When
Tears for Fears sang "Kick out the Style/Bring back the Jam" in "Sowing the Seeds of Love," one can imagine the lads in
Kaiser Chiefs raising their mugs of ale in agreement. Comprised of vocalist
Ricky Wilson, guitarist
Andrew White, bassist
Simon Rix, keyboardist
Nick Baines, and drummer
Nick Hodgson,
Kaiser Chiefs resurrected the
mod spirit of
the Jam in "I Predict a Riot," supercharged class-of-1977
power pop that quickly electrified the British press when it was released in 2004. The song was inspired by
Wilson's days as a club DJ in Leeds, England, where the group was also formed. The single and
Kaiser Chiefs' pogo-inducing, boot-stomping live performances had them pegged as rising stars in the neo-
new wave revolution with
Franz Ferdinand,
Dogs Die in Hot Cars, and
the Futureheads. When
Kaiser Chiefs' first 7", "Oh My God," reached number 66 on the U.K. charts -- a startling achievement for an unsigned band -- doors opened for the group to share the stage with larger acts, consequently grabbing the attention of A&R scouts who wanted to sign them. "I Predict a Riot," on the other hand, reeled in U.S. modern rock radio programmers caught in a blooming
new wave revival. Without an American label deal,
Kaiser Chiefs (named after the South African football team) crash-landed on some of the biggest U.S. alternative stations with the "I Predict a Riot" import single in late 2004. That same year they recorded their debut album, Employment, for the U.K. label B-Unique. The album was released domestically in the U.S. in spring 2005. The group's follow-up, Yours Truly, Angry Mob, arrived in the spring of 2007, with Off with Their Heads arriving a year later. ~ Michael Sutton, All Music Guide
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Off with Their Heads
Yours Truly, Angry Mob