KS - Funky Elevator Music - CD
(KS Films) Funky
synthesizer, funky guitar, funky piano, funky etc… all held together by
a funky beat, that’s the formula for the tunes on this release by KS
which stand out the most. This CD starts off strong with tunes which will
quickly have you subliminally moving your body to the music. There are a
few tunes which have that generic new age synth instrumental feel to them,
but not many and they are easily forgotten as the rest of the cuts on this
release lull you into the groove.
-- Mite Mutant (2007)
Candye Kane - Whole Lotta Love - CD
(Ruf Records) The
cover of this CD has a plus-size Candye Kane showing off the cleavage
of her "whole lotta" boobies, so yeah it looked like it would be worth a
listen. What we have here is a strong voiced singer belting out some fun
("Something's Got a Hold on Me", "Put It All in There", "Fit, Fat And Fun"
) and at times funny (What's That I Smell?") blues. While she isn't the
best female blues singer out there, she still has that extra something in
her style that helps her stand out. File under fun full-figured female blues.
-- Mite Mutant (2003)
Kapakahi - Twisted, Bent & Confused - CD
(Kapakahi Music)
Kapakahi has a world/reggae bar band rock sound going on. The songs
are driven by a smooth groove, nice vocals and ripping sax. While there
is nothing mind-blowing on this release, I can see this band playing an
outdoor festival and being enjoyed by all. If reggae is your thing then
give this one a listen.
-- Mite Mutant (2008)
Karmic Whiplash - The Nervous System - CD
(Karmic
Whiplash) I'm very impressed. Rarely do we get in a release that was
self-produced that sounds this good. Travis Lund and Brendan Themes
are the two gentleman that go by the name of Karmic Whiplash. They
wrote the songs, played the instruments, recorded and mixed the 10 songs
on this release. The sound is best described as acoustical pop-punk. Brendan's
vocals have a classic snotty pop-punk air to them and help propel the catchiness
of the tunes as the songs chug along. My two favorites are "Getting to No"
and "Broken". I feel a lot of people are going to start to pay attention
to this band in the future.
-- Mite Mutant (2008)
Sandy Kastel - This Time Around - CD
(Silk & Satin Records)
Sandy Kastel offers up an album of standards which are a tribute
to the music of old world Las Vegas. With her wonderful voice she belts
out such tunes as "Fever", "Viva Las Vegas", "Luck Be a Lady" and many more.
While her voice is wonderful, it seems like it is more of a Broadway singing
voice. For my taste the arrangements are a bit weak on many of the tunes
because they lean too much toward the Broadway musical end of the spectrum.
However, if you are the type of person who enjoys musical soundtracks as
well as the classic standards in the vein of Frank Sinatra, then
this release which seems to combine the two is perfect for you.
-- Mite Mutant (2007)
KChari - Out Of Line - CD
(KChari) Take three
attractive siblings who are classically trained musicians with a mulititude
of influences and talent and you have a winning combination. Right? Well,
I thought so, until I played the disc. KChari has been termed classical
alternative, which is an accurate description, however what they lack in
their songs is passion. They are excellent musicains and have some beatutiful
musical structures, but they don't grip me. The lyrics are even really well
written, which is a rariety, however they are sung with the same lack of
emotion as the music is played. This is one of those cases where the band
should just chill out and get a bit sloppy, or wing it a bit.
-- Grog Mutant (2007)
Keram - Box - CD
(Keram Songs) This
starts off with a nice acoustic dual harmony folk song. The next song gets
a bit slower and mellower, but picks up a bit on the third track. The rest
of the disc flows like this with a progression of slow to medium tempo folk
songs with only guitar or piano accompaniment. Through the vocals and musicianship
are fine I’m struck by the demo-like quality of this release. It isn’t the
recording, this just sounds like a song writer who had recorded his ideas
and given them to his band to flesh out. I’ve heard enough demos before
to have a sense of this. My advice would be to find some like-minded musicians
to help make your musical ideas become full songs.
-- Grog Mutant (2008)
Mark Kerr - One Drink Away From The Blues - CD
(Mark Kerr) Mark
Kerr is a modern blues rock guitarist who stacks up with the best of
them. I hear more than a hint of later year Stevie Ray Vaughan in
his songs. All the musicians are excellent and Mark leads them well in both
the vocals and guitar fretwork. If you like your southern fried blues a
bit rocking with blistering guitar licks then this is for you.
