I love the song 'Blue Blue Marble Girl' from his Arizona Amp and Alternator album (which is Howe Gelb and friends). Also the song 'Baby It's Cold Outside' is great for the summer since they interchange cold and hot. Overall, I think Arizona Amp and Alternator is my favorite Howe Gelb work but I need to listen to 'Sno Angel Like You' again. I know pitchfork loved it - which means absolutely nothing.
― CaptainLorax, Thursday, 6 December 2007 23:05 (sixteen years ago) link
No idea where else to post this, but Gelb's production on the new KT Tunstall album is great. (heard a track and was all "what/who is this?")
― Elvis Telecom, Sunday, 11 August 2013 00:41 (eleven years ago) link
Also, I never would have expected to write that sentence at all.
And I never would have expected to get interested in actually hearing the new KT Tunstall album, but now I am. From Rolling Country 2012, here's my take on Giant Giant Sand's Tucson (not at hand, but think it's the deluxe edition) Made my Nashville Scene Top Ten:
it's not so uncommon to hear albums inviting comparisons to spaghetti western soundtracks, but few really 'ppreciate the possibilties of American and European give-and-take: Latin in the Southwestern and Transatlantic senses, small room jazz a la Weill, Ellington, Arizona highway lounge; steel guitars and twang bars with nothing left to prove, Giant Sand (many of whom have been Danish for some time) expanding into Giant Giant Sand and offering Tucson--billed as a country rock opera--without ever being anythang that can't be hitched to s dustcloud drum kit, usually bouncing through stagecoach ruts. Sometimes swinging a little, though a droll drawl and and a tall tale (of love yall--it's all very romantic, in a worldly, wide open spacey way) "You're so much like the river/Beautiful, twisted and blue/You appear to be here forever/Passin' through."
― dow, Sunday, 21 October 2012 02:34 (9 months ago) Permalink
And like an old Giant Sand song mentions, "Baby, it's hot outside."
― dow, Sunday, 21 October 2012 02:41 (9 months ago) Permalink
― dow, Sunday, 11 August 2013 01:34 (eleven years ago) link
Yep. It's that "Boys of Summer". It's awesome.
― I'll take the jangle-jangle over the throb-throb (brg30), Sunday, 11 August 2013 01:46 (eleven years ago) link
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/audio/arts/PressPlay/0730/KTTunstall/KT-Tunstall.jpgon first listening, seems like this has a double/split title cos it's two albums in one. The first part so far seems too smoothly gliding o'er the reflective surface of imagery, evaluating relationships with particulars undisclosed (at least as noticed so far by this simple male mind). There are at least a couple of exceptions, but the Giant Sand desert moonlight vibe and groove doesn't really show up 'til the second half. When it does, ooo-weee. She really responds; wouldn't be surprised if Gelb co-wrote some of these, but also wouldn't call it a producer's record. Thanks so much for the tip, Elvis!
― dow, Sunday, 18 August 2013 18:29 (eleven years ago) link
It's still streaming here with some others I need to check out (didn't know the Times did this)http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/arts/music/pressplay.html?ref=arts&_r=0
― dow, Sunday, 18 August 2013 18:33 (eleven years ago) link
I need to check this out
― curmudgeon, Monday, 19 August 2013 15:30 (eleven years ago) link
really good album!
― christmas candy bar (al leong), Monday, 19 August 2013 19:07 (eleven years ago) link
somehow i never saw this thread!
10 albums:giant sand - chore of enchantmentgiant sand - center of the universeop8 - slushhowe gelb - hisserhowe gelb & a band of gypsies - alegriasgiant giant sand - tucsongiant sand - long stem rantgiant sand - valley of rainarizona amp and alternator - s/thowe gelb - ogle some piano
10 songs in no special order:increment of love (from giant sand - provisions)if i think of love (from op8 - slush)this purple child (from howe gelb - hisser)forever and a day (from giant giant sand - tucson)seeded (from giant sand - center of the universe)off ramp man (from giant sand - center of the universe)x-tra wide(from giant sand - chore of enchantment)wolfy(from giant sand - chore of enchantment)no reply (giant sand - chore of enchantment)down on town/love's no answer
― it's the distortion, stupid! (alex in mainhattan), Monday, 19 August 2013 21:06 (eleven years ago) link
this one has always been a favehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrAYjCf8kKs
― tylerw, Monday, 19 August 2013 21:09 (eleven years ago) link
maybe the all-time classic gelb song ending there, with the pedal steel player asking if howe wants to try recording the song now that they've practiced it.
