K-Holes

New York City's the K-Holes took their name from a hallucinatory trance state often compared to a schizophrenic episode that's brought on by abuse of the drug ketamine. That might seem like a strange name for a rock band, but given the K-Holes' dark, murky swamp of sound, it's also curiously appropriate. The K-Holes were formed by guitarist and singer Jack Hines, who was a member of the Black Lips from 2002 to 2004. Hines, an Atlanta native, left the Black Lips to spend more time with his new wife Julie, but after several years, he and Julie became disenchanted with life in the South and relocated to New York with some friends. With Jack on guitar and Julie on bass, the Hineses joined forces with vocalist Vashti Windish, sax player Sara Palmquist, and drummer Cameron Michel to form the K-Holes. In the summer of 2010, the K-Holes made their recorded debut on a split cassette-only release with old friends the Black Lips, and soon the K-Holes were making a name for themselves with their weirdly expressive sound and rowdy live shows. The K-Holes attracted the attention of Chicago-based garage punk label HoZac Records, and in early 2011, the label released the group's self-titled album. For 2012's depraved outing Dismania, the band recorded in Detroit and the record found release early that year on Sub Pop spin off label Hardly Art.