NEW KID

I have to admit that I'm very glad February had 29 days this year because I had no clue what band was going to be the XROXX March 2004 Band of the Month.  Then I began talking to Jayne*Star online and she told me about this great band that hails from Northridge, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago (isn't everything in that area though?), New Kid.  I asked her what was so special about them that they deserved the prestigious honor (*cough*) of being our Band of the Month?  She brought it down to the simplest terms.  She said, "Dick, these kids go out there  and promote themselves and they really work hard."  See, I'm a guy, so I don't need people wasting my time trying to drop hints.  Jayne got right to the point and I decided that New Kid was going to be our March 2004 Band of the Month.

On their XROXX profile page, New Kid says that they have a wide range of influences, as any self-respecting, non-cover band would.  They say their style is "molded by bands like Small Brown Bike, At The Drive-In, Finch, Brand New, The Casket Lottery, and The Beautiful Mistake."  They also throw in the jazzy sound to their music that identifies them with the Chicago scene.  They started in 2003, but due to the dedication they require from individuals and the unique sound they are trying to build, they have gone through numerous musicians.  It's all about getting that slight edge over everyone else; defining a niche for yourself and marketing the hell out of that niche until it grows into the mainstream.

After speaking briefly with Robbie Heidbrink, New Kid's drummer, online and through e-mail, I quickly discovered that dedication was the key to this band.  They practice long and hard, trying to make everything as perfect as possible.  Plus, the band has been through a lot, from involvement lacking to members quitting, yet, they feel they have come back together stronger each and every time.  Robbie says New Kid finally feels they have found their sound and they are now working on perfecting it.

The band is currently recording an EP that they had hoped would be out by March 5th.  If it's not our by then, Robbie promised me it would be out soon after.  In the meantime, you can visit New Kid's website and download a couple tracks there.  The band constantly seems to re-record and perfect their music.  A visit to the news page of their website will show you that.

New Kid is constantly playing out around Chicago and busting their asses get the word out about the band.  While they're putting this EP out by themselves, it's their hope that they have some financial and promotional backing of a record label in the near future.  Congratulations to New Kid, the March 2004 XROXX Band of the Month!

Do you want to be the next XROXX Band of the Month?  Please e-mail us at bandofthemonth@XROXX.com.