-- Grog Mutant (2006)
Kimmy Kearse - I Give You Me - CD
(Kimmy Kearse)
The lyrics are what you would expect from a Jazzy R&B artist. However, the
vocal levels in some of the songs are hot. I found the singing and the music
to be very boring, her voice was not awful; it just wasn't up to the challenge
that the music presented. It sounded like someone who would make it to American
Idol, but be voted off in the first round.
Summed up, this is a mediocre album. Perhaps, Kimmy Kearse would
do better just writing songs as opposed to singing them.
-- Simi Mutant (2006)
Kermit's Finger - Jacque's Jonbenet Bombshell - 10" EP
(Poorest Quality
Records) Not only does this band answer the question "What's green and
smells like pork?", it also manages to belt out ten fast and furious punk
rock tunes in under 15 minutes on this thick 10" vinyl record. With songs
with titles like "Holy Crap," "Circus Performers," and "Puke on U," you
know what you're going to get.
-- Mite Mutant (2002)
Kick In The Eye - Starliner - CD
(Aftersound)
Kick in the Eye is a two piece band consisting of Marian & Donnie
Lochrie. Think of something like the White Stripes, but more college
rock sounding and both singing on the tracks. They really have the lo-fi
sound down and their geeky voices really work well for their style. I love
Marian's sweet background vocals, which sound a lot like the singer of Baby
Calendar. My favorite song is "Honey Bee", which is made excellent by
her singing on the chorus. I'm sure Kick in the Eye would be great
fun to see at a basement show somewhere.
-- Grog Mutant (2007)
Kid Brother Collective - Highway Miles - CD
(Point B P.O.)
These guys have been around for quite some time and have consistently released
great CD's. I wish they would get more recognition because they are one
of the better independent bands out here in the Midwest. They have a bit
of pop-punk, a bit of emo and a bit of shoe-gazzer college rock all thrown
in together to form a great sounding band. I would try to compare them to
some other bands, but I feel that their style is unique enough that they
can stand without a comparison.
-- Grog Mutant (2001)
Kiff - You Can't Keep It Down - CD
(Kiff) I've listen to
this disc quite a few times trying to get my feelings straight about the
release. It's hard to do because Kiff made me think immediately of
Jack Johnson and John Mayer, except being piano based. The
songs are good and catchy and he's fairly soulful on a few tunes, but it
makes me think of that "safe suburban white boy soul" instead of the real
deal. Overall Kiff has grown on me and I find most of his songs likeable,
but they seem to fade from memory a while after I hear them…just like Jack
Johnson.
-- Grog Mutant (2007)
Kill Hannah - Until There's Nothing Left Of Us - CD
(Atlantic Records)
This disc has really grown on me. When I took the first few listens I thought
it was just decent, with the exception of the steller "Lips Like Morphine".
Now, I find that it's in my standard rotation of CDs and I find myself thinking
of several of the songs throughout the day. Overall, an amazing album that
really grows on you. The closest match would be 30 Seconds to Mars
with a blend of emo, industrial, goth and just really catchy rock. I really
love their cover of "Under The Milky Way" which I feel rivals
the original by the Church, which just so happens to be one of my
favorite songs from the '80s.
-- Grog Mutant (2006)
Kill Your Idols - Kill Your Idols - CD
(Blackout Records)
I don't know what pissed these boys off, but ohhhhh do they sound angry.
They seem to attack their instruments with the fury of a wolverine, maybe
they're mad at their instruments. And the yelling, my they make me all scared
and all. Damn punks
-- Mite Mutant (2001)
Kind of Like Spitting - One Hundred Dollar Room - CD
(OHEV Records)
Acoustic power pop, if you can imagine, done tastefully, with just a touch
of folk.
-- Regan (2001)
B.B. King - Reflections - CD
(Universal
Records) This is a release of tunes that B.B. King grew up loving
and always wanted to record. You can tell two things while listening to
this release, B.B. King is one hell of an artist, and the production
team was top notch. B.B. just flows through every song effortlessly.
It's just so smooth. The downside is that this is definitely a CD for B.B.
King fans. This is just a change for them to hear him do something different
than the blues (which he does well). I just don't think this will get him
any new fans.
-- Mite Mutant (2003)
King B.A.V. - Rhyme Bomb - CD
(Adbran Records) This
is the other "Bad Ass Vocalist" release that we got in. After listening
to both CDs, I came to realize what makes King B.A.V. different from
many of the rappers today, minimalism. There is very little music on his
releases, and the beats are very simplistic. For the most part the same
can be said for his raps as well. It's as if rap as a whole has gotten it's
doctorate, while King B.A.V. is stuck in rappin' 101. There are a
couple of tunes that show promise. "No Prints on the Gun" is a solid rap,
while "What Happened Last Night?" just has a good fun feel about it.
