Karl Blau

Karl Blau is an American indie rock and country vocalist, producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but originally from Anacortes, Washington. A member of the Knw-Yr-Own/K Records collective, he is known for his musical output, live shows, and self recording and distribution. Blau incorporates elements of folk, dub, R&B, bossa nova, grunge, hip hop, drone, country, & worldbeat.

Career
Blau has released more than 40 records in 20-odd years, many self-released in handmade packaging and mailed to subscribers as part of his Kelp Lunacy Advanced Plagiarism series, and others on iconic indie Northwest labels K Records and knw-yr-own. Blau has also toured and recorded for years with Laura Veirs, the Microphones/Mount Eerie, Little Wings, D+, Your Heart Breaks, LAKE, and Earth.

In the 1990s, Blau worked at The Business record store in Anacortes.

Blau was referenced in a song carrying his name by the London punk band Video Nasties. The Microphones' album, It Was Hot, We Stayed in the Water, also has a song titled "Karl Blau."

LPs

 * Doin' Things the Way They Happen (Knw-Yr-Own 1997)
 * Shell Collection (Knw-Yr-Own 1997)
 * A Second Culling (Knw-Yr-Own 1999)
 * Clothes Your I's (Knw-Yr-Own 2001)
 * Beneath Waves (K Records 2006)
 * Dance positive (Marriage Records 2007)
 * Nature's Got Away (K Records 2008)
 * Zebra (K Records 2009)
 * Songles (Kelp Lunacy Advanced Plagiarism Society, 2012)
 * Introducing Karl Blau (Raven Marching Band/Bella Union 2016)
 * Out Her Space (Bella Union 2017)
 * Scream Time (Self-Released 2022)

Singles

 * "Slow Down Joe" b/w "Lake King's Daughter" (K Records/OnPurpose Records 2006)
 * "That's How I Got To Memphis" b/w "Forest" (collaboration with Mount Analog) (K Records)

Kelp Lunacy Advanced Plagiarism Society series

 * 1) Dark, Magic Sea
 * 2) The Coconutcracker
 * 3) Turning Tutu, Turning Leaves
 * 4) Dunkel Blau
 * 5) Purple Heart
 * 6) Deep Sandwich
 * 7) Remember Tomorrow
 * 8) Lore of Ears
 * 9) Dubble Dooty Booty
 * 10) Trust in Sirens
 * 11) It Was Hot, We Stayed in the Water
 * 12) Welsh Phantoms and Other Ghosts of Western Europe
 * 13) Sea/Saw
 * 14) Stereoearrings
 * 15) If I Knew Zen What I Know Now
 * 16) AM
 * 17) Sing Together/Lonely Under the Covers
 * 18) Beer & Chai
 * 19) Flotsam & Jetsam
 * 20) Let It All Out
 * 21) Sigh Lens
 * 22) Bread-n-Grease
 * 23) Trunkal Howl
 * 24) LAKE
 * 25) Free The Bird
 * 26) Dance Positive
 * 27) Good Lovin' County
 * 28) In Return From Ghost Country