I think I pissed these guys off a little while ago, and if they really know kung fu, then my days in Portland might be numbered. Okay, so I’m exaggerating a bit, but I did promise these guys I go to see them live back in May. My excuse? It was opening night for the Portland Timbers Soccer Club. Sorry guys, I forgot. Now that I’ve cleared my name, I’ll continue with the album review. I Know Kung Fu! literally kicks ass. It’s closer to punk’n roll, but also leans heavy on the metal side of things. Also known to throw in a rowdy drunken sing-a-long, the best way to describe them is like this, it’s loud, it’s good, and it rocks!! Last time I checked these guys were still unsigned, and that’s simply uncalled for. The local Portland record labels need to get off their arses and sign these guys A.S.A.P.

I usually don’t do this, but I think their bio does a better job describing I Know Kung Fu.

From The Bio: We are here for the Rock. We are not here to get famous. We are not here to get chicks. We are not here to show off our wardrobe or our collection of indie t-shirts. We are here for the beer. We are not here to be part of the record industry. We are here for the volume. We are not here to fight. We are not here to listen. We are here for the brotherhood. We are not here to find a record label. We are not here to look good on stage. We are not here to impress. We are here for the groove. We are not here to sell CDs. We are not here to take our shirts off. We are not here to wear make up. We are not here to whine about girls. We are here for the riffs. We are not here to dance. We are not here to gossip. We are here for the tone. We are not here to push religion while wearing leather pants. We are not here to teach. We are not here to learn. We are not here to change the world. We are here for the Rock.

In 1999, a tangled web of friendships, hobbies, employers, spouses and alcohol brought three wandering satellites together, and forged the brotherhood bond that would spawn the audio war-hammer that would later be known as IKNOWKUNGFU. Bill Niese, bass player and long-time veteran of the Southern California metal scene, joined forces with Dave Becker, a heavy guitar wielding, proto-punk music disciple and the willing, talented, hard-hitting and lightning-fast drum set player, Justin Craft to give birth to one of the most honest, straight-forward and balls-out power-trios that Rock Music has ever encountered. We are here for the Rock.

While the music produced by this enigmatic combo is not easily categorized as punk, metal or otherwise, it is not so pretentious to claim to defy genre classification. IKNOWKUNGFU music is pure, unadulturated Rock that has been influenced by everyone from Black Sabbath, the Pogues and Iron Maiden to the Cure, Slayer, Tom Waits and the Pixies to Motorhead, the MC5, Operation Ivy and NOFX to Free, the Rolling Stones, Thin Lizzy and AC/DC. We love the music we listen to almost as much as the music we make. IKNOWKUNGFU is not about making music for the people, IKNOWKUNGFU is about making music, period. We are here for the Rock.

We love small shows, we love big shows, we love playing parties, we love shows where we make money, we love shows where we don’t get paid. We especially love shows where we get free beer. We love to play. We love to see people in the groove of our music. We love to talk gear with the other bands. We love to see people in the audience singing along to our songs. We love the shows where Dave pukes after the set. We love shows where we’ve played with the Jimmies, The Catholic School Girls, the Rats, Darkbuster, the River City Rebels, Avalauncher, the Rock and Roll Soldiers, the Hung Kung Product and Blue Star Creeper. We are here for the Rock.

September 2003