So, like, Rilo Kiley are actually pretty good, huh?

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Shame on me for writing them off as Oberstian by association. That song "It's a Hit" is excellent, no?

― Roger Fidelity (Roger Fidelity), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 22:21 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't know who they are but Kyle always mentions them.

Note: this is not any indicator of quality.

― adam. (nordicskilla), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 22:23 (twenty-one years ago)

are they english?

― JaXoN (JasonD), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 22:24 (twenty-one years ago)

they're ok and "it's a hit" is an improvement on what i heard on the last album, but production-wise they can still be very precious in an oberst-like way (a style which bothers me more and more).

― manthony m1cc1o (Anthony Miccio), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 22:29 (twenty-one years ago)

I saw them play live in L.A. before they quote blew up unquote and found them utterly unremarkable.

― mottdeterre (mottdeterre), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 22:53 (twenty-one years ago)

Here come the haters!

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 22:54 (twenty-one years ago)

Here's another thread.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 22:55 (twenty-one years ago)

"are they english?"

AND CAN WE EAT THEM?!?!?!?!

― tobo (tobo), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 22:55 (twenty-one years ago)

they have their moments. i could really do without the occasional country twang in the female singer's voice, though.

― the surface noise (slight return) (electricsound), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 22:56 (twenty-one years ago)

i think i prefer the mendoza line anyway

― the surface noise (slight return) (electricsound), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 22:56 (twenty-one years ago)

"Prom Night at Hater High" is my theme! They may be great on disc, but they didn't win me over at the Echo.

― mottdeterre (mottdeterre), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 23:04 (twenty-one years ago)

are they english?

sorry, this was a crack at kyle. carry on

― JaXoN (JasonD), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 23:07 (twenty-one years ago)

Here come the haters!

I've been here for a while already. Thanks for noticing.

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 23:15 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh I have.

They may be great on disc, but they didn't win me over at the Echo.

Actually, I've never seen them live, (though I enjoyed her singing with DNTEL) - but then I rarely like live music (who's the hater now?!).

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 23:18 (twenty-one years ago)

could really do without the occasional country twang in the female singer's voice, though

Actually, I really like that. Some of my favorite bands (and yours) veer on the edge of country in some of their catchier moments.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 23:19 (twenty-one years ago)

it's not so much that i dislike twang as a general rule, i just don't know how much i think it suits her voice in particular..

― the surface noise (slight return) (electricsound), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 23:23 (twenty-one years ago)

I'll probably love a/the Rilo Kiley disc if I ever decide to give it/one a whirl. I loathed the Butless Chaps live (hey, wasn't there a thread about the worst band name ever), but I listened to Love This Time last night and thought it was four-stars good.

― mottdeterre (mottdeterre), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 23:29 (twenty-one years ago)

Personally, I think the country twang works really well for RK. RK won me over big time with a live show a few years back. They were an opening act and I think they converted everyone in the room, so I know they can rock out live. I'm not the biggest fan of the latest album ("It's a Hit" is indeed good though) and I thought their recent tour as an 8-piece (?I think that's right?) was a little slack in places. Nonetheless, I think they're damn clever and not deserving of hate.

― mikef (mfleming), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 23:34 (twenty-one years ago)

Music aside, her lyrics are often quite brilliant which is why "It's a Hit" bobs to the surface with the former haters. Def. a band that benefits from decipherable lyrics.

― Thea (Thea), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 23:38 (twenty-one years ago)

i saw them on conan o'brien, some song where they kept repeating 'and the bad news' or 'i'm bad news' or something like that, it was actually pretty great, never heard anything else.

― keith m (keithmcl), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 00:59 (twenty-one years ago)

That Conan appearance is on the Rilo Kiley site.

― milozauckerman (miloaukerman), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 01:06 (twenty-one years ago)

and the song was "Portions for Foxes"

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 01:36 (twenty-one years ago)

I heard The Execution of All Things three times in a four hour span and didn't tire of it, so I guess that's not a complaint. They were here earlier this week and the local entertainment section had a really nice picture of the group...Jenny's adorable!

― Ian Moraine (Eastern Mantra), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 12:26 (twenty-one years ago)

― sometimes i like to pretend i am very small and warm (ex machina), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 14:43 (twenty-one years ago)

ten months pass...

I don't know who they are but Kyle always mentions them.
Note: this is not any indicator of quality.

-- adam.

I have never heard this band until today, and am quite positive I have never uttered their name in my life.

