Included here are all the known reviews of DragKing's recordings and performances. Please let us know if you have any other reviews not included here.

Reviews are organized with the most recent first and the earliest last. There are some recordings which have yet to be reviewed to the best of our knowledge.

We haven't edited these reviews and we haven't excluded critical or harsh reviews. Even so, most reviews are overwelmingly positive, perhaps because almost all the reviews appeared in small independent 'zines which generally don't bother to mention things they don't enjoy.

Paul Wild's reviews from Fisheye Catalogue
http://www.netcomuk.co.uk/~pjwild/cat10_7s.html
Dragking - Miscegenation. (USA, My Pal God). My introduction to Dragking came via the just out 'Kill Yr Boss' CD. A marathon step through sludge rock, jazz, dub and hardcore. Miscegenation came a whole three years before and differs in no way to the CD's plethora of musical styles. Miscegenation could easily slip into the Melvins playing Nation of Ulysses or Killdozer playing Coltrane. £2.75.
Dragking - Rock the Vote. (USA, Destroy All Music). DAM's master plan to bring the unheard to the ears of the world continues. Following on from their excellent US 7"s and recent CD these three tracks take on old funk and dub classics, sample them, abuse them and turn them around into something good. £1.75.

hear Indie Authenticity Crisis

more information on Indie Authenticity Crisis

Michael Stutz

Bleeding tape deck artifacts of yore (1998) with sprawling improptu reefer-riffs, "unstructured field recordings" (Chicago street riot June 96), and Montage of Heck, just for the fun of it. I agree that This Heat is definitely a comparable band, but am unsure how this sound-collage "comments on the state of Indie Rock" (but then I only skimmed the lyric sheet).

And there are some good portends about this band, including the fact they played at the Destroy All Music Festival as well as at an art opening with the very good, "ambient drone rock" band Grimble Grumble. A reading of some of their past titles -- "Destroy Amerikkka," Kill Yr Boss, Kitsch 'n Sync -- clearly shows that they are Good People, the kind of folk I like to have around.

Brian Hodge
(review is from Brutarian, the death metal 'zine)
http://www.para-net.com/~brian_hodge/mureview.htm
http://www.brutarian.com/issues/28/auddep.htm

"Let us not jump to hasty conclusions, but for the sake of argument we can at least entertain the notion that the recipe here went something like this: Blend two parts jazzy lurching and horn squalls, three parts po-mo rock stylings, two parts noise and samples and general goofiness, and then during mixdown make sure the engineer suffers a stroke. It does distinguish itself early on by featuring some of the ugliest vocals I've ever heard, courtesy of someone called Sluggo. Should've let Nancy try."

"Who's next? You there, Chicago Boys, let me have an earful of what you're cooking up... Yazoo! That's some dense sonic environment you're evolving there, bubba. All sort of things, huh? You layer on that sound with a shovel. I can't hardly figger out what the hell is going on. You got phone calls, you got political rants, you got samples, you got street noise, you got rhythm loops, you got some real live bass and guitar and you got i don't know what all but you know it works. This is some hard shit to listen to, but leave me the disc and grab yourself a pull on the jug. Soon as I get some time alone, I'm gonna set and give this one a good going over with my earbones"

The review was from the point of view of an old man sitting on his ramshackle porch, titled, "Elliot Duhan's Home Baked Challah" ...from Carbon 14 number 16, undated, but from around January 2000, published by Leslie and Larry in Philadelphia.

Chicago's DragKing is the deconstruction of anything relevant or tangible and as a result often draw an immediate comparison to Captain Beefheart. "Indie Authenticity Crisis" is the bitter bite of black coffee as it intentionally works against the mass hysteria of popularity. An aquired taste both sporadic and numbing. While DK will never reach the level of popularity that warrants magazine covers, at least they can walk away knowing that they owe no favors and never have to answer to anyone but themselves.

...reviewed by Edwin Pouncey in The Wire number 182, April 1999, published in London.

