The Matt Kurz One

"Matt Kurz’s left foot is a decent bassist. His right foot plays pretty good snare and bass drum. His right hand is a respectable guitarist. His left hand plays keys and high hat well enough. But the sum of all these limbs (or rather his band The Matt Kurz One, of which he is the sole member) excels. See, Kurz plays everything simultaneously, and sings determinedly over it all. It makes his debut Debt Sounds, which would otherwise be a perfectly enjoyable rock and roll album, into something truly impressive—something to which you can’t help but tap and sing along. That is, as long as you’ve accepted you’ll never be as coordinated as he is. Kurz’s garage vocals grate and slide from pitch to pitch and, in fact, are the only part of the record that was overdubbed, the album notes reveal. He uses them to tell adorable, charmingly slanted stories, drawing lyrical inspiration from everything from James Brown’s verbal wisdom (“Solid Gold Coffin”) to in-town interpersonal relationships (“Hey Renee”). The latter, the album’s standout, talks about an outwardly excited friendship that belies the indifference beneath and cleverly overlaps multiple thoughts into one line: “We hug each other’s names we both shout.” “Hey Renee” and tracks like “God Said” and “I Don’t Fucking Believe It” exemplify the bright melodies that demonstrate Kurz’s gift for making simplicity into something more, something driven by solid charisma and, of course, very dexterous feet."--Flagpole Magazine ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



"The show opened with Matt Kurz One, a dynamic and surprisingly talented one-man-band from Athens. Kurz managed to play the guitar while drumming and playing keyboard with sticks tied to the guitar's head stock. Seriously. He also played bass with his shoeless left foot.



Unlike most opening acts, Kurz did not have to suggest that the audience come in closer, because pretty much everyone in the venue was front and center to watch his unique stage presence. Rarely does the opening act on a four-band bill garner so much attention, but it is safe to say that almost everyone who came out early was impressed by Kurz's creativity and talent.



The gimmick of a one-man-band would have worn off after the first couple of songs if Kurz was not talented as a songwriter and able to blend rudimentary bass, guitar, and drum into a well-crafted garage rock song.



Moments in Kurz's set, like his surprising cover of "Purple Rain," made him sound like a true rock-and-roll virtuoso.

." - 7-inch Atlanta

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"Coordinated beyond belief sums it up. That the music is truly good makes him pretty much just amazing."-Athens Banner Herald

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"Matt Kurz must be the most coordinated man on the planet. To do this is challenging but, to do this AND write and play good songs is something unbelievable. "- punknews.org