The Black Kids

Last fall, rock mags aplenty spilled ink on behalf of the Black Kids, a Florida combo that scribes repeatedly described as a cross between the Cure (thanks to singer Reggie Youngblood’s Robert Smith-like pipes) and the Go! Team (by virtue of pep squad-style chanting). As it turns out, this description...

By Michael Roberts

May 1, 2008

Audio By Carbonatix

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Last fall, rock mags aplenty spilled ink on behalf of the Black Kids, a Florida combo that scribes repeatedly described as a cross between the Cure (thanks to singer Reggie Youngblood’s Robert Smith-like pipes) and the Go! Team (by virtue of pep squad-style chanting). As it turns out, this description is a little too accurate. Wizard of Ahhhs, an EP issued last year, feeds the aforementioned influences through the Irony Machine on material such as the cheeky, aerobic “I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You” and “Hit the Heartbrakes,” a ringing ditty seemingly designed for a 1980s-vintage John Hughes film. The results are so schematic, not to mention self-consciously retro, that they sometimes recall the Scissor Sisters, a band no one wants to be compared to these days. For the Kids, appearing alongside Mobius Band and Cut Copy, reducing the imitative gimmickry may prove to be the real cure.
Sat., May 3, 8 p.m., 2008

Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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