Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Woven Hand/Silver Summit - Iota - Oct 17 2008


Silver Summit opened things up in a club I wish I could like better. It's small, but adequate for the right acts. Sound is iffy and the people talking at the bar can be very loud and distracting (Ask Teddy Thompson who did not enjoy his set a few years back).

Silver Summit is an interesting collection of musicians from Brooklyn. Three females and a couple males play all kinds of strings with a drummer. Very psychedelic, ambient but both a bit edgier and some good Asian traditional folk working within the songs. A really excellent set. I hope to see this band again and recommend them highly.

Woven Hand is one of my favorite bands working today. They were formed out of the ashes of 16 Horsepower which was the forerunner of "the Denver sound" which was sort of a Gothic, twisted, psycho-Americana movement that was anything from dark folk to crazed neo-bluegrass rockabilly.

Woven Hand started pretty much as David Eugene Edwards playing solo with friends. He was the singer/main songwriter for 16HP and continues to be the main songwriter here. Woven Hand was a three piece with Mr. Edwards playing with a rhythm section he's used in recent years as more of a fulltime band. He's backed by Ordy Garrison (formerly of Slim Cessna's Auto Club) on drums and Pascal Humbert (16HP) on bass. Previously they played with a Norwegian lead guitarist, but this time it was Edwards' banjo and guitar carrying the melodies.

Woven Hand's music is more intensely personal than 16HP with a more sparse architecture and intricate lyrics. But they rocked hard at times and kept the mysterious spirit of their music alive and well. Great songs which captivated the audience throughout. The band is huge in Europe and hopefully can continue to grow their base here.

Highly recommended both live as well as their recordings, which should be tried out soon if you haven't already.

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