Howe Gelb - 'Sno Angel Like You

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thrill jockey says, dusty groove-style:

We have a brand new record from Howe Gelb entitled ’Sno Angel Like You. Our man in Arizona headed up to the Great White North to play a festival last year and came in contact with the sounds of local gospel choir Voices of Praise. Shortly after the encounter, he had pressed them into service on his next record, under the condition that he "keep it positive". The end result is nothing less than Howe's finest work to date. The choir appears on all tracks, and Howe wears his boots in the pulpit throughout. A classic!

― gear (gear), Monday, 27 March 2006 21:48 (twenty years ago)

this is very nice, particularly the opening track.

― send your men of science quick (Jody Beth Rosen), Monday, 27 March 2006 22:23 (twenty years ago)

i knew you'd reply!

― gear (gear), Monday, 27 March 2006 22:51 (twenty years ago)

"get to leave"

― send your men of science quick (Jody Beth Rosen), Monday, 27 March 2006 23:04 (twenty years ago)

I'm loving this. The gospel choir isn't just tacked on to give the songs an imprimatur of soul. Unlike Spiritualized he's not using them for grandeur. The music is sparse, often little more than Howe's guitar and clumpy drums, so they have plenty of room to move around in. It's wonderful, particularly Get To Leave and the reworking of Reiner's The Farm. When the choir comes in on the chorus of the latter tune hairs stand on end. Nice to see that he doesn't try to be polite or worthy in such company - there's plenty of unholy, scuzzy guitar muck as ever.
It is quite possibly the best thing he's done, certainly his finest since Chore of Enchantment. Can't wait for the tour.

― stew!, Tuesday, 28 March 2006 10:56 (twenty years ago)

is he touring with the choir? sounds like an expensive tour.

― send your men of science quick (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 11:15 (twenty years ago)

i like it. sometimes, with the choir, and howe's laconic vocals, it evokes the gospel tones of the self-titled velvets album

― prince rupert, Tuesday, 28 March 2006 12:23 (twenty years ago)

but these songs are so (relatively) upbeat!

― send your men of science quick (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 13:11 (twenty years ago)

so are "what goes on" and "beginning to see the light"! well, sorta

― prince rupert, Tuesday, 28 March 2006 13:16 (twenty years ago)

i really love this set. i agree with stew, this isn't just some ameteur dive into integrating a gospel choir. the songs are really touching and sound very inspired. his most positive effort yet.

― katie, a princess (katie, a princess), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 14:32 (twenty years ago)

and the choir sound like they're having a great time singing along with howe. it doesn't feel like yr average "pay us and we'll sing whatever doggerel you want" choir-for-hire.

― send your men of science quick (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 14:39 (twenty years ago)

no doggerel . . . meticulous morning . . . hammer of the gods leaves a nail in the sky. . . .

― prince rupert, Tuesday, 28 March 2006 15:38 (twenty years ago)

Send Your Men OTM. They particularly seem to be enjoying themselves on the tunes where Howe is doing his best make-the-wrong-notes-work Neil Young-isms.
The tour is gonna be awesome.

― stew!, Tuesday, 28 March 2006 16:27 (twenty years ago)

i don't think he's touring much because of the expense of bringin a whole choir

― katie, a princess (katie, a princess), Thursday, 30 March 2006 17:47 (twenty years ago)

sorry to do the publicist thing, but Howe is playing 2 US shows with the Choir. 5/27 at the Bowery in NYC and 5/28 at the Old Town School in Chicago. Glad so many people are loving the album

― jamie proctor (jamie p), Friday, 7 April 2006 18:01 (twenty years ago)

SEND HIM TO WESTERN CANADA, please

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Friday, 7 April 2006 18:23 (twenty years ago)

oh he's not that bad!

― gear (gear), Friday, 7 April 2006 19:14 (twenty years ago)

he's doing quite a long tour in may around the uk and europe, and then he's back in europe in july for a few more dates/festivals.
all of this with the whole choir.
the shows are going to be awesome!

― joan vich (joan vich), Friday, 7 April 2006 19:48 (twenty years ago)

you can stream the whole album or buy it here:
http://thrilljockey.com/catalog/?id=100363

and download a free track here:
http://www.thrilljockey.com/download/Howe_Gelb-But_I_Did_Not.mp3

― jamie proctor (jamie p), Friday, 7 April 2006 20:49 (twenty years ago)

there's actually three free tracks to download here:
http://www.myspace.com/howegelb

― joan vich (joan vich), Saturday, 8 April 2006 16:48 (twenty years ago)

sorry, but no there aren't

― jamie proctor (jamie p), Monday, 10 April 2006 21:10 (twenty years ago)

keep on praising one of 2006 best records!!
halleluya!!!

― very ban moon, Sunday, 16 April 2006 18:43 (twenty years ago)

eight years pass...

No longer available =(

Would really like to hear this

― Kornblud (admrl), Friday, 6 June 2014 14:50 (twelve years ago)

I saw a copy in a record shop not too long ago. Maybe Rise in Bristol? I think I still own it; lovely record.

― i reject your shiny expensive consumerist stereo system (Scik Mouthy), Friday, 6 June 2014 15:07 (twelve years ago)

There's something on Spotify called "'Sno Angel & Melted Wires split 7"" listed under Howe Gelb's name. The track listed as 'Sno Angel "Spiral"' is quite pretty and does feature a choir -- is that from this record?

― ₴HABΔZZ ¶IZZΔ (Hurting 2), Friday, 6 June 2014 15:52 (twelve years ago)

You'll find it. Meanwhile: thumbnail overview here, posted when it was first released, right before he played NYC:
http://www.villagevoice.com/2006-05-16/music/rehearsing-his-choir/full/

― dow, Friday, 6 June 2014 23:00 (twelve years ago)

Find the whole thing, that is (the Spotify thing is a remix maybe? I'll check; thanks for the mention).

― dow, Friday, 6 June 2014 23:02 (twelve years ago)

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