STEVE GUNN
''TIME OFF''
JUNE 18 2013
39:53
1. Water Wheel /5:09
2. Lurker /7:42
3. Street Keeper /5:43
4. New Decline /5:25
5. Old Strange /7:01
6. Trailways Ramble /8:53
REVIEW
by Thom Jurek
For most of the last decade and a half, guitarist Steve Gunn has been quietly going about his business as a musician's musician. In addition to collaborating with Meg Baird, the Magik Markers, and Kurt Vile, he has been an active recording artist as a member of GHQ, the Gunn Truscinski Duo, and in his low-key way, as a solo artist. Time Off is his first trio recording under his own name. Gunn is a guitarist of wide interests and skillful versatility, whether it be early blues traditions like Piedmont or Delta styles, American Primitive, Indian music, psych, Gnawan, etc. He seeks out what inspires him then masters it. This set was reportedly cut in the breaks he had between other projects. Its six songs (clocking it at nearly 40 minutes) ranging from five to nearly nine minutes, are performed with Truscinski on drums and bassist Justin Tripp. Those seeking the fiery interplay of GHQ will be surprised by the vibe here. Gunn employs his layered acoustic guitars primarily, with electric guitars woven in sporadically. He also sings on all but one track. This band is tight. They weave Americana, folk, blues, psych, improvisation, drone, and more into Time Off. The 12-string in "Water Wheel" opens with a gorgeous vamp that changes shapes effortlessly in spite of its repetition, and becomes an intricate through-flowing jam. The brief electric guitar solo briefly carries it in another direction only to return like a shapeshifter. Check the group interplay on the darkly tinged psych folk of "Lurker," which is simultaneously locked yet open to possibility. The guitar vamp that becomes the body of "Street Keeper" suggests the Grateful Dead's "Cassidy," though Gunn opens it up with jazz chord voicings and a lilting bridge; recording engineer Jason Meagher's pulsing flute moves it further afield. "New Decline" is a slide guitar psych blues that offers an extended electric guitar break and deep choogling boogie by the rhythm section. Tom-toms and fingerpicked guitars introduce "Old Strange." The guitar comes out of the Delta blues, but Helena Espvall's cello turns that on its head, and it becomes a spooky, infectious dark groove that suggests Led Zeppelin's more sinister acoustic moments. The nearly nine-minute closer, "Trailways Ramble," is the only instrumental; it's a sprawling, fluid, densely detailed workout with 12-string and slide guitars, cello, and that unshakeable rhythm section creating 21st century trance music. Time Off contains great songs. It's warm, spacious, sophisticated, and elastic. The only complaint is that Gunn's singing isn't more present in the mix, but even so, it adds to the album's sense of mystery. Gunn is at a creative peak here; can’t wait for more.
BIOGRAPHY
by Thom Jurek
Steve Gunn is a guitarist, songwriter, and producer living and working in Brooklyn, New York. While he is best known as a go-to musician and for his membership in GHQ, Gunn has a varied recording and collaboration history that includes work with British legend Michael Chapman and the late Jack Rose.
Gunn began playing guitar before high school, and credits his older sister with giving him tapes to listen to. His first loves were punk rock and rap. His first real band was a hardcore covers unit who actually toured between his freshman and sophomore years of high school.
But Gunn kept expanding his musical horizons, taking in everything from pysch to folk to country to funk. He eventually developed a deep interest in Indian classical music, La Monte Young, and Gnawa music as well -- all of which would feature in his own work. While in college, Gunn became aware of other Philly-based musicians including Bardo Pond and Rose. He also joined GHQ, whose other members were Pete Nolan (Magik Markers, Vanishing Voice) and Marcia Bassett (Un, Double Leopards, Zaimph, Hotogitsu), and the trio moved to Brooklyn, which became his home base. Gunn played with GHQ between 2005 and 2007, during which time the band issued nine full-length recordings. While still with GHQ, Gunn issued three extremely limited-edition recordings as Moongang. These releases were created using tape manipulation, field recordings, and to a lesser extent, guitars.
In 2007 he released his first self-titled solo album on Onomato, followed almost immediately by a self-titled, self-issued CD-R. Sundowner followed in 2008 on the U.K.'s Digitalis label. In 2009, Three-Lobed (also GHQ's label) released Gunn's Boerum Palace and the
Too Early for the Hammer EP. The former -- a limited-edition LP -- sold out quickly. Later that year, End of the City, a split album with Shawn McMillen, appeared from Abandon Ship Records. Gunn's next solo guitar offering was Camel Throat, released as a cassette-only album from Germany's Meudiademorte. In 2010, Gunn and drummer John Truscinski began playing live together as the Gunn-Truscinski duo. Their debut, Sand City was issued by Three-Lobed that year, followed by a live CD-R in 2011 and Ocean Parkway in 2012.
Gunn also kept busy as a solo artist, releasing a split album with the Sun City Girls entitled Not the Spaces You Know, But Between Them, in 2011.
In 2012, the guitarist joined Kurt Vile & the Violators for a global tour, eventually returning to issue his next album, Time Off -- a trio album featuring Truscinski and bassist Justin Tripp -- for Paradise of Bachelors in the late spring of 2013.
