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A note from Ken...

Hey, everyone. welcome to the KKG page--where it's always 72 degrees, gasoline costs $1.71 a gallon, the Leslie speakers whirl, the chords always resolve, the coffee is cheap, and the guitars are usually in tune. When I'm not making music, I make my way in the world as a writer, and Dexterity in a Void is my blog. Some people find it amusing, albeit sporadically informative and occasionally boisterous and misguided.

And of course, I hope you enjoy the music. I encourage everyone who visits this page to have a look at the people on our friends list. Many of them are truly great bands struggling to be heard above the din of mediocrity, and I think you'll be surprised at how good many of these indie artists are. Be diligent when seeking music that really speaks to you, whether it's in Timbuktu or in your local community. Thanks!--kk

The All-Pupose, Organic, Alternative, Sugarless, Low Sodium, Wheat-Gluten-Free Ken Kase Group Bio:

The Ken Kase Group are nice boys from broken homes in St. Louis who play music to deaden the ever present, existential ennui of daily life. Using pop songs as their coping strategy, their 13 year search for new chords and a viable way to postpone adulthood indefinitely has left a modest legacy of catchy songs and a legacy of marginal interest to powerpop devotees and their immediate families.

Ken has enlisted the talents of many low-budget musicians who play surprisingly well for being so cheaply obtained. He is stubbornly devoted to writing songs in the hopes that people might actually want to hear them.

And of course, therein lies the fundamental sickness that has propelled him towards obscurity for twenty years; optimism. On the plus side, the selective interest of a few fans is routinely rewarded with skeptical good humor, a predilection for incisive and wry lyrical wit, top class musicianship and good, old-fashioned polyester jumpsuits. They are currently at work on a new collection of recordings that exemplify their zealous dedication to craft, and its eventual release is expected to be an epoch shattering event that will alter the course of history. But that says maybe...

The KKG has undergone many personnel shifts, no doubt due to Ken's staunch belief in a Byzantine-styled, iron-fisted philosophy of leadership and his Tourette's-like verbal abuse. The current lineup consists of veteran keyboardist John Holt, with guitarist Eric James, bassist Paul Bordeaux and drummer Steve Mortellaro.

Ken Kase and John Holt were members of The Sun Sawed in 1/2. the legendary St. Louis powerpop band that recorded five discs and toured extensively in the 90s. Both Kase and Holt can be heard on the Sun's Bewilderbeest (1999), to which Kase contributed guitar, vocal arrangements and his own "Song No. 11". Sun Sawed singer Doug Bobenhouse, now with Chicago's The Effingways. returned the favor the following year by contributing backing vocals to Stereophonic.

"Shiner", the bands new single, will be released on July 22nd and a full-length album is planned for release later in 2008. The CD version of the single will include a video directed by filmmaker Todd Kennedy Mattson. The single will be the first new recordings released by the KKG in eight years.

It's a Hit! A few press droppings to peruse...

Praise for Stereophonic Nervous Breakdown

"Nervous breakdown? More like an acute case of split personality! On the one hand, the Group sound like the intelligent pub rock of Nick Lowe, Elvis Costello and Squeeze. On the other, the sophisticated heady pop of XTC, Jellyfish and the Wondermints. In the former category, songs carry themselves with drive and edge. In the latter, tracks display magic chord changes and thoughtful arrangements. Did I mention there is also a horn-laden swing outfit lurking? Don't fret about the mental well being of Ken Kase and his merry band, simply enjoy! (8 out of 10)” --Kevin Mathews, Power of Pop Magazine (Singapore)

“Ken Kase and his band hail from St.Louis, but somehow the twang passed them by, not though the Beatles, XTC, Squeeze and all those other English pop rockers who have kept the three-minute verse-chorus-verse tradition going over the years. In essence, these guys play power pop - the good stuff - with plenty of hooks, melodies to get weak at the knees about and production, courtesy of Kase,which isn't too flash, not too polished, but just oozes late '70s cool. The hooks come thick and fast, his lyrics avoid all those awful clichés and they're pretty smart, too. All that and the band are as tight as a gnat's twat! What more can I say?"--Rob Forbes, Leicster Bangs (UK)

