Entertainment Monday: Keane (Monday 9/7/2015)

Entertainment Monday: Keane

" Keane are an English rock band from Battle, East Sussex, formed in 1995. The group currently comprises Tim Rice-Oxley (piano, synthesisers, backing vocals), Richard Hughes (drums, percussion, backing vocals), Jesse Quin (bass guitar, acoustic/electric guitar, backing vocals) and Tom Chaplin (lead vocals, acoustic/electric guitar). Their original line-up included founder and guitarist Dominic Scott, who left in 2001." Wikipedia citation

I've been a fan of Keane's ever since their music was featured on the television series Laguna Beach back in September of 2004, when my best friend and roommate at the time, Henda and I used to watch the show religiously.  

I had heard some of Keane's music prior to Laguna Beach, but I really have to attribute the MTV teen drama with fully encapsulating my love of the band.  Laguna Beach also made me a big fan of Blink 182s but it's Keane's music that has had a lasting impression.  They have so many songs that have struck a chord with me over the years.  

Bend and Break

Hopes and Fears and Under the Iron Sea are still my two favorite Keane albums.  This Is The Last Time is another great song off of Hopes and Fears along with Bend and Break.

This is the Last Time

I think that Keane's music worked so well as an anthem for Laguna Beach because of the melodic, emotional lyrics and the voice of lead singer Tom Chaplin, whose vocals just seem to lend so perfectly to dramatic emotions that can often times be part of our teen years. 

Under the Iron Sea has two of my top Keane songs of all time, even though ranking them is often tough for me, in Crystal Ball and  Is it Any Wonder, which musically (not lyrically) always had a bit of a U2 feel to me.

Crystal Ball

Is It Any Wonder

 

Walnut Tree, which was a B-side on Somewhere Only We Know and is one of my most loved tunes not off of Iron Sea or Hopes and Fears.  I find it to be such a haunting sounding song.  

Walnut Tree

So Many of the songs I love from Keane have a great deal of angst in their lyrics but my absolute favorite Keane song is a positive tune called My Shadow from their Night Train EP released in 2010. 

My Shadow

There are so many songs from Keane that I love that I have not even shared here, but one last tune I wanted to share is The Lovers Are Losing off of their 2008 album Perfect Symmetry.  I remember Spiraling got a lot of radio play off that album but it was The Lovers Are Losing that always stood out to me as the best tune off of Perfect Symmetry. 

The Lovers Are Losing

I have never really noticed if Keane has ever toured the East Coast of the United States as I imagine they must have.  During the years they were most popular I did not have any money to really go to concerts.  Now that I'd be able to afford to see them live I would love to see them if they were to tour here again.  

Even among my favorite bands that I share here there are very few whom have over a dozen songs that I love to listen to regularly.  Keane is one of those groups, along with the likes of They Might Be Giants, The Indigo Girls and XTC.