Thursday, March 2, 2006
J-Stone’s Pick of the Week - Kingfish
Andrew Johnstone picks his favorite local bands...all the way from up north!
Did anyone miss me last week? No? Damn–anyway.
There’s some instinctual pattern hidden well beneath the lobes of our indie soaked brains that tells us one simple constant: If its got keyboards and sounds kind of weird, compare it to Radiohead immediately. We’re all guilty of it, and certainly if you’ve read an article on Midlake or Pilotdrift, inevitably the big R makes its appearance so that every half-way “me too!” indie cow in the group can go “ohhhh–I bet it’s good.”
As you gloss over Kingfish’s website and take a listen to “Chasing Seagulls” that instinct kicks into over drive as the eerily Tom Yorke like voice chimes in, “what have you done here–” Kingfish screams to be a Radiohead wanna be band at first listen, the weird sounds, the distorted guitars, it brings back nostalgic feelings about The Bends. However Kingfish has more than the same old hackneyed Brit-rock obsession that plagues night clubs across these fine United States.
Kingfish blends styles reminiscent of 90’s alt-pop with darker elements and even a twinge of that prog rock style that defines such great local bands as Modico. When sweeping guitars get totally destroyed inside some sort of distortion storm, it’s always a good time for your auditory nerves. Kingfish has this great niche where they can write a song that makes you kind of bob your head and dance a bit, and then place it side by side with a wrist slashing drone fest befitting of pale skinned psychopaths and their exceptionally anxious roommates. If you can make someone smile, and then make them cry, you’ve absolutely mastered the art of music.
“So We Go” starts off with a twist on Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” just enough twist to avoid any legal issues. The quiet and eerie piano is quickly accompanied by a sort of distorted string sound that sends a little shiver right up your spine. This song is epic, grand, sweeping even; everything about it stands out as unique and down right creepy. The song crescendos into a grand explosion by the end, upon climaxing it descends into absolute chaos finally ending in what I can only describe as the sound of a distortion pedal’s heart beating slower and slower with each passing second. What a crazy song–
“Promise” is easily where anyone can draw a Modico comparison. The drumming on this song is so good, the pacing and structure is perfect I can only imagine the grand spectacle of this song in a live setting. Not too often do you hear a bass solo (albeit a quick one) in a break down, but sure enough Kingfish defies convention and sets up this sort of distorted grand piano into the sound of a copying machine at the end. I’m not sure how I feel about that copy machine–it’s so strange but has a nice effect, almost Industrial in nature something that I should mention Kingfish has a touch of here and there as well.
Something about “Latitude and Longitude” reminds me of Cake, I haven’t quite put my finger on it but the bass line just makes me think of a short skirt and a looooong jacket, heh.
I expect more from this band in the future, they’ve got this raw talent and a penchant for the odd. Kingfish challenges the standards of rock music, providing the listener with a unique and interesting experience. Elements of alternative, progressive and even some industrial make their way into Kingfish’s repertoire setting them apart from the crowd of Radiohead-types trying so desperately to be “different.”
Listen to more of J-Stone's picks on The Lonestar State, www.WMUCradio.com, Wednesdays from 6-8 PM EST.