― kyle (akmonday), Wednesday, 31 August 2005 19:55 (twenty years ago)

they rocked Sunset Junction. I missed everyone else but their set and ample inebriation sorta made up for it. I've heard an album of theirs and I'm pretty sure I didn't not like it

― tremendoid (tremendoid), Wednesday, 31 August 2005 20:02 (twenty years ago)

heard an album of theirs and I'm pretty sure I didn't not like it

Sounds about right. Was it that one with the one really good song, and a couple of okay ones, but the rest was mostly boring?

― rogermexico (rogermexico), Wednesday, 31 August 2005 20:36 (twenty years ago)

bingo! it was driving me crazy thanks for that.

― tremendoid (tremendoid), Wednesday, 31 August 2005 20:40 (twenty years ago)

Any time, bra! I think I have that one. Or maybe I sold it back.

― rogermexico (rogermexico), Wednesday, 31 August 2005 20:52 (twenty years ago)

also, now that I have heard them, I can say that they don't do it for me

― kyle (akmonday), Wednesday, 31 August 2005 21:58 (twenty years ago)

"Portions for Foxes" remains their catchiest moment.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Wednesday, 31 August 2005 22:00 (twenty years ago)

That would be the "one really good song." And it is!

"Accidntel Deth" and "Does He Love You?" = the okay ones. The full-on country stuff is quite good for an indie band but nothing the world needed.

"It's A Hit" makes me throw up in my mouth a little.

― rogermexico (rogermexico), Wednesday, 31 August 2005 22:13 (twenty years ago)

don't bottle it up in your mouth, let it hit the floor

― kyle (akmonday), Wednesday, 31 August 2005 22:17 (twenty years ago)

Their lyrics are...not good.

― Baked Bean Teeth (Baked Bean Teeth), Wednesday, 31 August 2005 22:24 (twenty years ago)

If you enjoy shooting yourself in the face you might find them quite profound.

― I Ain't No Addict, Whoever Heard of a Junkie as Old as Me? (noodle vague), Wednesday, 31 August 2005 22:48 (twenty years ago)

beyond trad, beyond mediocre, and the guitarist has the look of a man you wouldn't trust to babysit. i saw them play at koko a month or so back and the consensus in my corner of the venue was they were upstaged to within an inch of their lives by their support band, the shortwave set, who gave them a good old fashioned lesson in the art of songwriting and stagecraft.

that said jenny is quite sweet...!

― emily play, Wednesday, 31 August 2005 23:54 (twenty years ago)

the thread revive is a case study in changing ilm dynamics: before, people who did or didn't like RK saying so and citing reasons; after, straight hateration

― Banana Nutrament (ghostface), Thursday, 1 September 2005 12:13 (twenty years ago)

Which is the one that was always on the radio a while back..it had a line about a salt-shaker then someone making a salt-shaker noise...

― Mippy (Mippy), Thursday, 1 September 2005 12:36 (twenty years ago)

IT'S A HIT

― David R. (popshots75`), Thursday, 1 September 2005 12:46 (twenty years ago)

one year passes...

No-one cares about new album Under The Blacklight do they? Just stumbled across the Time Out review which reads:

La quartet Rilo Kiley are set to be the biggest band you've never heard of

I remember reading that exact same quote about More Adventurous and it was just as bollocks then as now.

― Uptoeleven, Tuesday, 21 August 2007 19:21 (eighteen years ago)

A lovely record, whose genre experiments are sold by a never-more-charming Jenny Lewis. And I speak as one who cared not a whit for their other records.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Tuesday, 21 August 2007 19:24 (eighteen years ago)

That's interesting, speaking as one who cared a little whit for their other records. Certainly the more Jenny Lewis and less Blake Sennett the better.

― Uptoeleven, Tuesday, 21 August 2007 19:32 (eighteen years ago)

Yeah, Under the Blacklight is a refreshing makeover for the formerly boringest of all boring indie bands in indie land. Not sure every song works, but the risks they're taking are appreciated.

― Johnny Fever, Tuesday, 21 August 2007 19:38 (eighteen years ago)

two weeks pass...

I'm surprised by the lack of review love it's getting - maybe they're not 'indie' enough for the blogosphere (in particular) anymore? Personally, I find myself going back to it again and again - for example, 'Dreamworld' is great Fleetwood Mac and '15' is the best song Maria McKee never wrote.

― SeekAltRoute, Friday, 7 September 2007 22:58 (eighteen years ago)

two months pass...

