Katvanger
dubious blues, twisted roots, counterfeit country & western, improbable jazz, and more ...
They all purport to be fine, upstanding, law-abiding citizens, but collectively, Katvanger* offers up a suspect rendition of the blues, revealing undocumented encounters with disreputable elements from far-flung parts of the globe. Bass player Ruud Fransen, who claims to have retired from the teaching profession, and guitarist Jan Vereçky, a part-time IT tinkerer with an extensive collection of off-brand stringed instruments, accompany singer and guitar player Jim Wake, whose whisky-tinged voice belies his claims of a comfortable middle-class upbringing.
The songs tell tales of pain, betrayal and abandonment -- the themes that bluesmen have sung about for generations -- but in Katvanger's extensive repertoire of originals, there are heavy doses of irony and sarcasm, along with equal portions of harmony and swing. Apart from dubious blues, Katvanger features slightly twisted roots, counterfeit country & western, improbable jazz, and on occasion, an obscure cover.
Our disclaimer: slightly subversive and highly infectious.
OUT NOW!
The new Katvanger single:
YOU HEAR THE DAMNEDEST THINGS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT
A slightly surrealistic stream of consciousness blues sort of thing featuring insomnia, bad weather, Frank Sinatra, and a woman on the prowl.
PREVIOUSLY ON THE KATVANGER WEBSITE ...
Our previous release:
BACK TO THE BASICS
This one draws inspiration from philandering British and fear-mongering American politicians, (not to mention countless other corrupt and unprincipled world leaders of the recent and not-so-recent past), double-dealing Wall Street financiers, jargon-spouting middle managers, white-collar charlatans, and self-righteous hypocrites from all fields of human endeavor. Needless to say, it’s a slightly raunchy love song.
We're going a little jazzy here, with the usual raspy vocals, a bit of gypsy jazz guitar, and even some old-fashioned doo-wop backing vocals. Like a chance encounter between Ry Cooder, Tom Waits, Django Reinhardt, and Flo and Eddie.
Once again we're releasing it on Aldora Britain Records. Available from January 23, 2022 on our Bandcamp site for €1 or directly from Aldora Brtain Records on their Bancamp site
Two new bits of dubious blues …
Let’s build a wall - our take on the absurdity of border walls
Please forgive me (acoustic living room version) - a slightly twangier version of the tongue in cheek morality tale we included on “So late so soon” last year
Now available as a (virtual) double-sided single from Aldora Britain Records for just £1.50 (that’s about €1.74 or $2.05).
Non-Contagious Pre-Election Quarantine Special Bonus Tracks
Two extra "bonus" tracks added as free digital downloads with the purchase of our album as a CD or a digital download, or for €1 per song here: https://katvanger.bandcamp.com
And of course ...
So late so soon, Katvanger's debut album, released in August 2020.
Available on: BandCamp.com - €10 CD - €8 digital download
Need a test run? You can listen to a few tunes from the album and check out the lyrics here
*From Wikipedia: A katvanger is a person who acts on behalf of the owner of a vehicle, business, bank account or similar holding in order conceal the identity of the the actual owner from the authorities. The individuals who use katvangers are usually criminals and the katvangers themselves are often addicts, homeless people, people with debts, or people who don’t realize the risks they are taking by acting as katvangers.