Kino Kimino

Solo projects that sound like a fully formed post-grunge girl band? Color us listening. Kim Talon, formerly from Eagle and Talon, is releasing a self-titled debut album for her new project JAN. Named after a disturbed bartender in Los Angeles who Talon found fascinating, JAN is a riot-grrl descent into her psyche. She has created a rough and volatile sound, like
sandpaper drenched in honey.

Talon’s uneven vocals and heady garage band noise is a welcome respite after too many albums that sound either over-produced or consciously fuzzy. There’s something sonically ’90s about JAN’s combination of distortion, intimately raw lyrics, and half-smirk attitude. Maybe it helps that the producer is John Goodmanson whose other projects include Blonde Redhead, The Gossip, and Sleater-Kinney. “Winter’s Got My Coat” features a violin, but still focuses mainly on dirty guitar noises. The stand-out song on the album is “All Of These Igloos.” It’s more minimalistic and vulnerable, allowing Talon to emerge full-bodied from behind the foreboding noise.

JAN’s self-titled debut reminds us of The Raveonette‘s sensual melancholia, yet her soprano voice never allows it to become tiring or overwhelming. Instead of a wall of noise that crescendos and decrescendos into your earholes, it’s the inconsistencies and spaces in between that make this album distinctive. - The Owl Mag

From the Los Angeles Art Rock duo Eagle & Talon, JAN is Kim Talon’s newest solo musical venture. In 2011 Alice and Kim Talon did separate musical projects. Alice collaborated with musician Kono Michi to form the band Alice and Michi which later released its first album Strange Bloom in late 2012, while Kim assembled herself a live band featuring Chloe Saavedra (Smoosh) and Melinda Parks (Har Mar Superstar) which resulted in the birth of JAN.


JAN recorded its 12-track album with John Goodmanson (Death Cab For Cutie and Los Campesinos!) and released its self-titled debut studio album in late 2012 to a great reception. The track “Work For The City” was even ranked in Philadelphia’s Citypaper’s Favorite Songs Of 2012 list. The album JAN incorporates fuzzy guitar riffs accompanied by thick bass licks and dreamy backing vocals making JAN (the band) sound like the demon child of St Vincent, Blood Red Shoes and Kate Nash. The opening track “Work For The City” starts off with a smooth dreamy vocal melody, progressing to a drumbeat, which changes the mood completely and sets the tone for the entire song. JAN’s songs also contain odd key changes and outlandish chord progressions, which helps to separate them from any other rock band out there.

Subtle hints of Eagle & Talon can be heard in the album, such as similar vocal arrangements and rhythms used. However, Kim had decided to cut down on the synthesizers and instead replaced them with grungy guitar sounds. Not a drastic change, but enough to make them sound fresh and contrasting. Instruments such as glockenspiels and recorders can also be heard in songs such as “Act Like A Pantry” and “All Of These Igloos” which is a great relief as it exemplifies the fact that modern bands are willing to experiment with unconventional instruments and make an effort to create music that they can call their own. - Power of Pop

When JAN front woman Kim Talon sings "All Of These Igloos," she sounds like she might freeze to death. Her brittle voice, backed by uneasy guitar moves from delicate to strained to desperate: "Landfill me up, poor trash on me / Make a pile, camouflage, fill it in, use it up," she begs, yearning for oblivion.

As half of art-pop duo, Eagle and Talon, Kim enjoyed dance-y detours, but JAN is more interested in riot grrrl angst than uptempo grooves. It's a direction that absolutely works, with JAN and producer John Goodmanson (The Gossip, Blonde Redhead, Sleater-Kinney) refashioning '90s alt into a crystalline sound that could shatter at any moment. Be on the lookout for JAN's self-titled LP, out November 13. - Refinery 29

Let's be honest with ourselves, here. Today is October 1st. People are buying mini pumpkins to decorate their homes. If you left the house this morning without a light jacket, you're probably a little chilly right now. Summer is over. But you know what? We're down with it. Fuck your "shimmering synths" and your "sun-soaked summer bangers." It's the time of year for crunching leaves and crunching guitars. Luckily, JAN, the new solo project from Kim Talon (one-half of art-rock duo Eagle and Talon), has us covered.

"How To Beast" is the new single off of JAN's forthcoming self-titled debut, and it has just enough noisy, riot grrl-flecked angst to make it the perfect soundtrack for stomping the shit out of some fallen foliage. Grab it below, and look out for JAN, due out November 13th. - VICE/NOISEY