Reissue of ‘Hands Down’ by Kilkenny Cats

Uncategorized October 3, 2023
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Reissue of ‘Hands Down’ by Kilkenny Cats

Exclusive premiere of two tracks taken from the ‘Hands Down’ album by Kilkenny Cats released in 1986 and is now being reissued by Propeller Sound Recordings.


Formed in 1983, Kilkenny Cats’ first gig was at a party thrown by Pylon and they would soon perform one of their first public gigs at Atlanta’s legendary Agora Ballroom opening for beloved Athens pioneers, Pylon. Their Southern Gothic first single ended up being produced by Peter Buck.

Live, Kilkenny Cats usually dressed all in black, and adorned their stage with candles, skulls and dead flowers. But by 1985, R.E.M.’s Mike Mills, in a SPIN Magazine article extolling the virtues of the Athens scene, offered the ultimate compliment: “There are some great bands here. Number one: the Kilkenny Cats. They used to be non-melodic, drone, gloom-and-doom stuff. But they’ve grown as a band and as musicians and added a lot more melody to what they’ve been doing. Now they are a kind of a dark band, but pop.” The Kilkenny Cats would play a legendary triple bill at the venerable Rat in Boston with R.E.M. and Hüsker Dü.

In 1986, the group recorded their debut LP ‘Hands Down’ for Coyote/Twin-Tone Records at Nicollette Studios in Minneapolis, MN. The album features songs reminiscent of their early sounds such as debut single ‘Attractive Figure,’ but also highlighted the exciting contributions of their new members’ folk and garage rock influences on many tracks. The Cats are currently working with Propeller Sound Recordings to create special vinyl and cd releases with newly mastered material. In his review of ‘Hands Down,’ esteemed critic J.D. Considine opined it was “bracingly melodic, utterly distinctive and rarely cliched. Songs like ‘Country Junk’ or ‘Edith Sitwell’ illustrate the basic energies of the band’s instrumental interplay, making the most of the interaction between guitarists Keith Landers and Clifton Hill without overpowering singer Cheek.”

The Athens, GA scene is beloved by many, and its contributions to music and pop culture’s activist and artistic legacies are on full display in Grace Elizabeth Hale’s 2020 book Cool Town, a love letter to her adopted university town and its creative heyday. Hale notes of Kilkenny Cats their efforts to “fill gaps in the sonic landscape [of Athens]” and become “‘Athens most exciting band’” in the eyes of many who enjoyed their albums and live shows over the years. 

“‘Burly Beast’ marked the beginning of a new direction for the band – immediately following the recording of the original record in MN, Keith Landers started flexing his musical muscle, drawing us into that hard-rocking dark power pop realm, we embraced it. It’s a high energy song that’s ultimately positive, about staring down the beast. I think despite its edgy exterior, there’s an undeniable optimism to it… I think the lyrics express some wearines with the whole deal of being part of a scene… All his new toys were fuckin fun to try… No amount of money would ever satisfy. This is the 80s in a nutshell: excess, hedonism, consumerism, and the inevitable emptiness that accompanies the endless pursuit of more, echo the era’s wanton excess, its unabashed hedonism, consumerism, and that empty feeling that tails you even after the party’s over. Looking back on it I see some sardonic humor wedged in there, inviting you to join in the revelry… we are both fascinated and repulsed….. the song is really fueled by the high adrenaline chaos of youth and the 80s/Athens GA rock scene. The guitars are punk and power popish Clash like at moments. I’m thinking L7 with a poppier, more understated vocal. This song arose out of the fact that we were caught in a pretty wild whirlwind back then and we needed to stare it down, have fun with it but also survive it… The visceral encapsulation of the tug-of-war between authenticity and the seductive allure of excess that was the 80’s… and even the Athens scene sometimes… check ‘Party Out of Bounds’.” – Tom Cheek

“‘Room 101’ was written in time to be on hands down but at the time it did not make the cut. Later it soon became one of our favorite songs to play. The Athens GA, Inside Out movie guys really wanted it in the movie. This recording was done with a portable studio truck while playing live for the cameras and selected audience for the film at the Uptown Lounge in Athens GA. It’s an homage, or more accurately, a harrowing echo, of that nightmare chamber from George Orwell’s 1984. The plight of everyman, Winston. The imagery of trucks rolling bodies encapsulates the detachment of the state, Big Brother, treating human lives as mere disposables. And then there’s the torturous twist — they didn’t just take any random soul; they took his love, his raison d’être. I think I was struck by the realness of that dystopian nightmare. When I listen to this now I hear the Stooges influences and strangely enough early R.E.M. (maybe ‘Wolves, Lower’) – without sounding like it. Clifton’s blistering frantic lead is where the dystopian chaos culminates. We loved playing this live. Us and the audience really got swept up in the frenzy. I think the new video using the AGIO footage really captures this well…screaming for recognition, for love, for freedom from the claustrophobic confines of a society that demands conformity. Like a war cry for all Winstons out there, and a warning of the dangers of unchecked power and the sacrifice of individuality at the altar of societal demands. The ‘Follow’ is a warning… Plus, it’s just a raw rock ‘n’ roll song. Visceral and intense. – Tom Cheek

The band has reunited and will begin to support their catalog reissues with new regional touring.

‘Hands Down’ by Kilkenny Cats will be available on Vinyl and CD on October 6 via Propeller Sound Recordings.


Kilkenny Cats Facebook / Instagram / Bandcamp / YouTube
Propeller Sound Recordings Official Website / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Bandcamp / YouTube

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