Milwaukee Artist of the Week 6/7/13 – Ethan Keller
Are you a Milwaukee musician/band? You can submit your music to be the Milwaukee Artist of the Week by emailing links to info@BreakingAndEntering.net. We’ll check out every submission we get!
There is a certain defining quality to singer/songwriters that separates them from artists who choose to be in a band or group. Music from singer/songwriters have a much more intimate feel, bringing a connection between artist and listener that is hard to replicate. This week’s Milwaukee Artist of the Week, Ethan Keller, provides just that. His blend of rock, blues, americana, and soul provides an identity of who he is at heart. In an era where many are content with falling into the definitive sound of a genre or follow in the tradition of a particular artist, Keller is transcendent, doing his own thing as he pleases. This genre-hopping style makes it hard to lock down Keller in one particular sound, extending his appeal to fans of many different types of music. In fact, the best comparison that comes to mind for Ethan Keller is Elvis Costello, who for years has made a career of floating from period to period, adapting a very diverse set of sounds along the way. Put very simply, it is refreshing to hear an artist that carries his sound in the way that Ethan Keller does.
Keller has established a long running musical career both in and out of Milwaukee as well. He has been performing for over 20 years, as a solo artist, frontman of former funk outlet Greenscene, and with the Ethan Keller Group, which he currently leads. He has amassed over 10,000 album sales, played thousands of shows, and has received heavy airplay on both college radio stations and mainstream music outlets. With that said, Keller will be releasing his new album, “Goin’ Down in History, Goin’ Down in Flames” tonight (June 7th) at Club Garibaldi in Bay View. The album features the title track as the lead single; a guitar-infused, organ-supported groove that will undoubtedly a staple of many summer soundtracks. Other previews from the album carry a similar laid back, jazz-rock sound. Check out “Waste Palace”, from a recent television appearance for Keller below (Ignore the cringe-worthy interview from Molly Fay and Tiffany Ogle at the beginning of the video)
For more Ethan Keller, check out his Facebook, Twitter, Reverbnation, and website.