― tylerw, Monday, 19 August 2013 21:10 (eleven years ago) link
btw most of the new kt tunstall album is really nice. i had never heard of her before, really.
― it's the distortion, stupid! (alex in mainhattan), Monday, 19 August 2013 21:14 (eleven years ago) link
Sno Angel's good Gelb(incl. Ptacek remakes) too:http://www.villagevoice.com/2006-05-16/music/rehearsing-his-choir/full/
― dow, Monday, 19 August 2013 21:17 (eleven years ago) link
there is also this psychedelic folly from his first band giant sandworms from 1983:http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=k3YwOYjrqbQ
― it's the distortion, stupid! (alex in mainhattan), Monday, 19 August 2013 21:19 (eleven years ago) link
I love that OP8 record
― ship who you wanna ship (flamboyant goon tie included), Monday, 19 August 2013 22:57 (eleven years ago) link
There' a new Howe solo album out in November, too, called The Coincidentalist. Looks good.
Totally checking out this KT Tunstall album, dow, you make the second half sound great! Wish vinyl copies weren't like $38 and up on eBay, Amazon, etc. I dig that cover art and sorta hate buying CD / mp3
― Jimmywine Dyspeptic, Monday, 19 August 2013 23:08 (eleven years ago) link
Whoa yeah this is great
― Jimmywine Dyspeptic, Tuesday, 20 August 2013 03:05 (eleven years ago) link
OK, yeah, sorry to keep reviving just to add exclamation points, but this is AOTY material for me right now. BTW the Henley cover (and three others) only appear on the 'deluxe' version. Really need to get this on vinyl. Are the prohibitive prices on eBay (seeming to only be shipping from the UK right now) just to do with the fact that this hasn't been released yet? Even the Amazon price for the wax is like $48!
Anyway, this is a pretty special album imo; so sneaky and seductive, like all the best 'growers.'
― Jimmywine Dyspeptic, Tuesday, 20 August 2013 19:45 (eleven years ago) link
― dow, Monday, August 19, 2013 5:17 PM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
I love Sno Angel, but everyone I ever play it for seems to hate it for some reason
― #fomo that's the motto (Hurting 2), Tuesday, 20 August 2013 19:49 (eleven years ago) link
It's def a Gelb sidetrip; took me a couple of spins, not the gateway drug of choice, but rewards a little patience. Also, you need new friends.New Gelb, The Coincidentalist, out Nov. 5 on New West.Oh yeah, this one's good too (comment from from Rolling Country 2008)
digging Giant Sand's proVision (Sept. 2): , perkin' in the heat, bootheelin' past the charred traffic jam and through the ghost town saloon (skeleton of David Bowie calls the steps out there). One mainly for the fan club I reckon, but Gelb and his Danish compadres don't really need excellent guests Isobelle Campbell, Neko Case, M. Ward or so it seems.
― dow, Friday, 11 July 2008 00:12 (5 years ago)
― dow, Wednesday, 28 August 2013 14:32 (eleven years ago) link
Haven't had time to listen yet, but The Coincidentalist is streaming here for a while (Nov. 5 release)http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2013/10/30/listen-to-howe-gelbs-the-coincidentalist-album-premiere/
― dow, Thursday, 31 October 2013 23:17 (ten years ago) link
First listening: desert cafe observations, discreetly edited/accessible, with tuneful turns of phrase. For him it's tight, but never uptight. Could eventually seem slight, but HG and friends still have the touch.
― dow, Friday, 1 November 2013 00:33 (ten years ago) link
really like the feel/sound of this one so far, haven't listened in a context where I could really pay attention to the lyrics yet
― #fomo that's the motto (Hurting 2), Tuesday, 5 November 2013 19:38 (ten years ago) link
Love this album.
