Karl Blau#LPs

Blau grew up on Samish Island, Washington, a peninsula across the bay from Anacortes (where he later came to be based). In the 1990s, Blau worked at The Business record store in Anacortes.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=2010-10-15|title=About|url=http://thebusinessanacortes.com/about/|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-08-16|website=The Business|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|title=Anacortes Magazine (Issue 2, August 2012)|url=https://issuu.com/anacortes-magazine/docs/anacortes-magazine-issue-2-august-2012/20|access-date=2020-08-16|website=Issuu|date=August 15, 2012 |language=en}} His solo career began in 1996 with the release of the cassettes Doin' Things the Way They Happen and Blue Nomad on Knw-Yr-Own Records. Shell Collection came out the next year.

Blau has played in several bands over the years, such as the Microphones, D+, Brothers Blau, Lovers Without Borders, Captain Fathom and Your Heart Breaks. He also has collaborated extensively with other Washington-based musicians, including Phil Elvrum of The Microphones and Mount Eerie, LAKE and Earth. In addition, he has toured and recorded with Laura Veirs.{{cite web |last1=Segal |first1=Dave |title=Toil and Stripe |url=https://www.thestranger.com/music/2009/10/08/2419398/toil-and-stripe |website=The Stranger |access-date=October 1, 2024 |date=October 8, 2009}}{{cite web |title=Interview: Karl Blau |url=https://www.tinymixtapes.com/features/karl-blau |website=Tiny Mix Tapes |access-date=October 1, 2024}}

In 2003, Blau began a service called Kelp! Monthly, via which he released a series of records and mailed them to subscribers. The releases came out often, but not necessarily monthly. By 2008, it had been renamed to the Kelp Lunacy Advanced Plagiarism Society (KLAPS) as new releases were not being made with enough regularity to justify the original name. KLAPS contains a total of 32 issues (see list below).

Blau was referenced in a song carrying his name by the London punk band Video Nasties.{{cite web |title=Are London's Video Nasties the most self-sufficient band in the country? |url=https://www.loudandquiet.com/interview/video-nasties/ |website=Loud And Quiet |access-date=October 4, 2024}} The Microphones' album, It Was Hot, We Stayed in the Water, also has a song titled "Karl Blau".{{cite web |title=Phil Elverum Speaks About the Microphones' 2000 Masterpiece It Was Hot, We Stayed in the Water |url=https://www.kexp.org/read/2022/3/24/phil-elverum-the-microphones-it-was-hot-we-stayed-in-the-water-interview/ |website=www.kexp.org |access-date=October 4, 2024}}

