Jason Karaban is an American singer-songwriter and musician living in Los Angeles, California. Karaban first began his career fronting the Philadelphia-based
indie rock
Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand in the early to mid-1980s. Although the term was originally used to describe rock music released through independent reco ...
band ''Dragstrip Courage'' in 1997, and ''Grand'' in 2000. He emerged as a solo artist with the release of ''Doomed to Make Choices'', in 2006, co-produced with Mike Napolitano (
Joseph Arthur
Joseph Lyburn Arthur (born September 28, 1971) is an American singer-songwriter and artist from Akron, Ohio. He is best known for his solo material, and as a member of Fistful of Mercy and RNDM. Arthur has built his reputation over the years t ...
,
The Twilight Singers). Along with vocals, Karaban plays acoustic guitar, 12-string and electric guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, piano and drums. Karaban has released four critically acclaimed albums, and has had a number of songs featured in film and television shows
Over the course of his career, Karaban has collaborated with many notable musicians including
Ani DiFranco
Angela Maria "Ani" DiFranco (; born September 23, 1970) is an American-Canadian singer-songwriter. She has released more than 20 albums.
DiFranco's music has been classified as folk rock and alternative rock, although it has additional influenc ...
,
Lucy Schwartz
Lucy Nicole Schwartz (born December 7, 1989) is an American singer and songwriter from Los Angeles, California. She has become well known for writing and performing original songs for film and TV, including songs for '' The Twilight Saga: Brea ...
,
Sara Watkins and
Sean Watkins (
Nickel Creek
Nickel Creek (formerly known as the Nickel Creek Band) is an American bluegrass music, bluegrass band consisting of Chris Thile (mandolin), and siblings Sara Watkins (fiddle) and Sean Watkins (guitar). Formed in 1989 in Southern California, the ...
),
Garrison Starr,
Taylor Momsen,
Dave Pirner
David Anthony Pirner (born April 16, 1964) is an American songwriter, singer, and producer best known as the lead vocalist and frontman for the alternative rock band Soul Asylum.
Early life and work
Pirner was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota and ...
(
Soul Asylum),
Glen Phillips (
Toad the Wet Sprocket) and
Benmont Tench
Benjamin Montmorency "Benmont" Tench III (born September 7, 1953) is an American musician and singer, and a founding member of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
Early years
Tench was born in Gainesville, Florida, the second child of Benjamin M ...
(
Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were an American rock band formed in Gainesville, Florida, in 1976. The band originally comprised lead singer and rhythm guitarist Tom Petty, lead guitarist Mike Campbell, keyboardist Benmont Tench, drummer ...
).
Critical response
Tracks from the 2006 album ''Doomed to Make Choices'' were licensed extensively by film and television, including placement in the romantic comedy
Novel Romance the thriller Lure, and used in television shows from
FX Networks
FX Networks, LLC, commonly known as FX Networks, is an American media company built around FX, FXX, and FX Movie Channel, plus their associated production company, FX Productions, and is a subsidiary of Disney General Entertainment Content, ...
, the
Oxygen Channel
Oxygen (branded on air as Oxygen True Crime) is an American cable and digital multicast television network owned by the NBCUniversal Media Group unit of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast. The network primarily airs true crime television series ...
,
VH-1, MTV,
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
and
ABC. His album's have also received regular airplay from
WXPN
WXPN (88.5 FM) is a non-commercial, public radio station licensed to the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that broadcasts an adult album alternative (AAA) radio format, along with many other format sh ...
in Philadelphia,
WFMU
WFMU (91.1 MHz) is a non-commercial educational station, non-commercial, listener-supported, independent radio, independent community radio station city of license, licensed to East Orange, New Jersey, with studios in Jersey City. It is owned by ...
in Jersey City and
KCRW
KCRW (89.9 FM broadcasting, FM) is an NPR member station broadcasting from the campus of Santa Monica College in Santa Monica, California, where the station is licensed. KCRW airs original news and music programming in addition to programming ...
in Los Angeles.
Karaban's ''Mayfly'' album was named as one of alt-country magazine
No Depression's "Top 10 Albums of 2009". The album employs images of fallen soldiers in civil war battles to invoke subtle political messages relevant to current events.
Glide Magazine lists Karaban's recent single, ''Succeed 101'', in its ''Stranger's Almanac: Best of 2009''.
AOL's "Spinner" featured Jason Karaban's song "Succeed 101" as their MP3 Download of the Day.
Karaban was featured as
The Deli Magazine's Los Angeles Artist Of The Month (Published on Thu, 2 Apr 2009).
