I tell you about lots of music that I think is good—just about an album a day, most days of the year.
But I don’t say that a lot of music is exciting. Mr. Gnome’s debut LP, “Deliver This Creature†is the exception. The album has the feel of classic 1960s heavy psychedelia, akin to the music of Black Mountain, with powerful, fuzzy bass and yearning vocals swirling overhead. With song titles like “Pirates,†“The Machine,†and “After the Sun,†the
album recalls Led Zeppelin’s overblown mystic imagery. Mixing mood and metal, the band has managed to make an album unlike any other.
Even more amazing, this alt-metal duo is fronted by a woman. This female/male twosome will draw comparisons to The White Stripes (and maybe even The Black Keys), but Mr. Gnome stands apart for several reasons. First, they don’t rely on standard three-chord progression blues. Their songs flit from the light to the heavy and back. Compare the incredibly delicate “Silhouette†with the stormy “Pirates,†and you’ll hear a range that you won’t find in any other power duo. Second, Nicole Barille’s voice is a thin, reedy whisper that somehow sounds powerful, even when it competes with drummer Sam Meister’s Bonzo-would-be-jealous sledgehammers and the kerang of her own guitar. She’s similar to Marnie Stern in the way she’s able to rise above the instrumentation . . .
And in the way she can shred.
Catch ‘em on tour, and while you’re there, buy this album direct from them, or from El Marko records. Support this artist.
05/10 Nashville, TN @ Springwater
05/12 Atlanta, GA @ Smith’s Olde Bar
05/13 Athens, GA @ Tasty World
05/14 Birmingham, AL @ The Nick
05/15 New Orleans, LA @ The Circle Bar
05/16 Houston, TX @ Rudyard’s British Pub
05/17 Dallas, TX @ Club Dada
05/18 Austin, TX @ Beauty Bar
05/20 Columbia, MO @ Mojo’s
05/21 Kansas City, MO @ The Record Bar
05/22 Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room
05/23 Madison, WI @ The Annex
05/24 St. Louis, MO @ The Bluebird
05/26 Denver, CO @ 3 Kings
05/27 Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
05/28 Boise, ID @ Neurolux
05/29 Portland, OR @ Towne Lounge
05/30 Seattle, WA @ Sunset Tavern
05/31 Tacoma, WA @ Le Voyeur
06/02 Arcata, CA @ Jambalaya
06/03 Oakland, CA @ The Stork Club
06/04 San Diego, CA @ Beauty Bar
06/05 San Francisco, CA @ Amnesia
06/06 Los Angeles, CA @ Knitting Factory
06/07 Tucson, AZ @ Plush
06/09 Albuquerque, NM @ Atomic Cantina
06/10 Oklahoma City, OK @ OKC Infoshop
06/11 Lawrence, KS @ The Bottleneck
06/12 Minneapolis, MN @ Hexagon Bar
06/13 Urbana, IL @ Canopy Club
06/14 Chicago, IL @ Ronny’s
06/20 Cleveland, OH @ Jigsaw
08/08 Cincinnati, OH @ TBD
