"The Thin King" is the debut release from Gull (on Molsook Records)—a project from here in Richmond, VA that offers a quite literal representation of "one-man band" by performing guitar, drums, and vocals at the same time (see YouTube for details). And it's actually really fucking cool, too. It's funny, 'cause the label's website says that "anyone that's been living in Richmond, VA for the past few years will tell you that you're bound to eventually witness the sounds and sight of Gull", and I guess for once that's actually true, as I was walking around at the river a few days ago and the dude was playing out on the rocks under a bridge!? What a weird coincidence! You might assume that a man's mere four limbs would create a limited palette of sounds, but that's not the case here. The four tracks herein fluidly transition from tangible riffs and song-like structures where sparse, twangy vocals creep into the background of the mix behind light washes of reverb to improvisational fits of percussion, grating guitar textures, and howls that have more of an avant-garde kinda vibe happening. All 13 minutes is a really peculiar outing that certainly grabs your attention. I wasn't sure I was gonna be into this one, but I find it to be pretty damn interesting, so I'll be looking forward to hearing more. Nicely done...
Each 7" (which is limited to about 500 copies) comes with a download code for mp3's of the release, which is always awesome, so definitely make the grab if you're curious...
Comments
Wooow this sounds very interesting for one man band!!! :)
10.14.2009 | By Carlos
I thought YouTube video was better.
His coordination is admirable and he’s able to put together something decent on his own (and the stuff I saw with the No BS Brass Band (I think that’s their name) is pretty good too). The performance is probably as important as the music (or at least, it plays a big role); without seeing Gull work his magic, there’s limited appeal. Still, it’s worth checking out. Let’s see other one man bands do it all at once and see what happens!
One thing comes to mind, looking at Gull’s myspace profile. Is the record warped or something? It’s hard to tell, but the records in the picture don’t look like they’re flat.
10.17.2009 | By Dichatomy
nope, not warped. i took those pictures in my back yard with the sleeves sitting on grass so if they look weird its that the ground wasnt completely level.
10.19.2009 | By molsook