In 2019 Karaban teamed up with singer-songwriter
Glen Phillips (
Toad the Wet Sprocket) to write the song "Look Me In The Eye" - inspired by, and featured in, the documentar
FREE TRIP TO EGYPT
Discography
Albums
*''Doomed to Make Choices'' – released July 7, 2006 (Ascend Records). Includes: ''Crying Spell'', ''Perfect Falling Out'', ''Great Unknown'', ''Cracked'', ''Unsolved'', ''Look What You’ve Done'', ''Cicada'', ''Time is Now'', ''For Nothing'', ''Gone'', ''Don’t You Love When That Happens'', ''Play Dumb'', and ''Ambulance''. Artists
Ani DiFranco
Angela Maria "Ani" DiFranco (; born September 23, 1970) is an American-Canadian singer-songwriter. She has released more than 20 albums.
DiFranco's music has been classified as folk rock and alternative rock, although it has additional influenc ...
,
Dave Pirner
David Anthony Pirner (born April 16, 1964) is an American songwriter, singer, and producer best known as the lead vocalist and frontman for the alternative rock band Soul Asylum.
Early life and work
Pirner was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota and ...
(
Soul Asylum),
C.C. Adcock,
Jeff Klein,
Ivan Neville
Ivan Neville (born August 19, 1959) is an American multi-instrumentalist musician, singer, and songwriter. He is the son of Aaron Neville and nephew to the other members of The Neville Brothers.
Career
Neville has released four solo albums and ...
(
Keith Richards
Keith Richards (born 18 December 1943) is an English musician, songwriter, singer and record producer who is an original member, guitarist, secondary vocalist, and co-principal songwriter of the Rolling Stones. His songwriting partnership wi ...
,
Neville Brothers
The Neville Brothers were an American R&B/soul/funk group, formed in 1976 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
History
The group notion started in 1976, when the four brothers of the Neville family, Art (1937–2019), Charles (1938–2018), Aaron (b. 19 ...
)
David Immerglück (
Counting Crows
Counting Crows is an American rock band from the San Francisco Bay Area, California. Formed in 1991, the band consists of rhythm guitarist David Bryson, drummer Jim Bogios, vocalist Adam Duritz, keyboardist Charlie Gillingham, David Immergl� ...
) and
Pete Thomas (
Elvis Costello
Declan Patrick MacManus (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, author and television host. According to ''Rolling Stone'', Costello "reinvigorated the literate, lyrical ...
) and
Greg Leisz
Gregory Brian Leisz ( ; born September 18, 1949) is an American musician. He is a songwriter, recording artist, and producer. He plays guitar, dobro, mandolin, banjo, lap steel and pedal steel guitar.
Biography
Leisz grew up in the garage ba ...
(
Ray LaMontagne
Raymond Charles Jack LaMontagne (; born June 18, 1973) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. LaMontagne has released nine studio albums: '' Trouble'', ''Till the Sun Turns Black'', '' Gossip in the Grain'', '' God Willin' & the Creek Don ...
) all made contributions to the album.
*''Leftovers'' – released August 15, 2006 (Ascend Records). Includes: ''Oughta Know'', ''Maybe You’re Right'', ''Eating My Heart Out'', ''Thread'', ''Harm's Reaches'', ''First Love Song'', ''Again'', ''Drag the Night'', ''Into'', ''Backslide'', ''Beat ‘til Now'', ''Scattered'', ''Fall Down'', and ''Sleep''. Artists
Ivan Neville
Ivan Neville (born August 19, 1959) is an American multi-instrumentalist musician, singer, and songwriter. He is the son of Aaron Neville and nephew to the other members of The Neville Brothers.
Career
Neville has released four solo albums and ...
and
Priscilla Ahn
Priscilla Ahn (born Priscilla Natalie Hartranft; March 9, 1984) is an American singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. She released her single "Dream" from her debut album, '' A Good Day'', produced by Joey Waronker for EMI's Blue Note Rec ...
also made contributions to the album.
*''Sobriety Kills'' – released January 6, 2009 (Ascend Records). Sobriety Kills includes contributions from
David Immerglück of the
Counting Crows
Counting Crows is an American rock band from the San Francisco Bay Area, California. Formed in 1991, the band consists of rhythm guitarist David Bryson, drummer Jim Bogios, vocalist Adam Duritz, keyboardist Charlie Gillingham, David Immergl� ...
,
Toad the Wet Sprocket's Glen Phillips,
Ani DiFranco
Angela Maria "Ani" DiFranco (; born September 23, 1970) is an American-Canadian singer-songwriter. She has released more than 20 albums.
