The Indie Rock Blog: Indie Rock Review (Crash Kings)

Hello to everyone again,

So, on this amazing Easter weekend I decided to come back to this blog and once again start contributing some more amazing sounds for all your ears to hear. This week I have, in my opinion, one of the most talented singers in all of modern day indie rock.

His name? Tony Beliveau.

Tony is the lead singer and keyboardist for his band Crash Kings. The band is made up of Tony, his brother Mike (who plays bass as well as contributes with background vocals) and then Jason Morris on drums.

I know some people out there are probably confused by this, as the usual three-man band will consist of a lead guitarist, bassist and drummer. The examples of these stereotypical three-man bands are evident through history,(Green Day, Nirvana, Them Crooked Vultures, Blink-182, Violent Femmes, Muse, Seether, and the list goes on) However, Crash Kings have something that sets them apart from all these other great indie bands. They don't have a guitarist!

That's right, the band has no guitarist at all, and most people when they hear this get turned off the idea of the band. Usually the guitar has been a staple in rock music since the first day it was played, but however, the lack of guitar makes Crash Kings' music even more powerful. In some songs it sounds as if a guitar is involved, but in fact there is none, but rather Tony uses different levels of distortion as well as a whammy bar on his keyboard.

Now I will try to cover this amazing bands very short history.

This trio from Los Angeles first got together in 2006 and toured locally for three years before releasing their, self-titled first album in 2009. This album featured the hit single "Mountain Man" and since the release, this band, and their unique style, has taken North America by storm. They have since been on tour with indie rock greats Stone Temple Pilots, Australian indie rock pioneers Jet and the new millennium breakthrough band The Bravery. The publicity of these shows, their one of a kind setup and the powerful voice of Tony Beliveau has made their rise to indie rock stardom a very quick and well deserved one.

Now I will go into more detail on the album. This is actually quite easy for me to state in one word. Amazing. From start to finish the album is unbelievable, they mix up their styles so well and every song has a new edge to it that just makes you want to hear more. Of course, "Mountain Man" is the highlight of the album; it was their first single and is such a masterfully made song. But when you listen to the rest of the album, especially some of the songs that never made it to radio you realise that there are many songs that are just as good, if not better than their big hit. "1985" "It's Only Wednesday" "Come Away" "Non Believer" and "Raincoat" are all songs that could have easily been radio hits if they had received more air time. The album is expansive and amazing and I encourage everyone to get a copy as it is well worth the buy. And, if you already have this album, they have announced that they will be releasing their sophomore album before the end of the year.

My final part of the review will not focus as much on the band aspect but more on Tony Beliveau, masterful songwriter and owner of my favourite voice in indie rock. You can tell his voice is good when you listen to the record, but I do not believe you can fully appreciate it until you hear a live performance. For, in my opinion, his voice sounds even better live than on the record. Obviously many people agree with me on this as Tony has went on many solo tours this year, playing the Crash Kings' songs with just him and a keyboard. Below I will be showing you guys some videos from Crash Kings, but I will also be including some of Tony's solo efforts on the songs, and I know that all of you who listen to them will be as blown away as I was.

Here I have the Crash Kings performing "Mountain Man" as well as Tony performing "Mountain Man" solo; please keep in mind that Tony’s rendition is live, there is no editing or electronically altering of the voice. Also, he is playing all of the instrument’s parts on keyboard since they are not present. He is then singing like a god while doing this. I also have a copy of Tony performing "It's Only Wednesday" as well as the whole band performing "Non Believer"

"Mountain Man" by Crash Kings