More from one of my favorite no-wave bands. These guys are in the right town (Chicago), and even in the right part of town, for this sound (I learned more than a bit about the musical geography of the city on a trip last summer). Just like the first disc I heard, this puppy is chock full of highly orchestrated noise and fairly lengthy samples.

The music isn't too far removed from the mellower moments of Flying Luttenbachers, which is to say that it's pretty weird and rather intriguing. Lots of instruments (horns, piano and other more "orchestral" implements) fill out the basic sound.

But the real genius is in connecting the found sound to the music, and the different pieces together. DragKing manages to craft a whole sound from wildly disparate parts, and I'm simply amazed that it holds together at all, much less so well.

On the fringe? Definitely. But DragKing has a lot to say, and it's not too painful to receive the message. In fact, if you're not careful, you might find this managed chaos addictive.

...reviewed by John Worley in Aiding & Abetting #180, Vol. VIII, No. 11, April 11, 1999, published online.

The Chicago Reader's Spot Check by Monica Kendrick

DragKing 5/7, Roby's: Since its 1993 debut this mysterious Chicago collective has drawn a lot of Beefheart comparisons, but that's both too kind and too simplistic; likewise with the Negativeland parallels. On its first LP since 1995, Indie Authenticity Crisis(Hard Boiled), the group addresses its mix of detuned guitars, skronky horns, corrupted toys, strategic samples, and barely audible vocals to topics ranging from racial tension ("King Richie I") to gender dysplasia ("Are You A Woman?") to election reform ("Rock The Vote") to indie-rock hypocrisy:"A Personal Attack", a rant referencing Drag City cofounder Dan Koretzky by name and calling the DIY system a "replicant structure on a minature scale", ends with faint intermingled traces of Pavement's "Debris Slide" and the Dead C's "Bad Politics". There's also a faithful cover of Devo's early anti-fat-cat anthem "Uglatto"("You grin like a star / The grille of a car / Fat Oldsmobilo / A puffed potato"). As far as I'm concerned, the real crisis in indie land is one of imagination, and obvious influences aside, these guys transcend it with flying colors.

... by Monica Kendrick in The Chicago Reader May 7th, 1999

... a postcard sent by Rick Perlstein, former contributing editor of Lingua Franca, noted writer and critic , after we sent him a copy of the Indie Authenticity Crisis CD. . Rick is currently writing a book on the 1964 Barry Goldwater presidential campaign. He writes:

"Your new CD having so moved me, I hereby resolve never to listen to Rock N' Roll again."

... as described by the Destroy All Music catalogue...

Chicago outfit combining a sense of jazz and experimental sounds that bring to mind those bygone days of beat poetry and the be bop hipster junkie. They've had stuff released on other labels and people have compared them to Flying Luttenbachers, Dolomite, & 5ive Style. Too confrontational to be your average lounge yet too cool to be punk.

from Chairs Missing Magazine (Stratford, CT)

DRAG KING: ROCK THE VOTE +2 (DESTROY ALL MUSIC 7")
Interesting combination of 50's be-bop and 90's punk ethos/noise with timeless rants from various sources (Joe Gibbs' Radio Show, James Baldwin and Studs Terkel). Also has its roots in African street-corner noise/poetry (yeh, like THIS cracker would know that shit). Wow, interesting stuff - you definitely won't hear this on college radio, unfortunately.

from FAQT Magazine #2 - It's a haiku!

DRAGKING - DESTROY AMERIKKKA 7" (Destroy All Music)
political jazz
experiments with noise funk
makes for great listen

from Popwatch Magazine #8

DRAGKING "Rock The Vote" +2 (Destroy All Music)
Interesting jazz-backed-beat-poetry, only the band is backing vocal samples from movies and taped speeches. DragKing are based in Chicago and have been putting out their own releases up until now. Could be worth your checking out.

Cyndi Elliott reviewed "Kill Yr Boss" Puncture #35

DragKing are an ambitious, ultraoriginal, and rockin' band who succeed on many counts. Their blend of jazz, dub, and avant-punk-rock comes across as neither amateurish nor stilted; the way they weave satire on consumerism into their music (while bringing to mind Albert Ayler crossed with Negativland) doesn't kill its joy, or clash with their message. Form matches function in a blend of guitar, bass, keyboards, samples, saxophones, autoharp, etc.

