Thursday 1 October 2009, 7.30pm
Laura Gibson
Beast of Seasons opens with a hum and drone, a veil of fog conjuring a sense ofatmosphere not unlike the Pacific Northwest coastal timber town where Laura Gibsonwas raised. A plaintive strum emerges with a voice in tow; a candle, a tender andflickering wisp of a voice suffusing the space with a warm glow. This voice, registeringas little more than a whisper, rises above the subtle and evocative instrumentation withuncommon intimacy. Coos and cracks, chirps and slurs, clucks and purrs all come intofocus with perceptive musicality.
Steeped in the fingerpick-guitar rudiments of folk music, inspired by the expressionismof classic jazz vocalists, and finding common ground in the minimalism and ear-tauntingof the avant garde, Laura Gibson alights on a branch of the music tree that no one elsehas found. Gibsonreveals that her own singing is more informed by a sensitivity and self exploration thanby training. “I like to feel the rumble in my sternum and the vibrations in the back of mythroat when I sing.I tend to gravitate toward simplicity and minimalism,but I am very conscious of the particular notes I play.”
Peasant
With On the Ground, Peasant has collected a series of stories and songs that would bolster any dejected listener and grant assurance to any weary proletarian. Able to construct valiant textures with uncomplicated production and delicate lyrics, Peasant’s latest record on Paper Garden Records is a more than fitting follow-up to Fear Not, Distant Lover. Societies could not last without the peasant class. In the case of DeRose, his examination of the world around him and interactions within the social classes make him an essential part of our world. His storytelling ability is akin to Simon and Garfunkel, drawing on personal experiences to weave tales of existence from his perspective.
“…a blossoming Pennsylvania-based troubadour” - Spin.com
“Peasant will no doubt have huge success in the coming year” - Frederick Foxtrott
"Consider him the U.S. version of Jose Gonzalez.” - Music Snobbery
Steve Abel
Following recent live performances with Jolie Holland and multi-instrumentalist Shahzad Ismaily in London and New York Steve Abel is embarking on some select UK dates in October to support the release of forthcoming single “Heart of Misery (The Bough)”, one of the songs featuring Jolie Holland from his latest album 'Flax Happy' - released in the UK in May 2009 to glowing reviews.
'Impressive, simple beauty' - Organ Magazine
'Lush and beautiful. Dark but uplifting' * * * * - Leeds Guide
'The escalating-in-excellence Steve Abel – equal parts disturbing and lullaby-esque. Sparse but dense, quiet but
intense. Consummately relaxed danger.' - The Quietus
'Shimmering – one of the most perplexing and stirring efforts you will ever hear.' - This Metal Sky
'New Zealander Abel and his supergroup of Island talent peak with 'Cinders of The Sun', a gloriously downcast country tale with added punch from folksy Texan chanteuse Jolie Holland. Worth investigating.' The Comet
'Steve has the balls and courage to examine everything, past, present, and most importantly, future. There is an inner-struggle going on here, and as noble as his intentions are, there’s got to be a collision of guttural emotions before anything can really be resolved, and the more I listen to this album, it’s this struggle within the grand confines of whatever the hell the future holds for him that is the guts of 'Flax Happy'. Pennyblack Music
