Boomkat

All Music Guide:

Boomkat is comprised of the brother-sister duo of Kellin and Taryn Manning. With a slick, radio-ready sound that encompassed elements of trip-hop, urban soul, pop, and danceable hip-hop -- not to mention Taryn's star power as a burgeoning actress -- Boomkat's seizure of the spotlight was almost inevitable.

Born to musical parents, Kellin eventually played drums in rock bands while his sister, Taryn, studied dance and hustled to auditions searching for her big break in Hollywood. After an unsuccessful stab at college in Arizona, Kellin moved to California to be near his sister and mother, but day jobs didn't interest him as much as the primitive beat and sample-driven tracks he'd compose on a four-track and convince his sister to rap or sing over. The duo perfected their sound, even as Taryn's acting career began to take off. Television roles -- Ally McBeal, Boston Public -- and movie gigs (a drug-addicted pal in Crazy/Beautiful, a pregnant pal in Crossroads, a jilted ex-girlfriend in 8 Mile) padded Taryn's resumé, but also exposed her band to some very influential ears (i.e., David E. Kelly and Eminem). While a few demo offers fell through (including one with MCA exec/American Idol judge Randy Jackson), positive feedback from a showcase at the Mint in Hollywood led DreamWorks creative executive and erstwhile Band bassist Robbie Robertson to Boomkat. He was so impressed with Taryn's sassy vocals and Kellin's mélange of street-smart beats, he signed the duo to DreamWorks almost immediately.

Boomkat entered the studio with Pro Tools whiz Martin Pradler, and emerged with Boomkatalog One in April 2003. The duo gained exposure from the inclusion of "Wasting My Time" on the 8 Mile soundtrack, Kiss-FM's endorsement of lead single "The Wreckoning"'s loopy trip-hop groove, and Taryn's appearance in a high-profile ad campaign for The Gap's "long and lean" jeans.

Wikipedia:

Boomkat is an electronic and pop music duo, with silbings Kellin and Taryn Manning. The group released their debut album Boomkatalog.One in 2003, and their second album A Million Trillion Stars in 2009. The first single "The Wreckoning" hit No. 1 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart.

Taryn is also an actress who has appeared on television in CSI: Miami, Boston Public and Hawaii Five-0 as well as the films Crazy/Beautiful, Crossroads, Hustle & Flow, and 8 Mile.

Genre and influences

Boomkat is the result of many different influences, "everything from The Beatles to A Tribe Called Quest to Motown to Depeche Mode to Oasis," said Kellin Manning.

History

The band first signed a major label deal with American Idol producer Randy Jackson, but the deal fell through for unknown reasons. In an interview in October 2005's issue of Nylon, Taryn mentioned that Boomkat would be back eventually, and that she is writing songs for the new album once they find another record label.

After a break from music, Boomkat released their first single in four years, called "Runaway." The music video premiered on their official YouTube channel and Taryn Manning's MySpace page on April 8, 2008. In June 2008 Boomkat's second album A Million Trillion Stars became available in online stores. Boomkat was set to perform at Indie Fest USA 2008 on August 15, 2008 to support their album's promotion, but had to cancel the concert due to "family trouble" as Taryn Manning wrote in MySpace. On March 3, 2009, their official first single, "Run Boy" was released along with a music video. The single premiered on People.com and received generally positive reviews. A Million Trillion Stars was officially released in stores on March 10, 2009 by independent record company, Little Vanilla Records. Boomkat's record company, Little Vanilla Records is owned by Taryn Manning. Their second single, "Stomp" along with a music video was released on July 21, 2009. Boomkat has also filmed an unofficial music video for their song "Don't Be So Shy". The music video premiered on their official YouTube channel on September 2, 2009. Boomkat toured in 2008 and 2009 to promote their new album. Boomkat's song "Burn" was featured on MTV's reality television show, The Hills on October 27, 2009.

In September 2009, Taryn Manning released her first solo single, "So Talented". On October 28, 2009, she announced that Boomkat is working on their 3rd album.

The bands 5th music video from A Million Trillion Stars premiered on MySpace on Wednesday February 17, 2010.