Three may be a crowd but it’s also the number of people in Khruangbin, the Texas outfit that fuses Thai funk (the band’s name is the Thai word for “airplane,” pronounced “krung-bin”), Iranian pop, Jamaican dub, surf rock, soul, sixties psych-rock, and some big Tarantino/Cohen Brothers energy for good measure.
Self-billed as “multilingual collagists,” Khruangbin (Laura Lee, Mark Speer, and Donald Johnson) isn’t aiming for the stars, moon, or sun, rather, they hope they are considered an “Earth” band, meaning, they make inclusive music for inclusive folks. Formed in 2009, Khruangbin unleashed their genre-bending Earth tunes in 2015 with The Universe Smiles Upon You.
Last year, the trio released Mordechi, its third record and one critics say is evidence that the group has finally come into their own “thanks to the band’s lyrical development and the honing of their fusion of intercontinental influences,” as Slate review reads. “You’re not crazy/ You’re wild/ But you’re not crazy,” Lee sings on “If There is No Question” from Mordechi. “We’re all in this world/ Promises won’t last forever/ If there is no answer.” Earlier this year, the band released Mordechai Remixes, which add a layer or two (or five) to the band’s already layered sounds. Brooklyn-based musician Nick Hakim will serve as opener both nights.
Doors open at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 9 and Friday, Dec. 10 at the Royal Oak Music Theatre; 318 W. Fourth St., Royal Oak; 248-399-2980; royaloakmusictheatre.com. Tickets are $42.50+. *Venue requires proof of full vaccination or negative COVID-19 test 72 hours prior to entry.
Stay connected with Detroit Metro Times. Subscribe to our newsletters, and follow us on Google News, Apple News, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or Reddit.
