Dave Keener and Syd Caldera will hit the stage to celebrate the return of the Songwriter Deathmatch at Freddy's Bar & Backroom in Brooklyn on Feb. 5, 7PM. Keener came up with the idea for the matches in 2012, inviting fellow musicians to bring their A-game as an opportunity to roadtest new material.
» davekeener.com
» Syd Caldera on Facebook
HCTF review of PTO (Dave Keener).
Singer-songwriter Dave Keener has made a video for Internet of Things, a track from his forthcoming new album PTO: "The oddball rhythm smothers the bubbling frustration about a "smart" toaster and a fridge with a mind of its own. It is actually quite hilarious and it will strike a chord with fans of Jonathan Richman and They Might Giants". The clip was illustrated and animated by Lee Berman.
HCTF review of PTO.
On his new album PTO singer-songwriter Dave Keener deals with everyday chores, appliances acting up, and craving for a relationship. The songs were "road tested" at his Songwriter Deathmatches appearances in Brooklyn. Getting up on stage and make people listen to a brand new song can be scary, but Keener can always rely on his way with words. He can cram a lot of them in a song, but somehow it never feels crowded.
He has a good eye for his surroundings, always on the look out for something (or someone) to write about, with compassion (Old Hero, Someone, Mmm), but also with a sense of humour (Labor Of Love Song). The oddball rhythm smothers the bubbling frustration about a "smart" toaster and a fridge with a mind of its own in Internet Of Things. It is actually quite hilarious and it will strike a chord with fans of Jonathan Richman and They Might Giants. Now that he is getting older he decided to try his hand at writing a ballad and the smooth 70s vibe Wait Till You Love Someone, with call-and-response vocals thrown for good measure, proofs that it can be done on a shoestring budget.
Singer-songwriter Dave Keener is back on his feet. The Easy Way dealt with his divorce, but he now he comes out swinging with his new album Slugger, a collection of upbeat song, and just one token ballad, This Is Where I Came In.
Keener is a story teller, with a phrasing that's part Buddy Holly and part Nick Lowe. He has the skills to sing really fast, which comes to good use in songs Linear Larry, a nervous song that could have been penned by David Byrne and Elvis Costello. He is musical omnivore who can write a West Coast ditty like Uncle or come up with a Caribbean tempo for Mama Had A Bongo, with tongue-in-cheek cheesy lyrics.
He knows that entertaining is part of the game. As a rule singer-songwriters go on stage with a guitar and a stack of stained lyrics. Keener came up with the idea for Songwriter Deathmatch: a couple of like-minded artists in an impromptu contest. A win-win concept: the audience gets lots of music for a few dollars and the artists have to step out of their comfort zone to win over the crowd.
NYC singer-songwriter Dave Keener is a serious guy nowadays,. After releasing a couple of of anti-folk comedy albums as Them Keener Boys with his brother brother, his new solo effort The Easy Way he turns his attention to the ultimate source of songwriting: relationships. Heartbreak is great material for a good song and this album has plenty of them.
Elvis Costello is one of his heroes, sharing a love for straightforward lyrics that run deep. Guitar in Your Hand, the first song he wrote for the album, is a three minute elevator pitch for what would grow into a subdued album, with loss, anger and frustration bubbling under the surface. Make no mistake. Keener can get mad, attacking his acoustic guitar during Now You Tell Me, but it works even better when he wraps his punches in a cheerful poppy arrangement a la They Might Be Giants, with I Dunno But and In A Dream She as the prime examples.
