New Giant Sand track on Luz de Vida compilation album

We're not all that fussed about keeping up with trends, here around the UOH chalet. However, we tend to get excited when new Giant Sand material is announced. Have a listen to this, we played it on the show this week.

Giant Sand "Recovery Mission (Radio Edit)" by FortLowellRecords

Beautiful or what? I particularly like those lines -

They found water on Mars, not much but surely substantial
About a pound of frozen tears' worth, as such it's purely circumstantial


Wry and poignant would be words. And that children's chorus later on is perfectly judged. It turns out that the tune is Howe Gelb's response to a certain shooting in Tucson, Arizona earlier this year. You'll have heard about it. Here are all the details, quoted from the Fort Lowell Records website, the label on which the compilation appears. (By the way, you'll find eight other tracks from the album streaming on that link - at first listen, they sound really good. In fact, I could listen to that Howe Gelb song Sno angel spiral all day. And so can you here, a live version from 2008.)



Luz de Vida is a compilation album of music from artists both in Tucson and affiliated with Tucson. All proceeds from the sale of Luz de Vida will go to the Tucson Together Fund, the only officially sanctioned fund established to assist victims, families, and witnesses of the January 8th tragedy.

Luz de Vida – Spanish for Light of Life – is an expression of community, love, healing, grace and hope, a positive response from Tucson musicians and national artists who have a special bond with Tucson. Luz de Vida will be available in two formats: as a 37-track digital album and a special limited-edition 12-song vinyl release, with exclusively Tucson bands.

Included are songs written as a direct response, like Giant Sand’s “Recovery Mission,” in which the elder ambassador of desert rock Howe Gelb sings of the city’s tears and “collective heart.” The compilation also features “The Oasis” from the late, legendary blues guitarist Rainer.

Calexico, whose longtime friendship with Gabrielle Giffords and her husband Mark Kelly has resulted in the band’s music being played aboard the International Space Station, contributes the unreleased “Absent Afternoon.” Songs from Calexico collaborators Salvador Duran and Mariachi Luz de Luna reflect the city’s Hispanic tradition.

Tucson friends Robyn Hitchcock, John Vanderslice, Spoon, Neko Case, Meat Puppets, Jimmy Eat World, Ozomatli, Visqueen’s Rachel Flotard & Jon Rauhouse, Mark Growden and Chuck Prophet all contribute songs.

Fort Lowell Records artists Tracy Shedd and Dead Western Plains recorded exclusive follow-ups to their acclaimed 7inch records.

On the heels of their stunning 2011 debut album, Tucson’s Lenguas Largas returns with a special new track. The upstart R&B Kiss & The Tells make their recorded debut on Luz de Vida. Indie rockers Holy Rolling Empire and La Cerca explore new directions. And exclusive to the 12inch vinyl is a live recording of Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come” from Chango Malo.

Luz de Vida is compiled by Music Against Violence, a coalition of Tucson writers, recording engineers, and venue operators.

“Music is the thread that keeps life going when we have no where else to go and feel like our world has no direction. Here in this compilation of local musicians and artists from Tucson you feel the sense of community and respect that we all share for one another here and those affected by the events that took our town and country by surprise. Luz de Vida brings a much needed warmth and glow into the heart of Arizona and Sonora.”
— Joey Burns, Calexico


All very worthy and interesting, says you. They had us at the words "New Giant Sand".

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Best of 2014 - Part 4: Jazz/Chamber/Orchestral/Wonky/Ambient/Minimalist

Best of 2014 - Part 3: Psych/Krautrock/Punk/Blues/Glam/Tropical

Matthew Bourne - Montauk Variations (The Leaf Label)