King Khan and the Shrines

Imagine Roky Erickson backed by the Sun Ra Arkestra or Wilson Pickett and The Velvet Underground, or picture the love child of Anubis and Kali. King Khan & The Shrines is more than a psychedelic soul band with a spectacle of a stage show. They are a cult musical phenomenon with more than 12+ years of international touring, multiple studio records and a fan base of fervent punk, soul, free jazz and garage rock heads. 

King Khan, the spiritual guru and front man, cobbled together a fierce line-up of musicians while in Berlin in between reading Tarot cards and raising a family. What he ended up with in 1999 is one of the most entertaining groups the world has seen and heard since the days of Ike & Tina. The line-up includes Chicago-born, Ron Streeter (veteran percussionist for Curtis Mayfield, Stevie Wonder), a horn section consisting of trumpeter Simon Wojan (member of Kranky Records recording artists Cloudland Canyon), tenor sax man Torben Wesche (Germany’s John Coltrane), and famous French rockabilly baritone saxophonist Frederic Brissaud. The rhythm section of the Sensational Shrines has been called a German/French version of the Freak Brothers – Till Timm on guitar, organist Frederic Bourdil, Jens Redemann on bass and drummer Mirko Wenzl.

CRITICAL ACCLAIM

Bite My Tongue single — getting airplay on Sirius XMU, KEXP, WBJB

The Night, Indie1031.com

Bite My Tongue video — in rotation on MuchMusic

Featured on iHeartRadio’s NEW! Discover & Uncover channel in May 2012

“It’s a perfectly characteristic bit of old-school hard-soul wailing; nice to

hear that Khan still has his Wilson Pickett records in heavy rotation.”

– Stereog um (2012)

“Armed with a full horn section, a guitarist and bassist who liked to crowd

surf throughout the set, a drummer who resembled a former member of

ZZ Top and a yell that would make Little Richard proud, King Khan put

together a raw, unhinged set of dirty soulful rock ’n’ roll. Mixing old

favorites like “Land of the Freak” along with new hits “Bite My Tongue”

Khan strode along the stage owning every inch of it.”

– Buzz Bands LA (2012)

“For pure, unadulterated, unhinged fun, there has been no greater live

show on the road this year…than King Khan & The Shrines.” – MTV.com

“Khan approaches the mic with a boisterous ferocity like Screaming

Jay Hawkins, Hasil Adkins or “Proud Mary”-era Tina Turner.”

– Orange County Register (2009)

“He’s a soul man, a Lothario, a family man, an exhibitionist, a lover, a joker,

a destroyer, a punk rocker, a mustachioed cartoon, a socially conscious

lyricist, a gross out humorist…King Khan exists on so many planes, he’s

virtually in another dimension.” – MTV Iggy

“It’s sweaty, wild-eyed intensity that only those with soul can withstand…

Some purists might say Khan’s brand of soul could use a punk-rock

exorcism…Its rugged music with an infectious attitude, but sounds

only make up one half of Khan’s band. With matching costumes,

choreographed stage moves and a go-go dancer, the neo-soul 10-piece

revels in rock’s visual power. King Khan and the Shrines may look

and sound bizarre, but don’t feel left out; it’s not an exclusive club.”

– NPR Music Song of the Day (2009)

What Is?! — named #33 on Pitchfork’s Top 50 Albums of 2007

Welfare Bread — landed at #66 on Pitchfork’s Top 100 Songs of 2007