Kill The Lights @ CMW 2007

The Horseshoe Tavern

Toronto, ON

on Mar 9 2007

Matt Littlefair (CHARTattack)

03/10/2007 1:00pm

Background/Composition: 4 guys up front and one girl on the drums, this Montreal 5 piece exact a precision honed take on guitar driven angular indie rock.

Grade: 76

Comment: Kill The Lights have the chops to play some seriously incindiary guitar driven tracks and they've got the smarts to crib from some great bands, though in the end, their stuff isn't what I'd term unique.

Achievement of Rock 'n' Roll Expectations
80-100: Exceeds skill and knowledge expectations, i.e. rocked us so hard we peed our pants.
70-79: Achieves required skills and knowledge. Meets rock 'n' roll standard.
60-69: Demonstrates some skills. Approaches rock 'n' roll standard.
50-59: Demonstrates some required skills and knowledge in a limited way.
00-50: Has not demonstrated required skills or knowledge.

Learning Skills: E=Excellent, G=Good, S=Satisfactory, N=Sad Really

Oral And Visual Communication
Eye Contact: E
Pronounciation: G
Stage Presence: E
Stage Banter: G
Image: E
Appearance: E
Use Of Stage: E

Strengths/Weaknesses/NextStep: The band wasted no time and launched right out of the gate, the vocals got a little lost in the mix, a problem that seemingly quickly righted itself. The band's banter with the by now slowly dwindling audience consisted of little more than mentioning their own name an inordinante number of times and shucking their newest full length for sale a few days ahead of it's official release date. The crowd responded with enthusiasm to the energetic guitar theatrics on the stage though, as the band lifted their axes high in the air, or simply hunched over lost in a rock 'n roll moment.

Musical Analysis
Level Of Participation: E
Problem Solving: G
Teamwork: E
Work Habits: G
Organization: E
Audience Participation: E
Sound: E
Composition: G
Songs: G

Strengths/Weaknesses/NextStep: Syncopated rhythms and the conflagration of guitars and bass made for something that sounded akin to the Bloc Party being fronted by members of The Stills circa 2003. The fierce amounts of sound spilling off the stage often times bulged into a grand and cathartic crash, where everyone in the band would just pound the living crap out of their respective instruments. Songs sort of end abruptly a lot of the time,which can jangle your nerves rather badly if you're not prepared for it.

Other Skills And Areas Of Interest
Charisma: E
Problem Solving: G
Teamwork: E
Sexiness: E
Haircut: G
Indie Rock Footwear: E
Nods To Disposible Fashion: G
Cool Equipment: G
Level Of Inebriation: G
Actual Ability: E

Strengths/Weaknesses/NextStep: Kill The Lights do what they do fairly well, even though songs tend to seep into one another. They have the musical potential to do something very clever, if they could shed their desire to sound like so many other bands do right now.