The Black Kids know
a thing or two about premature blog buzz. The Florida rockers generated
plenty of it by globetrotting their tunes to eager and curious ears all
before hiring management, signing a record deal and, well, actually
recording. But that, too, came to pass and the Kids' debut album,
'Partie Traumatic,' was released in July. While the attention and
accolades have done nothing short of bolstering the band's career, all
of that may have taken its toll.
"I don't know if there's
going to be a second record," singer/guitarist Reggie Youngblood tells
Spinner. "If anything, [performing] has hindered my songwriting because
I'm used to writing on my own pace, at my leisure, or while I'm
supposed to be working a proper job. I don't really have time to sit
down. When I'm not performing, I'm usually really tired and just want
to sleep."
Kill Blog Stars
When you combine a music industry desperate for new revenue and a blogosphere that can start instant mass hypesteria, bands can get picked up by a wave of Internet attention and thrust into starring roles before they're ready. In what might be a sign of the times, The Black Kids are burnt out before they finish their first tour. Pulled from the musical backwater of Jacksonville, their upbeat 80s-inspired party music took off and made them blog stars before they even had a recording contract. But it's not exactly like there's a ton of money in music these days, touring's hard, and now they just want to go back to their old life.