Megan Jean & The KFBlog

What the fuck, metal heads?

Sun, 12 May 2013 00:58:10 -0400

Let me just preface this by saying i love metal. I grew up listening to Slayer, Megadeth, Black Sabbath, Skinny Puppy, and those are just the ones I didn’t see in moldy basements. I loved it all. I’ve always loved all kinds of music. Metal made me feel like no matter how fucked up I was, I always had a place to belong. I could get mad, and not be derided as anti-feminine. Now that I’m a musician, I’ve played for all types of audiences, and without fail, metal audiences are the most close-minded to unfamiliar or new music. While I understand we are not a metal band, I also believe that we fit on the same soundtrack, as it were. I find that jazz and metal audiences have the same problem, really. They get so caught up in the classification of sub genres that they forget to listen. They cling to the idea of what metal is supposed to sound like, and keep it from ever growing or changing. And this isn’t even limited to the music! For example, Obituary are grown-ass men with families. Most of them want to cut their hair, but they can’t, because that would mean that they are no longer metal. When we play a metal show, we only go over well if we play a Misfits cover. It’s like, we are too far from metal for them to like it, forgetting that we aren’t even trying to fit that mold. Once we play a cover that they like, they tend to stop hating us. It’s as if they realize we are into the same music they like, an all the sudden we become familiar. What I’ll never understand of metal audiences, is their inability to accept change and growth even with the bands they love. If no one ever innovated, metal would have never even been born. Who knows what would happen next if they let it?

Curtis Eller, on the floor, Killing it DEAD!

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 23:35:50 -0400

Curtis Eller, on the floor, Killing it DEAD!

Who’s got the best beard in the band NOW Byrne? With...

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 14:03:22 -0400

Who’s got the best beard in the band NOW Byrne? With Curtis Eller and Lonesome Leash!

TAKE THAT YOU MOTHERF*CKING SCREEN! JUST TAKE IT!

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 19:02:59 -0400

TAKE THAT YOU MOTHERF*CKING SCREEN! JUST TAKE IT!

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month.

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 12:31:53 -0400

April is National Sexual Assault Awareness Month, (SAAM), and National Child Abuse Prevention Month, two causes that are very important to me. I’ve never spoken publicly about my experiences, because I’ve never had the courage to. I am a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. My hands are trembling as I type this. It took me a long time to be ok. Childhood sexual abuse has influenced every single part of my life, and I think about it every day. I don’t remember any of my childhood before the abuse began. My earliest memories are in fact, of abuse. As I got older and the man who abused me mercifully disappeared from my life, I found that what had happened to me wasn’t proper to talk about. It wasn’t comfortable, and we couldn’t change it, so what was the use? I bottled it up for years, shying away from relationships and intimacy until I turned to alcohol in my early 20’s. I tried to drink so much that for once I couldn’t remember what had happened. I didn’t have anyone to talk to. It was too painful, too raw, and I saw that pain as a burden to the people around me. I felt as though there was a part of my soul that had been irreparably damaged. There were times when I thought I would never, could never be happy. Eventually I sought therapy, and worked through the complex emotions, like fish hooks in a bowl. Pull one out, and a mad tangle would follow. We untangled them one by one, and worked through it. Slowly, I got better. I started a healthy relationship with the love of my life, Byrne Klay. I learned to take my body back, and release myself from any blame or responsibility in what had happened. The man who abused me was never brought to justice. I made peace with that, and forgave him for what he did to me, in my own way. Our album Dead Woman Walkin’ was my catharsis. That album was me working though it, and laying that ghost to rest. The girl that was defined by childhood trauma and abuse was also laid to rest, and my tribute to her was the strong woman I had become. I learned to love myself, and let go. I haven’t had nightmares in years, and it gets better every day. In 2011 alone, 61,472 cases of child sexual abuse were reported in the Unites States. While that is a staggering number, at least we are talking about it. We are confronting a horrific problem in our society, and providing help for children, teens, and families coping with the aftermath of sexual abuse. My heart goes out to all of you that have gone though something similar. I know your pain, and I care about whether you are ok or not. I care about you. The only thing we can do to fix this is to talk about it, raise our children to communicate and know the difference between which kind of behaviors are ok, and which behaviors constitute abuse. Making the subject of childhood sexual abuse taboo only serves to protect pedophiles. Parents, please talk to your children, and listen to them when they are trying to talk to you. Teach them how to protect themselves. How can they know if they are being abused, if they don’t know what abuse is? If you or someone you know is struggling, please visit the site below.

There is help out there. There are resources. It’s not your fault. There is nothing wrong with you. You did not deserve it. You are cared for. You are loved, and you have immeasurable worth.

http://www.nctsn.org/resources/public-awareness/national-sexual-assault-awareness-month%20

Just another day for Mestan Jean and the Klay.

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 20:07:03 -0400

Just another day for Mestan Jean and the Klay.

I wish this was a joke…actually seen in Scranton PA. At...

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 20:20:15 -0400

I wish this was a joke…actually seen in Scranton PA. At the Supermarket.

Photo

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 01:56:33 -0400

It was fantastic meeting you guys tonight at Tidball's. I don't think we were formally introduced, but I'm Brent and you liked my key necklace. I hope you guys make it back this way sometime soon. You're truly a band that is a breath of fresh air and I'm thankful to have heard you guys perform. I know I'm probably bugging you about the song I liked most, but I'm curious... Are there any love recordings on YouTube or elsewhere of the first track you played?

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 13:43:56 -0400

Not yet! It’s called We are Hegemon. It will be on the next album. IDK when we’ll get a video up…we just don’t have a lot of resources. Thank you for liking it!

The beard started a blog.

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 17:35:45 -0400

The beard started a blog.

