Kane Strang has a knack for the cleverly jarring. In rhythm, tone, lyrics, and progression, his indie rock shines for its lovable idiosyncrasy. It comes in a rush, pinging from pronounced bassline to the sliding echo of the verses often mirrored on lead guitar. Short pauses are placed throughout for emphasis and to highlight the delightfully catchy choruses that punch through. Combining all of that together, the New Zealand artist captures a certain frenetic energy within his music that he tends to exasperate instead of resolve. That struggle is what keeps the sounds cycling in intrigue.
We’ve been waiting 2 years for Kane to come to town and it was more than worth it. Loud, vivacious, and densely packed, he and the rest of the band’s live performance at Johhnny Brenda’s gave familiar songs a dynamic treatment and included plenty of new tracks as well. He snapped some pics for us during his pre-show spelunking around Fishtown that capture the rest of his band at just the right moments. He also made for us a playlist of what he is currently listening to that will surprise you in a good way. While it boasts a fair amount of guitar-based indie rock, it also includes some Kanye, Solange, and even a Tracy Chapman classic. The songs all have their own special and slightly unusual qualities which appear most obviously in the array of New Zealand artists he’s chosen (including his guitarist Peter McCall’s own project Fazed on a Pony). Look, listen, and love below and above!