Live, it's obvious that DragKing are about collaborating, pushing each other, their music, and their ideas, while guitarist/vocalist Benjahmyn Ewens plugs his guitar into an oscilloscope and trips the electronic display fantastic. Samples decorate "Snarl" (a voice bends and recites: "the new society of America does not want educated workers, what we want is somebody who can look at the little pictures on the cash register"), a song which turns to display a fuzzy guitar-as-horn line and crashes in cacophony. It's this well thought out, yet inspired, nightmare-vs.-reality squonkishness about the way DragKing rock (as on the standout "Miscegenation") that makes them so appealing. Whether droning lyrics over finger-picked guitars or executing beautiful free jazz replete with innovative drumming and saxophone, they defy--with samples, noise, well-placed disasters, and lush home-stereo arrangements--any stretch that could leave listeners passive or bored.

It's a record you could listen to a lot, especially "Dunza Dub" (originally done by King Tubby), which has a hilarious '50s-era shellfish promotion running over the groove. Kill Yer Boss wonders what it means to be in a "subculture" at a time when such a thing doesn't exist except in ad execs' heads--and when no one seems to resist mainstream culture anymore. DragKing do, and their relentless resisting makes this great modern punk rock. DragKing are a voice for our generation--or else I just co-opted them.

Cyndi Elliot
Puncture

This review comes all the way from the Portland weekly Tonic

DragKing is a very strange Chicago combo, composed of the usual guitar, bass and drums along with sax, a sampler [!] and blessed with too many ideas and a shizo personality. Some of the tunes fall in a Soft Machine, avant-jazz-rock vein, while other mine a post-punk, aggro- rock thing, yet all of the songs seem very different from one another. OK, let's call this punk-jazz, say in the territory once explored by Saccharine Trust, though not dealing in pretentious wordplay. Instead Dragking substitutes powerful music. "Kill Yr Boss" is so full of sound bites, ideas, different jams and wild stuff that it takes some time to fully digest, but it's pleasing to hear _alternative_ music that really does sound like it is coming from somewhere else.

Lawrence Crane
Tonic Vol. 2, #1

The Squealer reviewed "Kill Yer Boss" along side articles about Veruca Salt and The Smashing Pumkins?!

Whoa, Nellie! DragKing is one mighty big hunk 'o music hailing from that lovely burg of Chicago. A hot dish of styles with ingredients pulled from nearly every genre. You name it, they incorporate it into every song, with the result bing a tasty, mouth-watering morsel of tunage. It's like Coltrane students meet Captain Beefheart on the road to Austin, Texas where they have a dose party set up with the Butthole Surfers. Chew on that!

Paul Bernstein
The Squealer
Issue #9 - November 1995

The fine weekly music 'zine Aiding and Abetting reviewed "Kill Yr Boss" in issue #71

Truly momentous noise, DragKing sounds much like Iceburn crossed with Mama Tick. If these references are too esoteric, then try this: the Jesus Lizard trying its hand at jazz. I like my first attempt better, but the second works all right.

Samples are a driving force, and the music pretty much caterwauls behind that impetus. Is there a rhyme or reason? Somewhere, I guess, but I don't feel like finding it at the moment. I prefer bathing in the chaos.

Music at its most uncommercial. DragKing does everything wrong in terms of mass acceptance. While that does not always guarantee the converse (acceptance by me), it sure helps. And despite this veneer of guys wailing away at instruments with no concept of reality, I can hear something behind the noise. Sure, it's a mess, but DragKing has that intangible, a sense of art.

"Kill Yr Boss" is mean, perverted, loud, distorted, backstabbing and just plain weird. And yes, I love it.

Jon Worley
Aiding and Abetting
jworley@tpa.cent.com

This is part of a review for the Trixie Jamboree that Robert Lim wrote for the Chicago Maroon.