{{Expand list|date=October 2024}}

• Doin' Things the Way They Happen (Knw-Yr-Own 1996)
• Blue Nomad (Knw-Yr-Own 1996)
• Shell Collection (Knw-Yr-Own 1997){{cite web |title=Shell Collection - Karl Blau |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/shell-collection-mw0000605531 |website=AllMusic |language=en}}
• A Second Culling (Knw-Yr-Own 1999)
• Clothes Your I's (Knw-Yr-Own 2001){{Unbulleted list citebundle |{{cite web |last1=Stosuy |first1=Brandon |title=Karl Blau: Clothes Your I's |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/795-clothes-your-is/ |website=Pitchfork}}|{{cite web |title=Karl Blau: Clothes Your I's |url=https://www.popmatters.com/blaukarl-clothes-2495835875.html |website=PopMatters |date=March 13, 2003}}|{{cite web |title=Clothes Your I's - Karl Blau |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/clothes-your-is-mw0000022613 |website=AllMusic |language=en}}|{{cite web |title=Karl Blau - Clothes-Yr-I's |url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/karl_blau-clothes-yr-is |website=Exclaim! |language=en}} }}
• Beneath Waves (K Records 2006){{Unbulleted list citebundle |{{cite web |last1=Motley |first1=John |title=Karl Blau: Beneath Waves |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/8968-beneath-waves/ |website=Pitchfork}}|{{cite web |title=Music Review: Karl Blau - Beneath Waves |url=https://www.tinymixtapes.com/music-review/karl-blau-beneath-waves |website=Tiny Mix Tapes |language=en}}|{{cite web |title=Karl Blau: Beneath Waves |url=https://www.popmatters.com/karl_blau_beneath_waves-2495675003.html |website=PopMatters |date=February 9, 2006}}|{{cite web |title=Beneath Waves - Karl Blau |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/beneath-waves-mw0000525090 |website=AllMusic |language=en}}|{{cite web |title=Karl Blau - Beneath Waves |url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/karl_blau-beneath_waves |website=Exclaim! |language=en}} }}
• Dance Positive (Marriage Records 2007){{Unbulleted list citebundle |{{cite web |last1=Moerder |first1=Adam |title=Karl Blau: Dance Positive |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/10430-dance-positive/ |website=Pitchfork}}|{{cite web |title=Music Review: Karl Blau - Dance Positive |url=https://www.tinymixtapes.com/music-review/karl-blau-dance-positive |website=Tiny Mix Tapes |language=en}}|{{cite web |title=Karl Blau: Dance Positive |url=https://www.popmatters.com/karl-blau-dance-positive-2496237440.html |website=PopMatters |date=June 28, 2007}}|{{cite web |title=Dance Positive - Karl Blau |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/dance-positive-mw0000778102 |website=AllMusic |language=en}}|{{cite web |title=Karl Blau - Dance Positive |url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/karl_blau-dance_positive |website=Exclaim! |language=en}} }}
• AM (Whistler 2008){{Unbulleted list citebundle |{{cite web |last1=McGonigal |first1=Mike |title=Karl Blau: AM |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/11425-am/ |website=Pitchfork}}|{{cite web |title=Music Review: Karl Blau - AM |url=https://www.tinymixtapes.com/music-review/karl-blau-am |website=Tiny Mix Tapes |language=en}}|{{cite web |title=Karl Blau: AM |url=https://www.popmatters.com/karl-blau-am-2496172150.html |website=PopMatters |date=March 17, 2008}} }}
• Nature's Got Away (K Records 2008){{Unbulleted list citebundle |{{cite web |title=Karl Blau: Nature's Got Away |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/12404-natures-got-away/ |website=Pitchfork}}|{{cite web |title=Music Review: Karl Blau - Nature's Got Away |url=https://www.tinymixtapes.com/music-review/karl-blau-nature8217s-got-away |website=Tiny Mix Tapes |language=en}}|{{cite web |title=Karl Blau: Nature's Got Away |url=https://www.popmatters.com/karl-blau-natures-got-away-2496121388.html |website=PopMatters |date=September 21, 2008}}|{{cite web |title=Nature's Got Away - Karl Blau |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/natures-got-away-mw0000795648 |website=AllMusic |language=en}} }}
• Zebra (K Records 2009){{Unbulleted list citebundle |{{cite web |last1=Currin |first1=Grayson Haver |title=Karl Blau: Zebra |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/13591-zebra/ |website=Pitchfork}}|{{cite web |title=Music Review: Karl Blau - Zebra |url=https://www.tinymixtapes.com/music-review/karl-blau-zebra |website=Tiny Mix Tapes |language=en}}|{{cite web |title=Zebra - Karl Blau |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/zebra-mw0000828018 |website=AllMusic |language=en}} }}
• Introducing Karl Blau (Raven Marching Band/Bella Union 2016){{Unbulleted list citebundle |{{cite web |title=Music Review: Karl Blau - Introducing Karl Blau |url=https://www.tinymixtapes.com/music-review/karl-blau-introducing-karl-blau |website=Tiny Mix Tapes |language=en}}|{{cite web |title=On his gorgeous 21st album, Karl Blau finally introduces himself... as a plastic cowboy |url=https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/reviews/albums/karl-blau-introducing-karl-blau |website=The Line of Best Fit}}|{{cite web |title=Introducing Karl Blau - Karl Blau |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/introducing-karl-blau-mw0002922423 |website=AllMusic |language=en}} }}
• Out Her Space (Bella Union 2017){{Unbulleted list citebundle |{{cite web |title=Music Review: Karl Blau - Out Her Space |url=https://www.tinymixtapes.com/music-review/karl-blau-out-her-space |website=Tiny Mix Tapes |language=en}}|{{cite web |title=Karl Blau shows us another side to his multifaceted oeuvre |url=https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/reviews/albums/karl-blau-out-her-space |website=The Line of Best Fit}}|{{cite web |title=Out Her Space - Karl Blau |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/out-her-space-mw0003103038 |website=AllMusic |language=en}} }}
• Scream Time (Self-released 2022)
• Vultures of Love (Otherly Love 2024){{cite web |title=Karl Blau – Vultures of Love (Album Review) |url=https://klofmag.com/2024/10/karl-blau-the-vultures-of-love/ |website=KLOF Magazine |access-date=November 3, 2024 |date=October 18, 2024}}

• "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 (KLAPS, formerly Kelp! Monthly) was Blau's "monthly (sometimes) music service" that had released a series of records. The following is a list of all releases:{{cite web |title=K.L.A.P.S. Issues Index |url=http://www.kelplunacy.com/issues.html |website=K.L.A.P.S. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150627100720/http://www.kelplunacy.com/issues.html |archive-date=June 27, 2015}}

{{Div col}}

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
29. Baby Nettles
30. 96
31. Questions For Moon
32. Songles

{{div col end}}

• [https://klaps.bandcamp.com/ Karl Blau at Bandcamp]
• [https://www.allmusic.com/artist/karl-blau-mn0000360750?1632927900503 Karl Blau at Allmusic.com]
• [https://shop.krecs.com/collections/karl-blau Karl Blau at K Records]
• [https://www.bellaunion.com/artist-page/karl-blau Karl Blau at Bella Union]
• [https://livesessions.npr.org/artists/karl-blau Karl Blau on NPR Live Sessions]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20080317202348/http://depts.washington.edu/kexp/blog/?p=4989 KEXP Interview with Karl Blau]
• [https://www.spin.com/2008/09/karl-blau/ SPIN's Artist of the Day]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20131115010520/http://www.secretly-important.com/interview-excerpt-with-musician-karl-blau/ Secretly Important Interview with Karl Blau]

{{The Microphones}}

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Category:American male singer-songwriters

Category:Living people

Category:People from Anacortes, Washington

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)

Category:Musical groups established in 1996

Category:Singer-songwriters from Washington (state)

Category:Bella Union artists

Category:The Bundles members