Milwaukee area favorite son Ethan Keller has made records first as the frontman for the funk-rock band Greenscene and later as a solo artist. We’ve traced that solo career here going back to 2006’s Face Light and on through 2010’s Profit. The new, upcoming album from this singer, songwriter and guitarist promises to be his most powerful and personal statement yet. At the least, the title sure is: Goin’ Down in History, Goin’ Down in Flames. It will be an album that will touch on all of Keller’s multiple strength areas of Americana, rock, blues, folk, even country, but also with some RnB and funk.
Today, Something Else Reviews brings you an early taste of Keller’s next album. Keller himself describes it as “a blues based song with jazzy licks starting from a mellow groove, but gritted up to rock hard at times.”
For sure, the compelling bass line by Matthew Turner (Sam Llanas) immediately puts the song on an aggressive footing, and Keller’s guitars give it hard edged amidst some lightly layered keyboards by the nineteen-year-old local phenom Anthony Deutsch (his first recording on a B3). Jeremy Kuzniar (Kings Go Forth) supplies a modern funk/rock stomp on drums and Tony “Jahmes” Finlayson (One Drum) rounds out the personnel finessing the triangle and vibra slap. “Goin’ Down in History, Goin’ Down in Flames” comes off as a cross between between Steely Dan’s “Night by Night” and Eagles “Those Shoes.”
Keller has determination in his voice that’s in sync with the hardness of the music behind him and once again, he is able to blend various rock styles both vintage and current into something that’s not entirely from either world but is all uniquely his own.
For those in the Milwaukee area, tune in to WYMS 88.9 Radio Milwaukee at 8:00 am, when this song debuts on the airwaves. For now, though, the exclusive stream above is how you can hear a very promising harbinger of what Ethan Keller’s got coming next.
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Here are the dates/places for the Ethan Keller Group’s (EKG) short showcase tour for the single launch:
Fri Feb 15: Bullfrog Brewery – Williamsport, PA
Sat Feb 16 – Abbey Bar at Appalachian Brewing Company – Harrisburg PA (showcase for Millennium Music Conference – www.musicconference.net )
Sun Feb 17th – Piano’s in NYC (www.pianosnyc.com). Keller has launched an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign for sponsorship to record the NYC show and and get the session files, click here for more details.
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Liking this a lot… a funkier, and jazzed up Ethan and co., on fire! Kudos to you all.
Almost Beatle-esque. Love the sound.