Ken Kase Group

About the Ken Kase Group...
With catchy melodies and inventive but utterly accessible songcraft, the Ken Kase Group pleases without pandering, delivering music that lingers in memory, defies categorization and appeals to a wide range of listeners. In short, the KKG is all about great songs. Since 1995, the musicians who have contributed to the band's legacy have worked hard in service to great music that has brought them local and regional success and international critical acclaim.
The Ken Kase Group was formed in 1995 and went on to release two critically lauded CDs; Extended Play--No Waiting (1997) and Stereophonic Nervous Breakdown (2000). Both discs deliver solid songwriting, a wry lyrical edge and formidable musicianship--an elixir that has grown stronger and more refined over the band's thirteen-year history. But most of all, the spirit and energy in the music is consistently underscored by a sense of fun and adventure that makes the Ken Kase Group a breath of fresh air both onstage and on record.
The Ken Kase Group's latest release, the three-song single, Shiner, is yet another strong effort that heralds the band's return to active recording and performance after an eight-year hiatus. This time around, the KKG has joined forces with filmmaker Todd Kennedy Mattson to create their first music video to promote the leadoff track (you can see the video below). The Ken Kase Group is back, and the new single is just the beginning. The band is currently working on a full-length release due in early 2009.Watch the video for "Shiner" directed by Todd Kennedy Mattson
It's a Hit! A few press droppings to peruse...
Shiner CD Single
Has it been 8 years since the last Ken Kase Group recording? Based on this new 3-track single, the wait was definitely worth it! I have been acquainted with Ken’s sterling work both with KKG and as a part of powerpop masters The Sun Sawed in 1/2, and I must say that the new tracks are up there with Ken’s best music. --Kevin Mathews Power of Pop
Praise for Stereophonic Nervous Breakdown
“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...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)
"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
"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)
“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."--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)