Rilo Kiley - "Under the Blacklight" (August 21)

[joker]

New Rilo Kiley disc due in August

After an 18-month hiatus, during which time key members Jenny Lewis and Blake Sennett were busy with side projects, Rilo Kiley is just about ready to drop a new album. Under the Blacklight, co-produced by Rilo with Jason Lader (known for his work with Vietnam) and Mike Elizondo (who reshaped Fiona Apple's Extraordinary Machine) is the band's first work since 2004's breakthrough More Adventurous - and its first proper release via Warner Bros. (The label quickly reissued Rilo's third, initially issued on Brute/Beaute, once it began to garner a wider audience.)

As befits a group that came up through the L.A. club scene, Under the Blacklight - due Aug. 21, almost three years to the day since Rilo's last disc - is said (in today's press announcement) to be "a gloriously decadent-sounding album, smooth dance beats balanced by the underlying lyrical motifs of the seedier side of Los Angeles life, the characters in the songs embroiled in everything from drunken one night stands to the sex industry."

No surprise it would feature a song called "The Moneymaker," then. The album is also described as very Californian and very '70s, particularly in the soul groove of Sennett's "Dreamworld." Other titles, in case this means anything to any fans: "15," "Breakin' Up," "Silver Lining," "Give a Little Love."

[joker]

Billboard article

Tracklist:

01 Silver Lining
02 Close Call
03 The Moneymaker
04 Breakin' Up
05 Under the Blacklight
06 Dreamworld
07 Dejalo
08 15
09 Smoke Detector
10 The Angels Hung Around
11 Give a Little Love

[busyboy]

I'd started a thread for them last month but couldn't find it. PMB, PMB...
Oh well, let this be the nu smash thread! ;)

Rilo Kiley Reveal Blacklight Tracklist, U.S. Release Date

If all your white apparel is lit up like glowsticks right now, that's probably because the arrival of Rilo Kiley's previously reported fourth LP draws nigh.

Under the Blacklight lands August 21 on U.S. shores (and August 20 in the UK, as mentioned prior) via Warner Bros. It includes 11 tracks; among them, "Breakin' Up" and "The Moneymaker", which bear slight variations on previously circulated track titles, and "Give a Little Love", which we sure hope is an M2M cover.

Although his involvement was at one point in doubt, Jason Lader (Gwen Stefani, Jay-Z, VietNam) did indeed produce, alongside the band and Mike Elizondo (Dr. Dre, Eminem, 50 Cent, Fiona Apple). As far as we know, despite all the hip-hop links, Too $hort was not involved with the album in any way.

[joker]

Yeah, the only thread I could find was "Rilo Kiley fans?" in the Opinion forum.

[busyboy]

Rilo Kiley say new album is their 'sexiest ever'
LA darlings spice things up with pornography-themed video

Rilo Kiley have divulged the details of the follow-up to their 2004 breakthrough album 'More Adventurous'.

'Under The Blacklight' is due out in August, and it is their sexiest album ever, frontwoman Jenny Lewis and guitarist Blake Sennett told NME.COM.

"The sexiest music there is has a strong rhythmic perspective, and this album has a really strong rhythm section that our last records didn't have," said Sennett.

Lewis added: "As a woman, the older I get the more comfortable I feel writing about sex and singing about it, whereas in my late teens and early 20s I wouldn't have dared. But now I feel comfortable enough where I can start writing about sex -- not necessarily about my own experiences, but the sexual lives of others. And the somewhat deviant sexual lives of others."

The band used this theme to inspire the video for their new single, 'The Moneymaker', which features real-life porn stars as the protagonists.

"We told people they were coming in and auditioning for a porno," Sennett explained.

"A soft core porn," added Lewis. "Some were told it was for a music video, because when you work in pornography there's typically no audition process, you show up and work. So (director) Autumn (De Wilde) wrote a scene so that they could show us if they could act. And then we sat them down and asked them about their experiences.

"We all came up with the concept and stepped into that world (of pornography) knowing so little," Lewis admitted. "We met some really interesting, nice people. They were incredibly open with us. I think everyone possesses within them the moneymaker, it's just a matter of if you're willing to go there."

[vinyl]

I love 'Moneymaker'.

[busyboy]

Rilo Kiley
Under The Blacklight



So, Rilo Kiley. Old chums of Conor 'Bright Eyes' Oberst. Fronted by child actor-turned-indie minx Jenny Lewis. A few guys you wouldn't recognise if they picked up guitars and drum sticks in front of the words 'Rilo Kiley' blown up in big neon letters.

Do-it-yourself history, but with a major label record contract. Yep, Rilo Kiley are Garden State indie - a tiny bit kooky, with a country twang and a Dylan record framed on the wall, but ultimately safe, complacent music for safe, complacent people. The fourth album from the Los Angeles band does a little to shake up your preconceptions. Mostly, it's still Americana-lite indie - occasionally, though, they flash teeth. 'Close Call' echoes PJ Harvey's downbeat snarl, guitars circling like descending ashes as Lewis drawls about prostitution and pickpockets. 'The Moneymaker' struts along with at least an awareness of the funk, with lean stabs of guitar and tumbling drum rolls. There's even a couple of disco tracks. Unfortunatley the first, 'Breakin' Up', walks a dangerous line between mirrorball euphoria and being groped by a pair of meaty, alcoholic hands on the dancefloor at Ritzy's. Then there's the actually quite excellent 'Dejalo', which is roughly how the Bee Gees would sound if they spent six months on a yacht partying with ladyboys and cocaine. "I've got a tail if you wanna chase it/I've got a tongue if you want to taste it", coos Lewis, yet it's joyful and innocent rather than jaded and sleazy - a lightweight thrill.

