CAMMY VOSS FIDDLE & CELLO               

DENIS MURPHY GUITAR & VOCAL
JON KELSEY DRUMS               

GEORGE SHIRLEY BASS & VOCAL  

MEG MURPHY ACCORDION & VOCAL

CHAD COULTER GUITAR & VOCAL

File under….what, exactly? Too unpredictable for “folk,” too loud for “acoustic,” too unpretentious for “indie,” too complicated for “punk,” too rough for “chamber-pop,” and more band than “singer-songwriter.” The KFB may be fellow travelers, but they aren't about to swear allegiance to any party.

 

Since 1992 the KFB has written songs, added band members, and had families; all while recording and performing in and around Philadelphia. While the lineup has changed over the years, what makes their music identifiable hasn’t: sibling harmonies from brother and sister Denis and Meg; unusual instrumentation featuring cello, fiddle and accordion; first-rate, idiosyncratic songwriting from multiple band members; and the wide variety of musical elements the band embraces in the normal course of making music together.

 

At the heart of the KFB musical DNA is “sounds” and “songs.” “Sounds” are the sweet (harmony singing, rich cello) mixed with the sour (noisy guitars, dissidence); the accordion and fiddle used in decidedly unfolky ways; and tunes that hook yet remain unpredictable. “Songs” are words and music about everyday things: loss, dancing and drinking, contentment and dissatisfaction. Its what you have as a listener when you feel like each song is a distinct and tangible thing.