What ungodly force brought forth this entity known as "Ken's Loud Band" anyway?
Formed in the sleepy riverfront bedroom community of Wyandotte, Michigan in the early 90's by songwriter / multi-instrumentalist, Ken Stanley as a weekly "poker night" where no poker is played- but music is. Lots of it.
The KLB lineup is half comprised of former members of local avant garde legend, Frank Pahl's many musical projects, where primo drummer and percussionist, Doug Gourlay and Stanley both cut their musical teeth.
Influential and groundbreaking groups like the late 70's Prog-savants, "Hype" and "The Blurbs" found Gourlay exploring the limits of the "rock drummer", with jazz precision and fearless rhythmic choices, propelled Pahl's ambitious Dada Rock inspired by as much James Joyce and Thomas Edison as it was by Captain Beefheart or King Crimson.
Vocalist and songwriter Ken Stanley soon joined Pahl and Gourlay in The Blurbs , while still playing and recording in PlasmaBat and The Dog And Pony Show , with brothers, Hugh and Glenn Calley. Glenn, who would eventually become the KLB producer/guitarist brings a wealth of styles and sensibilities into the mix from psychedelic to heavy metal, as well as the occasional banjo or dobro.
Stanley would soon enlist Sean Whitaker who played bass with him in The Red Ball Jets and other projects, into the weekly practices in the Pahl studio on Davis and 5th- which for more than 20 years has been cultural ground-zero in Wyandotte, Michigan. His melodic style counterpoints his heavy side when needed (listen to Wax Tadpole) which is somewhat similar to Calley's seamless switches in style and feel on the six-string
But it's Stanley's varied and deep knowledge of pop styles- from bubblegum, punk and even Bluegrass ( Stanley's cousin is the legendary folk roots legend, Ralph Stanley) that mix this wonderfully schitzophrenic melange of styles and genres, into sweet but demented concoction. Like a Whitman's Sampler laced with LSD, Stanley's pop sensibilities are matched by his literary bent and esoteric wit which makes it great fun to pick up on his many cultural references and artistic pet peeves.
Visit some of our friends here-
Frank Pahl's Homepage
Plasmabat's Homepage
2008 Detroit Fringe Festival
Mysterious 18 seconds of KLB by the same guy who shot that bigfoot video...
Rock Your Space Layout Jacker