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LP
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FTR 350LP
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"Limited Grace is a lyrical hitchhike expedition through a psychedelic rural universe where time is nebulous and navigational tools are frowned upon. Through words, voice and sound, Gillig take us through cosmic swamps, ghostly clearings, mountain tops at night without a tent, shacks built along riverbanks but without running water, and dark desert highways soaked in silence except for the sound of a gas tank running on little more than fumes. Using the imagery of small, concrete moments, he tells us unique yet epically familiar stories without the frills of any particular plotline. While his first release, Cave Trilogy (FTR 188LP), was a 3LP set of songs recorded solo under a bridge, this is a more honed effort to take that same rawness into a studio and build on it while maintaining its authenticity. With contributions from friends like Matt Valentine, the FDOME collective, and other members of the Turners Falls music community, this effort is decidedly fruitful. Whatever qualities might have been lost while emerging from under the bridge, are replaced with musical elements that bring all subtleties to light. Well-placed backing vocals, sludgy yet swirling guitar leads and minimalist organ are the sparkplugs and pistons on Gillig's likely unregistered vehicle as he shows us all-points-off-grid. Many of these songs would not sound a bit out of place if they somehow found their way onto an Alexander "Skip" Spence album or a collection of Warren Zevon demos. At times taking the offbeat elements of Spence or Zevon a step further, at other times more straightforward, boldly reminiscent of early Dylan or Townes Van Zandt. Bryan Gillig's Limited Grace is an artisanal demonstration of song craft and sensibility that is not so much forgotten as rarely attempted, let alone successfully." --Travis Long, 2018. Edition of 200. Comes with download code.
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3LP
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FTR 188LP
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"A few years back, Bryan Gillig was the frontman of the great Turners Falls MA band, Loudville. Plans were broached for a record, but nothing ever worked out and Loudville quietly devolved into pumice. A while later, Feeding Tube's Mr. Lee became enamored of a cassette of songs Bryan recorded in his car. Before anything could be done with that, however, Bryan reported back that he had recorded most of his repertoire under a bridge, by the banks of the Connecticut River in Turners. It was a lot of stuff, but it was fucking cool, so here ya go. Bryan's songs are nearly open-form in spots, and sometimes push against the bounds of known völk traditions. In other places, his approach recalls bits by the early '70s New England troubadour, Jaime Brockett. There are even points where his attack is reminiscent of Roky Erickson, circa The Holiday Inn Tapes. For an approach as minimal as Gillig's, he manages a surprising amount of variety on Cave Trilogy. The vibe is akin to being invited to enter a van full of smoke, only to discover that a river runs through it. Quite amazing in a low-key kind of way. The three albums ebb and flow with a rhythm as natural as the watery backdrop for the recording session. Some of the tunes are as tight as John Sebastian's hat, others ramble like Vince Martin wasted on reds. Together, they form a full afternoon of toasted deliciousness. It's almost like stumbling across the long-lost solo recordings of an ex-member of Spirit in the Flesh (Turners' legendary commune band of ages past). If you don't dig this one, you're definitely clenching too tight." - Byron Coley, 2015. Limited edition of 200 copies.
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