{"id":861,"date":"2020-04-19T14:48:59","date_gmt":"2020-04-19T14:48:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mikedeangelis.com\/2019\/?page_id=861"},"modified":"2020-04-25T13:47:35","modified_gmt":"2020-04-25T13:47:35","slug":"kekker-greatest-hits-volumes-1-2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/mikedeangelis.com\/2019\/kekker-greatest-hits-volumes-1-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Kekker: Greatest Hits Volumes 1 + 2"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/mikedeangelis.com\/2019\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/a4202654424_10-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-862\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mikedeangelis.com\/2019\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/a4202654424_10-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mikedeangelis.com\/2019\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/a4202654424_10-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/mikedeangelis.com\/2019\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/a4202654424_10-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mikedeangelis.com\/2019\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/a4202654424_10-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/mikedeangelis.com\/2019\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/a4202654424_10.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>Kekker: Greatest Hits Volumes 1 + 2 is available from <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/shop.koolkatmusik.com\/mm5\/merchant.mvc?Session_ID=8bbf5c15b0e95e871a50014a2f4d3cef&amp;Screen=PROD&amp;Product_Code=Kekker\" target=\"_blank\">Kool Kat Musik<\/a><\/strong> and <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Bandcamp (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"http:\/\/kekker.bandcamp.com\/album\/kekker-greatest-hits-volumes-1-2\" target=\"_blank\">Bandcamp<\/a><\/strong>. Album photography by Troy Nelson.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The first ten seconds of this album will grab you coming right out of the gate, and it won&#8217;t let go for the next 30 minutes. <strong>&#8220;Greatest Hits Volumes 1 + 2&#8221;<\/strong> is easily one of the best albums of 2020, and its opener, <strong>&#8220;Doveroverland,&#8221;<\/strong> is only one of the 10 gems waiting for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube aligncenter wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\"  id=\"_ytid_50328\"  width=\"1000\" height=\"563\"  data-origwidth=\"1000\" data-origheight=\"563\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/4TgIPbqWxpA?enablejsapi=1&#038;autoplay=0&#038;cc_load_policy=0&#038;cc_lang_pref=&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;loop=0&#038;rel=1&#038;fs=1&#038;playsinline=0&#038;autohide=2&#038;theme=dark&#038;color=red&#038;controls=1&#038;disablekb=0&#038;\" class=\"__youtube_prefs__  epyt-is-override  no-lazyload\" title=\"YouTube player\"  allow=\"fullscreen; accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen data-no-lazy=\"1\" data-skipgform_ajax_framebjll=\"\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It begins with a big, beautiful, bold blast of rhythm guitar, followed by rock-solid bass and drums, and the effortlessly cool, confident, <strong>Macca<\/strong>-ish, <strong>Robin Zander<\/strong>-ish vocals of <strong>Keith Matheson<\/strong>. <strong>This<\/strong> is what you get when the right musicians are paired with smart, tight, well-written songs that weave gracefully in and out of a number of styles, often within the same song. The ten tracks on<strong> &#8220;Greatest Hits Volumes 1 + 2&#8221;<\/strong> are well-paced, a brilliant mix of full-frontal, yet melodic volume, venturing into <strong>Beatles<\/strong> turf, even a little bit of what might be considered Prog (<strong>&#8220;Parachute&#8221;<\/strong>), and a few other influences that we&#8217;ll delve into shortly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I asked <strong>Keith<\/strong> about the guitar used on <strong>&#8220;Doveroverland,&#8221;<\/strong> which appears in the video&#8230;it&#8217;s a <strong>Hofner Verythin<\/strong>, with the leads performed on a <strong>Yamaha Telecaster<\/strong> fitted with <strong>Gibson<\/strong> P-100 pickups. It&#8217;s a lethal combo, delivering melody and volume and punch that ignite every song on the album. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"590\" src=\"https:\/\/mikedeangelis.com\/2019\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Guitars-1024x590.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-878\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mikedeangelis.com\/2019\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Guitars-1024x590.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mikedeangelis.com\/2019\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Guitars-300x173.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mikedeangelis.com\/2019\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Guitars-768x442.jpg 768w, https:\/\/mikedeangelis.com\/2019\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Guitars-521x300.jpg 521w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>&#8220;My Dog&#8221;<\/strong> opens with a volume swell of feedback and menace, a little taste of the <strong>Gilmour<\/strong>-centric <strong>Floyd<\/strong>, before resolving into a slow, deliberate backing riff. The sound is fantastic&#8230;think <strong>Metallica&#8217;s &#8220;For Whom The Bell Tolls&#8221;<\/strong> filtered through any number of slow burners from <strong>Cheap Trick<\/strong>. By the time you&#8217;re two songs into the album, you&#8217;ll pick up on one of the band&#8217;s singular gifts&#8230;the vocals and instruments are really intertwined, this band is a <strong><em>unit<\/em><\/strong>, a precise and melodic and loud <strong><em>elite force<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>&#8220;Parachute&#8221;<\/strong> is a true surprise, the outlier on the album when compared to the vibe other tracks, but it adds a wonderful tone and pacing to the two songs that preceded it. The track begins with a subtle, stacatto melody, joined by bass and vocals, as keyboards weave in and out. If you&#8217;ve heard European Prog bands like <strong>Gazpacho<\/strong>, this track will greet you like an old friend. And then, around the 2:20 mark, there&#8217;s a magnificent <strong>Ennio Morricone \/ Twin Peaks<\/strong> otherworldly spaghetti space western guitar solo, like <strong>Duane Eddy<\/strong> floating in zero gravity, before returning to the somewhat tense, measured, precise vibe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>&#8220;Uncommon Angel&#8221;<\/strong> is a crunchy, riff-driven &#8220;story song&#8221; about a girl who <em>&#8220;has her breakfast at a quarter of five&#8230;ask anyone, she doesn&#8217;t know she&#8217;s alive, don&#8217;t you wish we could all be as sinful?