I know we are all guitar folks here but as a piano and organ player myself I've always felt there must be some equivalent good music based around keys rather than guitars, and if I could do something interesting with keys myself I'd get a lot more interesting opportunities. So I thought I might start a thread to ask for your recommendations for interesting keys based musicians and artists, particularly singer songwriter type stuff but anything that one could use as influences if one were a solo type act.
I generally find piano parts in modern music to be a bit too plinky plonky, and any other keys parts tend to be god awful synth pads.
Also, existing keys based artists that I'd like to rule out as they are the opposite of what I mean by interesting piano based music would be:
Elton John
Keane
Muse when he tries to play piano
Tom Odell
In general the kind of music I'd like to find the equivalent to:
Jeff Buckley
The XX
Jack White sounding stuff (The Dead Weather are proving useful so far with the guitorgan sounds, their slower moodier type songs in particular from the first album)
Strokes
I'm hoping that by listening to what others do, I might be able to a) find and enjoy some new music and b) get some ideas of how to write and arrange stuff based around keys. Rhythm guitar is a really easy good way to accompany yourself but the same textures and rhythms don't translate to piano/keys that well in my view. I'm also not looking to play proper jazz, though because I've played a lot of jazz in the past my playing does often have similar influences in terms of feel and vibe (kind of in the same way Jeff Buckley's guitar playing has jazzy elements to it without it actually being jazz)
So go on then, who is good?
I'm scared and I'm waiting for life
Comments
Checkout Joachim Kuhn ...
Remember, it's easier to criticise than create!
Slightly left-field thought - you might check out Polar Bear. They don't actually have a 'keys' player (drums. bass and horns) but both times I've seen them they've had Leafcutter John playing with them on all manner of electronic diy gubbins and trickery (does playing melodies off a Playstation controller count as 'keys'?). Very inventive, very avante garde. Mind blowingly good drummer/band leader in Seb Roachford.
@steamabacus Jamie Cullum also covers Hendrix, and when I used to when I used to play jazz in cocktail bars! Would prefer non-funky if possible. Will give the other one a listen though, sounds intriguing!
I tend to be on the minimalist side of things, my music tends to be described as introverted, so whilst the big over blown wooshy stuff is interesting, anything more to the minimal end of things is cool
Remember, it's easier to criticise than create!