Pitchfork

"How do those Black Kids do it?" asks Paul Thompson over in Pitchfork's news section. Silly Paul, they're not gonna teach us that, either. While I know nothing about the mechanics of landing an overseas tour with Sons and Daughters and Kate Nash, if by "it" we mean a #68 ranking among Pitchfork's top tracks of 2007 and a Best New Music-worthy debut EP, then here's my guess: Like the holliest and jolliest of Christmases, Black Kids did it the new old-fashioned way. Even on last year's MySpace-distributed Wizard of Ahhhs demo version, "I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You" stood out as a sloppy, funny, and smart tune that "transforms insecurity into a joyous, world-conquering sing-along," as Mark Richardson put it. Think Los Campesinos!' "You! Me! Dancing!" with self-mocking swagger instead of wordy wonderment.

On this new version of "I'm Not Gonna Teach", taken from Black Kids' first proper single, ex-Suede guitarist Bernard Butler polishes off some of the rough edges (but, thankfully, not all of them), and singer/guitarist Reggie Youngblood changes up his vocal inflections a bit-- hiccups! Seriously, it feels good-- like watching the oafish boyfriend dance while you wait to make your move(s).

Stream:> Black Kids: "I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You"
[from the "I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You" single; due 04/07/08 on Almost Gold]