Kicking You In The Head

Vancouver duo screams counterculture 'Monopolizing' local music scene.

There is a "new Kyd" in town, stirring up dust in the local music scene, creating a splash with its unique brand of music.

Kyd Monopoli is Ani Kyd and Flavio Monopoli. Kyd is a guitar  player / singer / songwriter. Monopoli handles drums and shares in writing credits.

When I caught the twosome at their showcase at the Brickyard, I was blown away by the driving sound that the pair created. Monopoli's drumming is tight, in the groove and pulsing. Kyd is a provocation of thought and merciless messages. She screams counter-culture as she slams her hand down the guitar strings. She metaphorically kicks you in the gut, singing in a low guttural growl about experiences of her, around her and throughout her.

Kyd's personality is a montage of humour and alter ego. When I talked to her, she taunted and teased throughout the interview, weaving a web of intrigue about her. "Flavio and I are very comical and we love to joke around. We're constantly laughing. But our music is very serious and dark." Her black hair, cropped below her ears, is tossed pertly back, and when she spoke again, eyes opened wide, and mouth curled into a smile. "My guitar is tuned differently; it's more of a low tuning; Flavio's drumming is really deep. His style is very thick and so it works well together." She glances at her lone percussionist and adds, "Our music doesn't need anything else."

Lyrically, the duo is as dark as they are slick. "Lots of stuff about serial killers," muses Kyd. "That whole dark music that I write is me, of how I feel inside and who I am. Flavio has a similar thing, too. It's different elements of who we are. I have a very dark side, but there is also this light and humourous part of me. Humour by day, darkness by night."

A quip from Monopoli puts the pair in perspective: "If we spent our entire life being too serious, I think we'd be very depressed people." Kyd adds, "And we'd look a hell of a lot older."

As many purists do, Kyd Monopoli cringes at the thought of being categorized into a musical genre. The drummer speaks casually about their style. "It's pop, punk, rock 'n' roll, all rolled into one. There's just no way to categorize it. There are different things all thrown in, so it's very hard-hitting."

Hard-hitting? Certainly, Kyd Monopoli has hit a chord with a core of followers. Having only formed this past September, their first showcase was at The Starfish Room on November 10th where 300 people witnessed the duo's dynamics directly. At their second gig in mid December, Toronto's CITY TV did a feature piece on them. Hard-hitting, indeed.

What's next? Release of the movie soundtrack for The Widower, starring punk rock icon Jello Biafra, featuring a KM original instrumental, "Vincent Price." In early spring. the two will jet down to Los Angeles to record their debut album. After that? "Leave Vancouver and conquer the world," smirks Monopoli. "Yeah, and do some festivals," pipes in Kyd. A bit of sensibility thrown in with all that humour and darkness.

With their musical backgrounds, Kyd (Spanking Betty, Peterbuilt, Band of Champions) and Monopoli (Velour3, Sugar Candy Mountain, Orbit in Bloom) has the potential to monopolize the local music scene. Their energy is undeniable; their talent unmistakable. Kyd sums it up succinctly: "We kick you in the head with our music!" - Ange Frymire, The Voice, February 1999.