Kat Maxwell
Country of origin:
U.S.
Type of music generally:
Alternative pop/rock
Status:
Most recent release, ...Loves Me...Loves Me Not... (2007)
See also:
CDBaby's Kat Maxwell page
Comparisons:
Vocally, she's kind of a mix of Hope Sandoval (Hope Sandoval and the Warm Inventions, Mazzy Star) and Natalie Merchant, with an occasional touch of Courtney Love (Hole); musically a mix of Cat Power, and PJ Harvey, Belly, and Throwing Muses.
Covers/own material:
Own
General comments:
Energetic pop/rock with just a touch of punk. As you can tell from the mixture of comparisons above, Kat Maxwell draws from a lot of threads musically. Her sound is indie pop/rock; her voice reminds me strongly of Hope Sandoval (Hope Sandoval and the Warm Inventions, Mazzy Star). The overall effect is if Hope Sandoval were singing Hole less strident work or if Natalie Merchant were singing indie rock. Kat Maxwell has a lovely high/deep voice with a touch of languidity to it, though her songs are generally pretty energetic: that combination has a nice effect. Kat Maxwell has a girlish voice rather like Tanya Donelly though with a heavier rock sound. She can also do the haunting things well, too. (Neile)
Recommended first album:
Either
Recordings:
Release info:
2003—Good Girls Say No Records—GGSNR1437-2
Availability:
See Kat Maxwell's site
Ecto priority:
Recommended
Group members:
Kat Maxwell—vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar
Guest artists:
Earl Lowe—drums (1, 3, 4, 5, 7)
Terry Fry—drums (2, 6)
Kerry Movassagh—bass (1, 3, 4, 5, 7)
Stacey Horne—bass (2, 6)
John Neil Martin—piano, synths (3)
Produced by:
John Neil Martin
Comments:
This debut album is brief—only 8 tracks and the last track is an acoustic version of third 3rd. I really like Kat Maxwell's sound overall, and for a debut album, the songwriting here is strong—catchy, emotional, and energetic and definitely above the average. The first two tracks, "Run" and "Blow" are similar: both are especially energetic with distinctively catchy hooks and are a great introduction to the discs. In "Picture", the ballad which follows (and is repeated in an acoustic version at the end), her vocals and delivery sound plaintively Natalie Merchant-like. "I'll Be There" has a PJ Harvey-like sound in the verses, and a touch of Hole in the chorus. "Suffocated" is a great pop/rock ballad of complaint. "Joey" has a driving indierock energy. "It's ok" is where Kat Maxwell does an especially Hole-like turn. Kat Maxwell has a ton of promise and even this collection delivers on that. This is a mostly rocking album, but Kat Maxwell can also wrench your heart, as in the song "Picture" which has more than a touch of Mazzy Star. "Picture" is a hard song to forget, but her rocking sound is infectious as well. (Neile)
Release info:
2007—Good Girls Say No Records
Availability:
See Kat Maxwell's site
Ecto priority:
Recommended for rock fans
Group members:
Kat Maxwell—vocals, guitar
Josh Rawlings—bass, guitar
Guest artists:
Kris Yates—drums
Earl Lowe—drums (1, 6, 12)
Andrew Scoggin—piano, keyboards
Randall X—slide guitar, guitar effects
Produced by:
Kat Maxwell and Josh Rawlings
Comments:
Raw slightly punkish rock in the Belly/Throwing Muses tradition, but with more than a touch of Hole. Kat Maxwell's voice really reminds me of Tanya Donelly, but the music here puts me more in mind of Hole circa Live Through This: raw, rocking and grungy, yet melodic and captivating. (Neile)
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