It's taken a while but I've really gotten into this record. Less poppy than their other one and much more Jenny Lewis which is always a good thing.

And I'm interviewing them in a coupla weeks.

N <3 JL

― Upt0eleven, Thursday, 8 November 2007 17:15 (eighteen years ago)

that stripper song sux

― M@tt He1ges0n, Thursday, 8 November 2007 18:00 (eighteen years ago)

this band, its music, its frontwoman, and any discussion thereto, irritates the shit out of me. maybe unfair cos i have heard very little of them beyond "portions for foxes"

― gff, Thursday, 8 November 2007 18:05 (eighteen years ago)

no it's valid. they are terrible people that make horrible music.

― chaki, Thursday, 8 November 2007 18:16 (eighteen years ago)

haha. show some teeth, chaki

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Thursday, 8 November 2007 19:11 (eighteen years ago)

I never really paid them much attention in the past, but "Dreamworld," from the new one, is kind of awesome. Very Rumours-era Fleetwood Mac.

― jaymc, Thursday, 8 November 2007 19:18 (eighteen years ago)

I like most of More Adventurous, but heard the new one twice and thought it was utterly shit.

― Scik Mouthy, Friday, 9 November 2007 09:47 (eighteen years ago)

no it's valid. they are terrible people that make horrible music.
-- chaki, Thursday, 8 November 2007 18:16 (Yesterday) Link

Terrible people?! Why do you say that, Chaki? (or were you just kidding?)

― Ben Boyerrr, Friday, 9 November 2007 10:09 (eighteen years ago)

Very Rumours-era Fleetwood Mac.

Closer to Tango in the Night, as Miccio pointed out, but, yeah, it's the best Sennett song ever.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Friday, 9 November 2007 13:49 (eighteen years ago)

not kidding

― chaki, Friday, 9 November 2007 18:04 (eighteen years ago)

Did someone in the group do something to you or a friend of yours? I'm just genuinely curious, not stirring anything up...

― Ben Boyerrr, Friday, 9 November 2007 18:19 (eighteen years ago)

u 2 boo

― chaki, Friday, 9 November 2007 18:23 (eighteen years ago)

oops wrong thread

― chaki, Friday, 9 November 2007 18:23 (eighteen years ago)

three weeks pass...

I also want to know why they're "terrible people." That just sounds like a much more specific thing than just "they suck"!

― Savannah Smiles, Tuesday, 4 December 2007 16:44 (eighteen years ago)

I think the word "calculating" springs to mind.

― Mark G, Tuesday, 4 December 2007 18:15 (eighteen years ago)

well one time jenny rolled her eyes at me when i told her pink floyd kicked ass.

― chaki, Tuesday, 4 December 2007 18:47 (eighteen years ago)

I'm not the world's biggest Pink Floyd fan, but they're better than this yawnsome indiepop garbage.

― Curt1s Stephens, Wednesday, 5 December 2007 05:56 (eighteen years ago)

Silver Lining is the fucking best song of 2007. True, that's not saying much but still.

Curt1s is a dumb butt.

― King Boy Pato, Wednesday, 5 December 2007 09:19 (eighteen years ago)

As irregularly as I post, and as little water as my opinion carries around these parts, they are most definitely not "terrible people".

― Upt0eleven, Wednesday, 5 December 2007 13:36 (eighteen years ago)

three years pass...

Just found this on NME while reading a blurb about Sly Stone's "new" album:

http://www.nme.com/news/rilo-kiley/57999

I've been fearing this day since 2008 or so, so it was hardly unexpected, but it still sucks. Rilo Kiley made two of my favorite records of the '00s - More Adventurous and the widely misunderstood Under the Blacklight - and I bailed on the one chance I had to see them live back in 2008, so I'm kicking myself now. Christgau called them a "song band" more than anything else, and as someone who still loves traditional songcraft I mourn their loss. By 2007 Jenny Lewis - on a 3 album roll that had me thinking she might be the finest rock songwriter of the era - was writing almost everything, but her songs still benefited greatly from the input of her bandmates, particularly ex-bf (and now, apparently, ex-friend) Blake Sennett. I was disappointed enough by Lewis' 2008 solo release "Acid Tongue" that I didn't seek out the record she did with Johnathan Rice; those who've heard it, is it worth purchasing? Other thoughts?

― thewufs, Thursday, 14 July 2011 16:32 (fourteen years ago)

Good riddance.

― Johnny Fever, Thursday, 14 July 2011 16:32 (fourteen years ago)

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