But why did I just pay $26.99 retail for a brand new LP (not a double), without even so much as a gatefold sleeve? WTF, New West? Kinda outrageous.
― Jimmywine Dyspeptic, Tuesday, 5 November 2013 23:30 (ten years ago) link
Here's the EPKhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXmrtPhPt1U
in the studio w Steve Shelley
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtLATaAVl54
― dow, Friday, 15 November 2013 00:29 (ten years ago) link
here's a dumb review: http://www.undertheradarmag.com/reviews/howe_gelb_the_coincidentalist/
Imagine describing the music of Leonard Cohen to a friend who has never heard of the Canadian troubadour. Now imagine that friend is a musician who then decides to record an album that sounds like their idea of Leonard Cohen, based on your description. This is the sound of Howe Gelb’s new album: David Byrne did this with Joy Division and the result was Talking Heads 77; The Coincidentalist is hardly as successful.
got that talking heads factoid wrongo but w/e
― tylerw, Wednesday, 4 December 2013 23:45 (ten years ago) link
that kt tunstall LP gelb produced this past year is pretty amazing.
― christmas candy bar (al leong), Saturday, 8 March 2014 20:33 (ten years ago) link
Good "Jumpin' Jack Flash":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCzJgpM4SdU
― the one where, as balls alludes (Eazy), Monday, 28 July 2014 21:40 (ten years ago) link
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BkKDg-rIEAAOATD.jpg
Joan Vich Montaner @joanvich
. @howegelb_ estuvo ayer grabando un dueto con Anna Karina (sí, ¡Anna Karina!). Mañana empieza su gira española.
― dow, Monday, 3 November 2014 01:38 (nine years ago) link
Also on Twitter, Gelb recently mentioned mastering some new tracks. And he produced the debut album of music journalist Sylvie Simmons; excerpts here are spare, but vibe has Gelb appeal:http://www.npr.org/2014/11/01/360629440/after-a-life-of-critiquing-others-music-sylvie-makes-her-own-album?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=music
― dow, Monday, 3 November 2014 01:42 (nine years ago) link
She doesn't mention him here, but on the press sheet (uh-oh, better listen to that promo)
― dow, Monday, 3 November 2014 01:46 (nine years ago) link
Ah nice---here she talks about working w Gelb, and he got to play on the album some (I better read her L. Cohen bio too): http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/sylvie-simmons-when-dogs-hear-my-album-they-get-soppy-1.1973111
― dow, Tuesday, 4 November 2014 14:42 (nine years ago) link
new collabo album w/Radian about to drop as well
― goth colouring book (anagram), Tuesday, 4 November 2014 14:47 (nine years ago) link
Never got too into them/him, but it was nice of this thread to remind me of this great track:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-ZK2LC9Uko
― MaudAddam (cryptosicko), Tuesday, 4 November 2014 14:51 (nine years ago) link
Speaking of xpost Radian w Howe, there's also this remix album--release 11/11/2014 according to Forced Exposure, who add:
"A seemingly curious collaboration. A wrangling and grappling, a confrontation, a quarrel. A checking-out, a weighing of compromises. The Viennese trio Radian has recorded an album with songwriter Howe Gelb from Tucson, Arizona. Here the situation is different: Radian Verses Howe Gelb is primarily a Radian release. In four sessions that were rather freely dispersed over time, Howe Gelb, usually devoting himself to a cosmopolitan rethinking of Americana and desert country in his day job, fed acoustic contributions into the microphone for Radian: piano, guitar, above all: voice -- sometimes as a reaction to material prepared by Radian, sometimes pulled liberally and unexpectedly from his own vast and tangled pool of ideas. The tones of Howe Gelb provided further material for Radian: They were dissected, dissolved, reoriented, mutated and made to fit into their own world. Radian Verses Howe Gelb is the first Radian release with guitarist Martin Siewert, who joined the band in 2011 and here also is responsible for processing and sound treatment. As usual, drummer Martin Brandlmayr was in charge of the selection and arrangement of sounds, and John Norman of the bass. As always with Radian, this record resembles a particularly carefully and cautiously-assembled collage: sounds, tones, noises -- the tracks are busy. They are teeming, quavering, vibrating. As before, the kinds of things that Brandlmayr, Norman and Siewert scrape and tease out of their machines and instruments make up an exuberant buffet of ideas and strangeness. The way the sounds are arranged here however creates an aura of fragility, a lean design. The tones appear to be artfully suspended in space, and you can feel the air flowing between them. You can hear Howe Gelb croaking and whining in the process of disintegration, and the entanglement and fusion with this highly-focused free music. The categories and genres crumble away ? whether it's exploring jazz, intricate tinker-electronics, dub, growling, hissing, bubbling, rock, a lot of things wondrously permeate this music, one that is indeed rather post-everything." --Philipp L'Heritier; Howe Gelb (voice, guitars, piano); Martin Brandlmayr (drums, vibraphone, electronics, synths, editing and arrangement); Martin Siewert (guitars, lap-, and pedal steel, electronics, synths, processings); John Norman (bass).
