Travis Keller
Travis Keller (born July 6, 1977, in Spokane, Washington) is an American music journalist, photographer, and founder of Buddyhead Records, an independent music site best known for its gossip section, record reviews and record label of the same name.
In 1997 Keller moved to Los Angeles, California and started Buddyhead "in the summer of 1998 because I was really bored... And also because I felt there was a slew of bands and artists that deserved greater attention than they were receiving. The idea was to illuminate good art and make ourselves laugh once in a while too. Cuz what's the point in anything if you aren't laughing? The record label evolved as an extension of that same spirit that was on the website, to actually release the music we thought deserved attention and that nobody else would touch anyway. We love art.".[1] As well as being the main creative force behind Buddyhead.com, Keller has been published in several magazines and is also a staff writer for The Huffington Post.[2]
As a writer and a photographer Keller's work has appeared in magazines such as Playboy, Tape OP, NME, Kerrang, Rolling Stone, Teen People, Cat Fancy, Time, and National Geographic and on albums by bands such as Jubilee, At The Drive-In, Jimmy Eat World, The Criminals, F.Y.P, Face to Face, Treadwell, Shat, and Oasis.
Billed as simply "DJ Travis Keller", he's known for his "Anti-DJ" style and just playing spinning rock records. Keller has or does hold residences at The El Rey Theatre, The Henry Fonda Music Box and Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles[3] and appeared at Goldenvoice's Coachella Music Festival as well as LA Weekly's Detour Festival several times. He also DJs at Cha Cha Lounge on Tuesdays.
Buddyhead's cultural and music coverage and popular gossip page helped Keller get shortlisted among the 100 most creative in Entertainment in 2004 by Entertainment Weekly.[4]
In the 2007 June issue of the British Music Magazine Kerrang, Keller was named #37 in their "Top 100 Most Powerful People In Rock" list.[5]
In 2009 Keller "relaunched" Buddyhead.com, signed Dios to the Buddyhead label, announced that Buddyhead would be releasing Dios's third full-length record (We Are Dios) also in 1020 and Buddyhead/Keller were featured on the cover of the LA Weekly.[6] 2009 was also the year that Keller and Buddyhead posted their most popular Best & Worst Records Of The Year List.[7]
As a videographer, he has made videos for The Icarus Line ("Feed A Cat To Your Cobra"), Your Enemies Friends ("Back Of A Taxi"), Maynard James Keenan's project, Puscifer("Dozo")[8] and Jubilee ("Rebel Hiss").[9]
References
- ↑ Times Square Interviews Buddyhead
- ↑ Keller's first Huffington-Post-post on LA rock band Dios
- ↑ Entries from LAist tagged with 'traviskeller'
- ↑ Entertainment Weekly: The It List
- ↑ Kerrang!s Top 100 Most Powerful People In Rock – UndergroundScene Forums
- ↑ [http://www.laweekly.com/2009-07-16/music/buddyhead-redux-los-angeles-most-loved-and-feared-music-web-site-is-back/ – "Buddyhead Redux" – LA Weekly cover story.]
- ↑ Buddyhead's Best & Worst Records Of 2009 List
- ↑ YouTube – DOZO-as interpreted by Travis'buddyhead' Keller
- ↑ Youtube – Jubilee – Rebel Hiss video