CITIZEN KING: The STRANGE HISTORY of The BAND Behind 'BETTER DAYS"
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- Опубліковано 12 чер 2024
- Citizen King: The strange history of the band behind 'Better Days'
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The late 90s saw the rise of Citizen King, known for their hit song "Better Days (And the Bottom Drops Out)" which gained popularity through radio airplay and inclusion in shows like Malcolm in the Middle. Originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the band evolved from a previous group called Wild Kingdom, blending funk, punk, and ska influences. Formed in the early 90s, Citizen King comprised Malcolm Michaels (turntablist), Dave Cooley (keyboardist), DJ Brooks (drummer), Sage Shwarm (bassist), along with guitarist Kristian Riley and vocalist Matt Sims.
Their eclectic musical influences and energetic live performances earned them a local following. They transitioned from Wild Kingdom to Citizen King to explore a broader musical spectrum. Sims, inspired by various music genres and familial influences, coined the band's name from historical and political references.
The band's journey continued with basement shows and regional performances, solidifying their sound as a fusion of jazz, funk, and hip-hop. They caught the attention of Speech from Arrested Development, leading to their debut album "Brown Bag LP" in 1995 and subsequent EP "Count the Days."
Signing with 510/MCA Records and later Warner Brothers, they released their major label debut "Mobile Estates" in 1999. Their breakout hit "Better Days" propelled them to mainstream success, though the band emphasized their diverse musical range beyond the single. However, subsequent singles didn't achieve the same level of success.
Internal conflicts and canceled gigs marked a tumultuous period for the band, eventually leading to their disbandment in 2002. The reasons behind the split remain largely undisclosed, with speculation suggesting personal issues, substance abuse, or creative differences.
Since then, band members pursued various endeavors. Malcolm Michaels ventured into solo projects and production, while Dave Cooley found success as a producer. DJ Brooks established his own DJ company, and Kristian Riley ventured into music production. Matt Sims, after a stint in Los Angeles as a model, relocated to Germany, pursuing a solo music career under the name CEI.
Despite their brief time in the spotlight, Citizen King left a lasting impact on the music scene, blending genres and showcasing the vibrant Milwaukee music scene of the late 90s.
Would you consider Citizen Cope? I haven't heard from him in years. Please and thank you
Great suggestion. Let me add that to my list and thanks for super thanks!
@@rnrtruestories sorry it's not much, I'm on a pension. But you deserve way more than that. Your videos are always well done.
@@tenebrousoul9368thanks!
Love how he mentioned Limewire. Kids today will never know how that was the equivalent to giving your computer AIDS.
Haha that probably explains my computers slow performance in college
It wasn't THAT bad. Spotting the fakes/viruses was pretty easy
Lol what r u talking about? Limewire and frostwire were awesome! Just cause u clearly didn't kno how to protect your computer from viruses or download the correct things that wasn't going to give your computer "AIDs" lol, I never had an huge issue, everything, sites, emails, porn lol all have a viruses and spamware n Spyware, more so today then back then lol. I miss those days a lot
@@rnrtruestories I used BearShare or FrostWire.
I remember seeing these guy as Wild Kingdom in the early 90s on Milwaukees East Side.
I was prerty shocked when they came out with this song.
We saw these boys in a club in Omaha. AMAZING show. Bought a CD at the show.
Talk about digging up obscure one hit wonders from the 90's... I actually randomly thought about this song late last year and to remind myself oh yeah I used to enjoy this song because much like the rest of the later 90's... it was an experimental time that combined a lot of different influences
another Milwaukee staple lol, these guys were really something special during the late 90’s and early 2000’s. I grew up listening to their hits playing on the radio every day!
"I missed the bus, but I'm in no hurry." I always remembered that line from that song for some reason lol
I actually saw these guys live in Seattle back in 1999, but alas Citizen King has seen better days
That's who did that song!! I remember hearing Better Days, constantly, back around 1999/2000, but i never caught the music video, so i had no idea who was behind the song. Literally didn't know until this video, though i certainly never forgot the song. Sad to hear what happened to them, as they sounded like a pretty unique & innovative group. Speaking of Fishbone, would you consider covering them in a future video?
Loved hearing "Better Days" on Street Sk8er 2!
"Under the Influence" was my special song.
Was a huge fan of MT SIMS cause it was the electroclash era in the 2000s where Matt did his solo outing. He is still around. The last project he did was with a former member of the band THE KNIFE lof Dreijer which was as early as last year.
Sounds like they were ready to explode. That song "Better Days" got bigger the further we got from it. A great follow up would have put them on top of the world. Honestly, whatever happened had to have been something illegal and horrible for everyone to react the way they did.
Whatever happened to the band Nine Days? They had that super catchy song Story of a Girl but never heard from them again
Search for the One Hit Wonderland episode on it
Plan on doing a much more detailed video on it
Sage Schwarm and Old Man Malcolm continued doing their own music and producing stuff for local Milwaukee hip-hop artists well into the 2000's. Malcolm produced an entire ep for my man Dana Coppa and had a group with my guy Kid Millions. Fun fact sometimes he even djs at Packer games.
I looked up Matt Sims, apparently he's an evolutionary biologist in Germany now
Don't ask how I know, I was trying to find where to buy his solo albums
Better Days is still a banger
Incredible video! I'm curious what you used to access all those old newspaper articles/interviews, I've never seen those before
Wow, my good buddy was their monitor engineer when they were touring their Better Days era. I remember watching them from the side of the stage in Portland Oregon.
