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Maidens
#36/June 2004 By: Toine van Poorten KANARY - Haunted Three songs on this six song MCD were already on the latest release of KANARY, which we reviewed in MM#25. KANARY still consists of Mary Kay on bass and backing vocals, Tony Matteucci on drums and former PRECIOUS METAL member Leslie Knauer on guitar and vocals. "Bad Luck" is a song that JIMI HENDRIX could have written when he was still alive. The slightly hoarse voice of Leslie fits really well in "Don't Be Scared", which also has this seventies attitude. Add to this the MOTHERS FINEST like funky bass playing of Mary and it's a catchy song indeed. Title track "Haunted" sounds like MELISSA ETHERIDGE in a certain way. It's a bit more modest than the rest of the songs we heard so far. "Something Beautiful" is a catchy shuffle, which we already heard on the three track EP. Same goes for "Kookaboo", which was then called "Kookaboo Zoo". Another song which easily could have been sung by MELISSA ETHERIDGE, and they must see that as a big compliment. There are worse artists to be compared to. "Woke Me Up" closes this twenty-three minutes MCD. It's a nice laid back song, with a touch of psychedelica in the instrumental part. A song that could have been written by the early FLEETWOOD MAC for example. I liked the six songs on this MCD very much. They are full of variation and show us a band, that is not willing to tie themselves down to one style. Website: http:// www.kanary.com. "Honest lyrics ad powerful, resonating vocals performed by lead singer and guitarist Leslie Knauer are this band's forte." ---Betsy Macdonald "Lyrically, the songs
are a breath of fresh air - there isn't a cliche within a country mile
of any of Kanary's tunes..." "Rock 'n roll doesn't
get more fun than this!" "Vocalist Leslie
Knauer has that kind of rangy, soulful raspy voice we critics and fans
live for. Sometimes Alanis folky, a bit Grace Slick and all
genuine. And even better, it soars and sometimes battles it out
with big, elevated California rock." "Leslie's powerful
voice shines through on all the tracks, she has a nice edge to her
voice... "On top of it all,
these girls can sing incredibly well." "Great riffs that
catch your attention immediately. The songs never get dull
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YEAR 2000 KANARY - PORNO CHURCH OF THE UGLY MAN (2000, TIMES SQUARE PRODUCTIONS)
Southern Californian three-piece Kanary are not your typical pop rock band, but then again, judging by this, their sophomore effort, I guess the band wouldn't want things any other way. "Porno Church Of The Ugly Man", the left of centre follow up to the successful debut "Invincible", will certainly be a head turner (check out the shocking pink and orange hair colours sported by bassist Mary Kay and lead singer Leslie Knauer), but is this due to their outrageous image or the quality of the material? Happily, 'Porno Church...' demonstrates that it's the music more than the hair that is most notable, and for those unfamiliar with the band, their history provides a curious backdrop to an album that won't leave you disappointed. Drummer Tony Matteucci has filled the stool for among others, ex Quiet Riot man Paul Shortino, and lead singer Leslie Knauer is otherwise known for her rasping vocals as part of 80's all-girl hair band Precious Metal. Perhaps her main claim to fame though, is her starring role in 70's pop band Promises' hit video 'Baby It's You'. In Kanary, it seems Leslie has grown up a little and it's probably the unwelcome reminders of her, ahem, 'front' in that now infamous video which provides the basis for the angst-ridden, yet strangely addictive collection of songs on show on 'Porno Church Of The Ugly Man'. These days, Knauer provides front of a more musical kind, with her tremendous voice rather than her chest, grabbing all the headlines. The vocals often sound like a cross between Melissa Etheridge and the Cranberries Dolores O Riordian, and the mostly self-penned songs Leslie belts out come across as an interesting fusion of melody and starkly original lyrics. Setting the tone for
the majority of the CD, opener "After" gets proceedings off to a great
start, with a hook you could hang your coat on and a solid riff backed
up by the impressively tight rhythm section of Matteucci and Mary Kay
on bass. Kay contributes
two blues-tinged songs to the album, "Hullabaloo House" and "Lost
Weekend"
but while they are decent enough tunes, they appear as distant cousins
to
the superior material on offer from Knauer. Highlights are abundant,
from the cool trippy vibe of "Never Coming Down" to the infectious
groove of "It's not EZ" and the lucid honesty of the title track.
