It Ain't Hemingway

It’s hard not to see the similarities of these families of musical genius. Although, most of the comparisons are based on the Von Trapp’s we see in “The Sound of Music,” the basic roots are the same; both families influenced by controlling establishments and conforming to the strict guidelines of someone else’s moral compass only to break free and express themselves in a profoundly creative way.

The similarities hardly end there. In a more detailed analysis we can see not only the family reflections but the individual ones as well. Yes, there are only 3 brothers and a cousin in the Followill clan and 7 in the Von Trapp tribe but upon further inspection isn’t there a little bit of the Von Trapp’s in all of the Followill’s?

Liesl, the oldest daughter and most prominent character among the children can easily be compared to Caleb Followill. Her leadership and eloquent singing are equal to that of Kings of Leon’s front man. Her rebel late night romps with Rolf the messenger boy no doubt reminds us what a rock star/groupie pursuit may be like, just add drugs, booze, condoms and stir.

When it comes to Jared he seems to be a bit of a mix. Gretl the youngest and often seen with a furrowed brow bring to mind Jared but it is Kurt’s tell it like it is attitude that most resembles the youngest Followill. Much like Kurt it isn’t hard to see Jared hiding a frog in his governess’ pocket just for kicks. My guess is in the Followill scenario Nathan would probably catch it then try to smoke it.

Matthew Followill reminds us of the soft-spoken Brigitta with the knock out smile. No doubt a respected member and probably the smartest. My only reference for this description can be found in the Kings of Leon home movies when Matthew corrects Nathan’s use of the English language, “You drank 5 more beers, not drunk.” Clearly he is the academic of the bunch.

As for Nathan…OK, I can’t compare him to any of them. The man is a wonder.

Even a comparison of Maria and the Followill matriarch Betty Ann can be made. Both have a gift for sewing. Maria, with her resourceful use of window treatments allowing the children to happily romp through the trails of the Austrian countryside. Betty Ann, with her skills to transform thrift store finds into original formfitting outfits that make the young ladies wish they could romp along Jared’s own happy trail.

But as a whole both family units are a team, all surviving and thriving by standing together like an unbreakable levy. Whether it fighting off the Germans or the latest STD they will power through.

Clearly my grueling research for this comparative study will pay off and open the doors for more intense discussions on the subject. No doubt in years to come, when it is proven that the Kings of Leon are a cultural phenomenon, academic courses will be based on their familial construction. I’m just glad I had the foresight to get the ball rolling.

(Sorry, I had a Chocolate in my Peanut Butter moment last night. I watched the Sound of Music while listening to KOL. God only knows what they are really like. I get all my info from the 2 min. clips I find on You Tube. Jared may be deathly afraid of frogs for all I know! I think I’m done with all my tall tales of the Followill’s ( unless the masses demand more of course), I’m just about ready to move onto MGMT. Stay tuned.)

Christina