A little bit of Zeppelin, a little White Stripes, Austin's newest bluesman Ethan Kennedy draws many similarities to several familiar sounds, but is creating waves with his own unique approach. Kennedy's soulful tunes aren't exactly kosher when it comes to song structure and length, but he makes it work by adding several different grooves and paces within a complete song. A song like "Closer," for instance, starts out by exhausting a drum buildup, settles into a guitar-driven groove, then goes haywire (in a good way) as Kennedy contributes some Robert Plant moans and methodical riffs. Kennedy's first appeal is his voice. Both soulful and emotional, he and the band make every tune a journey of sorts into different musical realms and powerful climaxes. Kennedy shares most of the instrumental duties with drummer Aeran Shabi on the band's first full length release, Raucous. Live, the trio is rounded out by bassist Sam Calvert. Raucous delivers song after song of pure individuality, creating more than just one breath of fresh air. "Bonnie Mae's Blues & Greens" is one particular song thats instrumentally expansive, but achieves a simple enough groove that it is somewhat paradoxical. The band is just getting on their feet, but Kennedy's talent and grip on songwriting is a force not to be reckoned with. Keep your eye out for Raucous which is in stores now and be sure to catch these guys live when they hit the road.
Ethan Kennedy & The Fat Cats - Blue Jubilee - Live in Houston, TX from High Pass Management on Vimeo.
myspace.com/ethankennedymusic
No comments:
Post a Comment