-- Mite Mutant (2003)
King B.A.V. - Violence is Golden - CD
(Adbran Records) B.A.V.
stands for Bad Ass Vocalist. Yeah, the ol' King really thinks highly
of himself. He has money, women, and fame, at least that's what he tells
us in the majority of his raps on this release. The production and song
style on this release is of the old school street-rappin' ilk. There were
a few songs that stood out above the rest, with one being "I'll Take Your
Girl Too." Overall, while I would say that his style of rappin' isn't all
bad, it's not all that good either.
-- Mite Mutant (2003)
King Django - Reason - CD
(Epitaph/Hellcat Records)
Every once in a while I get a CD in that just surprises. This is one of
those CDs. This band has a sound that's a beautiful combination of rock,
reggae and rap. The title track seems like it's a version of a classic reggae
song. It's just spectacular. The rest of the release is just more of the
same. This one will be part of my permanent collection for sure.
-- Mite Mutant (2001)
Steven James King - Demo - CD
(Steven James King)
Steven James King has that poppish male guitar/piano singer-songerwriter
thing going on. This 3-song e.p. brings to mind other such artist like James
Blunt and Daniel Powter. While the music isn’t that bad, it just
doesn’t stand out either. The fact that the aforementioned singers were
shoved in our ears not too long ago just adds to my lack of enthusing for
this CD.
-- Mite Mutant (2007)
Kingen - Ride With Me - CD
(Black Cat Songs)
"In Review"
-- (2008)
Kinion - Kinion - CD
(Kinion) Take
the funky parts from The Red Hot Chili Peppers and add in some George Clinton
and a touch of modern hip-hop and you have the start of the Kinion album.
As the release progresses, their songs shift more and more to Reggae which
they do really well. Kinion has a solid funky sound swirl through everything
they do, which can get your body moving. A few of the songs have primarily
sung in Espanol and have political lyrics. I had this on at work and anybody
who came within earshot subconsciously started to bob to the beat. Great
funky fun for anyone.
-- Grog Mutant (2007)
The Kinison - The Kinison - CD
(Fearless Records)
What the fuck? Come on, can't any new band be original? I'm tired of getting
releases where part of the song is singing and part is screaming. It's way
overdone. The only difference with this band as compared with the hundred
plus other bands who use the same formula is that I can hear some potential,
especially on the song "New Way to Dance". There's a bit of sonic goodness
to that song. This band should listen to Braniac and XBXRX,
get rid of the screaming, and see what happens from there.
-- Mite Mutant (2003)
Kiss - The Very Best of - CD
(Universal Records)
I have many memories of Kiss while I was growing up. I remember the
neon glow of their simultaneous solo albums, my aunt making my brother and
his friend up to look like Paul and Gene for Halloween and watching their
movie on TV. However, through it all I was never a big enough fan to buy
any of their music. Even though I liked some of their songs, something about
their music really bothered me, and while listening to this CD I realized
why. The recording was always a bit muddy, and now I realize for some this
was part of their appeal. I also have to say this is what helped to give
them such a distinct sound. This release is packed full with 21 hits, and
is the perfect CD for such semi-fans as myself. While the Kiss Empire
started in 1974 and is still going strong I was surprised to see that their
last hit was "God Gave Rock & Roll to You" in 1993. More of my favorites
include "Rock and Roll All Night", "Detroit Rock City", "Shout It Out Loud",
"Beth", and their disco inspired tune" I Was Made for Lovin' You".
-- Mite Mutant (2002)
The Kissers - Good Fight - CD
(The Kissers) I
think Wisconsin must be a good place for Irish rock. I went to their amazing
Milwaukee Irish fest a few years back and now have a disc from Madison's
The Kissers. In the realm of Irish rock I would place them near the
Fenians and the Pogues, with a touch of Flogging Molly.
They have pretty typical instrumentation for this type of music: fiddle,
guitar, bass, drums, banjo, accordion, keyboards and of course a penny whistle.
Overall, I love their music but their lyrics are just sufficient. Not that
they're bad, just that they seem weak in comparison to the great music.
I suppose they work well live since the lyrics have more of a sing-along
type feel that crowds tend to love. One example of this can be found in
one of my favorite songs on the disc "No War" which is great except for
the chorus, which seems to be created more for an audience to chant, then
to fit along with the song. I noticed that they have a pretty extensive
tour schedule, which makes since, since I see them being much more of a
live band than a studio band. If they come your way go check them out because
I'm sure they put on a great show and are a blast every night.