DiFranco's music has been classified as folk rock and alternative rock, although it has additional influenc ...
, and
Pete Thomas from
Elvis Costello's band
The Attractions
The Attractions were an English backing band for the English new wave musician Elvis Costello between 1977 and 1986, and again from 1994 to 1996. They consisted of Steve Nieve (keyboards), Bruce Thomas (bass guitar), and Pete Thomas (drums ...
The album includes: ''Sobriety Kills'', ''Middle of the Storm'', ''Don’t Start Without Me'', ''Because I Love You'', ''Oughta Know'', ''Perfect Falling Out'', ''Thread'', ''Old As You Are Young'', ''Not Afraid to Die'', ''Make It Over'', ''All in a Day's Dream'', ''Tried Untrue'', and ''Hurry Up''.
*"Shift" releases September 2012.
EPs
*''Mayfly'' –
EP released April 7, 2009 (Ascend Records). EP includes: ''Sullivan Ballou'', ''No Casualties'', ''A Far Better Place''. ''Mayfly'' is a Civil war concept album and includes contributions from Neil Larsen (
Leonard Cohen
Leonard Norman Cohen (September 21, 1934November 7, 2016) was a Canadian songwriter, singer, poet, and novelist. Themes commonly explored throughout his work include faith and mortality, isolation and depression, betrayal and redemption, soc ...
) and
Lucy Schwartz
Lucy Nicole Schwartz (born December 7, 1989) is an American singer and songwriter from Los Angeles, California. She has become well known for writing and performing original songs for film and TV, including songs for '' The Twilight Saga: Brea ...
.
Singles
*''Succeed 101'' – released November 17, 2009 (New Model Music). Succeed 101 is a preview of Karaban's
EP ''Just Enough, Just in Case'', and includes contributions from
Lucy Schwartz
Lucy Nicole Schwartz (born December 7, 1989) is an American singer and songwriter from Los Angeles, California. She has become well known for writing and performing original songs for film and TV, including songs for '' The Twilight Saga: Brea ...
and
Pete Thomas (
Elvis Costello
Declan Patrick MacManus (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, author and television host. According to ''Rolling Stone'', Costello "reinvigorated the literate, lyrical ...
).
*"You're Already Home" – released February 8, 2011 (New Model Music).
Appears On
*''Undiscovered'' – Various artists, released August 19, 2008 (Media Creature Music/12X12).
*"Nevermind My Blues" – Ben Arnold, released 2007 (Rope-a-Dope Records).
*
Landmark Theatres
Landmark Theatres is a movie theatre chain founded in 1974 in the United States. It was formerly dedicated to exhibiting and marketing independent and foreign films. Landmark consists of 34 theatres with 176 screens in 24 markets. It is known ...
and
Filter Magazine's "Winter 2010 Sampler" – Artists on sampler – Jason Karaban,
Tom Waits
Thomas Alan Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American musician, composer, songwriter, and actor. His lyrics often focus on society's underworld and are delivered in his trademark deep, gravelly voice. He began in the American folk music, fo ...
, Air,
Florence and the Machine
Florence and the Machine (stylised as Florence + the Machine) are an English indie rock band formed in London in 2007 by lead vocalist Florence Welch, keyboardist Isabella Summers, guitarist Rob Ackroyd, drummer Christopher Lloyd Hayden and harp ...
,
AM,
The Submarines
The Submarines are an American indie rock band from Los Angeles formed in 2006.
Band history
Working as solo artists in Boston, the two members of the band, John Dragonetti and Blake Hazard, were introduced through a mutual friend, Joe Klompus ...
,
Noah And The Whale
Noah and the Whale were a British indie rock and folk band from Twickenham, formed in 2006 and dissolved in 2015. The band's last line-up consisted of Charlie Fink (Singing, vocals, guitar), Tom Hobden (violin/Keyboard instrument, keyboards), M ...
,
The Elves Of Heaven (featuring
Martin Clancy) and
Active Child.
Music videos
*''Sullivan Ballou'', released April 7, 2009 (Ascend Records).
See also
*
WBCN Rock & Roll Rumble (for early appearance of Karaban's Philadelphia band ''Dragstrip Courage'' in the 2000 Rumble)
References
External links
Jason Karaban on All MusicJason Karaban on Facebook*
Jason Karaban on iTunesMusic video for Sullivan Ballouon YouTube
{{DEFAULTSORT:Karaban, Jason
1970s births
Living people
Singers from Philadelphia
American male singer-songwriters
Singer-songwriters from Pennsylvania
21st-century American singer-songwriters
21st-century American male singers
Year of birth missing (living people)