Rilo Kiley Band

Rilo Kiley was an American indie rock band based in Los Angeles. Formed in 1998, the band consisted of Jenny Lewis, Blake Sennett, Pierre de Reeder, and Dave Rock.

The group released their debut album Take-Offs and Landings under Seattle-based independent label Barsuk Records in 2001. Since then, they have released three additional studio albums and several EPs. In 2007, they were signed with major record label Warner Bros., and subsequently made their major record label debut Under the Blacklight.

talk about a flawless indie pop band. Jenny Lewis is an incredibly talented songwriter and vocalist, The Execution Of All Things and More Adventurous are among the all time great indie albums of the 2000s.

imo Rilo Kiley have 3 of the saddest moments in indie pop/rock in their catalog.
The "Mike Ill teach you how to swim, if you turn the bad in me into good again" part in Absence Of God.
"You say I choose sadness but it never once has chosen me, well maybe youre right" in The Good That Wont Come Out.
Finally, "And I was even having a good day when I found out we'd lost you" in Ripchord

 

One of the best ever. I feel like Lewis gets shortchanged in the discussion of great songwriters from the early 00s Barsuk/Saddle Creek indie rock boom. She's not often mentioned in the discussion along with Conor Oberst, Ben Gibbard, and Tim Kasher, and while I'm sure much of that is due to inherent sexism, I just feel like her work continues to be underrated.

 

Yesss

 

more adventurous is one of the best records of all time, need to spend more time with the rest

 

Blake is one of my favorite guitar players ever, and not just because we share a last name (though we're not related as far as I know). His tone is always spectacular and his melody lines, especially on Execution, are so inventive and interesting. I just wish I felt the same way about his vocals and lyrics. I really think every Rilo Kiley record would be improved by replacing his songs with more of Jenny's.

And Jenny Lewis really is one of the best songwriters around. Every album is full of great lines and moments, but this section of "A Better Son/Daughter" is my favorite:

The military march style of the song coupled with the rawness of the lyrics makes for one of the most powerful depictions of battling depression that I've ever heard in music.

 

They were a fantastic band and I'm really glad I saw them on what turned out to be one of their last tours. Shame that Rabbit Fur Coat is really the only non-RK release either of them has that lives up to what they did as a band.

Spectacular Views

 

I liked all the albums INCLUDING UNDER THE BLACKLIGHT.

 

theyre all varying degrees of good, execution is best

 

I love Jenny Lewis. More Adventurous is one of my all-time favorite albums.

Under The Blacklight is underrated.

 

Under the Blacklight is very strong. I often wonder where they would have headed next if they expanded on the Fleetwood Mac inspired foundation of Blacklight, but then again that's kind of what we got with The Voyager haha

 

I listened to The Execution Of All Things almost constantly for 3 months.

 

like half of Under the Blacklight is incredible and half of it really doesn't hit for me

 

i know its not rilo kiley but acid tongue was pretty money, too.

 

Love everything about this band and Jenny solo

 

Listened to this band for the first time yesterday, again today. Only Take Offs and Landings so far. This album is so affable and on first listen it almost lost me because some songs are hard to grab due to how...Easy going it is? But on second listen, the vocals and vocal melodies are really strong (except maybe "August") and the songs are still sturdy despite that initial complaint. I like that slight jangle a lot of the songs have. The male vocalist (Blake I suppose) is not as strong on any of his songs on this album, hope that changes because I love multiple vocalists in a band.

 

i really like the only song he gets on more adventurous. tough to be the second vocalist in a band with Jenny Lewis haha

 

I delete all of his songs, I can't stand his vocals.

 

Yeah, I prefer when it's just Jenny Lewis or both of them. I assume they'll both improve though, so glad I can at least look forward to two albums out.

 

You need to listen to More Adventurous next. I think it's their best record for sure. Also, I would wait and listen to Under The Blacklight last. It's a fun album and there are some really great tracks on there, but it's not what you would expect.

They aren't great, but I still listen to them. The only songs I delete in my library are those 20+ minute remixes or whatever.

 

That song kicks me in the gut every time.

 

yeah, I plan on going in order, execution of all things next. Partly because they don't have a ton and chronological seems fine and partly bc I don't have the last two, haha. Can't listen to them on Spotify til I am on wifi again :(

 

damn dude you are just hearing rilo for the first time that is exciting af

 

Yeah, I've been working my way through the saddle creek hey day slowly but surely. Excited about execution, I've heard great things. It's a shame so many of those bands are inactive now :/

 

Execution is easily my favourite.

 

Sounds like I've got two great albums to look forward to. I really need to start digging into the lyrics more though, that's part of what I really love about that crop of bands