Karl Blau is an American
indie rock
Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the music they produ ...
and
country
A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, whi ...
vocalist, producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist based in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...
, but originally from
Anacortes, Washington
Anacortes ( ) is a city in Skagit County, Washington, United States. The name "Anacortes" is an adaptation of the name of Anne Curtis Bowman, who was the wife of early Fidalgo Island settler Amos Bowman.[K Records
K Records is an independent record label in Olympia, Washington founded in 1982. Artists on the label included early releases by Beck, Modest Mouse and Built to Spill. The record label has been called "key to the development of independent music ...]
collective, he is known for his musical output, live shows, and self recording and distribution. Blau incorporates elements of
folk,
dub,
R&B,
bossa nova
Bossa nova () is a style of samba developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is mainly characterized by a "different beat" that altered the harmonies with the introduction of unconventional chords and an innovat ...
,
grunge
Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock genre and subculture that emerged during the in the American Pacific Northwest state of Washington, particularly in Seattle and nearby towns. Grunge fuses elements of ...
,
hip hop,
drone
Drone most commonly refers to:
* Drone (bee), a male bee, from an unfertilized egg
* Unmanned aerial vehicle
* Unmanned surface vehicle, watercraft
* Unmanned underwater vehicle or underwater drone
Drone, drones or The Drones may also refer to: ...
,
country
A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, whi ...
, &
worldbeat.
Career
Blau has released more than 40 records in 20-odd years, many self-released in handmade packaging and mailed to subscribers as part of his Kelp Lunacy Advanced Plagiarism series, and others on iconic indie Northwest labels
K Records
K Records is an independent record label in Olympia, Washington founded in 1982. Artists on the label included early releases by Beck, Modest Mouse and Built to Spill. The record label has been called "key to the development of independent music ...
and knw-yr-own. Blau has also toured and recorded for years with
Laura Veirs
Laura Pauline Veirs (born October 24, 1973) is an American singer-songwriter based out of Portland, Oregon. She is known for her folk/alternative country records and live performances as well as her collaboration with Neko Case and k.d. lang ...
,
the Microphones/
Mount Eerie
Mount Eerie is the musical project of American songwriter and producer Phil Elverum. Elverum (also of The Microphones) is the principal member of the band, but has collaborated with many other musicians on his records and in live performances. ...
,
Little Wings
Kyle Field is an American musician who releases material under the moniker Little Wings.
Early life
Field was born in Alabama in 1972. As a child, his family relocated to Los Angeles, California, where his father worked as a coach for the U ...
,
D+,
Your Heart Breaks
Your Heart Breaks is an indie rock band from Seattle, Washington (state), Washington led by artist and musician Clyde Petersen. The group was formed in Bellingham, Washington in 1998. Petersen is transgender and his songwriting, particularly on ...
,
LAKE
A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...
, and
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's sur ...
.
In the 1990s, Blau worked at
The Business record store in Anacortes.
Blau was referenced in a song carrying his name by the London punk band Video Nasties.
The Microphones' album, ''
It Was Hot, We Stayed in the Water,'' also has a song titled "Karl Blau."
Discography
LPs
*''Doin' Things the Way They Happen'' (Knw-Yr-Own 1997)
*''Shell Collection'' (Knw-Yr-Own 1997)
*''A Second Culling'' (Knw-Yr-Own 1999)
*''Clothes Your I's'' (Knw-Yr-Own 2001)
*''Beneath Waves'' (
K Records
K Records is an independent record label in Olympia, Washington founded in 1982. Artists on the label included early releases by Beck, Modest Mouse and Built to Spill. The record label has been called "key to the development of independent music ...
2006)
*''Dance positive'' (Marriage Records 2007)
*''Nature's Got Away'' (K Records 2008)
*''Zebra'' (K Records 2009)
*''Introducing Karl Blau'' (Raven Marching Band/Bella Union 2016)
*''Out Her Space'' (Bella Union 2017)
Singles
*"Slow Down Joe" b/w "Lake King's Daughter" (K Records/OnPurpose Records 2006)
*"That's How I Got To Memphis" b/w "Forest" (collaboration with Mount Analog) (K Records)
Kelp Lunacy Advanced Plagiarism Society series
#''Dark, Magic Sea''
#''The Coconutcracker''
#''Turning Tutu, Turning Leaves''
#''Dunkel Blau''
#''Purple Heart''
#''Deep Sandwich''
#''Remember Tomorrow''
#''Lore of Ears''
#''Dubble Dooty Booty''
#''Trust in Sirens''
#''It Was Hot, We Stayed in the Water''
#''Welsh Phantoms and Other Ghosts of Western Europe''
#''Sea/Saw''
#''Stereoearrings''
#''If I Knew Zen What I Know Now''
#''AM''
#''Sing Together/Lonely Under the Covers''
#''Beer & Chai''
#''Flotsam & Jetsam''
#''Let It All Out''
#''Sigh Lens''
#''Bread-n-Grease''
#''Trunkal Howl''
#''LAKE''
#''Free The Bird''
#''Dance Positive''
#''Good Lovin' County''
#''In Return From Ghost Country''
References
External links
Karl Blau at BandcampKarl Blau PatreonKarl Blau at Allmusic.comKarl Blau at K RecordsKarl Blau at Bella UnionKarl Blau on NPR Live Sessions
Kelp Lunacy
MySpace
KEXP Interview with Karl Blau
SPIN's Artist of the Day
Secretly Important Interview with Karl Blau
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blau, Karl
American male singer-songwriters
Living people
People from Anacortes, Washington
Year of birth missing (living people)
Musical groups established in 1996
Singer-songwriters from Washington (state)
Bella Union artists
The Bundles members