{"id":8150,"date":"2015-07-16T05:30:29","date_gmt":"2015-07-16T09:30:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/?p=8150"},"modified":"2015-07-16T05:30:29","modified_gmt":"2015-07-16T09:30:29","slug":"drivin-n-cryins-kevn-kinney-sowing-confusion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/2015\/07\/16\/drivin-n-cryins-kevn-kinney-sowing-confusion\/","title":{"rendered":"Drivin N Cryin’s Kevn Kinney: Sowing Confusion"},"content":{"rendered":"

Since their debut in the mid 1980s, Atlanta-based Drivin N Cryin<\/strong> have crafted their own take on southern rock. Led by guitarist\/songwriter Kevn Kinney<\/strong>, the group has distilled its many influences into a sound that is all their own. A recent series of EPs set out to explore those various styles, and selections from those CDs have been compiled on the new vinyl-only release, Best of Songs<\/em>.<\/p>\n

With more than two dozen songs released on those EPs between 2012 and 2013, Kinney had a lot to choose from when sequencing Best of Songs<\/em>. \u201cI tried to keep it kinda poppy,\u201d Kinney says. \u201cWe designed it to look like a 1970s K-Tel record…upbeat and groovy. So I focused more on our power pop type stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/center>The motivation for that original EP series was twofold. Because two years between albums can seem a lifetime in pop culture, shorter and more frequent releases keep a group in the public’s mind and ears. But there was another reason for smaller musical servings. \u201cTwelve songs is too many songs,\u201d says Kinney. So does he think that the era of the album is over? \u201cI don’t know if it’s over<\/em>,\u201d he says. \u201c<\/em>I just don’t know if it’s necessary<\/em>. If Lucinda Williams<\/strong> wants to put out 40 songs, twelve songs, or five songs, that’s cool with me. It’s gonna end up on my iTunes anyway. If I like it, I’m gonna put it on my playlist. I’m gonna construct my own thing.\u201d That thinking influences Kinney’s ideas for future releases. \u201cMaybe I’ll do a series of 45s in the future, one every two months or so.\u201d<\/p>\n

Each of the four Drivin N Cryin EP releases focuses on a musical style. \u201cThe first one is ‘kudzu rock’n’roll’ like R.E.M.<\/strong>, Fetchin’ Bones<\/strong>, and all of our heroes of that era,\u201d says Kinney. \u201cThe punk rock one is our hard rock side. And the psychedelic one is pretty obvious.\u201d A fourth, Songs for the Turntable<\/em>, is a five-song stylistic grab-bag. \u201cI wanted to deconstruct the band through those EPs,\u201d says Kinney. \u201cBecause if any band needs to be deconstructed, it’s Drivin N Cryin. And if I can do anything to confuse the audience even more, that’s what I want to do!\u201d<\/p>\n

After having released seven albums on major labels (Island and Geffen) followed by several on smaller labels, Drivin N Cryin chose to release Best of Songs<\/em> on Plowboy Records, a small indie label that features Cheetah Chrome<\/strong> (of punk legends The Dead Boys<\/strong>) as its A&R guy. Kinney muses on the difference between indies and the majors. Smaller labels allow the artist more creative control. \u201cBecause,\u201d laughs Kinney, \u201cNo one’s giving me a hundred thousand dollars. If they give you $100k, you gotta let them have their input. Which is not good.\u201d He repeats for emphasis. \u201cIt’s not good<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n