Kasabian (band)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
||
|---|---|---|
 |
||
| Background information | ||
| Origin | Leicester, England | |
| Genre(s) | Alternative rock, Indie rock, Electronica rock | |
| Years active | 1999–present | |
| Label(s) | Sony BMG Music Entertainment RCA Records |
|
| Website | Official website | |
| Members | ||
| Serge Pizzorno Tom Meighan Christopher Edwards Ian Matthews |
||
| Former members | ||
| Chris Karloff | ||
Kasabian are a rock band from Blaby, near Leicester, England, formed by Tom Meighan (vocals), Sergio Pizzorno (guitar and vocals), Chris Edwards (bass) and Chris Karloff (guitar and keyboards), who met while attending Leysland High School and Countesthorpe Community College. The band is named after Linda Kasabian, a member of the Charles Manson cult (aka the Manson "family").
The band have been compared with the likes of Primal Scream, with whom they share an electronica-indie rock fusion, The Stone Roses and Oasis, with whom they share confidence, swagger and rough vocal style. [1]
Kasabian were a supporting act for Oasis during their 2005 Don't Believe the Truth tour, and have been described as "Music made by the people for the people."
Kasabian's latest album, titled Empire, was released in the UK on August 28, 2006. During its recording, Christopher Karloff, one of the band's chief songwriters, left the band due to musical differences and is pursuing music elsewhere. He contributed his writing skills to three of the songs on Empire including the title track - which was the first single released from the album.
The band recruited once temporary drummer, Ian Matthews, as a permanent member of the band.
The song "Empire", a self-described 'call to arms' and the first single from the album of the same name, reached #9 on the UK charts, based on downloads sales alone, and with only six days airplay. It stayed in the top 10 for 4 weeks. The album seems to focus on the horrors of war, and the problems of waging it. 'Shoot the Runner' reached number 17 in the British charts.'Me Plus One' will be the next single released on January 29th 2007. The album also ranked highly at the Hellenic Alternative Charts.
Contents |
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
- Kasabian (September 13, 2004) RCA Records (UK) / BMG/RCA (US) #4 UK, #94 US
- Empire (August 28, 2006) Columbia Records (UK) #1 UK
[edit] Live Albums
- Live From Brixton Academy (July 4, 2005) Arista Records (UK) / BMG/RCA (US) Download only
[edit] Singles
| Year | Title | Chart Positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart | UK Download Chart | US Modern Rock | |||
| 2004 | "Reason Is Treason" | - | - | - | Kasabian |
| 2004 | "Club Foot" | 19 | - | 27 | Kasabian |
| 2004 | "L.S.F. (Lost Souls Forever)" | 10 | - | 32 | Kasabian |
| 2004 | "Processed Beats" | 17 | - | - | Kasabian |
| 2005 | "Cutt Off" | 8 | 18 | - | Kasabian |
| 2005 | "Club Foot (re-issue)" | 21 | 36 | 27 | Kasabian |
| 2006 | "Empire" | 9 | 8 | - | Empire |
| 2006 | "Shoot the Runner" | 17 | 29 | - | Empire |
| 2007 | "Me Plus One" | - | - | - | Empire |
[edit] Notes
- Re-issue of "Club Foot" / "55" featured in a racing video game called "Juiced". As did the Jack Knife Lee remix of "Reason Is Treason" in "Gran Turismo 4".
- NME announced on 1st November 2006 that Kasabian had announced their third single from their second album "Empire" would be "Me Plus One", to be released in early 2007.
[edit] Compilations
- Music from the OC: Mix 5 (2005 · Warner Bros./Wea)
[edit] Members
Line-up:
- Tom Meighan - Lead vocals
- Sergio Pizzorno - Guitar, Synths, Backing vocals & Lead vocals
- Christopher Edwards - Bass
- Ian Matthews (Joined in 2005) - Drums & Percussion
- Jay Mehler (Live replacement for Chris Karloff, formerly of the band Mad Action) - Guitar
Past members
- Christopher Karloff - (2003 - July 2006) Lead Guitar, Bass, Synths & Omni Chord.
In July 2006, while recording for the second album Empire songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Christopher Karloff had "artistic and creative differences" and was asked to leave the band, according to the band's website. [2]
[edit] Trivia
- The song "Club Foot" is dedicated to Jan Palach. It is now featured in the popular football game Pro Evolution Soccer 5, the racing game Midnight Club 3, and also appears in the video game Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure. "Club Foot" has also appeared in a trailer of the movie Serenity, Goal!, Tony Hawk's Project 8, an episode of Threshold and episodes of Smallville and CSI:Miami and the trailer for the fifth season of 24. The song "L.S.F." featured on the popular football game FIFA 2004 and in the movie Stealth. The song "Reason is Treason" is on the opening video of the best-selling racing simulator Gran Turismo 4 and in the movie Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life (The version of "Reason is Treason" featured is the original mix which can be found seven minutes and seven seconds into the final track, "U-Boat," on Kasabian's self-titled album.) The song was also used in From ___, With Love a snowboarding film from Mack Dawg Productions.
- Kasabian recorded the theme tune for ITV's coverage of the 2006 FIFA World Cup, a cover version of the David Bowie song Heroes. It was given away with the digital download of the single 'Empire'.
- Tom Meighan is notably famous for calling The Strokes' lead singer Julian Casablancas a "posh fucking skier", the now defunct london based trio - Test Icicles as "King's Cross rent boys", Pete Doherty as "a fucking tramp" and The Automatic as "horrible" in an NME interview. Kasabian also criticised My Chemical Romance in a October interview by Bizzare in the Sun after being told the quintet were heading for No. 1 in the UK, claiming that they should "get out more" and that their lyrics were depressive and negative to youth as part of the emo phenomenon.Tom Meighan also called Justin Timberlake a "Midget with Whiskers" and a "Puppet in a million dollar suit".
- The single Empire was exclusively played on BBC Radio 1's Zane Lowe show in July 2006 and immediately made available for internet download.
- They are all big supporters of Leicester City F.C. and their songs are sometimes played before matches at the Walkers Stadium.
- The band is hugely supported by weekly morning show, Soccer AM, and have appeared on the show many times. On the episode from 26th August 2006, Serge Pizzorno scored a spectacular goal in the "Road to Wembley II" competition, which was dubbed "the best goal ever" scored on the show by host Helen Chamberlain. [3]
- Sergio Pizzorno and ex-member Christopher Karloff appear on DJ Shadow's album The Outsider on track 12 The Tiger.
- Fans of the band include, Arnold Schwarznegger, Noel Gallagher, Mani and Bobby Gillespie from Primal Scream, Michelle Lewis, Fearne Cotton, and Paul Weller.
