Karling Abbeygate

Country of origin:

U.S.

Type of music generally:

Edgy almost experimental alternative pop; releases as Karling are rockabilly

Status:

Most recent release, Curse on Me (EP, 2016)

See also:

Karling Abbeygate's site

Karling Abbeygate's Bandcamp site

Karling Abbeygate and the Monks of Love's MySpace page

Karling Abbeygate's MySpace page

Comparisons:

She has an obviously Kate Bush—derived sound and style; kind of like a more subdued Kristeen Young or a harsher Sandra Lockwood? In that ballpark at least. (Neile)

Covers/own material:

Own

General comments:

Evocative and individual stuff. Karling has a very nice English accent and occasionally lets slip Katey screams. Indie—pop—rock—ecto stuff. The track "Mumbo Jumbo man" [from Glory Girl] gets curiouser and nicer with each listen. (stjarnell@yahoo.com)

Karling has a kind of overall interestingly instrumented, guitar—based Kate—like sound but doesn't seem to quite have a handle on how to use it effectively yet. I don't mean to sound negative—the overall sound is intriguing and individual, and I really like several songs of hers, so I think I would file this under "some great stuff already and shows lots of promise for the future". Definitely someone to keep an eye on. (Neile)

Recommended first album:

Glory Girl is much stronger than Tin Town. (Neile)

Recordings:

• Tin Town (as Karling Abbeygate and the Monks of Love, 1995)
• Glory Girl (as Karling Abbeygate and the Monks of Love, c. 1999)
• Karling Abbeygate (as Karling, 2006)
• Bound For Nowhere (As Karling, 2010)
• Christmas With Karling (As Karling, 2011)
• Room 13 (as Karling Abbeygate and the Monks of Love, 2012)
• Curse on Me (EP, As Karling & The Kadavars, 2016)

Tin Town

Release info:

1995—Exodus Records—SPCD 486

Availability:

Unknown

Ecto priority:

Recommended only if you like Glory Girl enough that you want more.

Group members:

Karling Abbeygate—lead and background vocals, recorder

Guest artists:

Mike Galluse—bass, advice
Steve West—keyboards, accordion
Al Guzman—drums
Brian Bissell—lead guitar
Donnie Whitbeck—rhythm guitar

Produced by:

Karling Abbeygate and Donnie Whitbeck

Comments:

Tin Town is her first album, and I would recommend avoiding it unless you like the whole of Glory Girl, her second, so much that you want more. The songwriting here just isn't as strong and catchy as on Glory Girl. (Neile)

Glory Girl

Release info:

2005—White Trash Records—whitetrash—9021

Availability:

Unknown

Ecto priority:

Recommended

Group members:

Karling Abbeygate—lead vocals, recorder
Donnie Whitbeck—guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
Brian Biddulph—drums, percussion, backing vocals

Guest artists:

James Quill Smith—lead guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
Tim Johnson—bass
Calamity Jaynes—backing vocals
Mitchell Papas—keyboards

Produced by:

Donnie Whitbeck

Comments:

There are some really wonderful, catchy songs on here that will grab into your mind and not let go, especially "Stargazer", "Glory Girl", "In Salome", "Lost in the Sun", and "Mumbo Jumbo Man". (Neile)

Thanks to Anna Maria Stjärnell for work on this entry.