November 18, 2013

Dave Keener: Slugger

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.

Dave Keener: guitar, vocals
Russ Alderson: bass
Dave Foster: bass, guitar
James Morris: drums
Thomas DeVito: drums
Karen Dahlstrom: background vocals
Jen McDearman: percussion
Bill Wadman: piano and organ

Dave Keener: Slugger

Slugger is released on Keener Boy Records. Buy it from his website.

Tracks:
  1. When
  2. That's The Way I Do It
  3. Linear Larry
  4. This Is Where I Came In
  5. Uncle
  6. Second-Rate Rainbow
  7. Mama Had A Bongo
  8. Gather Round
  9. Bottom of My Heart
  10. Put That Baby Down
  11. No One Else
  12. All This and Heaven Too

Live dates (Songwriter Deathmatches):
  • 12/14 Freddy's Bar, Brooklyn, NY
  • 01/18 Freddy's Bar, Brooklyn, NY

» davekeener.com

HCTF review of The Easy Way.

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