About
Contrary to the name, not all the kids are black, just siblings Reggie and Ali Youngblood. That makes this multiracial act the Paul Butterfield Blues Band of sassy, post-modern new wave; think the Go! Team filtered through the Cure and those criminally underappreciated Brit-pop dudes in James. Coming together in swampy Jacksonville, Fla., in 2006, the quintet blew up in a minute. Like a lot of buzz bands, they posted some demos to MySpace (the insanely infectious Wizard of Ahhhs EP). Of course, Pitchfork started drooling all over them, as did folks grooving to Black Kids' sweaty, feel-good concerts throughout the South. Signing with Columbia Records, Black Kids went into the studio with producer Bernard Butler. On the band's debut album, Partie Traumatic, former Suede guitarist Butler once again proves to be a pop master, bringing to the surface the group's latent ties to peppy AM pop, as well as the early-'80s R&B of New Edition and Michael Jackson. Whether all the hype and praise makes you love or hate Black Kids, tunes like "I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You" and "I Wanna Be Your Limousine" are classic teenage fun. Now get out there and bop.
- Justin Farrar
- Portions of Album Content Provided by All Music Guide © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC.