KOLARS

"Take their latest single “One More Thrill”. Crafted like a grooving ’70s country song carved out of the gleaming vibrations of modern rock, the track pulsates right into your chest. It takes your heart by the hand and leads you to the dance floor, daring you to not feel motivated to dance, shimmy, just escape the mundane." - Consequence of Sound

KOLARS is a highly experimental duo committed to creating a new sound that will thrill audiences all over the world. Singer and guitarist Rob Kolar is the mastermind behind their production, writing and mixing the material himself. Drummer Lauren Brown has created her own style of percussion where she dances out rhythms on a bass drum with her feet while also playing a more traditional stand-up drum set, essentially transforming herself into a tap-dancing drummer. In their own words, KOLARS create a soundscape of “desert disco, R&Beyond, space blues, and glam-a-billy,” they’ve successfully created an infectious, innovative sound that combines both folk and dance music.

The married duo previously performed live as a part of the folk band, He’s My Brother She’s My Sister, but have only recently started touring as KOLARS. We were lucky enough to catch the power couple in action in Phoenix, and it was an eclectic show we’re so glad we didn’t miss. Check out our photo gallery below and make sure to track the “One More Thrill” band on Bandsintown so you don’t miss out when they play in a city near you. - Bandsintown

Saturday’s events began with a performance by Los Angeles band KOLARS, a self-described “glam-a-billy” act comprised of husband and wife power team Rob Kolar and Lauren Brown. Nailing down a distinct name for the one part guitar/vocal, one part drum/tap dance ensemble is difficult to do; The dynamic duo is eclectic in every sense of the word. Kolar, who can only be described as a cosmic Elvis, sang with gusto while his counterpart provided the raw power that kept their steam engine sound chugging along. And with a musical style ranging from what they term “Desert Disco” to “Space Blues” (which is just as entertaining as it sounds), there was never a dull moment on stage.

Both performers were dressed in full regalia to match their avant-garde brand of pop: Kolar with his black-and-white striped getup, and Brown with her mod twist on a 1920’s flapper girl. Whereas Kolar generated power with roaring vocals and spirited guitar-playing, Brown used her entire body as an instrument, tap dancing atop a bass drum while playing a stand-up drum kit, so that each beat of the drum was an expressive extension of her motion.

Together, the two are larger than life.

They performed songs from their debut album, which is set to drop next year. Among them was the bright, feel-good rockabilly “Beyond the World of Man”, “Turn Out The Lights”, a darker-toned Midwestern swing number, and “One More Thrill”, a particularly explosive track featuring Kolar’s powerhouse vocals and Brown’s creative use of tap dance in order to create a beat. - The Bottom Line

KOLARS played in between the two bands. The husband / wife duo featuring Rob Kolar on the guitar and Lauren Brown on the drums are formerly of the glam-folk band He’s My Brother, She’s My Sister. They are without a doubt a rock ‘n’ roll band and it sounds a bit like you were taken back to the 50s, however there is a little twist; Brown brings some dope originality to the drums. She set up two floor toms, a snare, a single symbol, and she stood on a bass drum and wore tap shoes. Yes, she taps while drumming. She is creating beats from every limb! Her whole body moves but her head for the most part stays in one spot with an intense focus. It was really awesome to see. Kolar is fantastic on the guitar; his vocals and looks really bring that rock ‘n’ roll feel home.
If you see any of these bands on a bill, you need to jump on the opportunity to see them live. - Grimy Goods

"Taking place in a trippy desert setting (perfect for a band that describes themselves as desert disco) the video dips and zooms around, while highlighting the impressively full, rich sound of the song with very little instrumentation. How little? One guitar and a fraction of a drum kit along with some tap dancing for the rhythm section make up the instrumentation for “One More Thrill.” At first glimpse and listen of the song, the stripped down chemistry between Kolar and Brown resemble that of a more upbeat, brighter version of The White Stripes getting together with a sound similar to Lord Huron’s "Fool For Love.” - AXS

Seeing Kolars in concert, it like getting a stamp of approval from Life, itself, to be weird and fun. They are like the B-52's in style and energy, Bob Dylan in lyricism, and The Lumineers/ The Strokes/ Lou Reed in sonic composition. Does that sound like cluster of vast, music epicness? Well, it is! The Kolars prove that to be "epic" in music, you have to be epic in person.
As former members of glam-folk band He's My Brother, She's My Sister, Rob Kolar and Lauren Brown are a real life married couple/ experimental folk dance duo. The combination is as eclectic and intriguing as it sounds. Sonically, the band thrives in being a "melting pot"of music genres all at once. In songs like "Mystery Train" and "Every Time You Turn Around" there was a country blues drawl that attracted the audience. Yet, in songs like "Let Live Free", "Sweetwater" and "One More Thrill" they electrified rock n' roll by adding indie- pop vibrations. The duo is open, honest, and endearing in their blissful aim: to be strange and fantastic.
Their creative goal to be musically unique in every way, from sound to performance, is highly refreshing to an industry that can, at times, feel like it is trying to produce copies or a "standard of same" in terms of mainstream selection. Hence, their desire to be "strange" is more of a promotion to feel and be in your own, distinguished "specialness". Thus, on sonic distinction alone, the Kolars stand out as a concert choice for those want to feel safe and encouraged to be themselves to the fullest.
Kolars might be the rare artist that creates music with the notion/ urge to make it "concert- enlivening". Their concert is a rejuvenating, fun experience, in part, because from the studio to the live show, Kolars intricately creates song that would elevate the fans' mood and joy in concert. This may sound like a common idea in the music industry, but it is not. Touring is not easy, and many artists approach concerts like a forced burden. Instead, their personal joy for music is concentrated on their albums, preferring the distance a marketed recording has over an intimate song-session with fans. Thus, they do not really care how their music translates from them in person, i.e. concert. Although I understand their fear/ discomfort because, again, performing live in not easy, Kolars want to perform live, and it is charmingly noticeable. This duo have created a show/ artistry that is purely about entertainment, which makes them a "must-see" pleasantry to concert-lovers and furthers "performing" as their artistic "strong-suit".
Not every artist can perform live, nor qualify themselves as entertainers. Yes, they can sing and play instrument, but as I mentioned, "epicness" comes from within. The Kolars are epic because absolutely every song sung, instruments played, and beat they concocted is part of their mass scheme to get people happy and dancing. For me, I was deeply moved/ overjoyed to see a pair of noble musicians care so much that I, the concert-goer, was having a good time. It was nice to feel like the artist remembered my love for their music, and decided to reciprocate it by giving a loving performance. Lauren Brown on drums, tap, and overall arrangements was a magnetic force on the stage. As she jumped and pulsed on the drums, I thought I was watching the most kinetic, frenetic energy in purest form. It was as if she was trying to show viewers the natural attraction between music and the soul. Rob Kolar continued to show the deep, spiritual chemistry between human beings and sound, by riffing up vocals that taught listeners that men can have a "diva-like" vocal range. Yes, I know that is a semi-humorus statement, yet when you think of vocal power/ prowess, for the most part, we have the tendency to think only of female singers. Yet, Kolar showed that men can have both the vocal capacity and want to imprint their "vocal power" on people's minds/ hearts. Moreover, he showed that such an ability is formed by a genuine love for entertaining "concert-goers" rather than just singing to them. - Diandra Reviews It All

"Whoever thinks glam rock is dead is partially right. Rock has been on the decline for years, the only contemporary artist showcasing glam and punk at the same time being Lady GaGa, and sometimes in a very overwrought manner. Nonetheless the genre still lives, hustling and bustling in possibly one of its final breaths in the Deep South through the veil of glamour folk, an act owned like a badge of honor by front man Rob Kolar and drummer Lauren Brown.

With glam-a- billy drab and a slue of disco-like synths layered over classic ballads, the duo named themselves KOLARS as an emblem to their family name. Teetering on the edge of kitsch, the band is only able to get away with their daring act because they’re able to pull it off so well. Intertwining a bright fusion of Desert Disco and Space blues, KOLARS is truly out of this world, proving themselves at their most recent concert as one of the most eye-opening opening acts.

