Meet my new favorite rock band.
Just the other day I was listening to a 70's rock band as they extolled the virtues of "brown sugar," (surprisingly, not the Rolling Stones) and I was thinking 'Rock and Roll couldn't get away with this these days. It's been tamed.' Imagine my surprise and delight then, to hear Louie XIV's first single 'Finding out True Love is Blind.' As lead singer Jason Hill sings his way through the litany of women he'd like to have sex with (Chocolate girl and her Asian friend, Carrot Girl and her Vanilla friend, Miss Little Smart Girl, Tough Girls, etc.) I was simultaneously shocked and hooked. Before it was even over, I wanted to hear it again. It's not about glorifying a sexist attitude, it's rock and roll. It's breaking the rules by saying what you're not allowed to say in a song.
While Louie XIV's label probably planned to release 'Pledge of Allegiance' as the album's first single, 'Finding Out True Love is Blind' began to take on a life of its own even before it was finished. It seems that a rough version sent to a few friends spread over the internet, eventually finding its way onto San Diego radio stations. Air play before the album was even finished was just enough motivation to hurry Hill along through production and official release. Incidentally, expect 'Pledge,' drawn from the same vein as 'True Love,' to be the next release to receive serious radio play.
Nearly every track on this 10 track album is dripping with overt sexuality and attitude that would be well over the top were it not for the outstanding level of musicianship backing up the talk. Several tracks use what sounds like a cello to round out the predominantly rock sound- for live shows this will probably be provided by backup singer Brian Korscig on the keyboard. Still other tracks rely on a stripped out sound buoyed by the bass work of James Ambrust and a simple clap track or rhythm provided by Mark Maigaad on the drums. As written by Hill, each track contains several layers of composition that find each other to produce a uniquely driven and cohesive sound.
While comparisons to both vintage 70's rock icons (Bowie, The Stones) and well known bands pushing today's resurgent rock movement (The Strokes, White Stripes) are inevitable, Louis XIV won't be the best kept little secret in rock for long. Touring this summer with The Killers, and with a fair number of late night TV appearances, expect Louis XIV to become recognized not as followers of the movement but rather the leaders of the pack.