― dow, Wednesday, 5 November 2014 20:35 (nine years ago) link
Finally listened to xpost Simmons alb, posted these just now on twitter
Sylvie Simmons, Sylvie: "The sunlight burned your lips," in a voice clear as balm, for her (a) midnight cowboy. Ballads, touched just right. Damn, 140 characters is hard. But yeah,
Sylvie Simmons, Sylvie cont. L. Cohen biographer compresses, distills spare, rich original ballads 4 debut, li'l more punctuation by H. Gelb
Also: Damn, I gotta get me one of them ukeleles. Wonder what kind she uses like that?And: hope she shows up on a Giant or Giant Giant Sand or HG joint sometime.
― dow, Monday, 8 December 2014 01:09 (nine years ago) link
Always liked this tune: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4CIQrLZ6D8
― Cutset Creator (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 8 December 2014 01:13 (nine years ago) link
Thanks James! And here's one from Sylvie:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wKRD1VrPL4
― dow, Monday, 8 December 2014 01:30 (nine years ago) link
GIANT SAND MARKS 30th ANNIVERSARY SINCE DEBUT WITH EXCITING
NEW ALBUM, HEARTBREAK PASS, OUT MAY 5, 2015 ON NEW WEST RECORDS
LISTEN: "TRANSPONDER" FEATURING JASON LYTLE OF GRANDADDYhttps://soundcloud.com/newwestrecords/giant-sand-transponder
http://press.newwestrecords.com/giant-sand/giantsandcover-72dpi.jpg
FEATURES PAST AND PRESENT MEMBERS AND FRIENDS JASON LYTLE OF GRANDADDY, STEVE SHELLEY OF SONIC YOUTH, GRANT-LEE PHILLIPS, JOHN PARISH, MAGGIE BJORKLUND, THE COMMON LINNETS, LOVELY QUINCES
BAND CONFIRMED FOR SXSW, PRIMAVERA SOUND AND
UK's END OF THE ROAD FESTIVAL
LOS ANGELES, CA, March 13, 2015 - Giant Sand, the iconic and influential band fronted by luminary Howe Gelb, celebrates 30 years of freewheeling and ever-evolving music making on new album, Heartbreak Pass, due May 5, 2015 on New West Records. The album spans founder Gelb's far-reaching career and mixes the rollicking nature of the band's 1985 debut, Valley of Rain, with the dusty alt-folk, desert-rock and jazzy lounge-piano explorations of his most recent releases. "There are 3 volumes of 15 songs here representing living 2 lives for 30 years. Don't do the math. It doesn't figure," explains Gelb. "The 1st volume is a loud and lucky abandon, as if there's no choice. The 2nd volume is more heady, steady and direct, what they call Americana these days. The 3rd volume is the heart in constant turmoil from the effect of crossing the pond way too often, the blessed curse of the indie transponder."
