Dave Keppel has been making a glorious racket around the Northwest for years now. Best known for fronting the rock band the Delusions, Keppel is steadily blossoming into a noise-pop songwriter par excellence, blending classic melodies with acres of noise and beguilingly twisted lyrics. Now Keppel's got a new band--the Lazy Daves, featuring ex-Kinski drummer Dave Weeks, current Delusions and Built to Spill guitarist Jim Roth, and the perennial Mike Johnson. The Lazy Daves make their debut this Saturday, June 15, playing with Ugly Casanova and Hot Hot Heat at the Crocodile.
So what comes first for you as a songwriter, words or music? "Music. The music seems to set the tone, and then I can get more specific with the words."
Have you written a lyric in the past that makes you wince today? "Oh yeah."
Any chance of getting you to share an example? "Oh no."
Then let's talk about other people. What's your favorite song by the Rolling Stones, Neil Young, Lou Reed, and anyone since 1980? "'Rocks Off,' 'Expecting to Fly,' 'Sunday Morning,' and Hüsker Dü's 'I Apologize.'"
What's the worst song that you love? "John Denver's 'Sunshine on my Shoulders.'"
What song will play at your funeral? "'Top of the World" by the Carpenters."
Last question: What's up with the name? "First the name of the band was just 'Lazy.' Then we considered 'the Dave Keppel Band,' but we had another Dave, so we compromised. But we all hate it. We're still working on it."