“Good is too modest a term here; Stereophonic Nervous Breakdown is a peppy platter of sparkling, melodic pop that benefits immensely from arranging smarts and Kase’s shimmering, classy production. Fine stuff, indeed, and if radio programmers don’t pick it up, they oughta have their noses thumped. It’s enormously listenable, and commercial, but without the indulgent overproduction that mars many a recording by less savvy musicians. Ken has once again made a strong Kase (pun intended) for himself as one of the finest vocalists/musicians/producers in St. Louis.”--Kevin Renick, Noisy Paper (St. Louis, MO)

"Stereophonic Nervous Breakdown is a strange, ambitious album, precariously balancing a venomous lyrical edge with some stunningly sunny pop melodies, as well as some funky horns and bass lines. You’ll hear echoes of Elvis Costello, the dB’s, and even a bit of Squeeze, but mostly you’ll hear a youthful rock-n-roll optimism, clever and complex song structures, and a seriousness of vision that makes the KKG more than just another pleasant pop band."--2001 Riverfront Times Slammy Awards Guide (St. Louis, MO)

“A splendid collection running the gamut from cool slithery rock and roll (the opening "Theraphosid") to funky workouts ("I Spy") and pure pop (the hugely appealing "Everything Changes When You’re Old"). Great band, great songs.”--Claudio Sossi- Shake It Up (Toronto)

"Meat-and-potatoes rock played by a bunch of chunky, thirtyish guys with names like Ken, Dave, Greg, and Doug who probably sell hardware, fix computers, or work in auto-detailing shops...and as such, automatically entitled to a certain consideration, since the band clearly loves what it does, gives less than a microdamn about fashion, and plays music unjustly on the endangered species list. While their melodic and compositional skills are surefooted, and their playing and vocal harmonies have grace and confidence enough to avoid flash...(Special Merit Award: "Lemon Merengue" is one of the best titles for an instrumental I've ever heard...)"--Jeff Norman, Architectural Dance Society

“This skillful pop quintet who hail from St. Louis, a town known more for its alt-country scene, crank out some classic power pop — jangly guitars, lush harmonies, and smart, Costello-like lyrics. What it reminds me of most is a less prickly Squeeze, thanks to its go-down-easy hooks and Kase's vocals.”--John F. Butland, Toast Magazine (Minneapolis, MN)

Plaudits for Extended Play--No Waiting

"Consummate musicians with intelligent lyrics. Consistently one of the tightest bands in town, their live set is something to behold for many reasons, one of which is its improvised moments. All the elements come together in a chugging, jangling rattle and rumble unlike anything else in town."--Tom Henkey, Night Times Magazine

"A decidedly pop combo with a beguiling new CD, Extended Play — No Waiting. Few bands in St. Louis have as much jangle per minute, and in such songs as ‘The Coffee House of Doom’, the band adds a dash of ska for flavor. We wish there were 20 more bands just like them!"--Joe Williams, St. Louis Post Dispatch

"Kase’s pop is intricate and blithe, a tribute to his passionate vigilance and the band’s youthful virtuosity. In the baroque, jazzy invention, his biting, comic voice, and the viciously parodic lyrics, one can hear Zappa’s playfulness and gravity. When Kase’s voice burrows into the low, growly registers, he finds the soulfulness of R&B, a sign that he and his band’s growth is worth following."--Roy Kasten, Riverfront Times (St. Louis)

"Kase is the James Brown of St.Louis,the hardest-working man in local show business. Often misperceived as simply a pop band, the Ken Kase Group feels right at home drawing from a variety of sources — 1960’s AM radio,bar-band serendipity, traditional music — and doesn’t let the alt-rock outside world leak in." --Jordan Oakes, The Riverfront Times (St. Louis)

Pleasing Prose about Bewilderbeest by Sun Sawed in 1/2

"'Song No.11', which is written and sung by the group's newest member Ken Kase. And though the songs instrumentation and vibe sounds WAY out of place here, you can tell why the song was included, since it's absolutely tremendous! And will certainly have many pop fans begging for a solo record by Kase as soon as possible."--M. J. O'Brien, Pop Palace