Khancoban

Click here to visit the wonderful Half A Cow Records to buy our self-titled mini albumAlso available on CD in shops through MGM Distribution and on download through~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Half noise, half folk - Khancoban’s songs deploy in low-gravity and with a dash of Mallee dust. They are performed calmly, utilising calculated space and tension, exploding at key points that leave the band’s filament still burning in their wake. The name Khancoban is a hijacked car from a country town in the Snowy Mountains … its AM radio spilling out tunes by the likes of Wilco, Kingsbury Manx, Sufjan Stevens and Calexico – bands both influential and with kindred music. This is a band of vast sound riddled with hideaway nooks. Now in your city, that stolen car is all Khancoban’s own. Get in. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Khancoban’s diverse line-up sculpts their collective effort; a process devoid of ego ‘chess matches’. Co-founded as a two-piece in 2004 by Andre Hooke (lead vocals, guitar) and partner Jemima Hooke (drums), the band has welcomed into its fold Andrew Bonnici (lap steel, electric guitar, banjo) and erstwhile Sodastream stalwart, Pete Cohen (double bass, electric bass, vocals). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Andre notes of the band’s work, “We get loud, we want it to have an impact. When we get soft, we generally want people to feel uneasy. I don’t like it to settle too much in one place”. Khancoban deftly shoehorn their instruments into the layered music, disallowing the instruments to be a limiting factory of squall. You are offered your own private atmosphere. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Cohen’s versatile experience is the most recent force to hop in for the ride … toting with him the chalky murmurs which peel off his upright bass. This, joined by Andrew’s multi-instrument canoodling, Andre’s vocals harmonising with the cosmos and Jemima’s steadily drummed countdowns, offer the quartet all they need to continue maturing what Rip It Up has described as an “indescribably, quintessentially Australian sound”. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Khancoban was keenly received by longstanding label, Half A Cow Records, which released the band’s inaugural self-titled mini album. Likening the band’s independent spirit to label-mates Crow, Art of Fighting and Tendrils, HAC Records had this to say of the 2006 release:“Truly unique. In order to express ideas and emotions, they (Khancoban) find it necessary to create new forms. We are proud to have these bands in our catalogue.”- Nic Dalton, HAC Records Manager. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The record was launched at Northcote Social Club in a much lauded show. Khancoban then disembarked on tours through VIC, NSW and SA, sharing stages with New Buffalo, Sodastream, Laura Jean, Smudge and Spencer P. Jones. Their performances farmed a crop of resoundingly positive reviews in music press. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Khancoban†™s sound is expertly commandeered by “Smoke and the Light”: a standout track from the self-titled record for which a video was shot and featured on Rage. In Khancoban, a banjo delivers. A lap steel ethereally slinks up behind you. The cadence of drums walk you through sound-scapes you’ve not encountered; an atmosphere that provides a hint of spaghetti-western country, a touch of psych, and stacks of room to daydream in the wide-open music. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The band is currently in pre-production gear for their anticipated full-length record, Limbs May Fall, an eleven-track effort scheduled for 2008 release. Many of the songs, including “Stolen car” and “Balloon Sunrise”, have long been perfected on the road. The title-track demo featured on the band’s MySpace site is a live studio recording. It quietly begins, then accelerates to fulfil the poise and direction Khancoban is travelling in. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Fill up. Get in. Play the record. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-Kent MacCarter+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Various words/reviews of the mini-album can be read in the blog section above. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

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