&#8221;<\/em> The track has a surging, fuzzy backdrop reminiscent of the best songs you&#8217;ve heard from <strong>Matthew Sweet<\/strong> and <strong>Marshall Crenshaw<\/strong>, with the same kind of benign-yet-jaded view of the song&#8217;s protagonist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>&#8220;Mercy&#8221;<\/strong> begins with an airy, <strong>&#8220;Strawberry Fields&#8221;<\/strong> keyboard riff with a distinct <strong>McCartney<\/strong> feel in the vocal delivery. The track is pure <strong>Sgt. Pepper&#8217;s<\/strong> all the way, but not in a derivative way. The influences here are deeply assimilated into the band&#8217;s sound, not worn on their sleeves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>&#8220;Real World People&#8221;<\/strong> adds beautifully arranged background vocals, more power pop, riff-based, <strong>Beatle<\/strong>-flavored backing, and could easily be a single. You&#8217;ll be hearing it soon on the <strong>There Once Was A Note<\/strong>, and I&#8217;m sure you&#8217;ll agree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The next two tracks, <strong>&#8220;Family Bird&#8221;<\/strong> and and <strong>&#8220;Poor Spy,&#8221;<\/strong> follow in the spirit of the songs that came before them, while the album&#8217;s closer is a dramatic one-two punch of the anthemic, wide-screen epic <strong>&#8220;Family Friendly&#8221;<\/strong> and the sweet acoustic track <strong>&#8220;Suppertime.&#8221; <\/strong>The <strong>Fab Four<\/strong> influence, especially on <strong>&#8220;Family Friendly,&#8221;<\/strong> will remind you of early <strong>Jeff Lynne<\/strong> in <strong>The Move<\/strong> and his initial <strong>ELO<\/strong> albums. It&#8217;s an attitude rather than a strict sound&#8230;the album isn&#8217;t a game of &#8220;spot the influence,&#8221; it&#8217;s more of a <em>&#8220;How would (fill in any of the artists named above) approach this one?&#8221;<\/em> situation. And that&#8217;s the point where influence and inspiration part the seas for true originality. <strong>Kekker<\/strong> is a band that has been to all of the right places, and will now take you to new and uncharted territory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>Greatest Hits Volumes 1 + 2<\/em><\/strong><em> is the debut solo album from Edinburgh-based songwriter <\/em><strong><em>Keith Matheson<\/em><\/strong><em> (guitar &amp; vocals), featuring <\/em><strong><em>Gregor Philp<\/em><\/strong><em> (guitar) and <\/em><strong><em>Dougie Vipond<\/em><\/strong><em> (drums, both of <\/em><strong><em>Deacon Blue<\/em><\/strong><em>), <\/em><strong><em>Ged Grimes<\/em><\/strong><em> (bass, ex-<\/em><strong><em>Danny Wilson<\/em><\/strong><em> and now <\/em><strong><em>Simple Minds<\/em><\/strong><em>) and from the younger generation of Dundee music talent <\/em><strong><em>Andrew Mitchell<\/em><\/strong><em> (keyboards, <\/em><strong><em>The Hazey Janes, Idlewild<\/em><\/strong><em> and <\/em><strong><em>SAY Award<\/em><\/strong><em> shortlisted in 2019 for his <\/em><strong><em>Andrew Wasylyk<\/em><\/strong><em> album <\/em><strong><em>The Paralian<\/em><\/strong><em>).<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Follow Kekker on <\/em><strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Facebook (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/kekker.music\/\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Facebook<\/em><\/a><\/strong><em>, <\/em><strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Instagram (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/kekkermusic\/\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Instagram<\/em><\/a><\/strong><em>, and <\/em><strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Twitter (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/KeithMatheson8\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Twitter<\/em><\/a><\/strong><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The first ten seconds of this album will grab you coming right out of the gate, and it won&#8217;t let go for the next 30 minutes. &#8220;Greatest Hits Volumes 1 + 2&#8221; is easily one of the best albums of 2020, and its opener, &#8220;Doveroverland,&#8221; is only one of the 10 gems waiting for you&#8230;. <\/p>\n<div class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mikedeangelis.com\/2019\/kekker-greatest-hits-volumes-1-2\/\">Read More<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-861","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mikedeangelis.com\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/861","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mikedeangelis.com\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mikedeangelis.com\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mikedeangelis.com\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mikedeangelis.com\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=861"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/mikedeangelis.com\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/861\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":887,"href":"https:\/\/mikedeangelis.com\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/861\/revisions\/887"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mikedeangelis.com\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=861"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}