Keys based artists

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thecolourboxthecolourbox Frets: 9654
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?
Please note my communication is not very good, so please be patient with me
soundcloud.com/thecolourbox-1
youtube.com/@TheColourboxMusic
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Comments

  • not_the_djnot_the_dj Frets: 7306
    Ben Folds?


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  • SporkySporky Frets: 27568
    I'm not sure I fully understand the brief, but Lymbyc Systym sprung to mind - keyboard player and drummer, nowt else. This one just builds and builds. Some synthy sounds but most of the songs are built around electric piano noises:



    Also for mostly piano Nils Frahm. There is more than one note, just not for a while:




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  • thecolourboxthecolourbox Frets: 9654
    Thanks I'll add him to my spotify list, not so keen on that one but willing to give them all a chance.

    I'm thinking all the "cool" musicians in this type of style tend to play guitars, leaving only the dweebs or "no so cool" to plonk away on keys, but I hope to be proven wrong
    Please note my communication is not very good, so please be patient with me
    soundcloud.com/thecolourbox-1
    youtube.com/@TheColourboxMusic
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  • EricTheWearyEricTheWeary Frets: 16253
    Lieutenant Pigeon obviously!
    Tipton is a small fishing village in the borough of Sandwell. 
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  • steamabacussteamabacus Frets: 1258
    How are you with jazz? Medeski, Martin & Wood are superb - Keys, bass and drums, usually organ and electric bass with the occasional foray into more traditional piano and upright acoustic bass. Very inventive. Very funky.
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  • thecolourboxthecolourbox Frets: 9654
    Thanks Sporky, that's kind of in the right direction yeah. The brief was a bit waffley but basically it's...cool (rather than cheesy plinky plonky) keys based songs that might inspire more cool (rather than cheesy plinky plonky) keys based songs.

    Prefer the first group to the second one, not really a fan of repeated quaver rhythms but that's purely one of my picky things. The vaguely classicially influenced bit doesnt do much either for me, would prefer to just play proper classifical without the bad wrist technique! Ahhhh I'm being a snob arent i. Get's more interesting when it goes a bit more old school minimalism with the epiano around 18 to 22 mins. I don't necessarily need to like the music to be influenced by texture of it, I need to remember that :)

    It does seem quite hard to sound cool and slick on pianos (like you can playing swagger full rock guitar) rather than a bit cheesy and soft around the edges

    Will add them to the spotify list as well though as they might come up with some nice surprises along the way. Thanks
    Please note my communication is not very good, so please be patient with me
    soundcloud.com/thecolourbox-1
    youtube.com/@TheColourboxMusic
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  • thecolourboxthecolourbox Frets: 9654
    edited April 2016
    Lieutenant Pigeon obviously!
    Lol who? Shall have a look

    Edit: haha!!!
    Please note my communication is not very good, so please be patient with me
    soundcloud.com/thecolourbox-1
    youtube.com/@TheColourboxMusic
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  • not_the_djnot_the_dj Frets: 7306
    Lieutenant Pigeon obviously!
    Lol who? Shall have a look
    I wouldn't
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  • thecolourboxthecolourbox Frets: 9654
    How are you with jazz? Medeski, Martin & Wood are superb - Keys, bass and drums, usually organ and electric bass with the occasional foray into more traditional piano and upright acoustic bass. Very inventive. Very funky.
    I'll give it a go but I've kind of done the jazz thing before, I go through phases of liking newer stuff but then always default back to thinking that nothing is actually any improvement over Miles Davis or Nina Simone ;)
    Please note my communication is not very good, so please be patient with me
    soundcloud.com/thecolourbox-1
    youtube.com/@TheColourboxMusic
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  • FretwiredFretwired Frets: 24601
    @Sporky .. I'm a big fan of Nils Frahm .. I even bought NI's prepared piano plugin that he developed.

    Checkout Joachim Kuhn ...






    Remember, it's easier to criticise than create!
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  • steamabacussteamabacus Frets: 1258
    How are you with jazz? Medeski, Martin & Wood are superb - Keys, bass and drums, usually organ and electric bass with the occasional foray into more traditional piano and upright acoustic bass. Very inventive. Very funky.
    I'll give it a go but I've kind of done the jazz thing before, I go through phases of liking newer stuff but then always default back to thinking that nothing is actually any improvement over Miles Davis or Nina Simone ;)
    They have been known to cover Hendrix so they're not your average jazz combo.

    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.
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  • SporkySporky Frets: 27568
    Thanks Sporky, that's kind of in the right direction yeah.
    Okey; a couple of other suggestions then.

    Apparat Organ Quartet:



    Brambles:



    Kettel:

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  • SporkySporky Frets: 27568
    Fretwired said:
    @Sporky .. I'm a big fan of Nils Frahm .. I even bought NI's prepared piano plugin that he developed.

    Checkout Joachim Kuhn ...
    Will do - ta.

    Have you heard 7fingers, the one Mr Frahm did with Anne Muller on cello?
    "[Sporky] brings a certain vibe and dignity to the forum."
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  • thecolourboxthecolourbox Frets: 9654
    Thanks guys keep them coming

    @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!
    Please note my communication is not very good, so please be patient with me
    soundcloud.com/thecolourbox-1
    youtube.com/@TheColourboxMusic
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  • thecolourboxthecolourbox Frets: 9654
    The things I like about the ones I've listed is that to me they are slightly twisted pop music as in cooler variations on wire mainstream typess of music, with a good dose of attitude. If there are any like that with pianos they'd be good too.

    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
    Please note my communication is not very good, so please be patient with me
    soundcloud.com/thecolourbox-1
    youtube.com/@TheColourboxMusic
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  • SporkySporky Frets: 27568
    The things I like about the ones I've listed is that to me they are slightly twisted pop music as in cooler variations on wire mainstream typess of music, with a good dose of attitude. If there are any like that with pianos they'd be good too.
    Mebbe Poppy Ackroyd then? Lots of looping, mostly piano but electric violin too.


    "[Sporky] brings a certain vibe and dignity to the forum."
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  • wayneiriewayneirie Frets: 419
    edited April 2016
    Black diamond heavies are in the vein of white stripes etc. Might be worth trying locked down by Dr John produced by Dan Auerbach but some good farfisa, Rhodes type stuff. Beach house, M83 etc has interesting sounds and textures. Broadcast, melodys echo chamber.
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  • FretwiredFretwired Frets: 24601
    Sporky said:
    Fretwired said:
    @Sporky .. I'm a big fan of Nils Frahm .. I even bought NI's prepared piano plugin that he developed.

    Checkout Joachim Kuhn ...
    Will do - ta.

    Have you heard 7fingers, the one Mr Frahm did with Anne Muller on cello?
    No, I'll check it out - I have An evening with Nils Frahm & Olafur, Juno, Screws, Late night tales and Solo.


    Remember, it's easier to criticise than create!
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  • SporkySporky Frets: 27568
    Fretwired said:
    No, I'll check it out - I have An evening with Nils Frahm & Olafur, Juno, Screws, Late night tales and Solo.
    That sounds like a good evening to me!
    "[Sporky] brings a certain vibe and dignity to the forum."
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  • thecolourboxthecolourbox Frets: 9654
    Thank you fellas this is looking like an interesting spotify session later on
    Please note my communication is not very good, so please be patient with me
    soundcloud.com/thecolourbox-1
    youtube.com/@TheColourboxMusic
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