Grammy award winning band, Kings of Leon, released their fourth studio album Only by the Night Sept.23, 2008. This soulful record blew away awaiting fans with its perfection and gloomy essence.
Most of the band’s enthusiasts did not dream this possible since they set the bar extremely high with the essential and game-changing album Because of the Times which brought them much needed success of selling out New York City’s coveted Radio City Music Hall and Los Angles’ Greek Theater among other locations.
Because of the overnight success and radio play of “Sex on Fire,” Kings have a much larger fan base now than they did a year ago. However, many of these new fans are unaware of the three previous albums: Only by the Night Youth and Young manhood 2003, Aha Shake Heartbreak 2005 and, Because of the Times released in 2008.
Kings of Leon embodies the fabled rock and roll history, since the band has been attempting to make music since 2000.
The Followill family, comprised of Caleb, lead vocals and rhythm guitar; Jared, bass; Matthew, lead guitar; and Nathan, drums, form Kings of Leon–a band whose members seldom agree. The Tennessee bred gentleman were raised in their purple 1988 Oldsmobile driving through the South with their parents—Ivan, a preacher, and mother Betty Ann. Sleeping in church basements, family member’s spare rooms and trailers the boys started banging on drums early in childhood; they followed their aspirations and formed a band as teenagers.
Six years ago they were awkward adolescents, who could barely strum a guitar. Now, they are living the life, making more money than God with their album sales and playing sold out arenas.
Despite all the money and the fame, they still have their arguments. In the April issue of Rolling Stone magazine the unhappy family recalls of a night in Nashville where a drunken brawl came about. None of the band members fully remember everything, of what they do recollect Caleb and Nathan,- of course being the two oldest members, started shrieking at one another, rolling all over the kitchen floor beating each other. After all was forgiven, the boys suffered one dislocated shoulder, a couple handfuls of missing hair, a $7000 mirror and a stabbed-to-death mattress.
Even with all the fighting, they somehow stayed true to their Southern rock roots but, have completely changed their sound on their newer record Only by the Night.
Caleb Followill in my opinion is one of the most talented musicians of our time that is inspired by Led Zeppelin and pain medicine. Caleb has a sort of Allman Brothers howl to his voice that was definitely needed in the sea of terrible same-sounding bands we have today. His voice and his diverse style is what set him and his band mates apart.
Kings of Leons’ career has been building up from quiet to deafening. They have only just begun, and they have already gone further than anyone could have expected. The Kings are a band that can make the three minutes and 24 seconds of a song go on forever, they can erase all of your troubles and can give you something to believe in again. “Put your eyes on me, and I know a place that we can get away.”-Kings of Leon.