"Miscegenation" is an aggressive, partly amelodic, complex pastiche of different tempos, phrasings and rhythms. The closest comparisons I can think of are the guitar ramblings of Trumans Water and Pitchblend; however, the band made a good judgement call and kept the piece relatively succinct, a quality highly desirable in the single format. The high point of the record comes on the b-side with "Combustion", which is by far the best DragKing song I've heard so far- underscored by waves of white noise puncuated with manic bursts of saxophone noodlings, it is a juggernaut of sound that leaves its impression on the unsuspecting listener for quite some time. "Spontanious" follows, and finishes up the single in a less impressive, but still solid manner.
Robert Lim
The Chicago Maroon
December 3, 1993

from the First Annual Raw Material Awards in the New City.

KEENEST DESIGN - Single: "Jazz Monster" (Trixie Records) and "Miscegenation" (My Pal God Records), DragKing, drawings: Benjamin Evans, layout: band.
Ben Kim
New City
December 16, 1993

Cyndi Elliott reviewed the Miscegenation single for Alternative Press

Ripe and elegant noise assault with saxophone, "Miscegenation" (meaning the mixing of races) is a Royal Trux meets Borbetomagus-styled assault with just enough hook to keep you running back to your dinosaur turntable. The flipside is revved-up and gorgeous, a buttery treat with a pretty neurotic crust. I suspect that at their strongest Drag King could be contenders in the all-to-abscure arena of squonk rock. Comes with glamorous Ben Evans comic book.
Cyndi Elliott
Alternative Press
April, 1994

from the fine 'zine Your Flesh

Yeah, this is a really terrible name for a band from Chicago, but the music is outstanding. Lurching and stomping Beefheart type jams with noise and noises on top. Saxophone all over the place and a weird looking bunch on the jacket. Comes with a comic book that is pretty cool too, but doesn't shed much light on what inspired the music. Rare to find such a noisy reckless tangle so memorable.
Craig Finn
Your Flesh
Issue #30

the blurb from the Ajax Records catalog. Makes you want to buy 100 copies eh?

DragKing's second 7" furthers their exploration of the swinging scuz universe, with their skeletal postpunk dirt attack melded again with squalling sax, albiet with clearer production than on the Trixie 7". Handsome full-color sleeve, too.

Tim Adams
Ajax Records catalog
June - Sept 1994

a review of DragKing's third ever live show, which was at Lower Links. It was written by Weasel Walter for the Chicago fanzine Nice Slacks. What Weasel didn't know was that our second set was completely improvised.

MOON MEN/DRAG KING
Lower Links
6/16/92
Three bucks is good. I like three bucks as cover. I am more than willing to spend three bucks to check out something new. If more people brought themselves to this we would have, obviously, larger crowds at shows; read: more energy, enthusiasm, etcetera (see that spiel in Green Day review). I'll save the "scene" lecture for the Maximum Rock and Roll letters column and review the gig.

Tim and I entered on the very tail end of the first DragKing set and could gain no immediate opinion therefrom. Moon Men soon launched into their first set, blaring away from the low powered PA speakers suspended from the ceiling at either side of the stage. Links is a small basement room that sounds pretty o.k. when people are there to soak up some of the brightness.

the Drag Kings... WHOAA NELLIE!!! Damn. Yikes! Uh, well, they rival only Royal Trux a la "Spike Cyclone" and the Monkees in sheer concept executed in mindblowing mentally retarded fashion. The, ur, Drag Kings are a quartet that are bent on the "deconstruction of rock" by sublimating the music of, oh, Beefheart, Sonic Youth, King Crimson, Sun Ra -- you know... those types -- but, uh, well... lissen. The band began their second set with some "multi-media assault weaponry" (some guy operating a slide projector, another controlling a tape deck clogged with pseudo-eclectic sound bites) and a mock MC5/Hawkwind-type "Space Jam" that made me bust a fucking spleen. After noodling around within those "parameters", the Drags burst into the most unbelievable 20-minute ultimo-progressive rock epic I have ever witnessed. Ridiculously inept but passionate musicianship and "singing". Sludgy layers of shifting riffs played simultaneously in different keys. Totally fucked-up attempts at "clever", "weird time-signature" breaks. La la melodies exucuted over marching snare beats. Hilarious white boy catharsis attempts (particularly by one guitar player who frequently tried to squonk with all his might, except, due to cheesy guitar and distortionless set-up, the result was totally pathetic sounded not unlike rubber bands!). Man, you name it. I LOVED it. It was fucking amazing. The Drag Kings display the charm of a bunch of imaginative 12-year olds performing a "rock concert" for "Mom and Dad". Their naivete is genuinely refreshing. Look no further for those Godz records: Chicago has the Drag Kings.

Weasel Walter
Nice Slacks #3
Winter '92

You hear about campus bands all the time -- their flyers proclaiming gigs across the city are ubiquitous these days. The younger ones are making their first steps toward "official" releases on vinyl and the older ones are achieving reputations. However, there is another element of the local music scene that may be Hyde Park's biggest secret: our own Trixie Records.

Trixie was the brainchild of then- University of Chicago student Robin Shoaps, who always had the urge to start a label. A couple of years ago she recruited her friends in East Lansing's El Smasho to put out a single as Trixie's first release. Eight months later, she put out Frances Gumm's second single. Around this period of time, another student, WHPK's Rob Schrader, became Shoaps's partner, eventually taking control of the label's operation after her departure earlier this year. Under his direction, it has continued, releasing singles from DragKing, New Radiant Storm King, and Sabalon Glitz.

Four Trixie bands of the past and present are playing at Lounge Ax tomorrow: the much-heralded Sabalon Glitz, Apollo 9, Francis Gumm, and another Hyde Park combo, DragKing. If you need a dumb excuse to go, at least you can claim to get a cheap night on the town and support Hyde Park bands. The first band up is DragKing, a quintet formed in the bowels of the U of C almost three years ago. They released the aforementioned single on Trixie about a year ago, which was a 7" single of epic proportions if there ever was one. The single is characterized by a drug induced, vaguely avant-garde jazz sound tempered with more rockist sensibilities. Their jazz influences come out more prominently on the b-side, "Jazz Monster", while the a-side, "Back Burner" is a more rockish effort bookended by samples a la Circle X. Indeed, my favorite moments on the single were the ones provided by Ted Gray's samples and noise tidbits that spice up the music when it begins to drag. DragKing also have new material out -- a single on My Pal God Records, the folks resposible for the Galaxy of Mailbox Whores single and matchbook set.

By all measures, I believe DragKing's new single to be far superior to their Trixie release. "Miscegenation" is an aggressive, partly amelodic, complex pastiche of different tempos, phrasings and rhythms. The closest comparisons I can think of are the guitar ramblings of Trumans Water and Pitchblend; however, the band made a good judgement call and kept the piece relatively succinct, a quality highly desirable in the single format. The high point of the record comes on the b-side with "Combustion", which is by far the best DragKing song I've heard so far- underscored by waves of white noise puncuated with manic bursts of saxophone noodlings, it is a juggernaut of sound that leaves its impression on the unsuspecting listener for quite some time. "Spontanious" follows, and finishes up the single in a less impressive, but still solid manner. Since the band seems to be prone to improvisation, their live show could be quite stunning if they can keep their vision focused.

The great thing about Trixie is the diversity of their catalog. Regardless of your favorite genre of music, there's something for everyone for sale; this same breadth of sounds should make for a great live show.

Robert Lim
The Chicago Maroon
December 3, 1993

10. THE TRIXIE JAMBOREE, at Lounge Ax, December 4. Another local label, Trixie, trotted out its roster of artists, and local favorites DragKing and Sabalon Glitz both had good nights...

>Ben Kim
The New City
December 9-15, 1993

one of the best reviews ever written about DragKing. So on the mark it's scary.

I am not properly outfitted to review the new DragKing record because I do not understand it. Not only is it not "my cup of tea," I have no idea if it's even tea or in a cup. This speaks well, I suppose, for a band whose intention is to provoke inquiry. Drag King is simply not comprehensible using the limited vocabulary of "rock and roll." They are a multimedia experience; they use video extensively and tape all of their performances. I am simply not equipped to review the music on the record. For the sake of conversation I will say that I like "Back Burner" much more than the experimental and very long "Jazz Monster." Much to DragKing's credit, however, is the fact that people who like the band, who GET the band, are fanatically devoted to them, as demonstrated by several WHPK DJ's. This is music that cannot be considered lightly.

