Kills Birds - Married

More than any young American rock band, Kills Birds approach their songs with an intensity that’s so tangible it feels like the stakes are near life and death. Fronted by Nina Ljeti, a Bosnian-Canadian filmmaker the Los Angeles Times called “L.A.'s most electrifying new rock singer,” their performances are visceral and cathartic, with guitarist Jacob Loeb’s blistering riffs and Fielder Thomas’ pummelling bass-lines. While 2019’s Kills Birds was a debut that captured the promise of their grunge-inspired sound and Ljeti’s unflinching lyrics, Married, their follow-up is a triumphant representation of everything that makes them so thrilling. It’s a document of a band pushing their musical chemistry to new heights. Their unrelenting songs translated to an electric live show, which garnered loads of local praise like Kim Gordon calling them “hot as fuck.”

The LP also found a fan in Dave Grohl. “They’re a younger rock, sort of jagged, new wave punk band, with this amazing lead singer,'' he said in 2020, adding that hearing their music brought him back to when he first heard bands like the Jesus Lizard and Dinosaur Jr. “So there is this resurgence of bands who are just kicking ass, and doing it in a weird way that no one has really done it before.” According to Grohl, Kills Birds’ “Volcano” even inspired Foo Fighters’ 2021 single “Cloudspotter.”

1. Rabbit

2. Cough Up Cherries

3. Natalie

4. Glisten

5. Reasoning

6. Offside

7. Woman

8. PTL

9. Good Planning

10. Wallowing

11. Married