Left Behind

Left Behind

Track Listings

1. Senor Simpatico

2. Looking Into the Future

3. Hold My Tongue

4. Share A Smoke

5. Bucket Drummer Door

6. Release

7. Darts

8. Disappoint You

9. Cliche

10. Left Behind

Editorial Reviews
About the Artist
By Katy Hershberger Special to washingtonpost.com/MP3 Monday, September 13, 2004

If you had to pigeonhole Kenin, you could label it "acoustic rock" or "college rock" -- the quartet plays acoustic instruments and its music is popular among frat boys. But the band goes beyond the usual polo shirt and Birkenstock cliché. Don't let the stripped-down, wireless sound fool you -- Kenin is all rock.

Kenin is not, however, so-called "acoustic" rock. "That implies a more chill sound," says drummer Devin McGaughey. Singer-guitarist Sean Gaiser describes the band as "acoustic-based rock music with an eye toward trying new, different stuff."

Some of this new and different stuff Kenin is trying -- such as the evolution to a more-rock sound -- may be sparked by some of the band's more-varied and less-obvious influences: Radiohead, the Postal Service, Hot Hot Heat and Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder. "We have respect for the classics, but it's important that we produce an element reflective of the new stuff that's out now," says McGaughey.

The "classics" are frat house staples like Dispatch, OAR, Guster and, the king of college rock, Dave Matthews. "They paved the way to show us what's cool," says Gaiser.

Despite the fact that he and McGaughey were frat boys themselves (Kappa Sigmas at Duke University), they are hesitant to compare their music with that of "college rock" bands. While Kenin is similar in that its music appeals to a mainstream audience, McGaughey says Kenin is "more rock" than others. In fact, being in a fraternity may have actually helped broaden Kenin's musical horizons. "[We were] lucky to be in a frat with guys who listened to a bunch of different stuff," says Gaiser.

Though many of Kenin's songs are focused on guitar (provided by Gaiser and Mark Erickson) and Gaiser's husky vocals, the rhythm section (made up of McGaughey and bassist Tommy Bullough) doesn't hide in the background. Rather, the driving beats propel the music to create a solid, full sound.

This percussive strength was evident in the quartet's recent headlining gig at 9:30 club. The band performed a show-stopping breakdown by drumming on buckets -- Gaiser sitting cross-legged on the stage floor -- making the moment like an at-home jam session. A show with such energy, complete with rock-staresque jumps and stances, makes McGaughey's assertion believable: Kenin is "primarily a live band."

Product Description
Kenin is a 4 piece rock group out of Washington, DC. The band is fronted by an acoustic guitar, and the emphasis is on putting on a kickass live show - playing hard, sweating, using buckets and hand percussion, looping, and pursuing other musical outlets that increase the intensity of the show.

For all intensive purposes, this is the demo version of Kenin. If you want the roots of the band and a look at what they sound like raw and unproduced, this is your CD.

If you want a more polished and complex sound, their first major release, due out in Feb. 2005.

If you want both, they will be happy and will write you love letters.

The most important thing is that you keep an eye out for them in the near future.

Left Behind,Kenin,Holster Records

Rock Music

Left Behind

Popular Music: