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VIRGIL SHAW:
Mr. Shaw gets his extroverted waltzes and rockers from a honky-tonk somewhere in the "wilderness of this world" that he sings about in his cracked voice. It's a place where the mystic Americana of the Band meets Mr. Shaw's own surreal tales and hard-luck images." The New York Times
"Shaw's second solo album is both well-constructed and full of beautiful abstractions. Weird like Roky Erickson and soulful like Van Morrison, Shaw's lyrics paint fanciful scenes that are loosely encased by clever, mid-tempo arrangements." Rolling Stone
THE HUMAN CONDITION:
San Francisco string band The Human Condition (T.H.C.) performs original, modern-day roots music, creating a sound as varied as the world they inhabit. Each song strains against the confines of style and expectation; as much an homage to the past as a departure from it. Tinged with sorrow but not regret, T.H.C.'s music is a long ramblin' drive across an American landscape that is quickly becoming the stuff of memory and imagination. Rowdy barnstormers and driving road songs are offset by calmer, brooding ballads that evoke lazy days and restless nights. Guitars, mandolin and upright bass are joined by vocal harmonies and harmonica in a familiar palette which is cast in a new light by innovative songwriting and lyrical imagery. The group expands as friends are available, to include banjo, fiddle, lap steel, and melodica; providing a variety in live performances that makes each show truly special. The Human Condition is as endlessly unique as it is universal. |
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