With gumption and undeniably well-written songs, KOLARS has burrowed through the consciousness of their hometown and beyond, paving a road of lullaby disco anthems wriggling their way across the Mason Dixon. An iconic moment and further proof that the band is so great at what they do was especially apparent during their performance at Tractor Tavern in Seattle, Washington this past month, where one of our correspondents spoke with the band." - Fest Fifty

"The husband and wife portion of glam folk act He’s My Brother She’s My Sister have a new band, aptly called Kolars. It’s Rob Kolar on guitar and tap-dancing drummer Lauren Brown handling the rhythm section, and the sound takes a little rockabilly, a little disco, sprinkles it with grassroots vibes, and squeezes some modern indie rock values all over the top. Is it normal to imagine that all husband and wife bands rehearse naked? Or maybe it’s just that this particular sexy duo share the kind of on-stage chemistry that comes from knowing each other so well, musically and biblically, which sets the imagination a’sizzling. Kolar, with his rocker swagger, and Brown, licking her lips as she uses her whole body to tap and smack out the beats." - BuzzBands

In that way the tarot reading we’d gotten earlier at the KCSB booth had prepared us for the experience of a KOLARS show. The band features only two members, Rob Kolar, the guitarist and lead singer, and Lauren Brown, perhaps the world’s only full-body percussionist. As the two came out to start the set, Brown stood on a large sideways drum surrounded by two more drums and a singular cymbal as Kolar took his spot behind the microphone, guitar in hand. The song started and the drummer in the futuristic silver dress started tap-dancing on the drum as part of the percussion! Right then, I knew that this was why I loved seeing openers I know nothing about. Not only did KOLARS have a unique style of percussion, but their overall sound was spectacularly unique as well. The band clearly drew inspiration from many artists, from their futuristic outfits and electronic embellishments to the Elvis-esque growl of Kolar’s voice to the cover of “King of Carrot Flowers Pt. 1” by Neutral Milk Hotel. With so many inspirations from all over the rock-electronic spectrum, the result was something unique but familiar and irresistibly danceable. Talking to the group after their set as they walked around and visited the booths, we learned the L.A.-based band loves Santa Barbara and had performed at the festival before as part of their previous band. After discussing Kolar’s inspirations, we asked Brown how she keeps up her stamina to dance and jump on a drum for 45 minutes each show. Brown says she’s able to do it because performing “isn’t tiring at all because it feels like I’ve just finished a good run.” The drummer’s “runner’s high” was just an example of how much energy the band projected out into the crowd during their set. In the end, we walked away with a USB featuring all of the band’s music. I knew then that New Noise wasn’t like any festival I had been to before. Something special was happening here, and that was community. This wasn’t a massive festival where you are separated from those performing by an endless sea of people. Anyone could go up and talk to them because they were just people enjoying the community like the rest of the festival goers. - Daily Nexus

In today's internet age it is quite impossible to be mysterious. If I were to do a google search on myself I am sure it would spit out at least ten pages of useless info. The same cannot be said about the band KOLARS. That is exactly the way they'd prefer it. The two piece outfit would rather you discover them aurally and visually. The way we used to discover bands. In fact, the best way to discover bands. Seeing KOLARS live is more than a concert. It is a performance. Exuding raw energy, Lauren Brown drums a full kit while tap dancing on the bass drum. Her body lurches and moves in a hypnotic state along with Rob Kolars' haunted rockabilly howlings. It leaves one wanting more. Fortunately, Rob and Lauren were willing to sit down and talk about what drives their music, performance, and mystique. - My Music, My Concerts, My Life

When a band is comprised of only two people, things can be either really complicated or really simple. LA's KOLARS likes to do a bit of both.
The basic structure of a vocalist/guitarist and a drummer can work wonders for simplistic songwriting, but most of those duos don't contain any tap dancing. That's where KOLARS break the mold, as drummer Lauren Brown prefers to play their neo-retro tunes with her feet rather than her hand.
Myspace caught up with KOLARS before they took the stage at the Echo Park Rising festival to learn about who inspires them and the importance of originality. - MySpace

