Kaki King

Before Wednesday I knew nothing about the girl who calls herself Kaki King. But I had gotten hold of the August Rush soundtrack because I had heard good things about it. I wasn't totally impressed with the entire soundtrack-- or at least haven't yet been-- but the tracks which stood out immediately were Kaki King's.

They are two instrumentals, with some echo/delay and possibly looping effects, and they are really nice. I can see them fitting into that movie pretty well, as there is a little hint of Celtic flavor present. I went and found her 2006 release Until We Felt Red, and am digging it.

She employs some of the same vocal looping techniques that my absolute favorite Spanish-speaking artist Juana Molina does. Most likely because of that depth, some tracks I'm beginning to like it more each time I listen to them, as I do with Juana's music. Some of the tracks on Red are instrumental, some she sings on, uses a drum machine and synth on one ["Gay Sons", below], and some get kinda heavy with her getting to bang out on what sounds like multiple drumkits [she was, apparently, originally a student of the drums] as well as electric guitar and bass.

Kaki playing album opener "Yellowcake" live in studio:



And another which shows her bad-ass side and displays her pretty damn good skills, in 2004's "Playing With Pink Noise":



Download:
Kaki King - "Bari Improv", from August Rush OST
Kaki King - "Ritual Dance", from August Rush OST
Kaki King - "Yellowcake", from Until We Felt Red
Kaki King - "Gay Sons of Lesbian Lovers", from Until We Felt Red
Kaki King - "Playing With Pink Noise", from an NPR live in-studio performance, November 2004
Dave Grohl feat Kaki King - "Ballad Of The Beaconsfield Miners", from Foo Fighters' Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace

Purchase from Amazon:
Kaki King - Until We Felt Red
Various Artists - August Rush OST
Purchase from iTunes:
Kaki King - Until We Felt Red
Various Artists - August Rush OST

In the totally-unrelated realm:

Happy Birthday, Ma!

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