The Kickdrums Explained

The Kickdrums
Origin:Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
Occupation:Record producer
Years Active:2005–present
Current Members:Alexander Fitts
Past Members:Matt Penttila

The Kickdrums is singer-songwriter and record producer Alexander Fitts, originally from Cleveland, Ohio. It was formerly a production duo also including DJ Matt Penttila.[1]

Career

Indie rock singer-songwriter Alex Fitts started off as a Cleveland-based record producer, working with local hip-hop acts but took off when his music caught the ears of big-name rappers, looking for production that blended hip-hop and indie rock styles. He and his production partner, Matt Penttila, found work with artists such as 50 Cent, John Legend, and Kid Cudi, and did remixing for Kanye West, Adele, Ben Harper, and Peter Bjorn and John.[2]

At the same time, the duo began working on their own hybrid of indie rock and hip-hop, releasing an EP titled Just a Game in 2009, and continued with an album titled Meet Your Ghost in 2011 with Last Gang Records.[3]

Penttila left the band after this release and Fitts struck out on his own, turning The Kickdrums into a one-man band and trading in any vestiges of hip-hop for electronic-tinged singer-songwriter-influenced indie rock. After signing with Hopeless Records, an EP titled Still Logic was released in July 2013, followed by an album titled Thinking Out Loud in October of that year.[4]

Fitts' music has been used in a variety of TV shows, movies and games including The Sims, Teen Wolf, The Wire, Suits, Bloodline, Chuck, Cougar Town, Lovesick, Demoted, Famous in Love, The Unicorn, Temptation Island, ESPN, the BBC as well as ads for Ralph Lauren and Beats by Dre.

Albums including The Kickdrums' production have sold over 7.5 million copies worldwide. Fitts has cited The Prodigy, Wu-Tang Clan and Trent Reznor as influences.

Production discography

2005

2006–2007

  1. "Smokin' & Leanin"
  2. "She A G"
  3. "Dope Game"
  4. "Here I Stand"
  1. "Keep on Pushing"
  2. "Hello World"[7]
  3. "Get It Girl" (feat. Fat Al)[8]

2008

  1. "We Major"
  2. "Good Morning" (feat. Big Sean)

2009–2010

2011

2012

  1. "Thieves In The Choir" featuring Casey Veggies
    1. "Want My Blood" featuring DZ Deathrays & Rockie Fresh "My Life" featuring Machine Gun Kelly
  2. "Naked"
  3. "The Way It Goes" featuring Big Pooh
  4. "The Last Goodbye" featuring Backwood Jones
  5. "Traces"
  6. "Death Wish" featuring Maluca Mala & Mr. Muthafuckin eXquire
  7. "Safer Than Heaven"
  8. "Whatever You'd Like featuring
  9. "Come Come (KD Remix) by Hot As Sun - featuring Freddie Gibbs
  10. "Come And Go" by Alan Wilkis featuring The KickDrums

2013

2014

2015

  1. "No Where (Intro)"
  2. "Magic Bullet"
  3. "Indica La Roux (Ft. Miloh Smith)"
  4. "Naruto"
  5. "Psycho"
  6. "N O W H E R E"
  7. "Lambo, Pt. 1"
  8. "Lambo, Pt. 2"
  9. "Unagi"
  10. "Skank"
  11. "Bandcamp"
  12. "I Got A Lazer"
  13. "Now Here (Outro)"

2016

2017

  1. "Euphoria"
  2. "Stun Gun"
  3. "Spectrum"
  4. "Chemicel"
  5. "Hospitals"
  1. "Breakfast"
  2. "Coma"
  3. "Spine"
  4. "Gash"

2018

  1. "First Time"
  2. "True Romance"
  3. "Barbara Walters"

2019

  1. "Baby Dont Worry"
  2. "Hold It Down"
  3. "Revolutionize"
  4. "Love U"
  5. "Feel It"
  1. "Alone"

2020

  1. "All My Heroes Are Dead (The Introduction)"
  2. "Golden Oldies" (feat. Atmosphere and Eamon)
  3. "Angelic Boy"
  4. "Living Through a Screen (Everything Is a Lie)" (feat. The Kickdrums)
  5. "The Slayers Club" " (feat. Ice-T, Vinnie Paz, Brand Nubian, Chris Rivers, Chino XL, M.O.P. and Onyx)

2022

  1. "Mirrors"
  2. "Beautiful Day"
  3. "Going Out Of My Mind"
  4. "It Felt Real"
  5. "The Right Thing"
  6. "Losing Sunlight"

2023

  1. "The Color"
  2. "The Otherside"
  3. "Ride The Wave"
  1. "Pretty Orange"
  2. "Potato Chip"
  3. "No Vacancy"
  4. "Wrong Number"
  1. "Swimming"
  2. "The Bird and the Dog"
  3. "Listen Up"
  4. "Talk About It All The Time"

