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Cage The Elephant
It's a story that's as old as Rock n' Roll. A pious father who hates secular music - especially Rock -drives his sons to just the thing he most despises. The kids trade eternal salvation for a drag race down the highway to Hell. Jeez, that was a surprise.
Meet the Shultz brothers - Matt and Brad. That's pretty much their story.
So how does a band that gets started in Bowling Green, KY, end up relocating in East London. Well, play South By Southwest in Austin and impress a label (in this case EMI Records). Move to England to record and find an audience inclined toward your sound. Simple.
The recent precedent was set by the Kings Of Leon who were popular in the U.K. before they broke in the U.S. - even though the band was from the Deep South.
'08 single, "Ain't No Rest For The Wicked," reached #32 on the U.K. chart. A self-titled full-length album rolled out first in the U.K. then the U.S. where the reception was more positive. From that set, the second single "In One Ear," nailed the #1 spot on Billboard's Alternative Songs chart.
Cage The Elephant occupies a space between the Kings Of Leon and The Killers - not a bad place to be. No wonder they found an audience in the U.K.
They also take a retro bend which tends to perk things up. "In One Ear," a song about phonies, feels like a Yardbirds/Barenaked Ladies "One Week" mash-up. "Drones In The Valley" is a pure psycho-raver and "Back Stabbin' Betty," fires a nasty Blues-Rock shot. The set closer, "Free Love," is a Garage band taking a swing at the Hendrix classic "Stone Free" and having it come out "Fire." But when they just get down to kickin' it, Cage The Elephant soar. "Tiny Robots" and "James Brown" do the trick. The acoustic "Ain't No Rest For The Wicked" and "Back Against The Wall," not to mention the mid-tempo U2-ish "Lotus," demonstrates the group's reach. A lot of bands can Rock but to even have the slower stuff work is truly impressive.