Kill Van KUll- There are bands—you know a handful of them—that prevail despite obstacles; reforming years after their launch (sometimes more than once) and emerge with a creative spirit and sound that’s as pure as the day they started. Well, add another band to your list: New York City’s Kill Van Kull is back with a vengeance, and their rapidly-growing audience—old fans, new fans, and critics—loves every minute of it.
The experts describe their sound as straight-ahead rock with a jazzy, bluesy feel. The sound is fresh and contemporary And Kill Van Kull artfully weaves in elements that remind you why you love hard rock so much—and then throws themselves into the music. Lead singer Rick Cabrera: “I want the audience to feel like they not only got their money's worth, but that they know we gave them all we had.”
Originally formed in 1983, these rockers took the New York/New Jersey circuits by storm and recorded a four-song EP, “Eye of the Storm.” Buoyed by heavy air play, Kill Van Kull headed west, settling in Hollywood and ready to hit the big time.
It was not to be—a series of family issues and illnesses put the plans on hold, and it wasn’t until 1995 that they tried to re-form. With new demo recordings, press packages and music consultants & promoters working diligently in California and New York, the band was ready for their breakout year—but during the winter of that year, more life situations put the band into a hiatus again.
The future of Kill Van Kull was definitely uncertain, but the original members, Cabrera, Bill Cardinale (bass) and Vinnie Raschella (drums, percussion, acoustic guitar) continued to keep in touch, recording and performing with other original acts and cover bands from the New York area.
Then, in 2005, everything came together with the help of guitarist / songwriterChris Cirrone (who appears with the band on lead guitar, rhythm guitar and mandolin) and the new incarnation of Kill Van Kull hit the studio again.
The band also gets an assist from Mark Farley (lead/rhythm guitars),Al Anzalone (lead/rhythm guitars), Alex Mahoney (saxophones & rhythm guitar) Mike Pignataro (keyboards), DeAnna Eliot (violins) and Henry Falco (horn arrangements and percussion).
So, why are these guys so driven? They’re all passionate about music—most started when they were young. From hearing Richie Blackmore play to getting a first drum kit, Kill Van Kull members were on the musical path young. For bassist Cardinale, there was a theatrical element: “I realized I wanted to be a performer when I was listening to a KISS album and I jumped off my living room furniture with a guitar and spit ketchup all over the place,” he recalls. “My mother walked in at that precise time and wanted to kill me.”
Ask the group about their dream gig—that rock Valhalla to which they all aspire—and this diverse group of musicians answers with three words: Madison Square Garden. The legendary venue holds an attraction for these native New Yorkers. “That would pretty much do it,” Mahoney says.
Kill Van Kull knows how to imagine their ultimate performance, but they are firmly grounded in the reality of getting a “new” group noticed in a competitive indie market. Balancing day jobs with rehearsals, performances and recording certainly isn’t unique to the group, but they go at it with the knowledge that the group has experienced darker days.
Kill Van Kull, Hard Driving Rock & Roll New York Style
Article by Laura Jenney
Of Mindsweep Entertainment & Promotions
VPofMindsweep@aol.com
For Complete Radio Listings & Reviews:
www.myspace.com/killvankull
www.killvankull.com
Listen For KVK on the following:
105.5 WDHA New Jersey's Best Rock,
98 KUPD Arizona's Real Rock,
WEND FM Charlotte, North Carolina's New Rock
The Rock & Roll Report 90.3 Montreal, Canada
Pure Grain Audio-Ontario,Canada
K94Rocks Virginia
WITR 89.7 Rochester,New York
CottonRock Radio-Mississippi
WRBC 91.5 Lewiston ,Maine
www.1065.com
www.radiofly1.com
iRadio La !04 from Los angeles
www.Steel93.com
The Rocket 104.7FM of Enid, Oklahoma
www.rocknationradio.com
www.netrock101.com
Germany Welcomes the music of Kill Van Kull on
RADIO MELODIC-The Rock Power WebRadio
www.radiomelodic.de
& Also on The Rock of Ages Radio Show
on Bermuda-Funk Radio
Bermuda-Musik ( Die Gemeinschaftssendung der Musik-Redaktion)
89.6 Mhz Mannheim
105.4 Mhz Heidelberg
TPN ROCK 'The Rock SHow on The Podcast NEtwork" in
Edinburgh, Scotland
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