Giant Giant Sand: Tucson (Fire, 6/12/12)
“Detained”
[audio:https://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Giant_Giant_Sand_Detained.mp3|titles=Giant Giant Sand: “Detained”]Every writer of dusty Western laments has a few items on his or her bucket list. If you are Howe Gelb, of the long-running Arizona-based Giant Sand, recording an expansive country-rock opera was on it. Or perhaps, after nearly 30 years of making records, it was the only thing left to do?
Achieving public familiarity through featured songs in Little Miss Sunshine, DeVotchKa has worked hard to make a name for itself. Its Gypsy-influenced sound employs a wide variety of styles and instrumentation, celebrating a genre that has been around for hundreds of years.
Tuscon-based singer/songwriter Howe Gelb has made a name for himself by collaborating with an ever-changing cast of players. As Giant Sand, Gelb has released more than 20 records, with contributions from the likes of Neko Case, PJ Harvey, Vic Chesnutt, and Steve Wynn.