BK & Mr. E

BK & Mr. E is another one of those "sounds bigger than they are" duos (like Killa Dilla or Before Dawn) that probably underwhelms on load out, but, by all reports, leaves the patrons in open-mouthed awe as they bring the house down.  

That's Jason Blanchette and Brandon Hegar in the marching band getup there.  That might get you some looks, showing up on 6th Street with that hat on, but we can assure you that stranger sights are there to be had.

These Austin born-bred-trained band-itos met, as you can imagine, in the high school marching band; and afterwards got college educated in classical performance.  (Don't know for sure, but we can guess that their degrees were NOT in funky electronic instrumentation; though it seems to have been their major.)  Seeing them today, we wonder if their old professors think they turned to the dark side, giving up their brass for synths, electric guitars, and drum machines.  

But don't let the outfits (and these tongue-in-cheek comments) fool you - These guys smoke with soul-powered vocals, pop-funky beats, and hearty harmonies that pull you, marching, right into their uniformed wake.  Check out the Motown influence (that pops up about a minute in) in "Enemy", from their "Under the Radar" LP, to see what we mean:

With two excellent releases under their belt ("Under the Radar" last year, and now the brand-new "Company Front") the guys have shown an absolute bent for cool, accessible pop numbers.  Though they claim inspiration from sources as far apart as Rachmaninoff and The Beatles, we wonder if maybe the hats are responsible for the genius behind the great melodic lines and danceable perc rhythms they pull off.  (We're perusing craigslist now for our own hats. Just to see.)

Compositionally, they put together a well-structured, ready-for-radio package; with fat electro bass lines and dance-friendly drum beats holding up keyboard and guitar-based melodies; the vocals topping it off, typically in chorus; encouraging sing-alongs or other random acts of karaoke.

Check out this well-written piece from the good folks at the Republic Of Austin, who mention, among other attributes, their great vocal chops.  

BK & Mr. E played a SXSW showcase at Republic LIVE, and have been seen at Club de Ville.  But until you get a chance to catch 'em live, get your Sousa on and give a listen to "Company Front"; see if it doesn't put a elbow-swinging, knee-popping march into your step:

You can find more about BK and Mr. E at Home Base, as well as Facebook, Twitter, and (appropriately enough) Bandcamp.

Killa Dilla

Let's get this out there right now - Killa Dilla rocks, in that Ted Nugent, late 60s - early 70s, men+guitar&drums sense of the word.  I dunno, maybe their moniker gives it away.  You tell me.  

You've got 2 guys - Billy Leger, Eitel Colberg.  

That's Eitel on the left, pounding away on the drumkit.  That's Billy there on the right, his partner in rock worship, flailing away on his Flying V.  Both abusing their chosen weapon with furious, aggressive skill and fist-pumping passion (that these images can't do justice to), invoking a kind of post-flower-child adoration among fellow devotees, and evangelizing the rest of us; urging a repentant return to the Flock of Rock.  


Maybe that's a bit much, but these guys inspire hyperbole - Anybody with the chutzpah to take the stage with just 2 instruments and a mic deserve a look. 

 Now there are other great 2-member bands (Before Dawn comes immediately to mind), and we're tempted to make a comparison with We Aim To Try.  But the typical 2-person act bolsters their sound with computers and synths of various weight and purpose; nudging them into the experimental or electronic genre.  




It's a rare duo that's willing to do just straight-ahead rock, let alone go mano a mano with the iconic Hard Rock genre; just them and two instruments.


But that's what you get when you go Killa Dilla - Straight up, pump your fist, somebody-call-Jack-Black, Rock with a capital R.  Managed to see them at the last Catch the Breeze with 3 Degrees event at Venue 222, and the impression is that Billy simply cranks it to 11, and Eital bangs loud enough to be heard over it - When he brought out the mallets for one of their numbers, I feared for his Zildjians. 


Let's just say this.  If you've still got Tres Hombres in heavy rotation on your iPod or Zune, it's a safe bet you'll find some space on that thing for Killa Dilla.

[Photos by Rafael Rodriguez]