-- Grog Mutant (2006)
Kitty in the Tree - Hello Kitty - CD
(LunaSea Records)
WOW! This power pop 4-pc should be on its way to stardom. Hello Kitty sparkles
like those tiny bubbles in cheap champagne-makes you happy, then it hits
you and you can't escape its power. Surrender.
-- Mite Mutant (2001)
Kleveland - Kleveland - CD
(Kleveland) This
Female lead rock 'n' roll trio has the chops that would make Joan Jett
proud. The music is heavy and the vocals are solid. While I have to
say that the song title "King of the Drama Queens" sounds good, the song
itself was a bit weak. Kleveland more than makes up for it on the
other tunes on this disc. You can't go wrong by checking out my personal
favorites "Johnny is a Klepto", "Cursed" and "Sleep at Night".
-- Mite Mutant (2007)
Klopecs - Shelbina, MO - CD
(Crack Records)
A fine mixture of snotty punk and pop punk of the early '90s. With a guitar
sound and drum playing similar to The Oxymorons, and song structure
of The Barnhills (defunct local bands), the Klopecs managed
to mixed the elements perfectly as they sing tunes about their hometown.
This is a wonderful release.
-- Mite Mutant (2001)
Klute - The Emperor's New Clothes - CD
(Break Beat Science)
Over 2 hours of sweet electronic dance music is what's in store for you
when you pick up this 2 CD set. What you get here is quantity with quality
without being overly repetitious. There is a lightness to Klute’s
music that makes a perfect yin to the yang of the BPM barrage which drives
the songs and CD along. Go ahead and give it a listen.
-- Mite Mutant (2008)
Gladys Knight & The Pips - The Best of - CD
(Universal Records)
You've heard the songs, you know what they're about...buy it already. Geesh
do I have to tell you everything?
-- Grog Mutant (2001)
Kool & The Gang - The Millennium Collection - CD
(Mercury Records / Universal)
This appeals to my nostalgic side. I remember many of the songs on this
collection from when I was first discovering Top 40 radio / pop music back
in the mid 80's. I feel that much of the music on the radio back then was
pretty damn good. Later on, I became disillusioned with what Z-93 (our local
Dayton, OH Top 40 station) was broadcasting. I came to realize it was almost
entirely "product", and we were having this shit shoved down our throats.
Nonetheless, I have fond memories of sitting beside my boom box and taping
my favorite songs off the radio. This CD is nicely packaged with great photos
from various time periods of the group and is packed full of their best
known hit singles. Like I stated earlier, I got into the 80's period stuff
and some of it was extremely cheesy. In the late 80's and early 90's when
I discovered Kool & The Gang's late 70's material (like "Jungle Boogie"),
I found more Funk, Jazz and Disco influences which I must admit a powerful
weakness for. Lately I've really grown fond of Funky stuff like Dayton's
very own ZAPP! and Ohio Players. And Stevie Wonder
is a god! I guess this white boy has a little bit o' SOUL!
-- Tom CoreKill (2001)
Kool & The Gang - Still Kool - CD
(Universal Music
Company) This CD contains brand new recordings from '70s songsters Kool
and the Gang. The songs are pretty decent and most of them have that
'70s ballad groove complete with horns that the band is famous for. While
they don't hold up to the hits they had in their heyday, the songs are still
strong, especially their ballads. Their one faltering point is "Livin' in
the 21" in which they try a modern rap spin on a song. It's just horrible.
They do make up for it on the special bonus disc which contains five songs
including "Celebration", "Summer Madness" and "Ladies Night"
-- Mite Mutant (2007)
Jason Kopec - Release The Cheerfulness, China Ground Up 2 - CD
(Noise Order) "In
Review"
-- (2008)
Julie Korman - Julie Korman - CD
(Julie Korman)
I went to Canal Street Tavern and saw this young Chicagoan during
her first trip to Dayton. Although sometimes her lyrics don't make a lot
of sense they are quirky and have a catchy beat ("He is good at fakin, comparisons
have been made to Kevin Bacon, although isn't everybody linked to him, he
is good I can tell but it's the dialogue, he acts so well." from her song
"Porn Star") This women has some tremendous vocals and some great talent.
I definitely expect to be seeing more from her.
-- Simi Mutant (2002)
Korn - Unplugged - CD
(Virgin Records)
This disc really surprsed me in two ways. First, I had no idea mtv was still
doing its unplugged series. Secondly, I really never would have thought
that Korn could do an acoutsic set. Well, they played acoustic and
I was very impressed to say the least. Most of their songs lent themselves
well to being rearranged acoutsiclly. It didn't hurt that they brought in
many other instruments such as cellos, upright bass, trombone, musical saw,
glass armonica, cimbasso and a hoarde of people on tiako drums.
