Artists:Jeff Krebs

About Jeff Krebs from Jeff Krebs

Me? I write songs and sing them. My favorite instruments are guitar and tenor banjo (and I've really been getting into my first instrument, the ukulele, lately). I play solo (also sometimes as a duo with Sahl Metivier, and sometimes as a duo with John D. Beck) here in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. I'm into photography too. I'm currently writing and recording new stuff for you and me (yes, this instant!). Anyway, you can check out and buy lots of my songs and cds at cdbaby.com, and lotsa other sites. Also recently uploaded loads of album cuts, demos, out-takes, etc on the snocap store on this site--check 'em out.

Here's what allmusic.com says about my CD "Keep an Eye Out" (three stars): "Mixing Appalachian folksiness with a more contemporary roots rock veneer, Jeff Krebs makes Americana in its most honest and well-crafted forms. Cool Wurlitzer-driven pop tunes mix with more solemn acoustic singer/songwriter material, as Krebs shows an expert hand at blending traditional instrumentation and themes with a more modern songwriting sensibility. Even certain folk music motifs are mixed and matched, with Spanish music crossed with surf music on "­¡Extravagaria!" and Turkish clarinet turning up on "Tango Delle Rose." Overall, Krebs is a consistently engaging and unpredictable artist who never settles in one spot long enough to let you know exactly where he's going next, yet manages to leave the listener with a fully developed impression of what sets him apart from the majority of his contemporaries. That's enough to make it likely that Keep an Eye Out will be only the first course in what should prove to be an interesting career."

Here's what inmusicwetrust.com's Alex Steininger said about the same album: "Rarely does a CD come across my desk that on first listen I'm so stunned at its brilliance that I feel somehow clueless for not having heard of the artist previous to receiving it in the mail. Such is the case with Jeff Krebs and his sophomore solo album, Keep an Eye Out, a stomp through lyrics worthy of Springsteen's best story telling masterpieces, dirt-under-the-nails country, slight bluegrass, and folk. Opening with masterful banjo, the title track has no problem instantly grabbing your attention and establishing this as an album that is going to draw you in throughout. Krebs' storytelling seems very autobiographical. His voice is warm and torn, rough-edged by life, but still smiling because he's able to tell his stories to all that will listen. The rollicking "Emily Take It Back" is bouncy and fun, complete with a rock piano intro, and a sing-along chorus hard to miss. However, as joyous as the melody is, the lyrics are melancholy, packed with sorrow as a relationship goes sour. Krebs, however, manages to get a big grin on your face as you sing along enjoying every minute of it. The darkness of "Up In The Old Hotel" will have you on the edge of your seat, as the song's melancholy folk melodies blend perfectly with Krebs' story of an old hotel that seems to attract the bad elements. That suicide, I knew him well / We'd say hello in the halls sometimes / He was discovered by the smell / It hung around the floor for seven days / Up in the old hotel / I saw some things I don't remember well/ Up in the old hotel / I was carried away / I listened hard but couldn't tell / Was that old couple squaring off again? / Was that a siren or a yell?/ A pulled the pillow down against my ears The chilling reality and stark frankness of his songs, as he paints a vivid depiction of life in places the rest of society would just soon forget, brings a tear to your eye as he makes you see what he is singing about as clear as day. However, the music, walking a fine line between pop-tingled country songs and melancholy folk, always manage to lift your spirits, keeping things melodic enough to swallow, rather than breaking you down tale after tale. He takes you the edge but pulls back before making you jump. The faint Apache Boulevard shows Krebs at his best with just a guitar and his voice, stripping the song down, live on a 2-track, getting all the intimacy and purity he possesses. "Problem by the door," a flawless blend of pop and folk, further proves Krebs is one of the nation's most promising songwriting, delivering the same edge-of-your-seat songwriting and beauty whether he is flushing the songs out with a full band or keeping them simple. Those who hear Krebs will instantly take him to heart. His songs are so well written you can't help but listen, finding yourself hooked moments later. He defines what it means to be a songwriter, and Keep an Eye Out is one of the year's best albums. I'll give this an A+." Hope you enjoy. Peace and thanks for dropping by.

Source: Jeff Krebs' Myspace Page