by Noel Murphy
CHECK this for a list of musical character references to propel a band on its journey. It’s, well … . it’s kind of stellar.
“The Kin The UPside Genre: Rock Australian brothers Thorry and Isaac Koren decided to record in Los Angeles to capture the soaring melodies and atmospheric sounds for their third album. Producer Jack Douglas, who has worked with Aerosmith, John Lennon and The Who, teamed up with the duo.” – Edna Gunderson, USA Today.
“The Kin, a locally based rock group, is led by two Australian-born brothers who write bombastic pop loosely reminiscent of INXS.” – The New York Times.
“We’ve touted The Kin as one of our favorite live acts ever. They even landed in our ‘Top 15 Albums of 2007’ list. These two Australian brothers know how to rock.” – SFist.
“The most promising independent rock band in New York.” – Good Day New York (Fox).
“Pulsating guitars and gliding strings tie together the simple, serene works of ‘Blue on Blue,’ leaving an elegant melodic tap dance in the brain. A refreshing sound, the song hints at nostalgic folk, while bearing an overall alternative bent. Wholly promising.” – Billboard.
“The Kin blends the atmospheric musical wave of old school U2 and groove pop sensibilities of Duran Duran with the vocal soul of Jeff Buckley. The Kin juxtapose dark melodies with catchy hooks and solid musicianship, garnering comparisons to everything from the Cure to Coldplay.” – BMI
Starting to get the drift?
The Kin is a firm favourite with audiences, given their unique New York/Aussie blend and a dedication to live shows.
Traversing the country through October, with faves from recent EP Get On It, earlier albums and some new tunes, they’re headed Geelong’s way, pencilled in for Beavs Bar on Friday 24 October.
The Kin comprises Australian-raised brothers Isaac (vocals, keys) and Thorald Koren (vocals, guitar, keys), and US-born Shakerleg (drums, percussion). They’ve enraptured audiences worldwide with their powerful harmonies, hard-driving guitar and percussion and stage presence.
They’ve had a busy year, supporting P!NK, a headlining tour over 33 cities across North America and a special one-off support for Coldplay at Sydney’s Enmore Theatre.
Described as masters of the gritty, propulsive rock sound, they’re also known for signature ‘musical robberies’ where they burst into spontaneous live performances in high-traffic public areas.
In their line of sight to date have been a French airport, US diners, the Sundance Film Festival and LA bars.
Can Geelong expect something similar? Seems a fair expectation.