Wednesday, May 28, 2008

MORE FRUIT FROM THE BIG BLOOD INFATUATION

A few weeks ago we talked to you about this amazing wife-n-husband duo we'd just discovered called BIG BLOOD, based in the wilds of Maine (Portland!). At the time, way back in early May, we'd only heard an incredible CD-R of theirs called "The Grove". Since then, a lot has happened. I friended the band on MySpace. They friended back (they totally have the internet in Maine!!). I got another of their many CD-Rs, this one called "Strange Maine 1.20.07". Guess what? It's even better than the one that got me all hopped up in the first place. 9 songs of different shape, hue and pattern, yet all keeping to a general "American folk" perspective - if your definition of "American folk" is as big as mine. Mine shoehorns in Skip James, John Fahey, The Charalambides and The Sun City Girls, and I think BIG BLOOD's does too. It's hard not to be taken in by the band's approach, either; despite the exceptionally high quality of their music, everything released to date is very purposefully on CD-R, created at home and at Colleen Kinsella's print shop, and sold individually as long as people keep asking for them. When not raising their daughter in a big 'ol house collective-style with many other musicians, they write songs, practice, create art, and live the life of true American folk artists. The duo are fiercely loyal to the state of Maine and their environment, and my joshing aside, they paint (in interviews) a picture of a place perfect for nurturing their sort of oddball, explosve creativity.

They even tackle what I'm told is a Sumatran pop song straight off of one of the "Sublime Frequencies" comps, which is so great I'm going to give it away for free for you here, along with one other mindblower from this great CD-R. Order it here, at least when it comes back into stock!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

My wife and I are vacationing in Maine in a few weeks. Three things I am looking forward to, in no particular order: eating lobster, drinking at Gritty McDuff's Brewpub, and tracking down some Big Blood CD-Rs