Party Ends

   The first thing that John said when I sent him the link to Kick Ball's myspace was "how is no other band called Kick Ball already?!" and he makes a truly decisive and intriguing point. It is generally held as one of the awesomest sports, nigh art form, and hence does make a truly awesome name because of the inherent visual and nostalgic references those words paired together instinctively bring to mind. And so, it's a good starting point to bring you into the mind to enjoy this band's raucous, sometimes juvenile, and always fun music.

   Sort of like a post pop-punk epileptic Built to Spill after too many drinks, Kick Ball has the feel that underneath all the yelling and dancing, something substantial is going on. Based out of Olympia (which I haven't heard a lot of music from lately), the band seems to be on a pretty rigorous series of small tours across the northern states. Reportedly they have a rather crazy live show, which is totally believable after listening to the wailings and thrashings of the singer and his crew as they bounce around their enjoyably hollow and homespun recordings with seemingly reckless abandon while keeping everything just orderly enough to be listenable. Top that with some truly memorable hooks and playfully cryptic lyrics and you have something really, you know, "special". Check out these tracks and their MySpace, and if you live up northern way, let me know how the shows are.

MP3: Kickball - Underground Husband

MP3: Kickball - Polar Bears

Plus, they list this funny board game that my sister in law is kind of obsessed with called Settlers of Catan as one of their influences on their MySpace, which is really funny. I played it once, it's pretty good, like Risk but without army's.