Let’s Get Associated Released For The Killola Army

By Christian Lipski

Dog tags are usually intended to identify the wearer as a member of a branch of the militia, but after March 2010, they’ll also be used to indicate that the wearer’s a fan of L.A. Band Killola. The do-it-yourself band have released their third album on a wearable USB drive in the shape of a dog tag, also including their previous two albums and much more.

The unique packaging is typical of a band who has made a reputation out of doing things their own way. From their beginnings in 2003, they’ve been doing their own recording, producing, and promotion, and have amassed a huge fan base, performing across the country as well as Europe.

Their latest release, Let’s Get Associated, is a unique blend of classic rock, electronica, and melody. It’s hard to be a female rock singer and really put power into the vocals without going into falsetto or screaming, but when she gets rough, lead singer Lisa Rieffel comes right from the Joan Jett school of rocking. Songs like “Mid-Day Rebel” and “Gimmie, Gimmie” are stone cold rockers, in the Runaways tradition.

But Rieffel doesn’t stop with just one style; when the song calls for smooth melody, she comes off sweet like Gwen Stefani, especially on the groovy “Traffic,” and the electro-pop slice of heaven “Cracks In The Armor.” Mix in some perky Wendy James and quirky Lene Lovich and you have a sliver of an idea of this woman’s range.

Let’s Get Associated is a crazy patchwork quilt, but with Rieffel’s voice as the unifying theme. An album that can go directly from the ’60s-girl-group “Nothing Man” to the insanely catchy and scabrous “I Wanna See Your Dick,” without dropping a stitch is something that you need to hear.

Killola’s album is available in the maximum-dogtag package as well as a bare-bones USB. Visit their site at http://killola.com/, where their previous album I Am The Messer is available for free download.