Giant Sand will unveil the new songs at SXSW in Austin next week at two special shows - the New West day party at Threadgills on Thursday, March 19 and the label's official showcase at the Continental Club Friday, March 20 alongside label mates The Deslondes, Daniel Romano, Buxton, New Madrid and Luther Dickinson. They will then follow with a European tour this spring including appearances at both Primavera Sound in Barcelona and Optimus Primavera Sound Porto in Portugal, This Is Not A Love Song Festival in Nimes, France and several shows throughout the UK including Union Chapel in London and St. George's Hall in Liverpool as well as the End of the Road Festival. When not touring with the band, Gelb will reunite with friend Grant-Lee Phillips for another co-headline tour together. A Spanish tour co-headlining with M. Ward is in the works for September.
Self-produced by Gelb (producing credits include KT Tunstall and Sylvie Simmons) the album was truly a global undertaking and made all across the world in between his ping-ponging from the desert to Europe, where he does most of his touring these days. "It first sprouted in Brussels," Gelb reveals. "Some strings attached in Crete... a choir acquired in Canada... a wall of sound in Berlin... then a little noodling in Italy... and a dash in Nashville... a vocal quotient in Croatia... a couple linnets in it in Holland ... Jason's portal in Portland ... the rest slowly simmered in Tucson... and the whole thing was mixed in one place... bristling in Bristol."
Heartbreak Pass features the current Giant Sand lineup of Thøger Lund, Gabriel Sullivan, Brian Lopez, Jon Villa, Peter Dombernowsky, Nikolaj Heyman, Anders Pedersen, Iris Jakobsen and Asger Christiansen who trade off on instruments from song to song like a game of musical chairs. Frequent collaborators Maggie Bjorklund plays pedal steel on several tracks while Lonna Beth Kelley offers a smoldering counterpoint to Gelb's gravelly warble on a couple of tunes.
The album also features Jason Lytle of Grandaddy, Steve Shelley of Sonic Youth, Grant-Lee Phillips, Croatian indie folk singer Lovely Quinces, Ilse DeLange & JB Meijers of Dutch Americana band The Common Linnets, treasured alumni Paula Jean Brown and frequent PJ Harvey collaborator, John Parish, who also mixed the record. Original Giant Sand drummer, Winston Watson, who went on to play with Bob Dylan, guests on the album and brings things full circle.
"Heaventually" opens the album with Gelb's characteristic clever wordplay and Italian singer Vinicio Capossela's Waitsian recitation and from there moves to the upbeat indie rock of "Texting Feist" and garagey "Hurtin' Habit." "Transponder," a collaboration produced by Jason Lytle, has all of the signatures of his former band Grandaddy - spacey synths, unsettling noise and vocal chorales, and features former Giant Sand member and ex-member of The Go-Gos, Paula Jean Brown, on bass.
The pedal steel of "Song So Wrong" signals both the start of volume 2 and the rootsier side of the album but as with most Gelb records his creative restlessness kicks in and it's followed with "Every Now And Then." What starts with just Gelb and guitar builds to a climax of Mariachi horns, Spanish guitar and the Voices of Praise gospel choir. On "Home Sweat Home," he wrestles with the push and pull of being a touring musician and constantly having to leave family, delivering the genius lyric: "Get that terminal feeling/And they upgrade me to seat 2 B/For too many miles flown/ But 2 B or not 2 B, ain't home." The final third of the record, made for "late night musings," is hushed and plaintive and sees Gelb tickling the ivories like some kind of cosmic lounge singer. The album comes to a close with the touching "Forever and Always," a song written by and featuring Gelb's 12-year-old daughter.
Called "the scruffy master of alt-country eclecticism" by NPR, Gelb has been making music since 1980 and has a long run of indefinable and influential recordings ranging from punk and roots-rock to psych, jazz, gospel and even traditional Spanish music. Since his early lo-fi envelope-pushing recordings with renowned slide guitarist Rainer Ptacek as Giant Sandworms, Gelb has remained one of the most inventive and unique American musicians of the last three decades and has created a body of work that The Guardian hailed as "equal parts dazzling, intriguing, beautiful, maddening, musical and perverse." Guest artists over the last three decades have included Victoria Williams, Neko Case, Juliana Hatfield, PJ Harvey, Vic Chesnutt, Steve Wynn, Vicki Peterson, M. Ward and Isobel Campbell. Giant Sand's incarnation in the '90s included Joey Burns and John Convertino, who went on to form the acclaimed Latinesque unit Calexico. In addition to bestowing the world his own sun-warped music, whether as Howe Gelb or Giant Sand, or one of his other projects like the Band... of Blacky Ranchette, Arizona Amp & Alternator, 'Sno Angel or OP8, he also discovered M. Ward and Grandaddy; he released the former's debut on his own label and helped get the latter signed to V2.
