Review: King Khan and BBQ Show

Story by Steven Stenebach, Writer

On their new album Bad News Boys, The King Khan and BBQ Show delivers a bizarre mix of doo-wop and garage punk music with enough energy and humor to make any listener enjoy the madness.

King Khan and the BBQ Show is known for mixing different styles and influences together to form its own unique style: blues, soul, hardcore, psychedelic, doo-wop and garage punk. They are all present.

Despite its small size, the group has a full sound. The band consists of only two members; King Khan on lead guitar and vocal, and BBQ on rhythm guitar, vocals, and a custom-made drum kit that can be played with his feet. Nonetheless, the two artists manage to keep the sound lush.

The album shines when it seamlessly blends its influences. “Alone Again,” for instance, has a very sweet soulful melody that sounds almost Sam Cooke like mixed with heavily distorted power chords backing it. “Illuminations” takes a variation on the Beatles “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” but updates it to be garage rock.

The standout track for me was “Ocean of Love.” This song had the most blues influence on the album, featuring the infamous 12 bar blues progression. Despite this, the vocals push the track forward. King Khan and BBQ trade off singing melody, mumbling gibberish, and screaming in pain to great effect. The way they shriek the vocals at the emotional peak reminds me of the classic R&B singer Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, which I imagine is exactly what King Khan was hoping for.

The band does manage to break the repetition of upbeat blues numbers. The album features two ballads, “Buy Bye Bhai” and “Never Felt Like This,” each one sounding as though Marty McFly would be dancing to them at the Enchantment Under the Sea dance. The other notable break from sound comes from “DFO,” a song that throws out any desire to be melodic in favor of hardcore filth.

If the album has a flaw it is its similarity to the rest of the King Khan and BBQ Show catalog. When put next to the 2006 album “What’s For Dinner?” there are virtually no additions or changes in sound.

Still, depending on how much you buy into the group’s pastiche of sound, this is a forgivable flaw. King Khan and the BBQ Show is one of the weirdest, most unique groups currently recording and begs to be listened to at least once.