Its pretty hard to
compare Kanary to anything else on the scene at the moment, and to do
so would probably be unfair. When you are presented with an album as
fresh, original and well written as this, the only thing to do is
appreciate it for all it is worth. In short, 'Porno Church Of The Ugly
Man' is, as it's name suggests, surprisingly compelling - and
compelling enough to banish any unwanted memories of Leslie's dodgy
1970's video forever. |
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With hot pink hair, wild clothes and intense, in-your-face music, it's hard to ignore Kanary. This three-piece southern California band describe themselves as "a rude awakening" for those accustomed to the more conservative music of folk chicks and "fluffy" girl groups of today. Kanary's latest album, Porno Church of the Ugly Man, is a rockin' CD that will leave you wondering two things: can this band rock any harder - and who does these girls' hair? Honest lyrics and powerful, resonating vocals performed by lead singer and guitarist Leslie Knauer are this band's forté. Along with cool bass riffs and backup vocals from fellow bird Mary Kay, the band creates a unique, almost retro sound. Drummer Tony Matteucci adds tight beats and simple, yet articulate fills to each song. Almost all the lyrics on this album are written or co-written by Knauer, with the exception of two songs in which Mary Kay experiments with her songwriting skills. The title track explains Knauer's pursuit of love and how she chooses to "dress to undress". "Party at My House" seems to return to the singer's adolescent years, talking about what it's like to be excluded from a crowd. Guitar processers are used in this song and in several others on the album to add variety to Kanary's music. On track ten, "Lost Weekend", Kanary explores a different style. With a wailing harmonica solo and a laid-back beat, a dirty blues effect is created. The lyrics in this song come from real life experiences, and Knauer believably conveys the emotion expressed in the words written by Kay, using her impressive vocal range. With a performance at the 3rd Annual EAT''M (Emerging Artists and Talent in Music) 2000 Convention in Las Vegas under their belt and a high demand in the US and Canada for "Porno Church", Kanary are going places. Their new release proves that rock isn't dead and that girl power isn't all about sugar and spice. No doubt, this bird is going to fly. By Betsy MacDonald, CanEHdian.com |
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At first listen, as the first track spun to my speakers, I was thinking that this was going to be just another average modern-rock release. But after listening a little more closely and getting to know the background of this band, I began to understand where this music was coming from. And now I must say that I like where it is coming from. Kanary is a trio from Southern California (USA). Vocalist/guitarist Leslie Knauer doesn't just hail from Canada, she hails from the bands Promises and Precious Metal, the latter of which was a band that shadowed the more successful all?female hardrock band Vixen. Bassist Mary Kay and drummer Tony Matteucci both hail from the excellent punk band Attack. Matteucci also did some spots with Paul Shortino. Now take those above mentioned backgrounds and smash them together. What do you get? Some punk songs surrounded by some Melissa Etheridge-esque tracks. In fact, the first four songs really had me thinking that Kanary were reliving the early eighties punk and glam movement, and doing it well. But as the album progresses (and progressing it does), most of the songs bring a sensible blues/folk aspect, such as on "Hullabaloo House" and "Party At My House." Knauer's voice has a range of styles as vast as the decades that rock has been around. And Kay and Matteucci's rhythm is extremely tight for this type of music. This is an excellent sophomore release, and those who have an open mind for rock music will enjoy it. Now, if I could just
get my hands on a CD copy of Precious Metal's album? |
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A great sound from California based 3 piece Kanary denotes their 2nd album & it's well worth the effort to take a listen. The band is fronted by a female vocal presence / guitarist in the form of Leslie Knauer, backed ably by Mary Kay on backing vocals / bass & drummer Tony Matteuci, whose name seems to ring a bell for me, though I'm not sure where from. The album opens with a couple of rip roaring rock tracks, "After" & "Excuse Me Pardon Me", while there are some great guitar driven pop moments & the best vocal performances on both "Wish" & my favourite "Lost Weekend". I'm very impressed by the quality of this album, which runs from lighter guitar pop to a more blues influenced rock & all points in between. Take a good listen. Terry Allen
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| Kanary
Porno Church Of The Ugly Man Label: Independent Ordering nr.: RCR/K0702 Year of Release: 2000 Porno Church Of The Ugly Man is Kanary's second album after their independently released debut "Invincible". Leslie Knauer has penned two top ten platinum hits with former bands Promises and Precious Metal, Mary Kay played with punk band Attack and also She Rock and Tony Matteucci has played with Etta James, Paul Shortino, The Dogs, the already mentioned Attack and Finn MacCool. So far for the background of the members of Kanary. The album is a mix between mainly Punk, Blues, Heavy Metal and Hardrock. Leslie has a very distinctive voice. She sings in an almost operatic way. Sometimes a little too much to my taste, like on Excuse Me Pardon Me, but overall her voice fits the music well. Despite the fact that we're not talking about the most civilized melodic music I could think of, most of the songs are full of hooks and after a few spins quite a few of those songs become quite catchy, actually. The lyrics are something else. Exposed as they are called in the biography is an apt description indeed and I don't know if the PMRC is still very active in the US but if they are, they will have another victim in Kanary, although there's less abusive language on the album than one might expect after reading the title alone. People that like the
more conservative kind of Rock better stay away from Kanary, but if you
have an open mind, this might be an album you want to try. My favorite
tunes are "After",
"Wish" and the bluesy "Lost Weekend". |
| KANARY
Porno Church of the Ugly Man (Rocket City Records) Leslie Knauer is a name familiar to fans of 80's hard rock as the vocalist for California's now defunct Precious Metal. Knauer now fronts KANARY, a three-piece that includes Mary Kay on bass and drummer Tony Matteucci. Knauer's major asset is her raspy rock-seasoned voice, capable of displaying great emotion quietly as well as at the top of her lungs. The songs are mostly sad, wry, and wise (but still rock), and are mostly about broken love affairs, staying alive, and claiming her own voice. With lyrics like, "On the party list/For the porno church of the ugly man/I am not that desperate/That ain't the drain I'm going down/Sexual repulsion keeps me from Mr. Wrong," you know that this is rock by so meone who has been there, done that, and can still sing about it. Kathleen Warnock
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