In addition to adding all of this depth to their songs, they also had two
guests. Amy Lee of Evanescence on "Freak On A Leash"
and The Cure helping out on "Make Me Bad / In Between Days".
They also played a great version of "Creep" by Radiohead.
Korn's original songs also took on a brand life which makes them
more accessable to people beyond their core audiance. A great release by
a band that is too often dismissed as empty headed nu metal. Korn
rocks, with depth!
-- Grog Mutant (2007)
Kosher - Self Control - CD
(BYO Records) Good
olde punk-pop fun...which also is the only problem I have with this release.
I listened to this same sound over a decade ago and while it's fun it's
nothing new. I could think of 100 bands who sound similar to these guys
and while I'm glad that there are still young bands kickin' it out there
for the young punks to hear it's nothing for me. Maybe I'm just old and
jaded, but that's the way it seems to me. If you're a young kid and want
a good punk pop band to latch onto then check out Kosher.
-- Grog Mutant (2001)
Tom Kozlowski - Between Two Fires - CD
(Tom Kozlowski)
First off, the cover is just plain freaky. Tom looks like a stalker with
the way he has a candle lighting up his face. Tom did all the playing and
production on this release. While the production and sound quality are good,
the playing has a stiffness to it and just lacks the tightness that a full
band of musicians would have given the songs on this release. And while
I'm not thrilled with Tom's vocals, they aren't really that horrible either.
They just need a little more oomph. The same can be said for the lyrics.
While not really bad, they just lack something. Songs like "Eternity Hotel"
have a catchiness to them, but need something extra. In the end I believe
that Tom just needs to have a full band to work with. I believe this will
help him to be able to put more emotion into his vocals, tighten up the
sound and give him some people to bounce musical and lyrical ideas off of.
And finally, get input on the cover art, because if I saw this in a CD bin,
I wouldn't pick it up because of the creepiness of the cover art.
-- Mite Mutant (2008)
Krakatoa - Plan Ahead - CD
E-Mail Krakatoa
I saw / met this band at the infamous WE2K festival. I really liked them
live, but had forgotten what they sounded like until I popped in this disc.
So what do they sound like? I shall now enlighten you... Krakatoa
is a blast of instrumental fusion. They throw just about every instrument
imaginable into the mix to create one of the better fusion bands I've heard.
Of course I can only stand listening to so much of it and I tend to get
bored without vocals if I try to listen to it as anything more than background
music. They were very good live from what I recall.
-- Grog Mutant (2001)
Norbert Krapf & Monika Herzig - Imagine - Indiana in Words and Music
- CD
(Acme Records)
This CD features Norbert Krapf doing readings of his poetry with
musical accompaniment provided by Monika Herzig and friends. While
the poetry is decent enough, the reading is just plain awful. Every poem
has a sing-songy structure with words being randomly overemphasized with
an upward pitch in the voice. If you're in the mood for good readings with
musical accompaniment try T.A.Z. by Hakim Bey, a William
S. Burroughs CD or the compilation United States of Poetry. This
one you should probably skip.
-- Mite Mutant (2008)
Kultur Shock - We Came To Take Your Jobs Away - CD
(Koolarrow Records)
How can I explain Kulture Shock? Well, just that it is a culture
shock. This aptly named band is Fiddler on the Roof meets Gypsy Folk meet
Punk Rock. Sounds crazy, right? It kinda is, but in a good way. They are
mildly schizophrenic and hyperactive bringing to mind a bit more diversified
System of a Down.
The band members themselves seem to have a tremendous amount of unique experience to bring to the American music scene. Of the six band members, only twoare American. The other Four are from Japan, Bulgaria, and Bosnia.
My only disappointment on this CD is that do not know the language in which
some of the lyric are being sung in. It would be interesting to know what
is being said. This was a surprisingly great CD and I suggest it to anyone
who is willing to be open minded.
-- Simi Mutant (2006)
The Kut - Demo - CD
(Criminal Records)
The music, which is driven by Edie Brickel-ish wah wah guitar and
fine female vocals, is catchy to say the least. I particularly liked the
opening cut, “The Vision” on this 3-song demo. My only criticism if for
the band to tighten up the lyrics since “The Vision” did kind of lose it
at the end, and to change their name. Still, I look forward to hearing a
full length from The Kut.
-- Mite Mutant (2007)