Kevin
McKinney
First things first. Who is Kevin McKinney? Even if you don't recognize the name, you've probably heard Kevin before. Kevin is the front man and driving force behind Soulhat, one of the most established Austin bands. Kevin's new CD, McVein in Green, is a solo project. And I must emphasize the word solo. Kevin is not only responsible for all the instrumentation on the CD, he also produced the CD himself and released it on Shat Records (Soulhat Records).
Being such a fan of Soulhat, there was no question that I had to get my hands on Kevin's solo effort. When speaking with Kevin, it was apparent that he was fed up with the major labels. I asked him about McVein in Green. He simply explained that he'd been writing music and he needed to get it out. He simplified the process by playing everything and putting it out himself. In Brian Waltz, a cut off Soulhat's Outdebox you hear the line, 'I'd rather be in control than be bought and sold.' I think that's the case with McKinney. He'd rather control his own fate. (And he's going about it the right way.)
Taking into consideration that Kevin has consistently written exceptional songs for Soulhat, he has a lot to live up to with his release of McVein in Green. After listening to the CD for the past week, I'm not sure the CD as a whole is Kevin's best work. But, it definitely has a few standout songs that are among his finest. Rot With You is one of these gems to be treasured by any fan of this Austin icon. It has a soothing rhythm that draws you in and calms your soul. I have been driving my wife crazy because I can't get the melody out of my head, and I've been singing the song nonstop. $5 man is reminiscent of early Soulhat funk/rock. McKinney's unique mix of acoustic rhythm guitar and finger picking makes his music easy to recognize. Goodbye is another standout song. Its infectious groove grabs you right from the beginning, and makes it virtually impossible to keep your body still. Killers, Thieves & Conmen kicks it up a notch with its bluesy bass line and straight-forward electric guitar. Shame begs to be on my next mix CD. I'd keep my ears on the radio for this one. Sadly enough, I hate that I enjoy a song that sings of such desperation. I'm No Rapper, a song more likely heard on a G. Love CD, finishes the CD off with little humor.
All in all, the CD gets my stamp of approval. It's remarkably well put together for a true solo effort. If you're a Soulhat fan, I would consider this a must have to add to your collection. Never heard Kevin or Soulhat before? Check Kevin out at the Austin City Limits Music Festival. Or, tune into KLBJ (93.7 FM) around 5:05 p.m. each Friday. Johnny Walker kicks off each weekend with the extended version of Soulhat's Bone Crusher.
I wanted to share a few words about Soulhat so that you could more fully understand how they have been a one of my Austin Experiences. When I first moved to Austin in '91, I considered it to be a temporary stop. I figured I'd spend a year or two in Austin before checking out some other city. One of the first shows I saw was Soulhat playing at the Black Cat Lounge. The place was packed. Everybody was absorbed in the moment while the band was jammin' out. I ended up buying a cassette of Soulhat Live at the Black Cat. I listened to it faithfully. I realized that I had hit the jackpot moving to Austin. Back home, I had to drive to D.C. or Baltimore to check out a live band, and typically they were playing covers. Here, I could check out a great performance in a venue small enough that I could walk up and compliment the band at the end of a show. I credit Soulhat as one of the bands that truly got me excited about the music scene in Austin.
A year or two later, Soulhat released Outdebox. I bought a few copies and sent them as gifts to my friends back east. A few envious music junkies were convinced that Austin is where they needed to be, and headed west. Another couple of years passed and Soulhat was picked up by a major label. I was excited for the band, knowing that they were deserving of some national attention. At the same time, I knew I wouldn't have a chance to see them live for quite awhile, being that they were in the Big Apple. I began hearing tracks off their album Good to be Gone regularly on KLBJ, and knew they were on there way. Then, rumors spread of the band's break-up. The DJ's considered it the curse of the Austin bands.
A couple more years passed, and my sister calls from Dallas. "Hey, Soulhat's playin' at Club Da DA (or something like that). Come on up." They still packed them in, and the music flowed freely. In 2000, Soulhat released Experiment on a Flat Plane, one of the most cleverly written CDs I've ever heard. Half of the songs were written by McKinney, the other half were co-written by McKinney and other members of the band. Even though it's been under the guise of Soulhat, I've been a fan of McKinney's for over a decade. With McVein in Green, Kevin is guaranteed to pick up a new crop of fans.
Related Links:
- Soulhat website
- Chocolate
Records
In addition to Kevin McKinney's Mcvein in Green, I recommend the following Soulhat CDs:
