Kickin Valentina. That’s kind of a cool name for a band, don’t you think? I mean, with a name like that there has to be a story, right?
Why, yes there is and it is a perfect name for them…
They got their name from a porno movie. Yes, there is a movie out there called Kicking Valentina. You can look it up. Jimmy Berdine, the drummer for this amazing band, explained all this to me. Quite the movie.
If that’s not 100 percent rock and roll, what is??
I think the band might have overlooked the connection they have to the movie with everything they do…
What’s that mean?
These guys will straight up fuck your ear holes to a bloody mess and then kick the living shit out you when you see them live. The kind of ass kicking you hand out when you’re having sex with your ex that one last time…
You know the angry type of grudge fuck they deserve, right?
They do this every time…every show…every album…
You would think these guys are mad as hell about something and hope like hell it’s not you they’re taking out their aggressions on.
That’s just their war faces or business attire, if you prefer that term.
These guys are all…ALL…the nicest guys that you could possibly ask to meet. They love their fans, they love to tour, they love to play. Hell, Jimmy is an amazing cook and loves his animals. Big teddy bear, really.
This band is 100% legit.
So with that said, let’s do a musical autopsy on Kickin Valentina’s latest single, The Gotaways.
Vocals: D.K. Revelle
Guitars: Heber Pampillon
Bass: Chris Taylor
Drums: Jimmy Berdine
The song starts off with this summertime guitar sound vibe. You know, the kind that says, “You know what? This would go great with some sun and a cold beer.”
Heber’s tone is perfect. The sound almost reminds me of the old Cult guitar sound…driving. He leaves no gaps. His rhythm playing is absolute. One thing I love about the foursome is that what you hear on the song is what you hear live. When he goes into the solo there is no overfill of rhythm guitar to make up for him playing solo. Chris fills that void with his amazing bass playing.
Drums are right there with the strings. Jimmy beats the skins with perfection. Fills exactly where they need to be. When this song is turned up, you feel his hits and passion. He hits the double bass perfectly in this song. Not too much. Not enough if you ask me, but who’s asking me.
I love his timing and his technique. A true master.
Let’s not forget about Chris and his bass playing. He is smooth with his note transitions. The sound is mixed perfectly.
I hate when I can’t hear the bass in a song.
This is not one of those songs. Again, turn it up and you’ll feel it. Chris and Jimmy are the best at holding down the groove of the song. Arguably, the best in the industry.
Chris is one of my favorite musicians. Love his bass playing and style. He writes many of the songs as well. I can get lost in his bass playing. I love a bass player that writes great songs. If you can relate, he’s your guy.
All of these instruments are mixed perfectly. You can hear all of them. Feel all of them. It is not overproduced. Nope. You can tell these guys are masters of their trade. They just simply let the music do all the talking and press record. These fuckers are talented. They are so meshed together it is a privilege to listen to them play.
Then we have DK to wrap this song up with a big “fuck you” bow.
DK is what a lead singer should look like, sound like and act like.
Hell, all of these guys look like some of the Rock Gods best work.
Ladies want to have them and guys want to be them.
DK has a raspy voice. The kind that growls with you as you sing along to one of their umpteenth songs.
He reminds me of John Corabi. I love Crabby’s voice. Love DK’s as well. He is the perfect lead man for this band. You can feel the passion. Low register but can hit the high notes. He sounds like he just gargled with a cup of glass followed by a good menthol smoke. The kind of voice you are simply amazed by. A great lyricist. Simply a poet…..
Verse 1:
“Come with me to a hot wired fantasy,
For some rock and roll debauchery,
For some good times with you and me…”
“Out on the road,
Packed and loaded…ready to blow.
Town to town,
Show to freakshow…if you don’t know
Now ya know…”
Pre Chorus:
“It’s all night, all day long,
Burning those miles and singing those songs
Rock the place going off like a bomb,
Take it all in it won’t be long
Until it’s a …”
Chorus
“No flux weekend,
Lost in space an all night party
with a brand new face
A long strange trip
for rock and roll Gotaways”
If those lyrics don’t scream summertime and a party, you have totally missed the point of this song.
When you sit back and listen to the entire song and dissect all the instruments, lyrics and vocals you are easily on your 3rd or 4th repeat of the song.
This song sounds like it should be in the top 25 songs played on the radio. It’s that good.
Am I biased? Maybe, but fuck you. It’s my review.
It’s a perfect song. Period. Show it the respect it deserves. This is just a great song. You start the song in a pissy mood and end up wanting a beer and friends to hang with.
As DK puts it, ” It’s about you and the listener riding shotgun as we rock and roll the world KV style!” Well said, brother. Well said.
These guys are one of the top performers at festivals in Europe. They are constantly asked to come back.
They draw a crowd wherever they perform. They properly fuck that crowd, every crowd.
A good proper fucking it is.
You walk away feeling sweaty, sticky and a little sore. Kind of dirty…but can’t wait until these guys fuck you once again.
Listen to “Get Ready”, live from the Bang Your Head Festival. This is on the EP “Chaos in Copenhagen”.
Their albums are full of hits.
If you are looking for a proper ear fucking, these are your guys. This is your song.
When you have the chance to see them…go and when you have the chance to talk with them, and you will, tell them you heard it here.
Make sure you take your wet naps for after the show, you’ll need them.
Great job guys. Much love…
PJ