In your head: Band of Skulls

May 28, 2009

In the car driving, I heard one of those songs that instantly sucked me in, and made me unconsciously speed up. It sounded like a combination of Franz Ferdinand and the White Stripes, but with an added je ne sais quois. I made a mental note to look it up when I got home: “I know what I am,” by Band of Skulls.

Hooey, am I glad I did. Their debut album, “Baby Darling Doll Face Honey” is a solid sonic blast from start to finish. I downloaded it from Itunes.

The latest import from across the pond, hailing from Southampton, UK, the three members of Band of Skulls, Russell Marsden (guitar & vocals), Emma Richardson (bass & vocals) & Matt Hayward (drums), first met at college and “quickly discovered that having two lead singers and three songwriters in a band was always going to present unlimited possibilities”, according to their imeem site.

Some would say unlimited possibilities for conflict (lead singer syndrome, anyone?) but for as young a band as this one, they seem remarkably gelled. And having a female bass player brings a different energy to a super-solid rhythm section. Reminds me of Kim Deal from the Pixies, high praise indeed.

“Baby Darling Doll Face Honey” was produced, recorded and mixed by Ian Davenport (Supergrass, Badly Drawn Boy) and recorded at Radiohead’s Courtyard Studios in Oxfordshire and mixed at the House of Blues studio in Los Angeles.

Here’s a cool video of them rehearsing “I Know What I Am”, the song that sucked me in: listen, and try to get it out of your head. Won’t happen.:) You can also follow @bandofskulls on twitter. Here’s hoping they tour the US again soon, judging from their practice footage, this show is sitter- worthy.

Note: I have no relationship with Band of Skulls or anyone affiliated with them: I just dig their music.:)

Posted in DIY, Fangirl, Music, Rock and Roll Mama