GIANT SAND ON TOUR
March 19 - Austin, TX @ SXSW - Threadgills (New West Records Day Party)
(email for info)
March 20 - Austin, TX @ SXSW - Continental Club - 8 pm (New West Showcase)
May 14 - Lucerne, CH @ Südpol
May 15 - Florence, IT @ Viper Club May 16 - Rimini, IT @ Velvet Club May 17 - Munich, DE @ Feierwerk May 18 - Heidelberg, DE @ Karlstorbahnhof May 19 - Nürnberg, DE @ Hirsch May 20 - Düsseldorf, DE @ Zakk May 21 - Leuven @ BEL @ Het DepotMay 22 - Utrecht @ Netherlands @ Cloud 9, TivoliVredenburg May 23 - Schorndorf, DE @ Manufaktur May 24 - Bern, CH @ Dachstock May 25 - Basel, CH @ Kaserne May 26 - Aschaffenburg, DE @ Colos-Saa
May 28 - Barcelona, ESP @ Primavera Sound Barcelona
May 30 - Nimes, FRA @ This Is Not A Love Song Festival
June 1 - Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club
June 2 - London, UK @ Union Chapel
June 3 - Liverpool, UK @ St. George's Hall
June 5 - Porto, PRT @ Optimus Primavera Sound Porto
September 4-6 - Dorset, UK @ End of the Road Festival
Giant Sand on tour will consist of various clustering: Thøger Lund, Gabriel Sullivan and/or Brian Lopez, Peter Dombernowsky and/or Winston Watson with logistical incarnations that include Nikolaj Heyman, Anders Pedersen, Jon Villa, Iris Jakobsen, Asger Christiansen + Lonna Kelley
HOWE GELB SOLO SHOWS
March 24 - Copenhagen, DK @ Vera *
March 25 - Hamburg, DE @ Knust *
March 26 - Berlin, DE @ Frannz Club *
March 27 - Reutlingen, DE @ Franz K *
March 29 - Freiburg, DE @ Cafe Atlantik *
March 30 - Zurich, CH @ El Lokal *
March 31 - Lausanne, CH @ Le Romandie Club *
April 1 - Cantu, IT @ All'Una e Trentacinque Circa *
April 2 - Bologna, IT @ Bravo Caffe *
April 3 - Turin, IT @ Spazio 211 *
April 4 - Brescia, IT @ Latteria Artigianale Molloy *
April 8 - Bristol, UK @ St. George's Church
(preview of Giant Giant Sand tour movie "Out of the Desert)
* With Grant-Lee Phillips
Heartbreak Pass Tracklisting
1. Heaventually
2. Texting Feist
3. Hurtin' Habit
4. Transponder (stream)
5. Song So Wrong
6. Every Now And Then
7. Man On A String
8. Home Sweat Home
9. Eye Opening
10. Pen To Paper
11. Bitter Suite
12. House In Order
13. Gypsy Candle
14. Done
15. Forever And Always
― dow, Friday, 13 March 2015 22:33 (nine years ago) link
So far not getting into most of the new 'un---a few keepers, but it's not one of yer better old-rocker-looks-at-mortality albums. But there's always something more, like this preview of the new Giant Sand doc:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBfZ2cDtL90
― dow, Thursday, 2 April 2015 01:00 (nine years ago) link
Although xgau's latest new Expert Witness column at or in Vice's Noisey incl. more pos take on Heartbreak Pass than mine, should listen more, anyway. Meanwhile:
howe gelb @howegelb_ 42s43 seconds ago
backstage before the 3 hour set at the Århus Festuge in Denmarkhttps://pbs.twimg.com/ext_tw_video_thumb/640362546495664128/pu/img/5e3au3sfN6Kv1qiB.jpg
― dow, Sunday, 6 September 2015 03:21 (nine years ago) link
Original of that is a vine, or a gif, or something else that moves a little
― dow, Sunday, 6 September 2015 03:23 (nine years ago) link
stumbled onto this great performance:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BN6h3zT2NRY
― on entre O.K. on sort K.O. (man alive), Sunday, 4 October 2015 03:55 (eight years ago) link
Oops forgot to post these comments on Gelb's 2017 releases (from my Nashville Scene ballot comments):
