Home, Home On the Range- Where the Buffalo buffalo Buffalo, buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo Roam and It’s a King Thing Play

Nothing creates fun musical fusion better than friendship, and that’s just what Garden State dwellers, It’s a King Thing have been doing for years. Though the band has gone through some line up changes, having previously featured guitar by Into it. Over it. musican Evan Weiss, and spent time in other bands such as Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A Start, they’re proud to announce their first full album as the five-some they are today. Released to the World Wide Web just last week, It’s a King Thing’s Buffalo buffalo Buffalo, buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo is twelve tracks of infectious indie power pop done exactly the way it was meant to be. “I think the album benefits from everyone’s input. There’s a good chemistry between us and we have fun and it comes off great on the record.” (Brian Mietz)
Citing such influences as The Lemonheads, Weezer, and Weston, it’s no wonder that these five have the witty indie wherewithal that they do. The homonym- homophone inspired Buffalo… casually cloaks the bands satisfying instrumental compositions in humorous and lighthearted lyrics. “My life is one awkward moment to the next. Most songs are about those moments. Some are sweet and some are mortifying. I like taking something that isn’t a big deal and shining a light on it.” (Brian Mietz)

However, don’t let lines from songs like “Mush Mouth” (“Your S’s sound funny when you say Mississippi/ I couldn’t see you weren’t pretty”), its accompanying background of slushy s’s or the occasional scream filled outtakes between tracks fool you into thinking this band is nothing more than a good time. From the more sentimental “Everything Backwards”, the poppy “Old Hobbies” to the melodic and catchy “Bill Haverchuck”, It’s a King Thing has managed to be cohesive without being repetitive, and to take a shine to the indie pop sound we know and love without totally ripping off the bands we already have in our collections.

The balance between the silly and serious in the songwriting of this album shows a maturity that we plan to keep in our arsenal of defense for anyone who scoffs at the idea of power pop. Buffalo… is up for free on the band’s site, where it can also be streamed in its entirety. You can also follow the band’s progress as they create corresponding videos for all the songs on the album, a few of which are already posted on the band’s site, as well as youtube. With the ethereal easiness of Nada Surf, the high quality quirkiness of early Weezer, and the price tag of a Chipotle Halloween burrito, there’s not a single good reason not to own, love, and rave over these Haddon, Hills, and Heights housed New Jerseyans’ new album.

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It’s a King Thing front man Brian Mietz took some time out of his busy schedule being startled by “fast moving shadows that he thinks are cats” and writing songs with the perfect blend of “ ‘I can’t believe my mom just caught me masturbating’ and winsome anti-folk vignettes” to answer a few questions with us this week about who he’d team up with in the industry and just what a comic book of It’s a King Thing Would read like.

Reviewsic: Can you give us a quick recap of what the band has been up to as of late?

Brian Mietz: One of the goals for this record was to do videos for all of the songs. We’ve been working on one for “Kira”, one for “Hangin’ Out” and another video is in the works that’s going to feature the most insane, drum set I’ve ever seen.

Reviewsic:What made you decide to put your album online for free?

Brian Mietz: We didn’t have any money put into the record. Steve and his business partner Dave Downham own a studio so we recorded for free. Putting it online for free made the most sense. This way we don’t charge up our credit cards to buy CDs and people get to download a great record for free. Everyone wins.

Reviewsic: If you could book a tour with any 3 bands, past or present, who would they be and why?

Brian Mietz: The Lemonheads (Atlantic Records Years), Weezer (Matt Sharp era) and Weston during the Chuck era. The songs those bands recorded during those times are imprinted in my brain and I’d love to see them played live every night.

Reviewsic: How did you get your start in music?

Brian Mietz: Santa Claus gave me my first guitar in 7th grade. My cousins showed me how to play and I would put CDs on and play along with them to get the hang of everything. I did that a couple summers ago for the first time in ages. It was a blast. From the past. A total gas.

Reviewsic: Who was the first band/musician you saw live?

Brian Mietz: I saw Van Hagar at the Spectrum in 1995 with my brother and my Uncle Tom. I remember I wore a shirt that had Kermit the Frog dressed as Forrest Gump. This one…

Reviewsic: Is there any instrument you don’t play, but wish you did?

Brian Mietz: I wish I could play the piano really well. I’d need bigger hands though. I have little girl hands.

Reviewsic: What are the last three albums or bands you listened to?

Brian Mietz: The last 2 Dr. Dog albums, the new Juliana Hatfield album and I made a playlist of the Pavement “Quarantine the Past” retrospective that’s coming out soon. My boss also is playing My 106.1 Philly and it’s gross.

Reviewsic: If you could work with one person in the music industry (musician, label, producer etc), who would it be and why?

Brian Mietz: I wanna write a song with Tom Petty. He never writes a stinker.

Reviewsic: Who are three of your favorite local bands (past or present)?

Brian Mietz: Dixon Ward, Brooke McAleer and Ages. Dixon Ward was Steve’s old band. Brooke and I are in a band called The Not Fur Longs and she sings backups on a couple of the Buffalo songs. Her voice and songs are incredible. Ages is the best band in the South Jersey / Philly area, hands down.

Reviewsic: If your band were to be fictionalized into a comic book what would your powers be, who would be the villain, and what would be the plot/conflict?

Brian Mietz: My power would be the ability to morph into someone else so I could be them for a day, Steve’s power would be the ability to suppress his boner when he slow dances with his wife, Johnny’s power would be Pavement Power (any time an off-note/chord is played, it automatically corrects it. Not auto-tunes it, but just makes it sound “right”) Jay would be able to duplicate himself so he can be in two places at one time and Mike would have supersonic wit.

The story is sort of a Back to the Future, meets Angus, meets Beverly Hills 90210 Season 1. We’d all be attending a prom. Marvin Berry and the Starlighters would be performing. After arriving at the prom in 2 Chevy Malibus, we’d find that a band of misfits (not the actual Misfits) had broken Marvin’s hand and the head misfit had infiltrated the Prom King and Queen voting and was voted king. After Mike used his super wit and wisdom to find this information out, Jay would duplicate himself 1,000 times and rush the band of misfits, minus the head misfit, out of the prom. After all had returned to normal, Johnny and his Pavement Power would take over Marvin’s guitar duties. Jay would then re-enter the prom and pair off so there’d be 500 Jay Tagmire’s dancing with each other. During the announcing of the Prom Queen and King, Brian would morph into the king misfit and make fart noises into the microphone during his acceptance speech, thus embarrassing King Misfit into hiding . Steve’s powers would fail. Boners all night.

Reviewsic: What are your top three favorite venues?

Brian Mietz: Maxwell’s in Hoboken and Johnny Brenda’s in Philly are my favorites to play. Seeing shows at both of those venues is lots of fun too. For me, Johnny Brenda’s is like the Bait Shop in season 2 of the OC.

Reviewsic: What are the best and worst band moments so far in your career?

Brian Mietz: My favorite moments were opening sold out shows for the Lemonheads and Weston. I had to poop real bad before a couple shows if that counts for bad moments.

Tags: Album Review, Free Music, Interview, New Release, Video