Three bulletin items for Laura Gibson:

1. Radio: Laura will play on NPR’s World Cafe on Tuesday June 9th. World Cafe can be heard on nearly 200 stations nationwide. Find your local station by scrolling to the bottom & choosing your state under “Find a Program Broadcast Time”.  Failing that, you can listen online to the WXPN/Philadelphia stream.  Lastly, if you’re unable to tune in, it will be archived at NPR.org

2. More Tour Dates recently added:
06/08/09 РMon : Rock Island, IL @ RIBCO with Mus̩e M̩canique, Rock Plaza Central
06/11/09 РThu : Biddeford, ME @ Hogfarm Studios with Mus̩e M̩canique
06/14/09 РSun: Brooklyn, NY @ Union Hall with Mus̩e M̩canique
06/22/09 РMon : St. Louis, MO @ Firebird with Mus̩e M̩canique

3. Video highlights from her recent Portland Performance, at The Doug Fir:

Watch all eight videos from this performance in a YouTube playlist.

A couple months ago a made this batch of songs which I kinda liked. They are notable for being different from anything I’ve done before:  Ambient.  Now I’m thinking it’s time to set the audio free into the world, so voila, Sound of Picture Vol 3.

Download for free, or suggested donation in the HUSHshop.

Sound of Picture Vol 3 sampler mix

I also made videos for them. Here’s one for the first track, “Sad Cyclops”.

They can be seen in a continuous playlist here.

For more instrumental music consider downloading Vol 1 & 2; short, simple, melodic compositions to accompany photographs.

Total bargain alert!  We’re having a special sale beginning today: That’s right: 3 albums (aged 3+ years) on sale for $3 each, for 3 weeks only! This will be a limited-time offer with rotating specials from our back catalog.  Available in the HUSHshop.

I’m going to be the guinea pig and step up to the plate with a sampling from my own discography over the years.  Beginning in 1997 we have my only canonical vocal solo release, entitled Portland, Or.  Jumping ahead to 2004, my band Blanket Music released Cultural Norms, maybe the snappiest offering from Yours Truly, and has the footnote distinction of breaking into the CMJ top 20.  Pitchfork spake thus:

Crouch understands the difference between getting in people’s faces, and inviting them to come to him… he easily could have erred in the other direction by pitching headlong into the cultural wars. Instead, he found a perfect balance, and this is his most compelling album.

Five years on, I’m not sure if I understand anything really, but I am inviting you to consider owning this artifact and judging for yourself.

Lastly, the short-lived Toothfairy mini album Formative is an interesting foray which looks back and forward simultaneously.   The lyrics paint a detailed pastiche of adolescence while the electronic palette is certainly an antecedent to Podington Bear, my outlet for instrumental ditties.

So, have a listen and consider for your collection.

Blanket Music – “Cultural Norms” Sampler Mix

Chad Crouch – “Portland, Or.” Sampler Mix

Toothfairy – “Formative” Sampler Mix

All dates with the inimitable Musée Mécanique
05/31/09 – Sun : Kennewick, WA @ The Red Room
06/01/09 – Mon : Spokane, WA @ Empyrean Coffehouse
06/03/09 – Wed : Fargo, ND @ The Aquarium
06/04/09 – Thu : Minneapolis, MN @ Cedar Cultural Center
06/06/09 – Sat : Chicago, IL @ Beat Kitchen with Rock Plaza Central
06/07/09 – Sun : Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon  Rock Plaza Central
06/10/09 – Wed : Rochester, NY @ Bug Jar
06/12/09 – Fri : Winooski, VT @ Monkey House
06/15/09 – Mon : Washington, DC @ Black Cat Backstage
06/18/09 – Thu : Norfolk, VA @ The Boot
06/25/09 – Thu : Manitou Springs, CO @ Kinfolks Mountain Shop
06/26/09 – Fri : Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge

07/31/09 – Fri : Happy Valley, OR @ Pickathon
08/01/09 – Sat : Happy Valley, OR @ Pickathon

Dustin Hamman, his band of Johns, (John Vechiarelli, John Whaley & John Reski) and Michael Capello on stand-up bass performed as Run On Sentence for OPB Radio’s Live Wire! variety show a few weeks ago. Despite some technical difficulties (neatly edited out for the radio) the band gave a rousing performance. and Hamman charmed the audience with anecdotes from life in the Columbia Gorge.

You can download the podcast via iTunes (The April 18th Episode)