He graduated in 1976 from Walter Johnson High School in Bethesda, which was also the alma mater of fellow musician Nils Lofgren, who went on to play and record with Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen.

[4] Keene first received critical acclaim with the pioneering Washington, D.C. rock band the Razz, who released several local independent singles.

He continued to record and tour and released an album with Robert Pollard, of Guided by Voices, as 'The Keene Brothers.'

He was also a member of Pollard's live backing band the Ascended Masters, also featuring Jon Wurster, Jason Narducy, and Dave Phillips.

[7] In 2011, Keene released his ninth original studio album, Behind the Parade on Second Motion Records.