Seattle rockers Kinski turn 20 this year and will celebrate with a brand new LP called Accustomed to Your Face out on October 12th via Kill Rock Stars. Hard to believe it has been two decades since the quartet blasted into the stratosphere on the strength of their Space Launch For Frenchie album, but then again, who’s counting? The band still finds core members guitarists Chris Martin and Matthew Reid Schwartz, bassist Lucy Atkinson, and drummer Barrett Wilke together, and on their upcoming record the group returns to work with engineer/producer Phil Manley (Trans Am)–also responsible for their 2015 LP 7 (Or 8) (Kill Rock Stars).
This week Kinski previewed the Accustomed to Your Face tracks, “Guest Girl Vocalist” and “Kinski 101.” The former clocks in at just under two minutes, and with the pedal to the metal and the needle in the red, this super-charged guitar blaster finds bassist Lucy Atkinson doubling as that mysterious guest girl vocalist. With ear-ripping guitar lines and a terse vocal delivery, this cut shreds light on the punkier side of the Kinski oeuvre.
For those new to the band, or maybe just in need of a sonic reminder, the group is kind enough to offer the back-to-school primer, “Kinski 101.” Operating in their long-form instrumental mode, the track features harrowing guitar work, towering low-end and manic drumming. In the band’s earlier years that might have been the perfect recipe for interstellar travel, but these days it’s more likely to find them barreling down a desert road aiming to break the land speed record.
Don’t miss Kinski live this weekend at the Sunset Tavern in Ballard for the 2018 Northwest Psych Fest. After the Bandcamp embed below, you’ll find a full list of the band’s upcoming tour dates.
Kinski Live 2018:
09/01 Seattle, WA @ Northwest Psych Fest, Sunset Tavern tickets
09/21 Spokane, WA @ The Bartlett tickets
09/22 Nelson, BC @ Massic Music Festival tickets
10/19 San Francisco, CA @ Thee Parkside w/ Feral Ohms + Terry Gross tickets
10/20 Santa Cruz, CA @ Blue Lagoon w/ Mammatus + Feral Ohms
10/25 Portland, OR @ High Water Mark w/ Feral Ohms + Máscaras
10/26 Seattle, CA @ Blue Moon w/ Feral Ohms + Love Devotion Surrender
10/27 Bellingham, WA @ Make.Shift w/ Feral Ohms
