Punknews.org | Killradio - Raised On Whipped Cream

Review Navigator

Features

Reviews

Killradio

Raised On Whipped Cream
2004
Columbia

Killradio - Raised On Whipped Cream (Cover Artwork)

Review by: Dante3000
See others by this writer

Offical Website (link)

Only registered users
can post comments

Published on September 25th 2005

Note: If you don’t like bands simply because of their label, please stop reading this now. We won’t agree on this point and never will.

The first time I ever saw Killradio was when they opened for Henry Rollins. About halfway through their set, lead singer Brandon Jordan climbed to the top of the stack of amps at the front of the stage and began balancing himself with one hand holding the trademark chandeliers that adorn The Fillmore. Brandon then leapt from the amp plummeting nearly 15 to the stage below. I couldn’t help but think, “Wow, this band is awesome, too bad they’ll all die in a week.” A few months later this feeling increased when, in an interview with the band, Brandon explained that his right hand was wrapped up in a T-shirt (like Heroine Bob) because he had suffered second degree burns from a fire. Later in the interview Brandon told of how their bassist, Dirty, had thrown out his back on several occasions and how they caused a power outage at a show when Brandon accidentally grabbed an uncovered wire. Though I was/am convinced this band can not survive much longer, they did manage to release Raised On Whipped Cream on Columbia Records, and we’re all the better for it.

The album is largely a collection of their earlier demo works along with a few new gems. The whole shebang kicks off with Brandon whispering “Do not think that the palace shall be your protection, or that the crown will save your head." From that point on, the album launches into a non-stop assault on everything. The band covers topics that are both political and personal. Tracks like “A.M.E.R.I.K.A.” and “Pull Out” highlight the band's highly liberal political stance. Meanwhile, “Burning the Water Brown” and “Where Go We” shine light on the band's personal life, commenting on a friend's heroine addiction and life on the road, respectively. The band also scores a lyrical victory by avoiding the common pitfalls of current political punk. Nowhere on this record is there to be heard “Fuck George Bush” or “No war for oil.” Instead, Brandon opts to use strong imagery and social situations (“Scavenger”) to comment on the current political climate.

Musically, Killradio showcase their love for of all forms of rock music. Songs like “A.M.E.R.I.K.A.” show that the band can rip through the sub-two minute punk track, while the nearly four-minute “Classroom Blues” demonstrates that they have no problem slowing down their message so you can hear it all. The music itself sounds as influenced by funk and dance rock as it does by punk. Though the album is filled with hard-hitting riffs and screams, songs like “Freedom?” would not seem out of place in a dance rock mix. To some this may seem an uneasy balance or even a total contradiction in musical stylings. Killradio, however, pull it off somewhat effortlessly and seem to quite enjoy screaming 'till you’re hoarse one minute and dancing the next.

The biggest complaint I have with the album is the mix. While their demos were rough, they also highlighted the immense musical talent in the band, particularly Dirty’s amazing bass lines. However, the final product seems to mute a good majority of the bass and guitars. Surprisingly, the most standout instrument upon fist listen is Duke's drumming, and though he is an awesome drummer, it is certainly not what one would look for to be the featured instrument. With a little toying of the knobs on the stereo, an acceptable balance is not too hard to find. Still, to fully understand this band's sound, one must experience their live show.

As a whole, this album is an amazing first effort from a band, which, if they can stay healthy, should put out a lot more phenomenal music. Though many detractors say that any punk band on a major label are sellouts, Killradio works hard to break that prejudice. From the first seconds of the album to the title track where Brandon sings "Whatcha gonna do when they come knocking on your door? Will you really pull that trigger or go run for shelter?," Killradio wants you to know that they aren’t the band you listen to in between your My Chemical Romance mix.

MP3s (right click, save as)
A.M.E.R.I.K.A.
Scavenger

Login to rate this album

People who liked this also liked:

Please login or register to post comments.

What are the benefits of having a Punknews.org account?

Share your opinion by posting comments on the stories that interest you
Rate music and bands and help shape the weekly top ten
Let Punknews.org use your ratings to help you find bands and albums you might like
Customize features on the site to get the news the way you want.