What's did your buddy have to say about working with them? What were his thoughts on Matt?
@@Boppalini Man, that was a long time ago. I would have to ask him about any particular members but as I recall it was a good time for my friend as well as the band. It was one of my friends' first tours, he is out with the Eagles now.
How about a story on Lennon. She had an album releases on sept. 11 2001 and opened for Alice cooper. She went in to be a suicide girl when that was a thing. Got sued by yoko ono and won.
Do you have any links on this?
@@rnrtruestories
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lennon_Murphy
You can find her music videos on UA-cam. Her name is Lennon Murphy But went by Lennon.
Gotta admit, I definitely always attributed that song to Sublime. I must've heard it a hundred times in my life, and didn't know the artist.
One of the guys came to my high schools creative writing class to talk process.
Great video.
Thanks!
I guess you can say they've seen "Better Days" and the bottom did drop out.
Dude I still listen to this album all the time! Jalopy style is such a great jam! Under the influence was great too love mobile estates
Wow ive always wondered who actually played better days it was on my ipod as sublime but i knew it wasnt . Mind blown
Weird history, especially since their one-hit wonder song, which I always loved. I can't believe that song only went to #98 on the Billboard Hot 100! I thought for sure it at least hit the Top 40. 🤔 I still love that song, especially since I now feel nostalgia for the 1998-2000 period.
Wish they were still around. Too young to have ever seen them in person before they broke up and I live in Milwaukee
You should cover 2 skinnee j’s. They still kick add every album they made is gold in my ears
Did you do Blessed Union of Souls?
No I haven’t please use suggestion form in description box for requests
I definitely thought this was sugar ray. Limewire got me again
👍🏻✌🏼😊
Have you thought about doing a what happen to the group SHUDDER TO THINK?
i tremble to contemplate what became of them
I think it's more of a fall than rise when you have one hit and then fade to obscurity just saying
4:46 jsyk, Illini is pronounced ill-I-n-I, not ill-in-I. The Daily Illini is the college newspaper for the University of Illinois, home of the Fighting Illini. I'm an alum, so I caught that right away lol 🤘
As a former EA Sports NCAA Football player I caught it too 😂
word
Milwaukee teenager in the 90s = 2-drink minimum tickets for Citizen King at the Rave
Here’s some more bands you can do a video on:
3RA1N1AC
Silkworm
Fishmans
hot seat can't sitdown / moving
Definitely kind of sounded like Sugar Ray, not Sublime. They were dead for like 5 years at that point
Now genre labels (pop, rock, rap, etc) are becoming obsolete in the era of Post Malone, Lil Nas X, and Jelly Roll. These guys were ahead of their time. That Spin critic sounds like a pathetic close minded gatekeeper. Great vid easy 👍
What do you mean, can't all of those terrible people you listed simply be labeled as 'trap rap' or 'cloud rap' or 'mumble rap', etc? And those are all interchangeable subgenres anyway, it's hardly as if we've reached the realm of unclassifiable music, especially from frankly such embarrassing 'artists'. The music created by those you listed is a cry for help, in the terrible war of artistic expression we as a society seem to be losing.
@@MysticalHydra I think only weirdo gatekeepers obsess over genre / sub-genre labels.
Next, maybe we’d agree that not every music entertainer is automatically an “artist.”
Regarding music entertainers you don’t like… I don’t enjoy K-pop yet I can’t deny it connects with millions of people. I don’t have to enjoy it yet I accept people are different and they’re are millions having a different experience with that music than I am.
Lastly most enthusiastic music fans have variety in their music collection.
All those artists you named are trash music. No wonder Gene says that rock is dead.
I stole The Brown Bag LP from an ex-girlfriend. Good & Gone is a great track.
I thought this band did Circles too..
Soul Coughing is the band that did Circles.
Done soul coughing already. Here ya go ua-cam.com/video/gW25NPhn0lg/v-deo.htmlsi=KMItOrSV_ZewkweN
@Rock N Roll Sid. Do you know what the shirt you're wearing means symbolically? If not; stop wearing it. Please. You seem like a good guy. I hope I'm right. If anyone reading this is clueless to what I'm talking about. I'm not explaining. Those that have had anything to do with showbiz know what I'm talking about.
I have no idea what it means. It’s a pretty standard pattern and I think it originated in France and is a mariner type pattern
I'm pretty sure any weird symbology with Breton stripes is so obscure at this point as to be nonexistent. The fact that you commented and NO ONE knew what you're talking about confirms this. It isn't something ubiquitous as a swastika so has no meaning anymore. Which is a good thing.
So many tasteless metal head purists in the comment section. They don’t know good music when they hear it 🤷🏻♂️
Citizen King kind of sucks, tbh. Now Citizen Fish, there's a real band ;D
my thoughts exactly
Closed minded Metal Head I see…
@@davidowens2067 Sure, except that Fish is punk and not metal, and they are absurdly more innovative and talented than King, and even their ska influences kick the shit out of King. But yeah, I have different tastes than you so I must be closed-minded.
CEI? Um...... Ewww
I always hated that sh!tty song.
Love this channel though.
Nah, that song is a classic. To each their own I guess…
your worthless brain isn't worthy of it's vibes