Beat Circus
Formed in Boston in 2004 by singer and composer Brian Carpenter, Beat Circus is now celebrating the band’s fourth release and the third in a Weird American Gothic trilogy. Brian Carpenter formed Beat Circus shortly after his arrival in Boston and since then, he’s been the ensemble’s guiding light and sole constant member. He has recorded or performed with Swans, Kronos Quartet, Colin Stetson, and Marc Ribot, and collaborated with producers Martin Bisi (Dreamland, 2008), Sean Slade and Bryce Goggin (Boy From Black Mountain, 2009). Returning on These Wicked Things are drummer Gavin McCarthy (Karate, Thalia Zedek Band), bassist Paul Dilley (Reverend Glasseye), and guitarist Andrew Stern (Brian Carpenter & The Confessions). Relative newcomers include violinist Abigale Reisman (Tredici Bacci), violist Emily Bookwalter (Ghost Train Orchestra), and multi-instrumentalist Alec Spiegelman (Cuddle Magic).
“Americana by way of David Lynch’s Lost Highway” — James Reed, Boston Globe
“Carpenter is equally drawn to the avant-garde as he is to the old, rural, and gothic. He has interests in free jazz, improvised music, film directing, and radio, and seeks ways to connect theses interests into a wide vision.” — Richard Elliot, PopMatters
“Boston musician Brian Carpenter has worked with so many big names that he seems bound to become a big name himself” — Chris DeVille, Stereogum
http://beatcircus.bandcamp.com/
Viking Moses
Viking Moses, AKA Brendon Massei, achieves a special balance of warmth and command, with familiar melodies that draw listeners in and oblige them to stay. Strongly lyrical songs are played out through tunes that flirt with pop, folk, indie, grunge and Americana, all strung together with a unique pulsing guitar, and by Massei’s robust voice, which ebbs from delicate whispers to throaty howls.
20 years and counting, Massei has won over fans and critics with the delicate melodies of his songs, and through his versatility as a performer. His live show is as compelling in a living room as it is in a major venue, and his songs as natural in a movie soundtrack as on a record player. The lore of Massei’s outsider lifestyle has won him interest and praise.
https://vikingmoses.bandcamp.com/