Posted by BILLrasTweek on 2005-09-30 20:09:12
My Score:

There is only a few things that need to be said about this album. ITS A BREATH OF FRESH FUCKING AIR!!!! That is only the tip of the ice burg. This record made me realize that there are still people in this fucking country that give a shit about the rest of us. Killradio is among the most kind and real bands i have ever known. I met them at a local show in PA and have heard of them only months prior. They welcomed me, for the first time from any band for that matter. The fact that somone, who is supposed to be some sort of " punk rock record review person ", could not appreciate what this album means to this bogus and ever dying punk rock scene, makes me utterly disgusted. Killradio - Raised on Whipped Cream is a refreshing idea filled album of intilligence and reality. If you dont agree, you simply just dont believe in it. That is all there is to it. They re-inforce the idea to " Rebel for a reason, not for fashion "

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, September 30, 2005 at 3:16 PM (EDT)

"If you do not love this record you are wrong. "

i havent heard this, but this sentence is "wrong"

there is no way i would read anything you have to say if this is how you start

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, September 30, 2005 at 1:03 PM (EDT)
My Score:

If you do not love this record you are wrong. The whole album is straightforward and amazing. The major label bullshit is retarted and the only thing it means is that maybe Killradio would get some exposure, but that didn't happen. I don't see how that would be considered "selling out". Every song on this album is infinitely better than most of the shit that's on the radio right now. The reason that most of the songs are "catchy" is so that they'll be accessible to more people. The message of the entire album is something that I would personally love to have permeate the minds of these kids that are watching Greeenday turn their half-assed songs into "political" statements. The bands on mtv and mainstream radio don't have the balls to deliver messages as honest and lyrics as forceful as the ones on "Raised on whipped cream". While all of you squeeze on your nut-hugging pants and bitch about major label sellouts, remember that the Sex Piistols were signed to one. Idiots.

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, September 30, 2005 at 1:03 PM (EDT)
My Score:

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, September 30, 2005 at 3:58 AM (EDT)
My Score:

what Hansens back? Ha bet that guy knows a lot about them. I laugh and laugh and laugh. When KillRadio starts fucking the Tv hard,about half of you are going to be crying for a taste. Watch!

Posted by rkl on 2005-09-28 08:31:14

heroine = female hero or protaganist
heroin = drug

movie = SLC Punk, no s.
good movie, btw. shame you dont like it. guess matthew lillard is a bit too "major label" now.

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, September 27, 2005 at 4:03 AM (EDT)
My Score:

I saw this band with AWS about a year ago...AWS made them look like fucking Hansen

Posted by Anonymous on Monday, September 26, 2005 at 4:42 PM (EDT)

bucket of vomit > Killradio

Posted by radioXwaves on 2005-09-26 13:57:20
My Score:

I just flat out didnt enjoy this CD. The demos and other things I had heard from them prior to this record were so good. It just seems incredibly overproduced and lacking in energy altogether.

Posted by Dante3000 on 2005-09-26 13:54:19

Assuming you're addressing me, which is logical since you made refference to the review. I've met the band several times. I've only offically interviewed them once, but I've spoken with them easily over a dozen times over a period of more than a year.
So if basing my oppinion of a band (and their label woes) on a pretty long term knowledge of them, including other reviews and interviews and the nearly non-existant press kit I recieved through Columbia is considered short sighted, I can only assume those who know the band must have blown them several times through out their lives.
Like I said, I've only dealt with their managment one time. I've spoken with, and known, the band a great deal longer and better than their managment.
Still I'd like to understand what they were doing to be considered unreasonable, or how they were difficult to work with. Like I said, they pretty much toured non-stop to support the album and took the stage with anyone who would let them share it. Perhaps they were different in their dealings with labels, this I don't know.
-Dante

Posted by Anonymous on Monday, September 26, 2005 at 12:59 PM (EDT)

Basing your entire opinion of a band and their known label woes on a one-time meeting exemplifies why you should stick to writing weak reviews of mediocre CDs.

Posted by Dante3000 on 2005-09-26 11:34:10

Well thank god we have Mr. Anonymous to tell us how it really went down. Now I can't speak about their managment because I only dealt with them one time, and that was in setting up an interview. As for KR, I have a hard time believing they had unreasonable expectations or an unwillingness to do nearly anything. From the time I've known the guys they've been touring nearly non-stop (since before they recorded this album to well after it came out). They also seemed pretty reasonable because they never once mentioned making a living off of music, and when I brought it up (before the album came out) Brandon looked suprised and said, "I don't think that'll happen and I don't care too much. I just really want our album to be able to be heard."
Now there's a chance that's just what he says to people he meets. But in all my dealings with them (though they were limited to hanging out, setting up interviews, and creating shows that feel through [never any offical record business]) they always seemed pretty willing to do anything. But again I can't speak for their managment.
-Dante

Posted by Anonymous on Monday, September 26, 2005 at 6:47 AM (EDT)

These losers got dropped from Columbia months after their CD came out. Their management didn't help matters much thanks to their unwillingness to ever follow through on anything coupled with unreasonable expectations.