Ken Kurson
The Chicago Maroon
April 23, 1993

The first review of our single came from the TrueArt multimedia catalog

Debut single by Trixie Records recording artists. Sweet and noxious (like sweet and sour, but different) extended cuts. Meticulous, strange production. Many-instrument arrangements, including manipulated tape and samples, played real time. Jazz drums sound as though they are being dreamt, not actually heard. Dense-pack chord structures and layer upon layer of, for want of a better description, "sound". DragKing clearly knows what they are doing, and after you hear this single, you won't, but you'll listen to it several times (which is more than can be said for so many of today's top radio hits).

Jonathon Joe
TRUEART Fall '92 Catalog

Lo-fi sax-abetted Chicago band performing extended tunes that evoke visions of a Dead C/Slint hybrid on the A side and a post-Borbetomagus unit on the flip, but more disjointed than either might suggest.

Tim Adams
Ajax Records Catalog
May 1993

A product of crisp refined intelligence higher than mine -- full vore psychotic freedom on the perhaps-a-little-too-easily-titled "Jazz Monster" that grinds in some slanted guitar terror w/ semi-wandering semi-late Sac. Trust "jazz" & more identifiable bleak groove-riding rock muck on "Back Burner". Lose some cards for ham-handed junior high politics on the insert, win 'em back & then some for making a fine burrowing heavy-eyelid kinda record and DragKing's right up to 21. Your deal.

Jay Hinman
SuperDope Issue #6

DRAGCITY
I know there is a Chi-town label called Drag City -- they released early Pavement stuff -- but even though this band is also out of Chicago there appears to be no connection. On the jazz entitled song they do indeed play a warped form of jazz. Color them extremely post punk and post modern as they prove that there are always new fresh approaches to intense tuneage. -- Great cover worthy of a Sympathy single.

Shane Williams
Flipside
6/93

Finally, much closer to home is a Wicker and Hyde Park based band, DragKing. Their first release, "Jazz Monster" b/w "Back Burner", on Trixie Records, demonstrates considerable musical promise. Despite the sometimes imperfect recording quality, this band shines through, reminding me alternately of King Crimson, Chrome, & the Brotzmanns. Complete with tape loops, startling time signature and dynamic changes, & an able sax player, this record shows off the talents of one of Chicago's most interesting & talented, yet little known bands. (I should add here that they play sporadically at Czar Bar & their shows MUST be seen.)

Anne Stevens
The Lumpen Times
June, 1993

Some quality noise from Chicago. While the B-side "Back Burner" is a more generic noise composition (if that's not an oxymoron), the A-side, "Jazz Monster" is the shit. "Back Burner" is a noisy and dissonant, but long and repetitive, which can be either dull or mind numbing depending on the mood you're in. "Jazz Monster" on the other hand, is tremendous. It starts off with the whole band and the saxophone player trading off; the band bangs on a dissonant chord followed by the unaccompanied saxophone playing a traditional jazz lick. From there on there are many riff, tempo and volume changes, making for a wonderful noisy ride.

Tim Reilly
Nipple Hardness Factor #2

A full package. Chicago six-person(?) collabrative that pours the full-on puss on deep sound manipulation on the first tune and might even be some kind of weird, groove-less-intentioned kin to Crungehouse. The flip finds em tweeking a nudge of skronky fake jazz time signature, and while you wait for 'em to blast you with the rake-scrape, they just sorta grin and end up at the deserted intersection at 3 a.m. watching the traffic lights change. Top off the dense brew with some liner notes/lyrical intent that might pass for harDCore-p-force. Involved action, and indie guitar splut it ain't. A nice, unsettling effort.

Patrick Foster
Sweet Portable You #68
May 3, 1993

back to main DragKing page.
back to library