Howe Gelb's Open Road is "a collection of sketches from several different projects over the last five years," but not too sketchy, no start-stop or mumbling in the background, but the pleasure of finding that good note right now, in several related styles overall, and seemingly fully-produced, if not quite what he's looking for yet, and always a thoughtful, intimate approach, even on an Arizona Highways roadside lounge Spaghetti Western trip. Makes me think he's got, not only a tape recorder next to the Gideon Bible in the motel nightstand, but an array of instruments and musos standing by at all times. Oh yeah, and not all the words may be quite worked out--haven't caught 'em all--but some lines to jump/slip out into memory, like the one about those who don't fall in love are "in love with the safety zone"---not entirely fair/true, but some truth in my case.http://music.howegelb.com/album/the-open-road
Gelb’s Further Standards is somewhat Country Related if you justify that tag re the amount of the more downhome jazzy lounge-roadhose sounds of this set by the Howe Gelb Piano Trio (with Lonna Kelly in duet and sometimes upfront vocals; guitar octaves occasionally appear). Kind of a speaking-again-of Mose Allison thing, minus the zings and bop excursions--there is MA-worthy wordplay, re word meanings and sounds and ideas, bits of storyline sliding around, but this is not Allison's attitude, it's pretty much all Gelb, writing on cocktail napkins and wondering when it's cool or acceptable or saleable or desirable, for that matter---and like what's the point or is it about a point---be "Presumptuous" or "Irresponsible" or an "Impossible Thing"----no matter how experienced and observant of self and others you are, it's provisional, swirling around in that glass, my my. In a discreet or furtive way, he's got the Country Related romantic preoccupations alright.(Also re Willie and Leon doing "One More For The Road", sometimes on YouTube, also several of Willie's standards collections and Dylan's also Mose-related "If Dogs Run Free" and some of his Sinatra-related covers, especially on Shadows In The Night, are also from this neck of the woods.)https://howegelbmusic.bandcamp.com/album/further-standards"Irresponsible Lovers," that is, the couple from Heaven and/or Hell, ask their bartender.
― dow, Tuesday, 2 October 2018 23:28 (five years ago) link
But this is what I meant to post:alley of Rain was Tucson’s Giant Sand’s debut album recorded in 1983, and eventually released by 1985. It included Howe Gelb on vocals, guitar and Winston Watson on drums for most of it, Tommy Larkins on drums for some of it and Scott Garber on fretless bass for all of it.
Now some 30 years later, This new re-recording of that first album will be toured by the band this summer, playing only those Valley of Rain songs. GIANT SAND RETURNS TO VALLEY OF RAIN. Live Dates
04 May: Mercado Block Party Concert @MSA Annex, Tucson, AZ, United States 24 May: Tower Musikclub, Bremen, HB, Germany 25 May: Batschkapp, Frankfurt On Main, Germany 26 May: Rätschenmühle e.V. Geislingen, Geislingen An Der Steige, Germany 27 May: Dachstock, Berne, Switzerland 28 May: Feierwerk / Hansa 39, Munich, Germany 29 May: Kulturladen Konstanz, Constance, Germany 30 May: Druckluft, Oberhausen, Germany 31 May: Musik & Frieden, Berlin, Germany 02 Jun: Vega (Small Hall), Copenhagen, DK 04 Jun: Parkteateret, Oslo, NO 05 Jun: Under the Bridge, London, UK 06 Jun: Concorde 2, Brighton, UK 07 Jun: The Fleece, Bristol, UK 09 Jun: Whelans, Dublin, IE 10 Jun: The Oran Mor Glasgow, UK 11 Jun: The Voodoo Rooms, Edinburgh, UK 02 Oct: Roots On The Rails, Chicago, IL, United States(Sorry, would have posted sooner if I'd thought to check for it.)
releases October 8, 2018
Only one track streaming on this Bandcamp page so far, but whole thing's already on Spotify.
