Aug 21 2007
Remembering the good times with Rilo Kiley
I have to admit that when I first planned this post it was going to be a kind of nostalgic look back at a band that had seemingly gone downhill. Rilo Kiley have been one of my absolute favourite bands for the past five years or so, and so when the I heard the lead single from the new album, Under the Blacklight, I was disappointed. Then I read a lot of negative comment toward it, and my enthusiasm was pretty much killed. This led to me listening to some of their older material, particularly The Execution of All Things a lot over the last few weeks. Yesterday I finally heard the new album in full, and I actually quite like it. Whether the low expectations helped that or not I don’t know, and while it’s certainly not a masterpiece, it’s a fun record. So while the original intent of this post has kind of changed, I still want to give those early albums a little bit of attention.
Looking back, I think Rilo Kiley were the first truly indie band that I got into. I’d already been dabbling with alternative for a couple of years, with bands like Weezer and Semisonic becoming mainstays of my music collection. Then sometime in 2002, I heard a song on XFM (I considered XFM indie then too) that just grabbed me. I don’t recall ever hearing it on the radio again, but it was enough for me to seek it out online, and then even more from the same band. It was The Execution of All Things, which to this day remains my favourite Rilo song.
After that I explored backwards (2001’s Take-Offs & Landings) and when it was released, 2004’s More Adventurous, and however many b-sides and unreleased material I could find in between. Each album holds some special place for me (the latter providing this blog’s title), as do most of the band’s spin-offs and associated projects. To be quite honest, given these, I wasn’t even expecting another album until the announcement came earlier this year. Most of the other bands I hold a genuine affection for are no longer with us (some literally, others musically), so while I’m kind of torn over the new record, I’ll welcome it the best I can.
MP3 Rilo Kiley - The Execution of All Things (expired)
MP3 Rilo Kiley - With Arms Outstretched (expired)
MP3 Rilo Kiley - It’s a Hit (expired)
MP3 Rilo Kiley - Science vs Romance (expired)
Rilo Kiley: Website || Myspace
Related Posts
Rilo Kiley ??!! I like Jenny Lewis very much!!
“A Better Son/Daughter”
I love the Jenny Lewis album and, try as I might, I have never, ever been able to get into Rilo Kiley. With the exception, oddly enough, of Science vs Romance and It’s a Hit.
Over-rated, really they are.