Monday Mix: Rilo Kiley Roundup
This was inevitable!
I was already planning to write about Rilo Kiley/Jenny Lewis for today’s mix when the podcast Bandsplain serendipitously dropped its Rilo Kiley episode:
Over a couple days last week, I listened to all 3 hours and 45 minutes of the podcast and loved every damn one. It reminded me of what initially drew me to this band and its frontwoman, Jenny Lewis.
I first heard Rilo Kiley in 2007 when MTV featured them on an “Artist of the Week” segment. I liked the song (I believe it was “Silver Lining”) and recognized the lead singer from the ‘80s movie, Troop Beverly Hills. Amazingly, my dad had just purchased the latest Rilo Kiley album, Under the Blacklight. As teenagers are wont to do, I took this album and ran with it, diving deep into the world of Rilo Kiley.
Jenny Lewis, the band’s lead singer, primary songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, was the biggest reason I became such a fan. When I saw Rilo Kiley on tour in 2008, it dawned on me how incredible it was to see a woman front-and-center of a group of music dudes. In her hot pants and glow in the dark nail polish, she dominated that stage. This performance quite literally drove me to pick up a guitar.
Many of the mix CDs I made in high school featured one, if not many, Rilo Kiley songs, so I’m really getting back to my roots with this one. This week’s mix is a “Rilo Kiley Primer,” featuring my 5 favorite tracks from each of their albums.
Two listening notes:
There are 3 other band members (ha, sorry to these men): Blake Sennett, multi-instrumentalist, occasional song writer, and sometimes lead singer; Pierre de Reeder, bassist; Dave Rock, drummer (1998-2001); and Jason Boesel, drummer (2001- onwards)
Rilo Kiley released 5 albums from 1999 to 2007: Rilo Kiley/The Initial Friend (1999/reissued in 2021), Take Offs and Landings (2001), The Execution of All Things (2002), More Adventurous (2004), and Under the Blacklight (2007). In 2013, they released rkives, a collection of previously unreleased demos and tracks. In 2014, they confirmed their breakup after many years of speculation.
Rilo Kiley’s discography spans many genres, a couple of record labels, and plenty of inner-band turmoil which is part of the fun of this band. I hope you’ll find something on this mix that speaks to you as much as it does to me!
Thank you for reading and listening! It’s useful to try to put together some coherent thoughts about a bit of pop culture that has become a part of my day-to-day. Recently, I was wearing a Jenny Lewis t-shirt while walking my dog, Rilo. What can I say? My brand is strong.