When it comes to points of comparison, The Architects chiefly receive it by way of two types of Rock & Roll groups: the long dissolved (The Clash, The Replacements, Husker Du) and the aged but still chugging along (AC/DC, The Who, Queen). The Kansas City, Mo.-born four-piece's lead vocalist/guitarist, however, doesn't mind being in the company of the dated.
"Those are the bands we look up to,” Brandon Phillips says. “The Jam and The Clash are the crux of what we're about. Anytime anyone wants to compare us to Chuck Berry, Little Richard or Creedence Clearwater Revival, I'll absolutely take those. I prefer those comparisons to Rise Against — nothing against Rise Against. If you tried to modernize, it wouldn't be quite as accurate.”
Little Richard is a name especially pertinent to Phillips, as he previously mentioned that he'd prefer for his career to follow the same trajectory as the dynamite pianist and Rock & Roll pioneer.
“A lot of records nowadays are assembled in the studio by a producer,” says the former Gadjits frontman. “They go to incredible lengths to sand away the carpentry. To my ear, perfect becomes the enemy of good when we're talking about Rock & Roll. I want to hear sweat and crashing — dudes in a room. You always hear that on Little Richard and Bo Diddley records. For their imperfections, they are still awesome.”
Sonic similarities aside, Phillips feels a kinship with older bands because he perceives an aura of affectation surrounding the current crop.
“Out of the five biggest bands today, four are desperately trying to look like Led Zeppelin or The Rolling Stones. The Kings of Leon have pretty much been raiding Keith Richards' wardrobe since 2002,” he adds with a laugh. “I don't think fashion was what the Stones were trying to teach us.”
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