With the 2015 version of Shaky Knees Festival‘s official schedule being announced, now it’s time to start planning out your own personal schedule.
For those difficult decisions, we present to you the Shaky Knees Death Match. We will have each band in every time slot pitted against each other. You make the decision on who you must catch. Check back daily as we explore each time slot.
Shaky Knees Friday Day 1, 3:15PM time slot has two artists that have built strong fan bases over the years and multiple albums in The Kooks at the Peachtree Stage, and Wavves at the Boulevard Stage. Who will you see?
The Kooks – Peachtree Stage
By Enna Garkusha
Are you a fan of classic British Pop-Rock? The Kooks have been reviving that sound since the mid-2000s and they’ll be playing the Peachtree Stage at 3:15 on Friday, so be sure to check them out at Shaky Knees.
Although The Kooks’ new album Listen came out in September of last year, The Kooks have been at it for almost 10 years. Based out of London, the band first came on the scene in 2006 with their debut album Inside In/Inside Out and their sophomore release Konk in 2008, both of which garnered them wide success and hit the top ten charts in the U.K.
All of this time has let The Kooks establish their sound: pop-rock that borrows from the 60s British Invasion and the post-punk revival to produce fast-paced tunes that are super catchy. For this new album Listen, The Kooks teamed up with London hip-hop producer Inflo to make a record that broadens their sound. This new album has stronger dance, soul, and electronic influences. Just listen to their new R&B-inspired single “Down,” or “Around Town” the first track off the album which features some sick gospel-choir background vocals.
Whether you’re a fan of The Kooks’ earlier releases or their musical experiments with this new release, there will be no shortage of good music at their set on Friday.
Wavves – Boulevard Stage
By Amanda Busse
Do you want to jump up and down like a high-school-girl going to prom and scream lyrics while your arms uncontrollably move about from pure excitement? Then Wavves will be your show on Friday at the Shaky Knees’ Boulevard Stage. Leave work early to see them at 3:15 p.m. If you haven’t checked out their many albums, the artwork alone is worth a look. Their songs will slap you in the face and you’ll see why this band is something worth experiencing live.
Wavves is pure, righteous California beach punk. Combining in-your face lyrics with surf-rock guitar-groovy melodies, they are sure to be one of your favorite new bands.
The band is based out of San Diego, and has been around since 2008. Their album “King of the Beach” is one of my all time favorites, and is a good starting place to dip your toes in the musical waters if you like to sample the band before seeing them live. Singer Nathan Williams announced this year that Wavves will be releasing a new studio album by summer and a collaboration album with Cloud Nothings titled No Life For Me. They are sure to be sending out some new stuff at the show to delight your musical taste buds. If you’re still not certain, I highly recommend following them on Instagram to get a sampling of animal-loving dad vibes, The Simpsons, WrestleMania and general tour mischief (what’s not to like?).
Check out these artists on the Shaky Knees Spotify Playlist
