| Kiss Kiss | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Milton, New York, US |
| Genres | Indie rock Experimental Progressive rock Avant-garde |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Labels | Astro Magnetics, Eyeball |
| Associated acts | Vuvuzela, The Mayor, Echoland, Hidden Hospitals, Tidal Arms |
| Members | |
| Josh Benash Jared Karns Mike Abiuso Rebecca Schlappich James O'Keeffe |
|
| Past members | |
| Sam Oatts Bob Pycior Evan Crow James Wolff Lacy Rostyak Jonathan Jetter Pat Lamothe Patrick Southern |
|
| Notable instruments | |
| Electric Violin | |
Kiss Kiss is an indie rock band formed by Joshua Benash (guitar, synth, vocals) and Jared Karns (drums). Although their music is primarily indie in style, it also includes an electric violin that adds an orchestral sound to many songs.
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The band first formed at the State University of New York at Purchase, where Joshua Benash and Jared Karns had previously played in other bands. The band took their name from a series of short stories by Roald Dahl.
Their debut full-length album, Reality vs. The Optimist, was released on February 6, 2007 under the New Jersey-based Eyeball Records. However, it was recorded and prepared for release many months earlier, and several tracks had leaked onto the internet by November 2006. A "tour edition" of the CD, limited to 1,000 copies, was sold at shows between the November leak of the album and the February release date.
A blog post on the band's Myspace page on August 7, 2008 stated that the band's second full-length album, "The Meek Shall Inherit What's Left", was almost complete and expected to be released in early 2009. A special edition re-release of Reality vs. The Optimist was planned for late-2008, but information regarding its release has since been removed from the Eyeball Records website.
The Meek Shall Inherit What's Left was officially released on July 7, 2009.
On January 7, 2011, Josh Benash announced a side project called "Vuvuzela" with some of the members of Kiss Kiss.
Kiss Kiss has a range of various musical influences, which include: The Beach Boys, Eric Satie, Björk, Blonde Redhead, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Stravinsky, Mogwai, Neutral Milk Hotel, Tiny Tim, Tripping Daisy, The Kingston Trio, early Motown, The Olivia Tremor Control, Ramona Cordova, Hollywood Bukkake, Circulatory System, Radiohead, Mr. Bungle, Nirvana, Muse, Murder By Death, Cursive, and The Turtles.
| Date of Release | Title | Label |
| October 11, 2005 | Kiss Kiss EP | Eyeball Records |
| February 6, 2007 | Reality vs. The Optimist | Eyeball Records |
| July 7, 2009 | The Meek Shall Inherit What's Left | Eyeball Records |
| Year | Title | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Machines | Reality vs. The Optimist |
| 2007 | Satellite | Reality vs. The Optimist |
| 2009 | All They Draw | The Meek Shall Inherit What's Left |
| 2009 | Innocent I | The Meek Shall Inherit What's Left |
| Year | Title | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Machines | Reality vs. The Optimist |
| 2007 | The Cats in Your House | Reality vs. The Optimist |
| 2009 | Innocent I | The Meek Shall Inherit What's Left |
| 2009 | Plague #11 | The Meek Shall Inherit What's Left |
| 2010 | All They Draw | The Meek Shall Inherit What's Left |
Reality Vs. The Optimist Review - Absolutepunk.net