Gods and Monsters by I Am Kloot

July 08, 2005 | 12 Comments

The Artist: I Am Kloot
The Song: Over My Shoulder
[Launch Player]
The Album: Gods and Monsters
Released 2005
Recommended if you like: Travis, Badly Drawn Boy, Cake, Placebo, Elbow

If there was one band I missed that I really wanted to see at SXSW it was I Am Kloot. Funny name, lots of hype, Pitchfork dissed them—I was sure to love it! At the time I’d never heard them, and the way they were being talked about I’d assumed they were in the same vein as Bloc Party or Franz Ferdinand.

They’re not. At all.

When I got back home I picked up their self-titled release and was really impressed. Since then I’ve tried to get my hands on as much of their stuff as I can.

(It’s actually a bit hard to come by.)

On first listen they really reminded me of Damon Gough (Badly Drawn Boy) or maybe even Cake. It’s quirky, infectious, groovy, funky and all together great. It’s unique yet familiar, and makes for a great sit down listen.

I don’t think they’re very well known here in the states, despite the buzz surrounding them at SXSW, but I fully expect them to hit the scene hard in the next year. After all, we’re a few years behind the UK and Gods & Monsters was released there in April.

Give “Over My Shoulder”, the first single from the album, a listen. I expect you’ll like it. Then, when and if you can find it, get the album. Get in on the ground floor of something really great.

Filed under: Album of The Moment
Keyword Tags: i+am+kloot gods+monsters

Comments

1. Mahi said:

I can never get your “Launch Player” link to work. When it does open the player window, the song never plays.

/might have to resort to less legal means of listening to this song.

Posted on July 8, 2005 03:09 PM | #

2. Ben Sekulowicz-Barclay said:

I must say that I am very impressed with your musical choices Keith - I am always pleasently suprised by the albums you review…

We sam I am Kloot in the acoustic tent at Glastonbury, and in a small intimate venue like that they were awesome…

Posted on July 9, 2005 04:42 AM | #

3. Nathan Ostgard said:

@ Mahi: The same thing happens to me. But, I’ve found that, after opening the player window, if I press the play button and wait for a while (30 seconds or so depending on your connection), the music will kick in.

Posted on July 9, 2005 06:44 AM | #

4. Quadsk8 said:

Funny Name, gets even funnier when you say it to Dutch people…

Posted on July 9, 2005 06:50 AM | #

5. Phil Thompson said:

Yeah I Am Kloot are awesome. If you haven’t already, check out their debut release Natural History.

Like Nathan, I saw them in the acoustic tent at Glastonbury and I’ve also seen them several times in Manchester over the years; they are a terrific live band - and still really cheap to go and see.

Posted on July 9, 2005 11:23 AM | #

6. Alistair said:

Keith, I have to ask just how much music costs where you are? Either the music is really really cheap or you earn far too much money, or maybe both ;-)

In Australia, if I walk down to the local music shop and pick up a new release CD, I’d be paying between $24 and $32, which is just cost prohibitive. My partner loves buying CDs, she knows she can buy them online or just ‘attain’ them, though still chooses to buy them.

So I have to ask, do you buy hardcopies of them (which for some reason, I think you would as you probably have a small fetish with the artwork on them as my partner does) or do you download theem through iTunes or something?

Al.

Posted on July 10, 2005 03:43 AM | #

7. Rob Weychert said:

Nice song. The singer reminds me a bit of the Decemberists guy, but I like this guy better. Incidentally, this album’s beautiful cover is by Jay Ryan.

Posted on July 10, 2005 09:13 AM | #

8. Keith said:

Al - The reason why this disc is so expensive is because you can only get it on import here in the states. Domestic disks are usually around $10 USD.

Posted on July 10, 2005 11:08 AM | #

9. Alistair said:

Well in that case, we get shafted both ways. There is no price difference between imported or domestic produced albums, grr.

*Shakes fist at record labels and producers*

Posted on July 10, 2005 03:16 PM | #

10. Dave Marks said:

Wooooah, you’re spot on - The first track on this album “No Direction Home” shouted Badly Drawn Boy with a twist of Placebo big time!

I’d never really put Badly Drawn Boy and Placebo in the same sentence before… but you know…. hmmm, might have to experiement with them two later :)

Think I’m gonna like this one! Cheers!

Posted on July 11, 2005 07:12 AM | #

11. Flag said:

I think you would as you probably have a small fetish with the artwork on them as my partner does) or do you download theem through iTunes or something?

Posted on July 13, 2005 12:56 AM | #

12. jekyll said:

Over My Shoulder… I have no musical ear but the opening (and continued underlying) riff (once the volume goes up) sounds like a wholesale ripoff reminds me of something from Semisonic. California, maybe, I cannot remember the exact song. Regardless, I love this band – the two songs I have heard! Neither which reminds me of Cake or BDB, both bands I love. Rather I am reminded of bands I listened to in the late ’80s. Cannot recall a single bad name. :( Redd Kross? Anyway, thanks for the tip. Need some new music in me ears.

Posted on July 18, 2005 04:56 PM | #