Travis Keller

Travis Keller (born July 6th, 1977 in Spokane, Washington) is an American music journalist, photographer, founder of the internet's oldest and most popular independent music site - [http://www.buddyhead.com Buddyhead ] , co-founder of [http://www.buddyhead.com/ buddyhead record label] , a rock n' roll "Anti-DJ" and all around cultural tastemaker based out of Hollywood, California. Travis founded the online magazine, Buddyhead, and the related record label, Buddyhead Records, along with Aaron North, guitarist of Jubilee, ex-guitarist of Nine Inch Nails, The Icarus Line, Big Weenies Are Better, Kanker Sores and sometimes contributor to Queens of the Stone Age and Dark Brown. North met Keller at a "punk rock show" in 1996, in Idaho, while on tour with his band Kanker Sores. In 1997 Keller moved to Los Angeles, California and started Buddyhead (as it says on the [http://myspace.com/buddyhead Buddyhead myspace page] ) "

in the summer of 1998 because we were really bored... And also because we felt there were a slew of bands and artists that deserved greater attention than they were receiving. The idea was to illuminate good art and make ourselves laugh once in a while too. Cuz what's the point in anything if you aren't laughing, enjoying yourself and having a good time? The record label evolved as an extension of that same spirit that was on the website, to actually release the music we thought deserved attention and that nobody else would touch anyway. We love art."

[http://timessquare.com/Music/Music_Interviews/Buddyhead_Records_Interview_and_CMJ_Party/ Times Square Interviews Buddyhead] .

As a writer, his editorial approach has been compared to Lester Bangs (due to its unflinching, occasionally acrid nature), Charles Bukoski, Brett Easton Ellis (because he calls himself a moralist and writes with honesty as his main priority) and Hank Moody- (their love for Los Angeles -mostly the west side of it, women, both drive old beat up dirty cars, have passed their prime in others minds and are not fans of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers). Keller has often been misunderstood as a "hater" and a nihilist as well. Fred Durst coined the word "Haterade" when he posted that "Travis Keller has been drinking some haterade" on the band's official website after one of Keller's many scathing rants about Limp Bizkit). An online comic called "Nothing Nice To Say" summed up Keller's image very well with this comic strip. [ [http://www.mitchclem.com/nothingnice/39/ Nothing Nice to Say - the world's FIRST online punk comic] ] .

As a photographer Keller's work has appeared in magazine's such as Tape OP, NME, Kerrang, Rolling Stone, Teen People, Time, National Geographic and on albums by bands such as Jubilee (who he is currently the official art director and tour manager for),At The Drive-In, Jimmy Eat World, The Criminals, F.Y.P, Face to Face, Treadwell, Shat, and Oasis. He's toured as a photographer with bands including The Stooges, Dead Meadow, Tool, The Icarus Line, Primal Scream, A Perfect Circle, Queens of the Stone Age, Autolux, Nine Inch Nails, Bauhaus, The Dillinger Escape Plan, The Get Up Kids, At The Drive-In and Ink & Dagger.

A limited, hand numbered book of his photography has been announced via Buddyhead for a 2008 publication via Buddyhead. He has been selling limited edition prints of certain photos on his photography myspace pages @ [http://www.myspace.com/traviskellerphotography TravisKeller Photography]

Billed as simply "DJ Travis Keller", he's know for his "Anti-DJ" style and just playing very tasteful rock n' roll selections. Travis has/does hold residences at The El Rey Theatre, The Henry Fonda Music Box and Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles [ [http://www.laist.com/tags/traviskeller Entries from LAist tagged with 'traviskeller'] ] and appeared at Goldenvoice's Coachella Music Festival as well as LA Weekly's Detour Festival several times. He also DJs at Bar Chloe in Santa Monica twice a week and at The Tropicana Bar at the Roosevelt Hotel's pool in Hollywood.

As a videographer, he's made videos for The Icarus Line ("Feed A Cat To Your Cobra"), Your Enemies Friends ("Back Of A Taxi"), Maynard James Keenan project, Puscifer("Dozo") [ [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JDNSoSVUZA YouTube - DOZO-as interpreted by Travis'buddyhead' Keller] ] and Jubilee ("Rebel Hiss") [ [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysq01CvIt4E Youtube - Jubilee - Rebel Hiss video] ] .

Buddyhead's cultural and music coverage and popular gossip page helped Keller and North get shortlisted among the 100 most creative in Entertainment in 2004 by Entertainment Weekly [ [http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,264550,00.html Entertainment Weekly: The It List] ] . Their governance of the website needled Hollywood elite and narrowly avoided legal skirmishes with Courtney Love, Drive Thru Records, Sum 41, Axl Rose and Fred Durst [http://www.laweekly.com/columns/24seven/the-curse-of-buddyhead/9166/ LA Weekly: The Curse of Buddyhead] .

In the June issue of the British Music Magazine called Kerrang, Keller was named #37 in their "Top 100 Most Powerful People In Rock" list [ [http://www.undergroundscene.co.uk/forum/ugs-general-discussion/23955-kerrang-s-top-100-most-powerful-people-rock.html Kerrang!s Top 100 Most Powerful People In Rock - UndergroundScene Forums ] ] .

References

External links

* [http://www.buddyhead.com official Buddyhead website]
* [http://www.myspace.com/traviskellerphotography Travis Keller Photography on Myspace]
* [http://www.flickr.com/photos/traviskeller Travis Keller Photography on Flickr]
* [http://www.youtube.com/buddyhead Buddyhead official youtube page]
* [http://www.buddyhead.com/recordings Buddyhead Records]