The desert has produced its fair share of religious prophets and fiery miracles—just ask Moses—and that goes for the musical world as well.
The American desert has inspired such prophets as Captain Beefheart, Gram Parsons, and last but far from least Howe Gelb, American alt-country/freak rock legend and leader of Giant Sand. Gelb and his shifting cast of guest collaborators have produced everything from idiosyncratic covers of “Iron Man” and Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain” to beautiful ballads like “Shiver” and “Love a Loser” to off-kilter forays into noise like “Sonic Drive-In” to timeless rockers like “Valley of Rain.”
It’s as if Gelb stared too long into the burning Arizona sun and had a revelation that all sound is righteous sound, making Giant Sand one of the most unpredictable and exciting bands around.
When you are done splitting hairs and genres, he sits before you as a master songwriter—through and through. One might be tempted to follow that statement with an “end of story.” But with Howe, the story always seems to have one last twist and turn, never truly coming to a conclusion or even bothering for a weary rest.
The prolific Gelb—who even looks like a desert prophet with his piercing gaze, graying beard, and flannel shirt—has also released more than 20 solo LPs, the latest being 2013’s The Coincidentalist. It’s a quiet, intimate affair, with Gelb occasionally singing in a whisper to sparse, restrained musical arrangements.
That said there are some flamboyant touches, such as the female singers and freak guitar pepping up “Unforgivable” and “Triangulate.” Let us all hope that Gelb, who will be at the Black Cat on Saturday, January 11 with opener Tracy Shedd, plays the stunning “The 3 Deaths of Lucky” from his latest and “Lost Love” from 2013’s Dust Bowl. And, oh yeah, we’ve got two tickets for one of you to snag for Saturday’s alt-country affair at the Black Cat.
Simply name your own alt-country muse in the comments below and the sharpest buck knife in the shed will get to take in Howe and Tracy on us. We’ll choose one winner for the pair at noon on Friday, 1/10.
