A CRASH-LANDING! A DAMAGED SPACESHIP! Intergalactic superheroes Zen Boy & Karma Girl are stuck on Earth, hoping to lay low until they can fix their ship and return home. The duo query their super-computer ZBKG-1000: What's the best job for two superheroes to live a quiet life of earthly obscurity? Several days and thousands of calculations later, ZBKG-1000 delivers its determination on the fate of Zen Boy & Karma Girl: "Folk singers."
Whether you believe Zen Boy & Karma Girl’s claim that they’re intergalactic superheroes marooned on Earth, they certainly do seem like visitors from another musical planet. Incisive and witty lyrics, charming and memorable melodies, delicate and graceful harmonies, all coming together in a tasteful folk setting with subtle ethereal touches – it just seems so alien these days...
Zen Boy & Karma Girl’s music could be defined as a colorful combination of the gentle two-part harmonies of Simon & Garfunkel, the cheeky lyrical observations of The Moldy Peaches, the earthy mysticism of Donovan, and the quiet contemplation of The Innocence Mission.
And what about that “superhero thing”? Zen Boy & Karma Girl aren’t talking, but it seems like they’re having fun with it. After all, who doesn’t want to be a superhero?
REVIEWS for Who They Are and How They Came To Be:
... gentle folk music with sweet harmonies, easy melodies and lyrics with a tweaked wit ... their own unique California folk sound ...
(Terry Roland, Phantom Tollbooth)
... The duo's hippie-leaning pieces are executed well ... gentle psychedelia and quiet acoustic strumming ... 'Love, Love, Love' is the aural equivalent of a vegetarian picnic in a sunny meadow ... 'Yeah Yeah' has a playful simplicity that's a touch like The Beatles ... these hippies excel at darker material: 'There Won't Be' is a sing-along pub song that uses its catchy refrain to mask lyrics as downhearted as the Delta blues, and 'Keys' is gorgeously sad, stark minor-key fingerpicking highlighting a heartbreaking vocal melody ... 'And I Lost' is brooding and dark, recalling a more polished version of Leonard Cohen at his best ... good stuff and exquisitely sung ...
(Matthew Johnson, Grave Concerns)
... Folk music for the mp3 generation ... tremendous songwriting and storytelling ... Zen Boy & Karma Girl spin gold with melody, render helpless with delicious harmonies and cause a smirk and thought with provocative off-kilter lyrics ...
(Adam Mico, Apequake)
... 10 clean and gentle vocal harmony-laced tracks ... ear-catching and built on a solid, time-tested frame ...
(Simon McCormack, Alibi)
... a cool, quirky folk duo ... great instrumental touches that reminded me of Brian Wilson's studio tinkerings. 'Yeah Yeah' and 'There Won't Be' will become cemented in your brain due to their memorably catchy, sing-along choruses ... it reminded me of soundtrack music movies like Juno ... they should make sure the music moguls in Hollywood hear their stuff. Their music is as good as you will find and might make them enough royalty money to get their spacecraft fixed...
(Craig Yerkes, San Diego Troubadour)
... I like the lightweight pop aspect of this album ... 'There Won't Be' is one of the happiest blues songs I've heard, and 'Copy' is a rather quirky love song, and both are typical of the album ...
(Carl F. Gauze, Ink 19)
... Behind the superhero masks and the spandex, there is musical talent that the music industry has not seen. 'Two Monkeys' is a standout track, and 'There Won't Be' sounds like something you would sing while drinking, except they sound much better singing it than the local bar patrons ...
(Fred Castano, The Coast Dispatch)
... utterly magical music ... an overstuffed couch for the ears: a big comfy spot you never want to leave. The absolutely lovely songs all have gorgeous melodies, some of them breathtakingly so. The instrumentation is a warm interweaving of acoustic and electronic. But the hinge that everything swings along is the blending of two voices, the most decadent vocal harmonies heard in years. There are moments on this album that the two voices become one, a single instrument floating above the music ... What it comes down to is the music, and on that score, Zen Boy & Karma Girl just might be superheroes.
(Jim Trageser, North County Times)
Self-described "visitors from another musical planet," this Boy and Girl have a superhero shtick that could be kryptonite for their prospects, except for one thing – they're good. There's a classic Simon & Garfunkel vibe that runs through each song, but the duo's archly configured lyrics and personae make this an alternative act that's entertaining. 'Copy' is a winner, and 'Two Monkeys' and 'There Won't Be' have their charms as well. This is an intimate and entertaining record.
(Music Connection Magazine, "Demo Critique")
... 'Wonder Woman' is a really pretty, folksy song from the point of view of...well, Steve Trevor, I suppose. The lead singer is wondering why Wonder Woman, who is awesome enough to hang out with Superman and Batman, is willing to be with him ... one of the only (superhero songs) I actually like on its own merits ...
(Jen-From-Japan, DC Comics Fan)
... Who the hell needs a record label these days? Obviously not these two, who've managed to put out a slick CD all by themselves ... word-of-mouth praise will follow accordingly – voila! ... Don't let the tight pants fool you, they're folkies in disguise ...
(Kent Manthie, Reviewer Mag)
... At first glance, the animation on the cover might lead you to believe this intergalactic duo is a comedy club favorite. In fact, the music held within this pressed plastic is an amazing array of songwriting and brilliant vocal harmonies. The fact that they have an ingenious story to go along with their alter egos just makes it cooler. From the witty ('There Won’t Be') to the heartfelt ('And I Lost'), there is something that would appeal to almost everyone. The reason any good duo becomes a duo is the fact that they complement each other and this could not be more true than with Zen Boy & Karma Girl ...
(Monk, Independents Only)
... a nice, classic folk album ... 'Two Monkeys' is beautiful ... 'There Won't Be' is a peppy Irish pub-style drinking song, and 'Yeah Yeah' is a chipper, harmonious venture into the gentle world of folk ... mellow, but charming ...
(Andy Scheffler, Cord Magazine)
... the music is warm to the touch ... a pleasant, straightforward charm, though with a pithy undercurrent ... a well-tended, nip-and-tuck approach...
(David, Left of the Dial Magazine)
... crisp, lush sound ... nice soft-rock/alt.folk music, with interesting sounds and perfectly pitched vocal harmonies ...
(Jeremy Mutant, The Chicken Fish Speaks)
... light touches of indie pop sweetness ... their songs are good and they have plenty of talent in the vocal and guitar department ...
(J-Sin, Smother.net)
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