Americana rock and folk rock were the genres of the night when Junior League played at the 9:30 Club, after sets by Kingsley Flood and Typefighter. Fiddles, banjos, trumpets, steel guitars, saxophones, and the All-American electric guitar were on display. If you’re American, pat yourself on the back. I was there to take another look at Kingsley Flood, about whom I had penned a review earlier this year, and see what’s new with the up-and-coming group. Toss in Typefighter and headliner Junior League, and it turned into a hell of a show.
Typefighter started the evening with a very pared-down, solid rock show. Lead singer Patrick McLaughlin provides a high, dancing voice over a range of rhythms and feelings from the music, ranging from driving, pounding rock, to soft, sweet singular guitar.
Kingsley Flood is a local power act. Lead singer Naseem Khuri currently hails from DC via Boston and fronts this pack who otherwise claim Boston as their HQ. As I mentioned, I covered Kingsley Flood in January when they played at Rock and Roll Hotel, and I must say they’ve grown in their confidence on stage and presence they project to the audience since then. It’s one thing to bang the bass drum and belt out melodies over frantic strumming and call it folk rock, but Kingsley Flood takes it to another level with their professional approach to the music that is at once both meticulous and easy. Jenée Morgan gives backup vocals, plays fiddle and saxophone, and is the perfect counterpoint to Khuri’s presence.
After January’s show, I was pretty impressed with Kingsley Flood but still undecided overall. Now I am thirsty for more KF Kool aid, and after writing this, I will be purchasing their tunes. I would keep an eye out for Kingsley Flood, who have wrought critical success with an NPR Song of the Day and several Boston-based awards. If there were some kind of stock market for bands, I would be calling my broker and would scream and wave my finger about, asking why I don’t already own stock in Kingsley Flood.
Rounding out the show was a folk rock set by Junior League, who hail from DC and are fronted by the very pregnant Lissy Rosemont. Rosemont sings and plays banjo primarily, with the added harmonica riff for good measure. Their sound is a more folk than rock, hosting the banjo and fiddle on most songs, as well as utilizing the steel guitar on more than one occasion. I want to check these guys out more, but Lissy is due in a month and there will likely be a rightfully deserved maternal hiatus, so I’ll have to keep my nose peeled for when they play again.
After two weeks in Brazil with sexy, smooth, accordion-infused Bossa Nova and Forro, it was an enthralling “welcome home” for me to hear the frantic rhythms and high energy explosion of sound from these sets. I plan on taking a closer look into these artists and the Americana sound coming from DC, and I think you should too. Until next time!