KOLARS have created their own brand of dance music that anyone can enjoy, and with minimal instrumentation: guitar and a tap-dancing drummer. Yep, you heard that right. While Rob Kolar provides mesmerizing vocals and stunning guitar work, Lauren Brown uses her whole body as a percussive instrument, tapping out the hi-hat rhythm with her feet atop a bass drum while simultaneously playing a stand-up kit. This summer (starting this week) KOLARS will be taking their dynamic show on the road with Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds before the release of their new album in February. Catch them at a show near you, and keep and ear out for new music soon! - The Prelude Press

KOLARS are a music duo made up of Rob Kolar and Lauren Brown.
Rob produces, mixes, and writes the material whilst Lauren uses her whole body as a percussive instrument.
The two perform with energy, sweat, and excitement, thrilling audiences with their unabashed exuberance.
We caught up with the band to talk about developing their sound, dream collaborations, making music videos in the desert and The Detour… - Celeb Mix

KOLARS are punk.

The band’s rock-and-roll-you-can-dance-to sound all comes from just two people: The Los Angeles–based husband and wife duo of Rob Kolar and Lauren Brown. He sings and plays guitar. She plays drums, but in her own inimitable way: “Tap dancing out the hi-hat rhythm with her feet atop a bass drum, while simultaneously playing a stand-up kit,” per the band’s press release.

While KOLARS’ upbeat tunes have been coined “desert disco” and even “glam-a-billy,” Rob Kolar says it all starts from the roots of punk rock.

“As a kid I listened to a lot of punk music and it inspired me to start singing and writing songs. It’s a culture that embraces imperfection and values authentic expression, which is empowering to someone just starting out,” he shared in an email statement.

“I was really drawn to songs like ‘Soundsystem’ by Operation Ivy and ‘Radio’ by Rancid. Both are anthems celebrating music as a medicine to raise your spirit,” Kolar added. “I’ve always wanted to write a song appreciating what music has done for my life. This song is our version of that. ‘Turn It Up’ is our tribute to how music can be vital in getting us through tough times.”

The track is a weighted blanket of roots rock thick with retro-FM production and big guitars. Matching classic Roxy Music stylings with echoes of Franz Ferdinand, KOLARS have delivered one for the collection. Listen to it below.

As such, the band will release a limited vinyl edition of “Turn It Up,” accompanied by B-side “Touch the Lightning,” on HockeyTalkter Records this spring. The label is helmed by none less than Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready.

“When I first saw KOLARS live, I was incredibly impressed. Their live dynamic is nothing like I’ve seen,” McCready raved via email. “The modified drum kit, the tap dancing, the amazing songwriting. They have it all.” - Flood Magazine

Rob Kolar found a different kind of inspiration for "Touch the Lightning," the new KOLARS track coming out March 29 and premiering exclusively below.

"A lot of our songs are quite personal," Kolar tells Billboard. But "Touch the Lightning" -- releasing on a limited-edition vinyl single with "Turn It Up" through Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready's HockeyTalkter Records -- is drawn from Supernatural, a book by British author Graham Hancock, who specializes in pseudoscientific theories. "I'm definitely inspired by those kind of alternative authors and thinkers," Kolar notes, explaining that "Touch the Lightning" "is like a metaphor for tapping into a stream of consciousness or a frequency of realization...this idea you're a conscious, awakening sort of thing. - Billboard Magazine

I met Lauren and Rob, the high powered American sweethearts, and musical phenomena at "Balcony TV", in London just before they were to appear, while in the midst of a U.K. tour. The "Kolars", husband and wife duo, performed their newest single, "One More Thrill", a fusion of titanic rock, pounding rhythm, experimental folk, country glamour, and salacious dance beats.

I instantly fell in love with their tantalizing sonics, and their energetic, apocalyptic marvel, as well as their genuine, authentic sincerity. Lauren, the tap dancing, whilst she's playing the drums, percussionist, audaciously goes wild, while glam rock, husband Rob, sings and plays guitar in the sexiest fashion. They are madly in love, and that fluorescent, jovial, thrilled contentment, manifests itself in their song, vitality, and flamboyant effervescence. - Huffington Post