Ken Stringfellow’s Foreign Correspondence: Katzenjammer

You probably know Ken Stringfellow as the co-leader of Northwestern power-pop all-timers the Posies or as a sideman for R.E.M. or latter-day Big Star. He’s also a solo artist (we’re particularly fond of the soft-rock American beauty that is 2001’s Touched) and is currently preparing the debut by his Norwegian garage-rock band, the DiSCiPLiNES. Each day this week, magnetmagazine.com guest editor Stringfellow will be filing reports from his home on the European continent.

Stringfellow: Katzenjammer, a band like no other, are doing really well in Norway. A brightly colored, instrument-trading, swing/balkan/Texan/Norwegian music ensemble comprised of four women, great singers and players, and their trademark balalaika bass. The DiSCiPLiNES have had the pleasure of playing shows with them several times over the course of our Norwegian tours. They were too shy to speak to the first times, but gradually I got them to join us for dinner, and after a bit of Amarone, they were chatting away. Note: They are the only people I know who could solve the Don’t Break The Bottle puzzle, a sign of great intellect, dexterity and/or desperation for a drink.

“Hey Ho, On The Devil’s Back” (download):

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