Just so the naysayers can shut the fuck up I actually worked this CD through Columbia and know what really happened as opposed to most of the previous posters in the thread. KR were the most unpleasant bunch I've ever wasted time dealing with.

Good riddance.

Posted by stevejonestherealbones on 2005-09-26 01:58:11

Note: I'll stop reading this when i damn well feel like it dante that rhymes with fonte...times new roman

- jones the bones

- stevejones8770@yahoo.com

- incidentally i stopped reading right after i read that note, but it had nothing to do with that note, i did it cause i wanted to

Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, September 25, 2005 at 11:11 PM (EDT)
My Score:

oh fuck off to all the fuckers who dont like this album! this band is about the best band that is out right now! To the guy that said the song on that game whatever its called! That song is Scanvenger and that song is a work of art! Beautiful fucken art!! The whole fucken cd is great! I love KillRadio for the fact of speaking the truth.And to all the little sissys who still cry and bitch about it being on a major label get over it.

Posted by etwiels88 on 2005-09-25 21:23:19
My Score:

"Posted by Anonymous on 2005-09-25 14:05:50
Score is for babies sucking nitrous out of whipping cream cans."

Hahaha, score is for that comment.

Posted by GreenVandal on 2005-09-25 19:10:45

Sounds interesting. I'll give it a shot.

Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, September 25, 2005 at 7:04 PM (EDT)
My Score:

This band is the greatest thing since finding out you can get high off whipped cream!! Labels are for shirts, so just forget what label they're on, since it doesn't change how the music sounds. I also found out about this band live, and I think it's their biggest attraction. You cant look away when these fuckers perform, since it's just too good.

OMG!@##@ BRANDON STOLE MY WALLET!!!

This band is so good, I'll fuck your mom.

Posted by skaboom on 2005-09-25 18:53:07

Ok, cool. I checked out a couple songs. Sort of sounds like a hybrid of The Dirtbombs and Refused.

Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, September 25, 2005 at 6:26 PM (EDT)

The only one that made 'money' from killradio signing to Columbia was Anti Flag. Perhaps the fact that Anti Flag is not on A-F records themselves but on RCA records should be a bit of a give away as to the level of greed that Anti Flag actually posseses.

killradio happen to be one of the more underated, and misjudged bands of this past year. They are a band that has been criticized before being listened to or seen, yet like Dante says the majority of their reviews have been awesome.

I think Tim from Rise Against said it best during their set in Canada at WakeFest when he told the crowd that if they didn't go check out Killradio today they would miss out on one of the best US bands around.

If Rise Against can get over the whole A-F thing don't you think it's time everyone else did.

the record is excellent and their live show kills.

I am always so disapointed when I read this website it's so full of spiteful, hating people who speak with no real knowledge of the bands they are ridiculing.

as for Columbia I do know that Killradio announced in Canada that they would not be putting out the next record on Columbia.

Posted by Dante3000 on 2005-09-25 18:19:32

Skaboom...In all honesty I don't know how to place them. They sound sort of like older punk (like the Clash [No I'm not saying they're near as good, I'm not that retarded]), but with some more funk (Dirty plays some slap bass and overall heavy bass lines, a lot of high hat "disco type" drumming on some songs), maybe some dance rock (Brandon mentions he loves T(I)NC, so some of that) and then some screaming. Over all it's really melodic and pretty poppy on some songs. Feel free to disagree.

As for the NAMBLA website...I really thought no one would notice or it would have been pulled.
-Dante

Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, September 25, 2005 at 6:08 PM (EDT)

Why does the My Chem link in your article link to NAMBLA (north american man boy love association)?

Posted by skaboom on 2005-09-25 16:49:37

So this was given a pretty resoundly positive review. Um, what do they sound like? Like what genre, and any reasonable band comparisons? I know thats shoddy reviewing, but the best album in the world of a genre you don't like is pretty worthless.

Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, September 25, 2005 at 4:37 PM (EDT)

I saw Killradio opening for Mindless Self Indulgence last April, and personally, I wasn't impressed with them, as much as I wanted to be. I'll just assume they were having an off-night.

Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, September 25, 2005 at 4:30 PM (EDT)

Scott, they are recording all this month for their new album which i believe will be out on columbia, I think it sold pretty well, it was always on display at my local best buy and stuff.

Posted by Dante3000 on 2005-09-25 15:43:07

Scott, as far as I know they're doing a handfull of shows with Mindless Self Indulgence, then they're going back into the studio in October or November.
As for the label, I don't know if they've gota new one or if Columbia is sticking with them. I felt the album never really got the push it should of. I read, almost, nothing but good things about the album but (while working at a college station) I recieved almost nothing from the label. They barely got us the CD and I don't think it had any press realse with it. But undersupportive labels seems to be the story these guys see a lot of.
-Dante

Posted by maverick on 2005-09-25 14:20:40
My Score:

This record is really, really good, and it's a shame that they got absolutely no support from Columbia. I'm assuming they've since parted ways with the label; anyone know what they're doing now?

-Scott

Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, September 25, 2005 at 2:05 PM (EDT)
My Score:

Score is for babies sucking nitrous out of whipping cream cans.

Posted by Big_Guy on 2005-09-25 13:19:00

This band is pretty good

I was gonna buy their album a while back but never did.

I need to get it soon

Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, September 25, 2005 at 12:46 PM (EDT)

Killradio thought that by getting Matt Pinfield to sign them to Columbia they'd be rockstars by now, too bad it backfired.

Posted by Dante3000 on 2005-09-25 12:23:55

Actually I asked Brian to scrap the review after I found the album had already been reviewed but I'm actually pretty glad it was posted.
A lot of people don't like this band but it seems a lot of those people seem to dislike them because they're on a major label and they "left" A-F records. I can say for a fact they don't play music for the money. Even after they signed to Columbia they still tour (and primarily sleep) in an old van. They've taken almost no cash advance because they don't want to be in debt for the rest of their lives. And they pretty much tour as often as possible, with anyone who will let them share the stage. To show off their rockstar lives they all still hold actual jobs and last time I spoke with them Duke was a couch surfer. Pretty rockstarish.
As for the A-F deal, they never discuss it (which is fairly respectable). From what I can tell it (and I can be 100% wrong here)was what happened with a lot of A-F bands. They sign and then A-F doesn't have the money to help them record or tour. So A-F says tour, make some buzz and then we'll record your album. Meanwhile the band has only a rough demo and nearly no merch to sell, so touring is a whole money losing adventure for them. A catch 22, tour and make a following, then we'll do your album, but no one pays to see a band with no album. Besides they would have been dropped in the A-F flood anyhow.
I don't think this album is a nine now, probably it's an eight, but it's still solid enough for me.
As for the people trashing the Need for Speed song, I don't know which one that is, but why are you playing such a shitty game?
-Dante
p.S. Will, I don't know. I was making an allusion to SLC Punks a movie that is actually pretty lame.

Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, September 25, 2005 at 11:59 AM (EDT)
My Score:

Is today "Fanboy Geekfest Review Day" or something? Killradio is like gold crap, without the gold.

OC

Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, September 25, 2005 at 9:00 AM (EDT)

that song on need for speed underground 2 sucked.

Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, September 25, 2005 at 5:02 AM (EDT)

well that settles it. this dante dude is full of it. this band sold out BIG time and left A-F record for cash. And their record sux.

Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, September 25, 2005 at 2:40 AM (EDT)

Isn't Heroine Bob the name of some shitty assed dyke-punk riot cunt band?

-Will

Posted by andrew13 on 2005-09-25 01:47:23
My Score:

i love "do you know"... as a whole this album doesn't do much for me... for some reason i've seen them compared to billy talent several places... i'd take billy talent over them anyday... fucking love that band...

Posted by AlmostPunkEnough on 2005-09-25 01:42:14
My Score:

this review is fucking retarded. this Dante person has no writing skill, he must be like 11 or something. he must pack fudge like a herseys employee. it's so gay it might turn me straight.

score is for anal sex with Dante.

i actually like this album. a little too poppy, i don't think it's a nine, i'd go with a 7 personaly. i hope Brian enjoyed the handy you gave him haha. good review dude.

Features

Contests

Reviews

Killradio