Having heard a lot about the band Kitten recently, I decided to check them out. I went to YouTube and pulled up the band’s single “Kill the Light,” and what I heard amazed me. Then I decided to do some research. It turns out this California-based quartet is fronted by the magnificent 16-year-old Chloe Chaidez. Prior to forming Kitten, Chaidez had her first band, Wild Youth, at the age of ten. Her former band, played alongside Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes and Band of Horses. This girl is astounding.
This year the band toured with Young The Giant and played on 2011’s SXSW. After learning all this, I proceeded to listen to the rest of the band’s 2010 EP Sunday School (on Atlantic Records). Tracks like “Chinatown” and “Kitten With A Whip” caught my attention. This is the kind of music I want to play when I’m getting pumped up to go out with friends. To me, Kitten is the audible teenage experience.
In the midst of listening to the EP, I began to realize that Kitten was so different from all of the other female-fronted bands out there. That, to me, is the most notable thing about this band. Where so many bands these days lack originality, Kitten is a refreshing change. Although you can tell Chaidez is influenced by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, she has a sound all her own. She’s indubitably raising the bar for future female fronted bands, and her inspiring accomplishments make me feel a sense of pride for the females of our generation. Expect to be hearing a lot about this gem of a band in the near future, because they’re going places. Also, look forward to their full-length album to be released this fall, that’s sure to be remarkable.
Check out Kitten’s new video for “Chinatown”
For fans of:
Metric, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Shiny Toy Guns
Where to buy:
iTunes-$3.99
Amazon-$6.58
so i couldn’t help but notice the absence of the Mountain goats, the best band in the history of bands. despite no one likes them, if anything that makes them independent by fault of rejection.