Biography
Karen's first influence was singer/songwriter Joan Armatrading. She loved Joan's direct yet emotive lyrics and soulful vocals. Guitarwise, Karen is a devotee of the great Peter Townshend: Rhythm all the way, and double-time when called for. Vocally, Karen draws inspiration from Grace Slick, Aretha Franklin, Billie Holliday, and has been compared often to Tracy Chapman. Her rangy voice can go from the basement to the attic with ease.
Constant desire to perform led her to establish a regular gig at The Sidewalk Café, and a subsequent crowning as Queen of Anti-Folk. Through this, she met singer/song-
writer Lisa St. Ann. Lisa fell in love with Karen’s driving, innovative, Townshendesque, rhythm guitar style, and drafted Karen into her touring band. Lisa’s business savvy encouraged Karen to send out more materials, netting Karen regular gigs in the New Jersey folk scene. These venues included Chapter One Books (Highland Park), Greens Bean Café (Sparta, Hackettestown), The Java Joint (Tom’s River) and Starbucks (Jersey City). The culmination of this was a tour of New England colleges.
Karen continues to be a force in the Jersey City underground music scene. The Art House featured her for months in the opening sequence of their public access show. Later, she and her band Boomslang were musical guests on the Art House show. Boomslang were featured in a front-page Jersey Journal article, and received several good reviews of their CD, Bloody Tales From the Suburbs.
Karen did an interview and live performance on the Brooklyn Cable Access show ArtistsInsight; and was the musical guest ‘Cool In Your Code’, performing at the Magickal Wonders Occult Emporium. Downtown Jersey City special events would not be complete without her: Films at Grace (Grace Church, Jersey City) hosted her as musical guest; she played for the last 3 years in the Jersey City artists studio tour, performing at two venues last year; she has performed at the Cathedral Arts Festival for 3 years and had her work highlighted in their Gallery Talks segment.
Her regular Jersey City gigs included residencies at Subia’s Café, Legal Grounds and at the Waterbug Hotel. Karen has also been the musical guest on FJS On-line radio, as well as other online radio programs. Karen has performed at Phialdelphia’s 5th St. Coffeehouse twice, and plans to return there in the summer. Independent film-maker Andrew Ventimiglia has featured her in his new film, Dreams.
Karen is now working on putting together overseas dates, as well as more New England, Philadelphia, and New York City gigs. She’s also working on a new CD, and looking for new band mates. For more information, check out her website www.myspace.com/boomslang
Instrumentation
Guitar - Karen Davis
Vocals - Karen Davis
Discography
Burn - 4 song EP
Bloody Tales From the Suburbs - 6 song EP
Grim Faced Folks in Fancy Clothes - 3 song demo with band.
Links
| http://www.myspace.com/boomslang |