Steve Abel – ‘Heart of Misery’ UK single release
cd/digital single Released by Kins’land Records on Monday 5th October...
Steve Abel – ‘Heart of Misery’ UK single release
cd/digital single Released by Kins’land Records on Monday 5th October 2009
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. You can see him on the following dats
October 1st Café Oto w/ Laura Gibson, London
October 7th St Giles in the Fields Church w/ Mark Eitzel, London
October 8th Slaughtered Lamb, London
‘Flax Happy seeps stealthily into the mind and takes root’ – Rock ‘n’ Reel Magazine
‘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
for more information contact sean@mutante.co.uk 0044(0)7947609867 or 00393351683984
Related gig
Steve Abel & The Chrysalids smouldering sophomore release ‘FLAX HAPPY’
Auckland, May 2008
Local folk / rock hero Steve Abel and his collective The Chrysalids are excited to announce the release of their impassioned sophomore album ‘FLAX HAPPY’ projected to hit the airwaves on May 19.
Following on from their much heralded 2006 debut effort ‘Little Death’, Steve Abel & The Chrysalids have regrouped to produce this stunning 13 track album which was recorded over 2 days in a “dream session” with (Dunedin engineer) Dale Cotton at the Roundhead Studios in Auckland.
Steve Abel said of the recording process, “I had a dream list of 13 songs I wanted to try and record but realistically hoped we’d get 7 or 8 songs down. In fact we got all 13 which was great.”
(more…)
Rich ballads and accomplished players make for beautiful first album release by Steve Abel
[SinglePic not found]Auckland, 18 January 2006
Fittingly, the title track and first single “Little Death” epitomises the kind of love lost songs that comprise Auckland musician Steve Abel’s remarkable first album release. Abel’s sleepy low-toned lilt begins the song and as a cymbal eases in, so do the gentle harmonies of Goldenhorse’s Kirsten Morell.
Abel’s songs are poetic and direct and they’ve been captured with all the presence and purity that a live studio recording brings. The core 4 tracks, including Little Death, were recorded, mixed and produced by London based engineer Nick Abbott on Waitangi weekend in 2003 at Montage Studios in Grey Lynn. Most tracks merely had vocal harmonies added after the initial takes.
Morell is just one of the familiar voices and names featured on the album, lending her presence to the heart rending “Duet” and the stomping “Ghost of God” as well. The core members of the Steve Abel Band (and the live line-up) are: Morell’s Goldenhorse cohort Geoff Maddock, formerly of Bressa Creeting Cake and New Zealand’s top guitar melodist. Here his guitar lines glide with impeccable clarity and his distinctive voice can be heard on four tracks, including “Sweetheart.” Pluto’s front man Milan Borich plays drums with a fantastic feel and his Pluto band-mate Mike Hall deftly intones on double bass. Gareth Thomas of Goodshirt renown plays the accordion like an ambient synthesiser. That’s the band.
Though stylistically comparable to Nick Cave or Will Oldham, Abel’s voice, lyrics and approach are uniquely his own.
The album’s final track: “Hospice for Destitute Lovers,” was recorded in 2001 as the closing track of Florian Habicht’s film noir feature Woodenhead. It features Li Ming Hu of the Tokey Tones on violin, Mike Beehre of Goodshirt on drums, Bevan Larsen of the Headless Chickens added bass and Mardi Potter sings.
The first run of the nine-track album is an individually numbered limited edition issue of 1000. The run includes a 16 page lyric book and is based on a striking design by Nick Eagles, using a distinctive lithograph of a tui, from 1777. The album is being distributed by Rhythmethod and will be available in stores from 20 February.
Launch gig for the album: Auckland, Schooner Tavern, Friday February 24.
Contact Mike Keating for interviews or other enquiries on: 09 376 5780
May 09 London gigs
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Steve Abel & The Chrysalids smouldering sophomore release ‘FLAX HAPPY’
Auckland, May 2008 Local folk / rock hero Steve Abel and his collective The Chrysalids...
Rich ballads and accomplished players make for beautiful first album release by Steve Abel
[SinglePic not found]Auckland, 18 January 2006 Fittingly, the title track and first...