Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
When Tim Chamberlain broke his parents' record player at age 5, he figured he was going to be a deejay.
His most successful project yet -- The Honey Bear Klik -- debuted last week at the Wild West Saloon. After spending four years as a largely underground hip-hop band refining its sound and recording a 15-track CD of all-original tunes in vocalist Matthew Kennedy's studio, they were polished and ready.
"A lot of hip-hoppers were there to get their groove on, but this is not just for the hip-hop crowd," Kennedy said. "There were cowboys and rockers at the Wild West, and they all really got into it."
Kennedy, who composes all the band's music and is lead vocalist, said all three had performed in other bands over the years and they knew what pitfalls to watch out for in this band.
"We sat down and got to know each other first," he said. "A lot of times, it was just being there for each other. We wanted to avoid all the band drama. The transformation we made during that time was huge -- we all moved up the ladder."
The liner notes on their self-titled debut CD speak volumes about the community support they've received. They thank parents, wives and children, and fellow musicians, including the 406.
Chamberlain built his own deejay booth while Kennedy and vocalist Dustin Jesperson honed their voices. All three contributed to writing the lyrics, which cover topics as diverse as racial tolerance, the war in Iraq, finding God and discovering a bluegrass band in Molt. They spent 4,500 hours working on the CD, which was released last week and is available for sale at Hastings Books, Records and Tapes, Fun Trade, and Ernie November for $10 to $14. You can sample their music at myspace.com or at offtherecords.com.
The harmonies are tight, and the rhymes are clever without being inane. In one of the most interesting tracks, "Yeah," Chamberlain incorporated several speeches about civil rights by President Kennedy to a tune already rich in lyrics about overlooking another man's flaws.
"We would like to see people dance, but we also want to make them think," Kennedy said.
Now, they'd like to take the band to the next level -- a regional tour.
"We spent all that time in the studio trying to make sure everything was right on. Now, we're ready to play the Northwest," Kennedy said.
They hope to launch the tour of Montana, Idaho and Washington this summer. - Billings Gazette - Jaci Webb
Discography
LMNTAL - Copywrite 2006
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
Off the Records; an Indie Label out of Montana, has tasked producer Matthew(MADDY) Kennedy, to put together a group for longevity. The band is the Hon3y B3ar Klik. Their album is called LMNTAL, (elemental).
The style has been dubbed Mountain Blend, due to its fresh open sound. There are three members of the Honey Bear Klik. Matthew Kennedy, Tim Chamberlain, and Dustin Jesperson. Maddy continues to shock the beat world with his well orchestrated music, and now he's decided to get vocal as well. Off the Records recruited DJ Kraze, a known DJ on the Pacific Coast and Northwest to provide a solid musical backbone for live performances. Dustin Jesperson brings with him, his sweet tone for vocals as well, and the three together pesent an act that is truely refreshing.
They are in a word, Eclectic. If you dont like one song there will be another somewhere on the album that takes you there. They are out of Billings Montana and in a reflection on life in that area, they've created their sound, particularly to sound good on road trips, around campfires, and back porch barbques. A lil' somethin' for the many moods of the day.
Links
