Keepaway was one of my “stumble upon” bands at CMJ. For instance, I thought I was headed to see Marnie Stern at Pianos, I walked into Cakeshop by mistake, the wrong venue, and ventured to a basement where I saw Keepaway, tucked underground, illuminated by white Christmas lights. It's good to be lost sometimes.
Keepaway are three Brooklyn dudes that make eccentric pop music that pokes holes beneath the Lefse umbrella to let droplets of rain and rainbows into the haven. The trio released a free EP called Kompetitor on Bandcamp.com to build awareness of its Kickstarter page, in hopes it can scrounge up the pocket for sessions with Sunny Levine in LA. Levine's skills have aided Ariel Pink and Happy Mondays, so naturally this is a major opportunity for Keepaway. I've included “Sideways Smile,” which was recorded and mixed by Sunny Levine, so you can hear just how good Keepaway sounds with the proper guidance.
Download Kompetitor here.
