Karl Blau
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Karl Blau | |
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Background information | |
Origin | Anacortes, Washington, United States |
Genres | |
Occupations |
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Instruments |
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Years active | 1996–present |
Labels |
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Website | karlblau |
Karl Blau is an American indie rock and country vocalist, producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, previously based in Anacortes, Washington for over two decades. A member of the Knw-Yr-Own/K Records collective, he is known for his musical output, live shows, and self recording and distribution. According to AllMusic, "Blau's sounds include grafting folk and country-rock onto hazy blues, rocksteady reggae, '70s soul harmonies, and ceremonial-sounding flutes, bossa nova, dub, and experimental drone in an unpredictable, shape-shifting mixture of elements."[1][2]
Career
[edit]Blau grew up on Samish Island, Washington, a peninsula across the bay from Anacortes (where he later came to be based).[3] In the 1990s, Blau worked at The Business record store in Anacortes.[4][5] His solo career began in 1996 with the release of the cassettes Doin' Things the Way They Happen and Blue Nomad on Knw-Yr-Own Records. Shell Collection came out the next year.[1]
Blau has played in several bands over the years, such as the Microphones, D+, Brothers Blau, Captain Fathom and Your Heart Breaks. He also has collaborated extensively with other Washington-based musicians, including Phil Elvrum of The Microphones and Mount Eerie, LAKE and Earth. In addition, he has toured and recorded with Laura Veirs.[6][3][1]
In 2003, Blau began a service called Kelp! Monthly, via which he released a series of records and mailed them to subscribers. The releases came out often, but not necessarily monthly. By 2008, it had been renamed to the Kelp Lunacy Advanced Plagiarism Society (KLAPS) as new releases were not being made with enough regularity to justify the original name.[3][1] KLAPS contains a total of 32 issues (see list below).[7]
Blau was referenced in a song carrying his name by the London punk band Video Nasties.[8] The Microphones' album, It Was Hot, We Stayed in the Water, also has a song titled "Karl Blau".[9]
Discography
[edit]LPs
[edit]- Doin' Things the Way They Happen (Knw-Yr-Own 1996)
- Blue Nomad (Knw-Yr-Own 1996)
- Shell Collection (Knw-Yr-Own 1997)[10]
- A Second Culling (Knw-Yr-Own 1999)
- Clothes Your I's (Knw-Yr-Own 2001)[11]
- Beneath Waves (K Records 2006)[12]
- Dance Positive (Marriage Records 2007)[13]
- AM (Whistler 2008)[14]
- Nature's Got Away (K Records 2008)[15]
- Zebra (K Records 2009)[16]
- Introducing Karl Blau (Raven Marching Band/Bella Union 2016)[17]
- Out Her Space (Bella Union 2017)[18]
- Scream Time (Self-released 2022)
- Vultures of Love (Otherly Love 2024)[19]
Singles
[edit]- "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
[edit]Kelp Lunacy Advanced Plagiarism Society (KLAPS, formerly Kelp! Monthly) was Blau's "monthly (sometimes) music service" that had released a series of records.[3][6] The following is a list of all releases:[7]
- 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
- Baby Nettles
- 96
- Questions For Moon
- Songles
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e "Karl Blau". AllMusic. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
- ^ "ABOUT". karlblau.com. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Interview: Karl Blau". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
- ^ "About". The Business. October 15, 2010. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
- ^ "Anacortes Magazine (Issue 2, August 2012)". Issuu. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
- ^ a b Segal, Dave (October 8, 2009). "Toil and Stripe". The Stranger. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
- ^ a b "K.L.A.P.S. Issues Index". K.L.A.P.S. Archived from the original on June 27, 2015.
- ^ "Are London's Video Nasties the most self-sufficient band in the country?". Loud And Quiet. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
- ^ "Phil Elverum Speaks About the Microphones' 2000 Masterpiece It Was Hot, We Stayed in the Water". www.kexp.org. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
- ^ "Shell Collection - Karl Blau". AllMusic.
- ^
- Stosuy, Brandon. "Karl Blau: Clothes Your I's". Pitchfork.
- "Karl Blau: Clothes Your I's". PopMatters. March 13, 2003.
- "Clothes Your I's - Karl Blau". AllMusic.
- "Karl Blau - Clothes-Yr-I's". Exclaim!.
- ^
- Motley, John. "Karl Blau: Beneath Waves". Pitchfork.
- "Music Review: Karl Blau - Beneath Waves". Tiny Mix Tapes.
- "Karl Blau: Beneath Waves". PopMatters. February 9, 2006.
- "Beneath Waves - Karl Blau". AllMusic.
- "Karl Blau - Beneath Waves". Exclaim!.
- ^
- Moerder, Adam. "Karl Blau: Dance Positive". Pitchfork.
- "Music Review: Karl Blau - Dance Positive". Tiny Mix Tapes.
- "Karl Blau: Dance Positive". PopMatters. June 28, 2007.
- "Dance Positive - Karl Blau". AllMusic.
- "Karl Blau - Dance Positive". Exclaim!.
- ^
- McGonigal, Mike. "Karl Blau: AM". Pitchfork.
- "Music Review: Karl Blau - AM". Tiny Mix Tapes.
- "Karl Blau: AM". PopMatters. March 17, 2008.
- ^
- "Karl Blau: Nature's Got Away". Pitchfork.
- "Music Review: Karl Blau - Nature's Got Away". Tiny Mix Tapes.
- "Karl Blau: Nature's Got Away". PopMatters. September 21, 2008.
- "Nature's Got Away - Karl Blau". AllMusic.
- ^
- Currin, Grayson Haver. "Karl Blau: Zebra". Pitchfork.
- "Music Review: Karl Blau - Zebra". Tiny Mix Tapes.
- "Zebra - Karl Blau". AllMusic.
- ^
- "Music Review: Karl Blau - Introducing Karl Blau". Tiny Mix Tapes.
- "On his gorgeous 21st album, Karl Blau finally introduces himself... as a plastic cowboy". The Line of Best Fit.
- "Introducing Karl Blau - Karl Blau". AllMusic.
- ^
- "Music Review: Karl Blau - Out Her Space". Tiny Mix Tapes.
- "Karl Blau shows us another side to his multifaceted oeuvre". The Line of Best Fit.
- "Out Her Space - Karl Blau". AllMusic.
- ^ "Karl Blau – Vultures of Love (Album Review)". KLOF Magazine. October 18, 2024. Retrieved November 3, 2024.