Itinerant dark folkie and ex-Metallic Falcon Matteah Baim released her solo debut Death Of The Sun in 2007. Her followup Laughing Boy, illustrated by a conversation between Mozart and his dog in the liner notes, is out in the Spring. Across its 13 tracks -- which build into a sprawling, tumbling, eerie, spiritual, and intimate psychedelic Niko-esque song-cycle utilizing various sounds and textures -- she's joined by Lichens' Robert A.A. Lowe and Soft Circle's Hisham Akira Bharoocha (ex-Black Dice), among others. The opening track's the especially spare "Pagoda" with its refrain that "music, music / is catching up with me / so I forget to leave." It's the perfect Laughing Boy welcome mat:
Matteah Baim - "Pagoda" (MP3)
Laughing Boy is out this Spring via Dicristina Stairbuilders. You can hear more Matteah at her MySpace. She's currently on the road, opening for Antony:
02/08 - Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse
02/12 - Chicago, IL @ Vic Theatre
02/13 - Milwaukee, WI @ Pabst Theatre
02/14 - Minneapolis, MN @ Pantages Theatre
Also, photos of Matteah, along with images of Devendra Banhart, Joanna Newsom, Bats For Lashes, Little Joy, and Vetiver, etc., appear in Lauren Dukoff's forthcoming book FAMILY. An exhibition including some of these photographs opens at Eleanor Harwood Gallery, SF, on 2/20.
[This photo, though, by Leila Hekmat]
