Loyola Greyhound

Issue date: 2/27/07 Section: Arts & Society

Flee the Seen features emo-style female vocals and punk sounds. Hailing from Kansas City, they have achieved a fair amount of media coverage in magazines such as Alternative Press

"After the dial tone wears itself thin, this sound will rise…"

So finishes the catchy first single, "Wire Tap Out" on Flee the Seen's premiere full length album, Doubt Becomes the New Addiction. This song is one of many fast, punky sounding tunes on the album. The entire CD is chock full of addicting, pounding riffs and raspy vocals accompanied with sick, metaphorical lyrics. Flee the Seen is a band that either you hate or you love, gripping the attention of audiences either way. And if you love them, their songs are stuck on repeat in your head forever, an everlasting friend.

The interestingly named Flee the Seen hails from Kansas City, Kan., not the first place you'd think of for the birth of a fairly heavy punk/emo sound. Despite this, Flee the Seen has exploded on both a local and regional level. The young band has won several trophies for the Kansas-centered music awards called the Pitch Awards (sponsored by Pitch magazine) for Best New Band, Best Punk Band, and Best Female Vocalist, pointing out the unique talents of lead singer and bassist Kim Anderson. Although they're still far from hitting the top of the billboard charts, they have gained a respectable amount of coverage and fame. For starters, they've opened for bands such as Weezer, Coheed and Cambria, Alkaline Trio, and 30 Seconds To Mars, all before releasing their first album-with only two EPs (Fighting Chance and Sound of Sirens) under their belt. They've been featured in popular music magazines such as Alternative Press (AP), highlighted as a band to look out for in the coming year. Signing with Facedown records (home of the well-liked hardcore/metal band Nodes of Ranvier) became a great accomplishment for the band -- a sampler by the label has been included in magazines and Hot Topic stores nationwide, with Flee the Seen tracks showcasing their talent.

Female-fronted bands are nothing new. Well-known acts Evanescence, The Distillers, and Straylight Run all feature female singers. What makes Flee the Seen's female singer unique is that, while she still sounds vaguely like a female when she sings, her voice is one that is not typical of girl rock. Instead of operatic ballads like those out of the mouth of Amy Lee or folk-pop murmurs like those of Regina Spektor , Flee the Seen's Anderson goes for a new perspective.

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