Discography

Studio Albums

Compilations

EPs

Videography

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Q&A: Meet the KickDrums . November 3, 2011 . American Songwriter.
  2. News: New Video: Alan Wilkis ft.The KickDrums – Come and Go . December 21, 2011. Respect-mag.com. 2017-03-06. en-US.
  3. News: Album Review: The Kickdrums – Meet Your Ghost. June 30, 2011. Consequence of Sound. 2017-03-06. en-US.
  4. Web site: The Kickdrums on Apple Music. iTunes Store. en. 2017-02-27.
  5. Web site: The Kickdrums may be hip-hop's next big beatmakers. And they work out of a closet in Avon. Garcia-Roberts. Gus. Cleveland Scene. 2017-02-27.
  6. Web site: Ray Cash – Cash On Delivery. Discogs. June 27, 2006 . en. 2017-02-27.
  7. Web site: Chip Tha Ripper – Hello World [Prod. By The Kickdrums] mp3 Download and Stream]. LiveMixtapes. 2017-02-27.
  8. Web site: Chip tha Ripper (Feat. Al Fatz) – Get It Gurl [Prod. By The KickDrums] mp3 Download and Stream]. LiveMixtapes. 2017-02-27.
  9. Web site: Kay Slay – Pop The Truck. Genius. en. 2022-12-20.
  10. News: Slaughterhouse Premiere Official 'Move On' Video – DJBooth Article. DJBooth.net. 2017-02-27.
  11. Web site: The 25 Best Kid Cudi SongsKid Cudi 'Sky High' (2009). Complex. en. 2017-02-27.
  12. Web site: Kid Cudi Feat. Chip Tha Ripper – T.G.I.F. [Prod. by The Kickdrums] mp3 Download and Stream]. LiveMixtapes. 2017-02-27.
  13. Web site: Waiting For The End. linkinpedia. en. 2022-12-03.
  14. Web site: Like Its Her Birthday. spotify. en. 2022-12-03.
  15. Web site: Nothing To Worry About. YouTube. en. 2022-12-04.
  16. Web site: Scarface – 2 The Beat. YouTube. en-US. 2022-12-03.
  17. Web site: The Kickdrums – Perfect World. YouTube. en-US. 2022-12-03.
  18. Web site: Ben Harper – Lay There And Hate Me. consequence.net. February 18, 2011 . en-US. 2022-12-04.
  19. Web site: Alan Wilkis – Come And Go. consequence.net. en-US. 2022-12-04.
  20. Web site: MIXTAPE: The KickDrums & Dee Goodz - The Higher EP. thecouchsessions.com. en. 2022-12-04.
  21. Web site: The Kickdrums – Follow The Leaders. genius. en. 2022-12-20.
  22. Web site: Alex Fitts. Discogs. en. 2017-02-27.
  23. Web site: Deniro Farrar. YouTube. en. 2022-12-04.
  24. Web site: Super Soaker. Spotify. en. 2022-12-03.
  25. Web site: From Indian Lakes – Sleeping Limbs. YouTube. en-US. 2022-12-04.
  26. Web site: Mainland – Outcast Fake Guns remix. blahblahblahscience.com. November 6, 2015 . en-US. 2022-12-20.
  27. Web site: Duckwrth – Nowhere. genius. en. 2022-12-20.
  28. Web site: SWIMM – Man's Man/Groupie. Hit City U.S.A.. en-US. 2017-02-27.
  29. Web site: Vagrant Records. Vagrant Records. en. 2017-02-27.
  30. Web site: Rockie Fresh – Don't Worry. Hit City U.S.A.. en-US. 2022-12-20.
  31. Web site: Shiney Wet Machine – Lights Out. genius. en. 2022-12-20.
  32. Web site: Shiney Wet Machine – Lights Out B-sides. genius. en. 2022-12-20.
  33. Web site: SWIMM – Sentilmental Porno. discogs. June 5, 2018 . en-US. 2022-12-02.
  34. Web site: Mia Gladstone – Grow. 22twenty Records. en-US. 2022-12-02.
  35. Web site: Vinnie Caruana – Aging Frontman. Big Scary Monsters Records. en-US. 2022-12-03.
  36. Web site: Sick Individuals – Scars. YouTube. en-US. 2022-12-04.
  37. Web site: Introducing: Nite Therapy . UPPM Records. en-US. 2022-12-02.
  38. Web site: Oh Bummer – Losing SunLight. If This Then Records. en-US. 2022-12-02.
  39. Web site: Indie Sonics. Indie Sonics. en. 2022-12-02.
  40. Web site: Doc Robinson – Ride The Wave. ffm.to. en-US. 2022-12-02.
  41. Web site: Psych Indie Pop. BMG Production Music. en. 2023-04-08.
  42. Web site: Doc Robinson & The Kickdrums – The Color. docrobinsonofficial. en-US. 2023-12-02.
  43. Web site: Werdperfect & The Kickdrums – Pretty Orange. docrobinsonofficial. en-US. 2023-12-02.
  44. Web site: oh bummer – Stupid. open.spotify.com . en-US. 2023-12-02.
  45. Web site: 9 Questions for the KickDrums: BKLYN Producer Duo Releases "Meet Your Ghost". June 28, 2011. SonicScoop. 2017-02-27.
  46. News: premiere: the kickdrums "thinking out loud" (full album!). Nylon. 2017-02-27. en.
  47. News: Kickdrums 'Smash the System' with New Mixtape [Free Download] . Djbooth.
  48. News: The Kickdrums – 'Just A Game'. PigeonsandPlanes. 2017-02-27. en.
  49. News: The Kickdrums – 'Inspiration For Conversation'. consequence.net. 2022-12-20. en.
  50. Web site: The KickDrums sign to Hopeless Records, release music video and EP. Alternative Press. en. 2017-02-27.