The Kids
By Sergio Lopez
The Kids are a Belgium 77 punk band started in 1976. This was their first release from 1978 on Phillips. I wouldn’t say their sound comes off as quintessential 77, but is definitely an artifact from the era. I have some problems with the way the guitar and bass were EQ’d, but first I’d like to point out the drums in this record. The drums pummel though the most notable songs and the majority of the record. The steady 16th notes on the hi-hat and the robotic metronome-like attitude of the snare brings out any slither of aggression that was or was not present in the song writing process. I have to give these guys slack being from Belgium, the lyrics are humorously stereotypical for the 77 punk era, but they obviously set out to be in that community. Not to mention English was most likely not their first language (great pronunciation btw). They reference safety pins, and present their dissatisfaction with what local disc jockeys would play. “The Kids” living in Belgium were viewing the 77 punk community from a third party perspective, so they were inclined to have biases about what 77 punk was, so you can’t really blame them.
What separates this style of music from bands like New York Dolls or even Led Zeppellin (via Communication Breakdown) is the quintessential down stroke guitar strum pattern, and the rigidity of the drums. It’s a great concept that the fluidity of drums in the more popular records of the era outside of 77 punk translates to docility, and the more rudimentary execution of drum stylings presents an aura of angst. I feel this holds true even today. The general mood of the record is not so much aggressive as is festive. I could see this record being played at a party, and that’s not a bad thing.
The chord progressions are mostly rhythm and blues boogie woogie type rock and roll, which is pretty typical of the era. One of the songs sounded very similar to She by The Misfits on Static Age also released in 1978. I had a problem with the guitar being EQ’d more on the top end, I would have like to hear more beefy mids for that guitar track (via Nervous Breakdown Black Flag). I felt that alone could have made the record more edgier. What didn’t make the record any edgier were the occasional male falsetto’s that you could hear on every other artist’s record of the 70’s. This is not your timeless 77 punk record, it is clearly an artifact in which you reference to. Personally, if this record was shorter it’d be easier for me to digest and likely be more interesting. The jovial undertones make this record appeal to anyone and not just those keen on punk.
Bleak Meter: 6.7
Download the album here:
http://www.mediafire.com/?kmndz3hthdm
Discussion: Do bands in foreign countries subconsciously stereotype sub-genres? Can only particular local music communities create authentic bands for a particular wave of sub-genre? Does the popularity of a sub-genre further deter it being authentically recreated in a foreign music community? Let me know what you think.
Bleak Beats 