DoWnLoAd
''TIME OFF''
JUNE 18 2013
39:53
1. Water Wheel /5:09
2. Lurker /7:42
3. Street Keeper /5:43
4. New Decline /5:25
5. Old Strange /7:01
6. Trailways Ramble /8:53
REVIEW
by Thom Jurek
For most of the last decade and a half, guitarist Steve Gunn has been quietly going about his business as a musician's musician. In addition to collaborating with Meg Baird, the Magik Markers, and Kurt Vile, he has been an active recording artist as a member of GHQ, the Gunn Truscinski Duo, and in his low-key way, as a solo artist. Time Off is his first trio recording under his own name. Gunn is a guitarist of wide interests and skillful versatility, whether it be early blues traditions like Piedmont or Delta styles, American Primitive, Indian music, psych, Gnawan, etc. He seeks out what inspires him then masters it. This set was reportedly cut in the breaks he had between other projects. Its six songs (clocking it at nearly 40 minutes) ranging from five to nearly nine minutes, are performed with Truscinski on drums and bassist Justin Tripp. Those seeking the fiery interplay of GHQ will be surprised by the vibe here. Gunn employs his layered acoustic guitars primarily, with electric guitars woven in sporadically. He also sings on all but one track. This band is tight. They weave Americana, folk, blues, psych, improvisation, drone, and more into Time Off. The 12-string in "Water Wheel" opens with a gorgeous vamp that changes shapes effortlessly in spite of its repetition, and becomes an intricate through-flowing jam. The brief electric guitar solo briefly carries it in another direction only to return like a shapeshifter. Check the group interplay on the darkly tinged psych folk of "Lurker," which is simultaneously locked yet open to possibility. The guitar vamp that becomes the body of "Street Keeper" suggests the Grateful Dead's "Cassidy," though Gunn opens it up with jazz chord voicings and a lilting bridge; recording engineer Jason Meagher's pulsing flute moves it further afield. "New Decline" is a slide guitar psych blues that offers an extended electric guitar break and deep choogling boogie by the rhythm section. Tom-toms and fingerpicked guitars introduce "Old Strange." The guitar comes out of the Delta blues, but Helena Espvall's cello turns that on its head, and it becomes a spooky, infectious dark groove that suggests Led Zeppelin's more sinister acoustic moments. The nearly nine-minute closer, "Trailways Ramble," is the only instrumental; it's a sprawling, fluid, densely detailed workout with 12-string and slide guitars, cello, and that unshakeable rhythm section creating 21st century trance music. Time Off contains great songs. It's warm, spacious, sophisticated, and elastic. The only complaint is that Gunn's singing isn't more present in the mix, but even so, it adds to the album's sense of mystery. Gunn is at a creative peak here; can’t wait for more.
BIOGRAPHY
by Thom Jurek
Steve Gunn is a guitarist, songwriter, and producer living and working in Brooklyn, New York. While he is best known as a go-to musician and for his membership in GHQ, Gunn has a varied recording and collaboration history that includes work with British legend Michael Chapman and the late Jack Rose.
Gunn began playing guitar before high school, and credits his older sister with giving him tapes to listen to. His first loves were punk rock and rap. His first real band was a hardcore covers unit who actually toured between his freshman and sophomore years of high school.
But Gunn kept expanding his musical horizons, taking in everything from pysch to folk to country to funk. He eventually developed a deep interest in Indian classical music, La Monte Young, and Gnawa music as well -- all of which would feature in his own work. While in college, Gunn became aware of other Philly-based musicians including Bardo Pond and Rose. He also joined GHQ, whose other members were Pete Nolan (Magik Markers, Vanishing Voice) and Marcia Bassett (Un, Double Leopards, Zaimph, Hotogitsu), and the trio moved to Brooklyn, which became his home base. Gunn played with GHQ between 2005 and 2007, during which time the band issued nine full-length recordings. While still with GHQ, Gunn issued three extremely limited-edition recordings as Moongang. These releases were created using tape manipulation, field recordings, and to a lesser extent, guitars.
In 2007 he released his first self-titled solo album on Onomato, followed almost immediately by a self-titled, self-issued CD-R. Sundowner followed in 2008 on the U.K.'s Digitalis label. In 2009, Three-Lobed (also GHQ's label) released Gunn's Boerum Palace and the
Too Early for the Hammer EP. The former -- a limited-edition LP -- sold out quickly. Later that year, End of the City, a split album with Shawn McMillen, appeared from Abandon Ship Records. Gunn's next solo guitar offering was Camel Throat, released as a cassette-only album from Germany's Meudiademorte. In 2010, Gunn and drummer John Truscinski began playing live together as the Gunn-Truscinski duo. Their debut, Sand City was issued by Three-Lobed that year, followed by a live CD-R in 2011 and Ocean Parkway in 2012.
Gunn also kept busy as a solo artist, releasing a split album with the Sun City Girls entitled Not the Spaces You Know, But Between Them, in 2011.
In 2012, the guitarist joined Kurt Vile & the Violators for a global tour, eventually returning to issue his next album, Time Off -- a trio album featuring Truscinski and bassist Justin Tripp -- for Paradise of Bachelors in the late spring of 2013.
DoWnLoAd
