The Keene Brothers name was adopted for a collaboration between two distinguished veterans of left-field pop -- Robert Pollard, founder and leader of Guided by Voices, and Tommy Keene, a songwriter and guitarist who had been recording fine albums since 1982 and has worked as a guitarist-for-hire for the likes of Paul Westerberg and Velvet Crush. In late 2004, Pollard retired Guided by Voices with a well-received farewell tour before launching a solo career in 2006 with the release of the album From a Compound Eye. Pollard promoted the album with a concert tour, and assembled a new band for the occasion, with Keene signing on as guitarist and keyboard player. Longtime admirers of one another's work, Pollard and Keene began writing songs together while on the road, and in the summer of 2006 the Keene Brothers launched their recording career with the album Blues and Boogie Shoes. ~ Mark Deming