― dow, Tuesday, 2 October 2018 23:36 (five years ago) link
xp Giant Sand Returns To Valley of Rain is indeed the title.
― dow, Tuesday, 2 October 2018 23:39 (five years ago) link
https://f4.bcbits.com/img/a1318240966_10.jpg
Newly remastered double LP* beautifully repackaged gatefold sleeve with new artwork and expanded liner notes.* Second disc includes Mad Dog Studio sessions from 1991
A firm fan favorite, Giant Sand’s essential 1991 album ‘Ramp’ was the second of three revered albums the band released in the early 90s. Now set for a remastered special indie store exclusive, the new edition released on 17th July comes beautifully repackaged in a gatefold sleeve with new artwork and expanded liner notes from MOJO’s Dave Henderson.
‘Ramp’ is a magical trip with a host of guests including Victoria Williams, Rainer and Pappy Allen. Featuring piano lounge music for an off-world colony interrupted by an onslaught of guitar when needed. Reverb on, fuzz friendly. Up to 11, it’s light and dark and the better for it, a musical journey on a road less travelled. All sounds are welcome; banjo, dobro, pedal steel, plaintive harmonica, whistling all wrap themselves around the flow of consciousness; those truly memorable words.With Gelb’s lyrical invention to the fore: “His thoughts unfold in long, rolling sentences that don't always follow conventional rules of grammar or syntax.” (The Quietus).
The Tucson sound at its very best. *Also on CD, digital, and/or stream it all here:https://giantsandmusic.bandcamp.com/album/ramp-2 (several other GS albs there as well, and of course https://howegelbmusic.bandcamp.com/)
― dow, Wednesday, 18 November 2020 04:08 (three years ago) link
his only 2020 solo release so far (older ones here too)--haven't listened yet, but as described, it's not an unfamiliar kind of thing from him:CocoonA meander of instantaneous aural sketches of improvised ponder.
: .It should be duly noted that no one is depressed or exhibiting any residual effects of the lyrical involvement herein. These are momentary possessions that passed by like glimpses of passengers on fleeting trains amongst the tracks in the evening here with soft glowing windows offering a blurred snippet..: .The piano was cocked & loaded at all times for the possible capture of any compelling notion and / or melody that should erupt per any hour to reel in this 90s TEAC CD recorder sheerly for the sake of its own slipstream banter that might make sense weeks later .. . if ever.:.:These doodles were never built to be played again, and some that were left off here, were never even meant to be played at all.:So.Enjoy at will this isolationist soundtrack for a time when time didn't matter..Your pal,Howecreditsreleased May 7, 2020 https://music.howegelb.com/
― dow, Wednesday, 18 November 2020 04:18 (three years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byP8iwbg_V0
― Maresn3st, Saturday, 12 March 2022 16:42 (two years ago) link
Cool, thanks!So fine: "Welcome To My World," feat. Pappy Dailey:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLXo2B4g0E4
― dow, Saturday, 12 March 2022 19:14 (two years ago) link
Nice. Pappy Allen?
― bulb after bulb, Saturday, 12 March 2022 21:31 (two years ago) link
(though Pappy Daily would be cool)
― bulb after bulb, Saturday, 12 March 2022 21:40 (two years ago) link
Yeah, Pappy Allen, sorry!https://pioneertownsun.com/pappy-allens-legacy-a-master-human-being/
― dow, Sunday, 13 March 2022 02:34 (two years ago) link
op8 — "cracklin water" (1997)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqDy1WfIrsI
Here on earthWith the bends and the rustYou hide from the rain and the winds you mistrustHere on earthIt's all dust to dust
― up and down. SO FAST! stay together.💙 (Austin), Friday, 24 February 2023 14:19 (one year ago) link