Klays at the beach!

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 17:58:26 -0400

Klays at the beach!

The Klays are at the arcade today. Watch out world.

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 17:53:56 -0400

The Klays are at the arcade today. Watch out world.

Dream Homes

Sun, 17 Mar 2013 21:29:24 -0400

When I get into that particular headspace where I wonder about a family and a home, a dog, and a place to call our own I dream of a series of yurts connected by enclosed glass walkways, added one-a-time as we choose to grow our home. I’d like solar panels on the roof and a self-mulching toilet, an outdoor shower, and contemplation trail. I’d like moss grafitti on the trees, and strange sculptures in the middle of the woods. I want as much greenery inside as possible, and a wood-burning stove cause I like the way they smell. I’d like to have about 20 acres, and make sure that anyone traveling knows they always have a place to go if they need. I’d like for the central meeting spot to be a big campfire, that anyone could sit down and strike up a tune at. I’d like to have a creek nearby, and some chickens and goats. I’d like my Dad to retire on our property and pick banjo on the porch with my husband. I’d like my children to know him as well as I do, he’s a wonderful person. I’d like to finally teach myself to shoot a bow and arrow, and grow every medicinal herb I possibly can in a little greenhouse. So many people have opened up their homes to us that I can’t imagine not always having a place for weary travelers where they could get refreshed and centered.These thoughts of a secluded wooded paradise keep me going a lot, as does the dream of being able to one day have a dog and some kids, while still being able to play music to pay the bills. We’re not in it for fame and fortune, just enough to get by and plenty of happy…That’s my little dream anyway, what’s yours?

Busking-Only awesome to rich kids.

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 18:56:00 -0400

A word on busking: It sucks. It’s a last-resort, honestly. Telling professional bands to play on the street is insulting. I’ve logged months on the streets of America, singing my heart out for a bunch of folks that don’t give a damn, and it never did one damn thing for my career, save make me work SO HARD that I never had to do it again. I’ve played over 1,000 shows in this band, not counting our time on the street. I refuse to busk unless I am so broke I can’t get to the next town. If that makes me a snob, well then Grey Poupon my finger. It’s not glamourous. It’s not virtuous. It’s what you do when you have no other choice. People who glamorize street culture are generally rich kids playing dress-up as gutter punks, not those that are there out of necessity. I have been homeless on the streets of New York and New Orleans, and I can tell you it’s not glamorous. It’s nothing to aspire to. It isn’t noble and it isn’t pure. It’s just a means to an end.

Byrne Klay, doing what he’s best at: eating cheeseburgers...

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 11:26:15 -0500

Byrne Klay, doing what he’s best at: eating cheeseburgers and being sexy.

Teddy Byrne…

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 00:42:32 -0500

Teddy Byrne…

Do it or feel bad!

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 14:05:40 -0500

Do it or feel bad!

The Zombies are Coming...We must Prepare.

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 11:19:00 -0500

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 2nd, 2013-Charleston, South Carolina

After 5 wonderful years as a Charleston band, Megan Jean and the KFB will be leaving the low country after a 200-date 2013 tour to relocate to Atlanta, GA. The decision was prompted by several factors, the greatest of these being survivability in the coming zombie apocalypse. The husband-and-wife duo tour constantly, performing 450 shows in the past two years alone. The pair believes this constant movement, coupled with Megan Jean’s relentless study of textbooks such as “The Zombie Survival Guide,” “World War Z” and “The Walking Dead” comic books, will give them the best chance of survival in an undead world scenario.

In a statement from “The Devil Herself,” Megan Jean said:

“For the following reasons, we have decided as a band to relocate to Atlanta, GA.

1. Coastal Contamination-The zombie virus will most like come from overseas, likely the result of unscrupulous genetic experiments. With the new super-shipping containers on the horizon, the low-country will be facing an onslaught of infected from all over the world.
2. Roads-As you well know, the main roads in and out of Charleston (Highway 17 and I-26) will be immediately and completely blocked off by the National Guard in an attempt to quarantine the virus, making egress impossible. The swamps will be the only chance of survival.
3. Mosquitoes-This is a highly debated topic, whether or not mosquitoes would act as hosts of the zombie virus. We will not take our chances.
4. Terrain-A swamp would be the worst possible situation to find oneself in, in an undead world scenario. Unless one possesses in intimate knowledge of said terrain, a refuge here would prove to be a death sentence. Lack of fresh water, splashing noises while walking, submerged zombies, and unstable muddy terrain are all key factors to consider when searching out a possible refuge.
5. Fresh Water-This will be the biggest threat to all survivors in the months after initial outbreak. With only a handful of fresh water sources and long dry periods in between rain falls, we estimate that the majority of casualties will come from thirst.
6. Food-The main source of food will be scavenged from houses and stores, or marine life. As oysters and shrimp are scavengers themselves, it is not clear whether or not they would be able to transmit the virus from feasting on undead corpses on the ocean floor. The only reliable sources of food will be deer, boar, and birds, all which require bullets (whose sound would attract zombies), and arrows, which will be in short supply.

The only thing that could possibly chase us aways from Charleston is a zombie horde. We developed our sound here, and found our calling. For that, we will always carry the Lowcountry in our hearts. We will come back as frequently as you’ll have us, but for now, we’re staying mobile. Godspeed Charleston, and may you forever be, the jewel of the South.

www.meganjean.net

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It’s not real until it’s on iTunes.

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 11:54:36 -0500

It’s not real until it’s on iTunes.

Listened to myself on vinyl for the first time ever last...

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 11:46:29 -0500

Listened to myself on vinyl for the first time ever last night….no words. Life-long goal, reached. Thank you for making this happen. It sound badass, by the way haha! I was born for vinyl!