Member Since: 1/11/2006
Band Website: karney.org
Band Members: Lead vocals, guitar, keys - Karney; Reggae raps, and co-vocalist - Steffen Franz a.k.a. Standout Selector; Drums, percussion - Jeff Herrera; Bass - Daniel Fabricant;
Sounds Like: The sharp political realism in Karney's lyrics is softened by musical accompaniment that stirs rousing reggae riddims washed over with funk force gales and powerful vocals in the tradition of singer-songwriters and blueswomen.Although she has forged her own path as a guitarist, keyboardist, and vocalist, Karney's voice does call to mind some of the greats that came before her. Famed pop critic Joel Selvin of the San Francisco Chronicle said, "she can evoke '70s rock queens such as Ann Wilson of Heart, Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac, or Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders, although the intense drive for self-expression that fuels her writing and singing reeks of punk poet Patti Smith."Minnesota's Collected Sounds praised her "great soulful voice, and music that is unique and interesting. Not your average pop junk." Music editor Jennifer Maerz writing for The Stranger in Seattle found Karney reminded her of "artists like the Indigo Girls and Edie Brickell." Publisher Jonathan Ment of the Urban Rag also likened Karney to "Chrissie Hynde, but was uncertain as to whether Karney sounded like Edie Brickell, or that the music on the CD sounded like the New Bohemians."Kristy Martin of CMJ New Music Report suggested that Karney "channels the spirits of female singer/songwriters including Aimee Mann, Edie Brickell, Concrete Blonde's Johnette Napolitano and Pat Benatar." Of course, we can put ourselves into the role of music reviewers and debate who Karney's masterful pipes most resemble, or we can defer to the judgment of funk master George Clinton who summed up this artist's music prowess with the rhetorical question, "How'd a white girl get so funky?"
Record Label: Tangent Records
Type of Label: Indie