Artist description "Excellent" - NME, London. Lush guitar arrangements, passionate vocals and enigmatic lyrics, packaged in a saavy self-produced debut cd, puts INSTAR at the head of the line at the New York Independent Film Awards and with the discriminating Boston Music Scene.

Music Style Rock, electro-acoustic experimentation, loops

Musical Influences Those voices are always telling me what to do...

Similar Artists Jeff Buckley blended with U2, Radiohead and the Afghan Whigs

Artist History "Once upon a time there was an obsessive nerd"... More than a few music success stories have begun with just such a character. INSTAR's creative visionary, Karl Von Kries, started out much the same way Kurt Cobain and Chris Cornell did; painfully shy and deliriously talented. Born in Seattle, it's no wonder his story might match up with some of his Grunge heroes. But this is far from the end of his story. Raised in Massachusetts, Karl became exposed to the thriving Boston Music Scene and adopted many of the styles of other heroes like the Pixies, Dinosaur Jr. and Sebadoh. Mutating styles of grunge and indie power pop became the signature calling card for INSTAR. Crafting a solid set of songs, Karl took his band on the road and scored legions of fans in every city especially in New York City at CBGB's, where a packed house greeted them with thunderous applause. From there, INSTAR went back into their studio to finish what has become a stellar debut, "Rich Girls." Rife with rich arrangements and powerful lyrics, this debut stands apart from many recent DIY releases and has made INSTAR a serious contender for major label success. The Film Industry has taken notice as well. Noted director John Gruber tapped INSTAR to write and record the score for the independent film "Blunt!" with Mike Suby which went on to win "Best Comedy" at the New York Independent Film Festival. Now on the heels of that success, Karl and INSTAR have begun their second film project with MTV Director Patrick Smith (Daria, Beavis and Butthead, Downtown) on the upcoming short film “Drink,” to be released at years-end. A blistering pace for such a young group, INSTAR has proven they can handle it and much, much more!

Group Members Karl von Kries

Instruments Voice, Guitar, Live Drums, Answering Machine, Processed Loops, Phone

Albums Rich Girls, New York

Press Reviews "Excellent" - London's NME"...Intelligent, emotional lyrics, dramatic guitars, powerful,soaring vocals (indeed, more Greg Dulli than Thom Yorke), a melancholic mood -- what more could a rock critic ask for?" - Jim Santo/ Demo Universe"Newcomer of the month... brilliantly reserved on some songs, powerful and full bodied on others, always original..."- The Noise, Boston "An irresistable voice - truly an original,fresh CD.."- Northeastern Performer

Additional Info More MP3s and RealAudio files at Launchpad Entertainment...

Location Boston, MA - USA

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