Giant Sand Now following a nearly four year hiatus, Howe Gelb's Giant Sand project returns with the release of proVISIONS on September 2, 2008 . Produced by Howe and Kent Olsen (Arizona Amp and Alternator, Marie Frank), the album's 13 tracks were recorded during a summer in Denmark, and features the Danish musicians Thoger T. Lund (bass), Peter Dombernowsky (drums), and Anders Pedersen (slide guitar). As with past incarnations of the band, the current lineup utilizes a [...]
I know, I know, there are plenty of women who visit this site with absolutely excellent taste in music. And some of the best music blogs out there are written by women. But the title of this post is not to criticise all women, it is aimed at a very particular sort whose relationship with [...]
Tonight I caught the truly amazing Howe Gelb, along with perhaps 50 other music fans who managed to actually hear about the last-minute show. It's a laid back town and I guess our legends are the same. Howe is prepping for a tour with the Canadian singer-songwriter Kate Maki, whose album On High he produced and released on his OW OM record label. Sure the show was just announced yesterday, and
Jack Irwin (1916-2008) was remembered on Monday in Saskatoon. He was my grandfather's brother, which makes him my great-uncle. I only met him twice as an adult (as an adult myself; for sure, he was an adult long before I was even born), but he made an impression in the best possible way. Jack was a jokester. I don't know if he had them ready, or if they just came to him. But even pushing 90, which would have been when I last saw him, he was the sharpest guy in the room when it came to jokes. Meeting [...]
I spent a lot of time and effort trying to decide what the final song would be in this end-of-the-year tally of songs I really like a lot. Even though I generally lost interest in the process shortly after I posted the third installment, I have yet to lose interest in songs in general, and these songs specifically. Some of the things I thought about while compiling this list: -does the world really need another blog entry about Spoon's " The Underdog "? -I've already posted one R. Kelly cover (by Shivaree). Am I ready for another (by [...]
I'm a little too busy to take pictures and upload them, but BELIEVE ME, the moustache is back--if only for a couple of days. It's as much a fashionable as rhetorical device this time 'round. No matter what all the sensible people I know say, I think it suits me. But on Saturday morning, I'm getting on a plane to Montreal, and there's no way I'm flying with this bizz under my nez. So this is just to say that there probably won't be any updates until long after Turkey Day, since as soon [...]
On Sunday I awoke feeling rather less groggy than the previous day, presumably owing to the lack of that marvelous late-night tequila/pink champagne combo. To further cement their legendary status, my splendid tent neighbours provided both bacon sarnies and tea when I dragged my freezing arse out of my tent in the morning. [...]
Well what a long and illustrious history this gentleman has. The word prolific would be something of a comical understatement - only the Magnetic Fields' Stephin Merritt really springs to mind as a comparison. If you add up the work he has released as part of Giant Sand, The Band of Blacky Ranchette, Arizona Amp [...]
Maybe this year, Lure 's stocking will be stuffed with a renewed sense of dignity . Wednesday night, Giant Sand frontperson Howe Gelb plays at the library. Though born in Tucson, his Ottawa connections are extensive, as dial613 has discussed previously . You really should start paying attention. Thursday, The Fully Down , the biggest Ottawa band in all of Japan, pop some punks at Maverick's in an all-local line-up, including the recently reannointed Travel By Owl (ex-The Architects). It's all ages, so make sure to have [...]
Part Two of our Year In Review... Part One can be found HERE. The following list is comprised of my favorite 12 albums released in 2006. Take note that this list is in flux, and could be very different a month from now. For example, last year I declared Sufjan Steven's Illinois as my top [...]
Akron/Family play at the First Baptist Church on Friday This Sunday at Zaphod's, there's yet another indiescene veteran in town(in addition to Yo La Tengo last week), Giant Sand . The 20+ year-old Tucson indie rock band features Howe Gelb , who has an unlikely number of Ottawa connections: his latest solo album, 'Sno Angel Like You , was inspired by a winter-time trip to Ottawa and a Bluesfest set at a church with local singer-songwriter Jim Bryson and gospel choirs. Not only was the album inspired by [...]
Howe Gelb's 'Sno Angel Like You was a traveling gift from an old friend in Atlanta I had the pleasure of catching up with over beers earlier this Summer (thanks, John). While on my "list," I had never committed to purchasing the album. This in turn worked out to be a good thing because 'Sno Angel is a near-perfect road album. If you don't know the score already, this is the [...]
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