self-titled - no. 1 - (Page 34)

TIPPING POINT The Cool Kids “We’d really be fucking ourselves if we didn't put out a CD,” says 19-yearold Antoine Reed, better known as Mikey Rocks. Coming from a hip-hop artist, this sounds almost insultingly obvious, on par with, say, a jockey realizing he’d be screwed if he gained 60 pounds and donated his steed to a glue factory. But Mikey and his 23-year-old partner Chuck Inglish (born Evan Ingersoll)—collectively dubbed the Cool Kids—haven’t exactly followed a typical career arc. They didn’t pioneer the art of spreading like kudzu over the tubes thanks to MySpace, but they may be the first act to be satisfied staying there. Since the Chicago duo—whose terse beats, cocksure lyrics and crisp fittings have garnered acclaim from DJs and sneaker-heads alike—went from radar blips to battleships via blog buzz, the Cool Kids initially planned to keep all their releases digital. But now, their debut full-length is tentatively slated for a mid-2008 release. Why the change in iTune? “I bought a CD one day, and I realized how cool buying CDs still is,” says Mikey matter-of-factly. It’s easy to dub such sentiments old school, and it’s even easier to label the Kids that as well. For starters, check the ’80s-baby accouterment—gold ropes, square-as-a-school-lunch Mars Blackmon frames, chubby sneaker tongues and snug jeans. “It’s not a bad thing,” says Chuck of the role image plays in their notoriety. “But we don’t want our style to overshadow the fact that we’re busting our ass to make dope music.” The Cool Kids’ sound seems almost defiant in its cribbing of regional styles—the codeine drawl of chopped/screwed choruses, the primacy of big-beat production (they do all their own board work). But there’s also a marked simplicity at work as song titles double as topic summaries. “Black Mags” is a paean to BMX bikes. “Gold and Pagers” big-ups the mostly obsolete waistband device. “88” is a nostalgic voyage back to you know when (“Do the smurf / Do the wop / Baseball bat / Rooftop / Like I’m bringing ’88 back”). “What grabs me is the spirit they capture,” says New York DJ Nick “Catchdubs” Barat, who has worked with the Kids informally through the Fool’s Gold label he co-founded with DJ A-Trak. The act, which has toured with M.I.A., signed to Chocolate Industries. “They are making music that defines themselves,” Barat continues, “probably the way LL felt recording his earliest joints.” It’s a lofty comparison for two sprouts that have yet to grace a record-store shelf. But if having the foresight to understand the demands of an oft-jaded audience is any indication, the Kids should be cool. “Artists say they make music people can connect to,” says Chuck, “like, ‘This is our life story.’ But nobody gives a shit. They want to hear a song that’s dope in their car, that they can say all the words to.” We’d really be fucking ourselves if we disagreed. drew lazor – photo : chris hires http://www.myspace.com/gocoolkids http://www.chrishires.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of self-titled - no. 1

self-titled - no. 1 Contents Spiritualized No Age Les Savy Fav The Teenagers Booka Shade Michael Gira Ellen Allien Magik Markers Jens Lekman Yeasayer Daptone Records Tipping Point Boris Fiery Furnaces Black Dice Black Mountain The Black Lips

self-titled - no. 1

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