Sadly, it's an isolated gem that can't lift 'Under The Blacklight' out of its dull AOR mire. Lewis plays the minx to the hilt, but there's precious little here to get the blood pumping, and by the close, you're thinking that selling out isn't selling your songs to adverts; it's just sounding like you want to.

Louis Pattison

[vinyl]

I might have to check it out, despite the review.
It didn't even sound too bad. :)

[busyboy]

Album streaming at MySpace:

www.myspace.com/rilokiley

[reception]

cherrycrush said:

From HSB:



One of LA's bigger success stories in terms of indie bands making it big, Rilo Kiley have announced new fall tour dates in support of their new album Under The Blacklight, which will be out on August 21st through Warner Bros. Records. Well, I suppose that you can't really classify them as "indie" since it's out on Warner Bros., but I just use the term indie loosely, in the generic sense. Anyway, you can find their new single "The Moneymaker" below.

Dates
9/6 - San Francisco, CA - Warfield
9/7 - Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom - MFNW 2007
9/8 - Seattle, WA - Showbox
9/10 - Salt Lake City, UT - McKay Events Center, w/Modest Mouse
9/11 - Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre
9/12 - Columbia, MO - University of Missouri - Jesse Auditorium
9/13 - Omaha, NE - Sokol Auditorium
9/14 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
9/15 - Chicago, IL - Riviera Theatre
9/17 - Royal Oak, MI - Royal Oak Music Theatre
9/18 - Toronto, ONT - Phoenix Theatre
9/19 - Montreal, QUE - La Tulipe
9/21 - Boston, MA -Avalon
9/22 - New York, NY - Webster Hall
9/23 - New York, NY - Webster Hall
9/25 - Philadelphia, PA - Trocadero
9/26 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
9/27 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
9/28 - Asheville, NC - Orange Peel
9/29 - Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse
10/01 Ft. Lauderdale, FL Revolution
10/02 - Lake Buena Vista, FL - House of Blues
10/04 - New Orleans, LA - Republic
10/05 - Houston, TX - Warehouse Live
10/06 - Dallas, TX - Palladium
10/07 - Austin, TX - Stubb's BBQ
10/09 - Tucson, AZ - Rialto Theatre
10/10 - Tempe, AZ - Marquee Theatre
10/12 - San Diego, CA - SOMA
10/13 - Las Vegas, NV - The Joint
10/15 - Los Angeles, CA - Santa Monica Civic

First single, "The Moneymaker":

[busyboy]

Out today in the US!

[vinyl]

On first listen it's not too amazing.
I'll have to listen closely though, paying attention to the lyrics & all next time around.

[oscillations.]

www.metacritic.com/music/artists/rilokiley/undertheblacklight

78.

[busyboy]

It's not great from start to finish, but there are good songs in the first part of the album.

[splitpersonality]

I am loving the album so much. "Silver Lining" and "The Angels Hung Around" are my gems right now.

Rilo Kiley is unbelievably amazing.

[oscillations.]

I feel like "The Moneymaker" could be a crossover hit, but I've yet to catch wind of even a hint of promotion.

[Active Aggressive]

Oooh...it....feels good to be free! Lovin it lovin it LOVIN IT!! Never even heard their other albums, just Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins. I am going to have to see them in Boston. The CD makes me happy but it would have been better coming out earlier in the summer. It's OK for those in CA tho because they can drive down the coast with their tops down in the fall and still blast these JAMS!

[Active Aggressive]

I think I got the last ticket for the Boston show yesterday because right after I bought it from the Orpheum box office (I waited and waited because I did not want to deal with 9 dollars of Ticketmaster fees for a 20 dollar ticket), I checked for tix for my friends and it was sold out, so I will probably be going alone. Bummer! Oh well, at least I get to see RK because I hear they are amazing live!

[busyboy]

The album debuts at #34 in the UK.

[busyboy]

From HDD:

-- 37 RILO KILEY WARNER BROTHERS 19,223 --
UNDER THE BLACK LIGHT

Metascore (22 reviews):



www.metacritic.com/music/artists/rilokiley/undertheblacklight

[areyoureadytojump]

Billboard.com:

Rilo Kiley's "Under the Blacklight" (Warner Bros.,) debuts at No. 22 with 27,000 sold.

[roentgenizdat]

09/08: NEW 22 * RILO KILEY UNDER THE BLACK LIGHT 26,613 200 999 26,813

[areyoureadytojump]

9/22 chart

65 RILO KILEY UNDER THE BLACK LIGHT 9,104 -21% 11,595 47,512

[vinyl]

Ooh it grew on me a lot.
Some songs are fantastic, namely Silver Lining.

[busyboy]

I <3 this album too.

[Active Aggressive]

I want it to sell better. I am also frustrated that critics are failing to see where they were going with the change in style but you can't please critics. Most of them are misinformed and biased anyway. I can't wait to see these guys perform in Boston this Friday!!

[areyoureadytojump]

10/6 chart

115 RILO KILEY UNDER THE BLACK LIGHT 5918 -24% 7787 61,217

[areyoureadytojump]

10/20 chart

190 RILO KILEY UNDER THE BLACK LIGHT 4,125 4,860 -15% 70,202

[Active Aggressive]

Maybe with the heavy promo that MTV has been doing for them (playing snippets of live performances from this album and using the music in the background for their shows' commercials) will help...I certainly hope so.