Introducing Kung Fu Fax Machine
By Nicole Sheahan
Friday, Dec. 04, 2009
Kung Fu Fax Machine. Definition: a band that writes and performs witty, acoustic folk-rock music.
Before I even heard them play, their creative name intrigued me, and I wanted to like their music. I was not disappointed in the least when I saw them live. Kung Fu Fax Machine's lyrics are clever and thought-provoking. They express emotion through lyrics like:
"Suddenly your name is the name of a street
I found you in the place we were never supposed to meet
And the dawn and the music and the lights of the town
Have the glimmer of your laugh and the pain of an eternal now"
(Lyrics from track one on their album, "Déjà vu.")
In other words, it is not your typical returned missionary attempt at wooing the ladies through music. Their songs talk about the struggles of life, questions of social politics and, you guessed it -- unrequited love.
Mike McClellan and Trevor Matthews were next-door neighbors at Helaman Halls their freshman year at BYU. Matthews heard McClellan playing the guitar through the wall and brought his viola over for a jam session. They started co-writing songs and performing at open mics. Both left for two years to serve missions in Brazil and New Mexico.
McClellan and Matthews recognize how their missions have affected their music.
McClellan said, "I realized who I wanted to be and how seriously I wanted to take my music. I feel like I got a much bigger view of the world. I saw sides of life I had never fathomed. Without my mission in Brazil, I would have an extremely shallow, narrow view of people and what they face in life, and that would be apparent in my music."
About his mission in New Mexico, Matthews said, "My missionary service has given me a lot of experience that I draw from as a songwriter; it helped me learn patience. Patience is an important part of our craft because good music so rarely comes to you all at once. It is mostly a piece-by-piece experience."
Now they are back together writing and performing more than ever. They recently recorded their debut album, "The Light in the Eye." McClellan rocks out on the acoustic guitar, as does Matthews on viola. Jason Sanders keeps the beat on percussion.
"(We want) to make interesting, catchy music that is also poetic and artistic. I believe that accessibility and artistry ... are not mutually exclusive. It is our goal to combine the two," Matthews said.
When McClellan was asked how he'd describe Kung Fu Fax Machine's music, he said, "My answer in one word: wood. Both the sound of the band (three finely crafted pieces of wood) and our lyrics are earthy and real. I think a lot of the appeal of acoustic music could be pinned on that idea. Nothing electronic. Nothing artificial. The acoustic musician can pick up his instrument, walk into the woods, or sit down on a sidewalk and play without any help from electronics. Just a man and his wood."
Kung Fu Fax Machine's debut album will be released Dec. 10. For more information on their new album and CD release concert, visit
www.kungfufaxmachine.blogspot.com.
Originally Posted by No_Know
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) I don't have a site for them yet, but here's a review on 
