation to the music crafted by Grand Archives. Really amazing stuff here!

?Breezy No Breezy? is just pure instrumental. It sounds sort of creepy yet weird. The guitar and horn stand out the most here. Breezy No Breezy also sounds mysterious, it can be used as background music in a movie, especially in a part where a person is trying to solve a mystery or puzzle in a funny way. Just very cute.

?Sleepdriving? is driving slowly. In the chorus, there?s a repetition of the lyrics where Mat sings after the backing vocals by the rest of Grand Archives. It?s like a trailing way of singing and the effect of it is quite significant, creating an echoic wall of sound. When the break comes along, violin can be heard as Mat sings in little phrases. And as the end draws closer, the whole song got louder and the whole Grand Archives join in the fun and sing along side Mat. What this track has is the quality of a slow burner, which is like ?Run? of Snow Patrol. It?ll burn you up slowly, and of course softly.

The title of ?Louis Riel? is also the name of a Canadian Politician who founded the province Manitoba and was the leader of the Canadian Prairies. This track is ought to be sad, but it sounds really happy and cheerful. The organ is really pumping and gets the listener going on. When the chorus comes, Grand Archives are supposed to tell a long story, but they just go with, ?Ba, da??? Sera Cahoone also appears briefly on this track. Such a happy track here!

?The Crime Window? is the crunchiest track on The Grand Archives. You can feel as if there were a group of choir singing together with Grand Archives. Along with the horn, the singing was really energetic and powerful! This is the song that can be the anthem for Grand Archives? concert. It?ll get the crowd and their fans dancing and singing together, ?Sweet jolly jammers and a dugan charge, burning down the prarie on a victory barge?? It wouldn?t be long if you realize you?re tired by the end of this song. Lovely entertaining!

?Orange Juice? is a short and sweet track. Just a nice song to perform in a warm pub or bar. It?s light and cute with the trombone playing in the background. What a sweet way to end the album, sounds like Grand Archives are closing the album on a happy note.

Stand-Out Tracks (My Picks): Torn Blue Foam Couch, Miniature Birds, Index Moon, A Setting Sun, Louis Riel, The Crime Window and Orange Juice.

Cheers!
Darren Tan
Indiesurf.com