Kaki King, the first female on Rolling Stone’s “guitar god” list, rocks out to a full live set at TED2008, including her breakout single, “Playing with Pink Noise.” Jaw-dropping virtuosity meets a guitar technique that truly stands out.
Kaki King combines jaw-dropping guitar work with dreamy, searching songwriting. Her percussive technique (guitar geeks compare it to Preston Reed’s; everyone else compares it to Eddie Van Halen’s) drives her songs forward, while layers of overdubs and her own soft vocals create a shimmering cloud of sound.
King’s work on the soundtrack for 2007’s Into the Wild was nominated for a Golden Globe, along with contributors Michael Brook and Eddie Vedder. Her newest album, Dreaming of Revenge, was released this past year.
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“Eddie Van Halen”???
Please.
She’s pretty cool, but ever heard of Michael Hedges?
When I first heard her maybe 5 or so years ago on Dale and Jim Ed’s Morning Show, I immediately went out and bought her CD
“She’s pretty cool, but ever heard of Michael Hedges?”
King has: “One of Hedges’ songs, ‘Ritual Dance’ performed by Kaki King, is featured in the movie August Rush.”
So presumably she shares your high regard for the late Mr. Hedges. 🙂
So, if before you add any context, she’s one of the most original and inventive (plus technically able) guitar players that you can go to see anywhere in the world today… and then you note that she’s ascended to that level in a landscape of prejudice about the guitar being a guy’s thing… I’d say that adds up to a pretty mind-blowing standard-bearing trail-blazing sum total.
Some people are so talented they make me very jealous.
I saw one of her first shows and last yr at a festival. I actually knew Michael Hedges and saw him many times, I have complimented her on her choice and drive to immulate Michael Hedges but he was his sound and he did it perfectly and grew it. The wall she is hitting-as srelf taught as the book taught her, there are no more pages from that book for her to go any further on his style. Its hard to be unique.