Rock Kills Kid
Encyclopedia
Rock Kills Kid is an American
alternative rock
band from Los Angeles
, California
that consists of Jeff Tucker (guitar and vocals), Shawn Dailey (bass), Sean Stopnik (guitar), Reed Calhoun (keyboards/vocals), and Mike Balboa (drums). Their music often draws comparison to The Cure
, Echo & the Bunnymen
, Duran Duran
and U2
, as well as new bands such as The Killers and Franz Ferdinand
. They were named one of Rolling Stone
magazine's "10 Artists to Watch in 2006".
.
During the end of the self-titled EP tour, the band also recorded two songs with producer/engineer Ariel Rechtshaid (formerly of "The Hippos
"). The songs were titled "Still Standing" and "Farewell." The former appeared on a Fearless Records Promotional CD: 2003 And Beyond... and was remade later on the album Are You Nervous? and retitled "Hope Song". The latter was included with a bonus disc inside select copies of the Fearless Records Punk Goes Acoustic compilation.
Following this period, with no money and no place to live, Tucker began sleeping at the recording studio Fearless was paying for in Los Angeles while writing songs for the forthcoming full-length album.
Tucker later regrouped with a new line-up of Rock Kills Kid, which included Dailey, Stopnik, Calhoun, and Ian Hendrickson. They signed to Reprise Records
and toured extensively in support of their debut album, Are You Nervous (with drums played by Kenny Livingston and production/engineering tasks given to Mark Trombino
). A tour in fall 2005 and early 2006 with Electric Six
and She Wants Revenge
further boosted their profile, as did the use of "Hide Away" on an episode of Fox television
drama The O.C.
.
"Hide Away" was an iTunes free download in April 2006. "Paralyzed" is the first single off "Are You Nervous" and was sent to radio that same month. "Paralyzed" was played during the credits of the 2008 feature film Prom Night
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band from Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
that consists of Jeff Tucker (guitar and vocals), Shawn Dailey (bass), Sean Stopnik (guitar), Reed Calhoun (keyboards/vocals), and Mike Balboa (drums). Their music often draws comparison to The Cure
The Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...
, Echo & the Bunnymen
Echo & the Bunnymen
Echo & the Bunnymen are an English post-punk band, formed in Liverpool in 1978. The original line-up consisted of vocalist Ian McCulloch, guitarist Will Sergeant and bass player Les Pattinson, supplemented by a drum machine. By 1980, Pete de Freitas had joined as the band's drummer, and their debut...
, Duran Duran
Duran Duran
Duran Duran are an English band, formed in Birmingham in 1978. They were one of the most successful bands of the 1980s and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States...
and U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
, as well as new bands such as The Killers and Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand (band)
Franz Ferdinand are a Scottish post-punk revival band formed in Glasgow in 2002. The band is composed of Alex Kapranos , Bob Hardy , Nick McCarthy , and Paul Thomson .The band first experienced chart success when their second single, "Take Me Out", reached #3 in...
. They were named one of Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine's "10 Artists to Watch in 2006".
History
Although there was a period when Jeff Tucker, Kirk Huffman, and Danny "Extravaganza" played under the moniker "The Jeff Tucker Extravaganza", the initial incarnation of "Rock Kills Kid" consisted of Jeff Tucker (vocals, guitar, song-writing), Kirk Huffman (bass), Devin Kelly (guitar, vocals, piano), and Chris Poulson (drums). This version of Rock Kills Kid toured moderately across the United States in support of the debut self-titled 5-song EP released in early 2003 by Fearless RecordsFearless Records
Fearless Records is an alternative rock-oriented record label that has been signing artists since 1994. Fearless is based in Westminster, California and are best known for their early pop-punk moments captured in the Fearless Flush Sampler and Punk Bites releases, as well as additional releases by...
.
During the end of the self-titled EP tour, the band also recorded two songs with producer/engineer Ariel Rechtshaid (formerly of "The Hippos
The Hippos
The Hippos were an American rock band formed in 1995 in Los Angeles, California, and disbanded in 2000. During the band's lifetime they released 3 full-length albums...
"). The songs were titled "Still Standing" and "Farewell." The former appeared on a Fearless Records Promotional CD: 2003 And Beyond... and was remade later on the album Are You Nervous? and retitled "Hope Song". The latter was included with a bonus disc inside select copies of the Fearless Records Punk Goes Acoustic compilation.
Following this period, with no money and no place to live, Tucker began sleeping at the recording studio Fearless was paying for in Los Angeles while writing songs for the forthcoming full-length album.
Tucker later regrouped with a new line-up of Rock Kills Kid, which included Dailey, Stopnik, Calhoun, and Ian Hendrickson. They signed to Reprise Records
Reprise Records
Reprise Records is an American record label, founded in 1960 by Frank Sinatra. It is owned by Warner Music Group, and operated through Warner Bros. Records.-Beginnings:...
and toured extensively in support of their debut album, Are You Nervous (with drums played by Kenny Livingston and production/engineering tasks given to Mark Trombino
Mark Trombino
Mark Trombino is a rock music producer. He started his career as the drummer of Night Soil Man, before playing for Drive Like Jehu. He also played in a Long Beach-based punk rock band called First Offense which released a seven inch on Mystic Records entitled "Broken Home."-Bands:*Alive in Wild...
). A tour in fall 2005 and early 2006 with Electric Six
Electric Six
Electric Six is a six-piece metro Detroit-based band that plays what has been described as a brand of rock music infused with elements of "garage, disco, punk, new wave, and metal." The band met recognition in 2003 with the singles "Danger! High Voltage" and "Gay Bar", and subsequently recorded...
and She Wants Revenge
She Wants Revenge
She Wants Revenge is an American musical duo, based in San Fernando Valley, California. The group's debut album She Wants Revenge was released in early 2006, with three singles to follow...
further boosted their profile, as did the use of "Hide Away" on an episode of Fox television
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
drama The O.C.
The O.C.
The O.C. is an American teen drama television series that originally aired on the Fox television network in the United States from August 5, 2003, to February 21, 2007, running a total of four seasons...
.
"Hide Away" was an iTunes free download in April 2006. "Paralyzed" is the first single off "Are You Nervous" and was sent to radio that same month. "Paralyzed" was played during the credits of the 2008 feature film Prom Night
Prom Night (2008 film)
Prom Night is a 2008 horror film from Screen Gems directed by Nelson McCormick and starring Brittany Snow. The film is a re-imagining of the 1980 Canadian horror film of the same name.-Plot:...
.
Albums
- [2003] Rock Kills Kid EP - Fearless RecordsFearless RecordsFearless Records is an alternative rock-oriented record label that has been signing artists since 1994. Fearless is based in Westminster, California and are best known for their early pop-punk moments captured in the Fearless Flush Sampler and Punk Bites releases, as well as additional releases by...
- [2006] Are You Nervous?Are You Nervous?Are You Nervous? is an album by Rock Kills Kid, released on 25 April 2006 in the United States. "Paralyzed" was released as a single and reached the #12 spot on the US Modern Rock charts.-Track listing:#"Paralyzed" – 3:04#"Hideaway" – 4:01...
- Reprise RecordsReprise RecordsReprise Records is an American record label, founded in 1960 by Frank Sinatra. It is owned by Warner Music Group, and operated through Warner Bros. Records.-Beginnings:...
Further reading
External links
- Rock Kills Kid on MySpaceMySpaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
- Rock Kills Kid on PurevolumePureVolumePureVolume was the first independently run website of its type, allowing for the upload and stream of music files. It was created in 2003 by Jennifer Welch , in conjunction with the Unborn Media team; Brett Woitunski, Nate Hudson, and Mitchell Pavao; all from the University of...
- Rock Kills Kid on SoundclickSoundClickSoundClick is a music-based social community. It offers bands, artists, and music labels a platform for self-promotion. Songs can be streamed, downloaded in MP3 format, sold through the store, or licensed to others. SoundClick compiles daily charts for various genres, based on how many times a...
- Rock Kills Kid on the Fearless RecordsFearless RecordsFearless Records is an alternative rock-oriented record label that has been signing artists since 1994. Fearless is based in Westminster, California and are best known for their early pop-punk moments captured in the Fearless Flush Sampler and Punk Bites releases, as well as additional releases by...
website