Giant Sand

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Tucson, Arizona, USA (1985 – present)

Giant Sand, originally The Giant Sandworms, is an American band formed in 1985, based in Tucson, Arizona, USA (although Los Angeles, California was its home for many years). Overseen by singer-songwriter-guitarist-pianist Howe Gelb, its membership has shifted over the years — at times with each album — though for a long while the drum and bass duties were handled by John Convertino and Joey Burns, who went on to form Calexico. Other members have included guitarist Rainer Ptacek, keyboardist Chris Cacavas (of Green on Red), bassist Paula Jean Brown (a late-period Go-Go, and married to Gelb at the time) and drummer Tom Larkins (afterward a Jonathan Richman sideman). Guest artists — though it is hard to tell at times where the band leaves off and the guests begin — have included Victoria Williams, Neko Case, Juliana Hatfield, PJ Harvey, Vic Chesnutt, Steve Wynn, Vicki Peterson, Rainer Ptacek, Tom Larkins, Scott Garber, nearly all of Poi Dog Pondering and regular cameos from Gelb and Brown’s daughter, Indiosa Patsy Jean. Actual members of the band, including Gelb, are: Thøger T. Lund, Anders Pedersen and Peter Dombernowsky.

Side projects, which are more extensions of than alternatives to Giant Sand, include the country-oriented The Band of Blacky Ranchette, OP8 (a collaboration with Lisa Germano), and Gelb’s solo albums. Guests on Blacky Ranchette albums have included Lucinda Williams, Kurt Wagner (of Lambchop) and Chan Marshall.
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  • BrainPies

    Are you guys kidding me? Without a doubt, start with Valley of Rain and just move forward chronologically! What a ridiculously underrated band and musical genius in Howe Gelb. Musicians and songwriters across the world know it, but its so sad that the indie listening community at large doesn't have a clue. It's strange that Calexico has developed such a large global following, yet so few know from where they came. .

    March 2012

  • d1lll1nger

    the band!

    March 2012

  • maggothellwigs

    Recently I was stuck in a freak Arizona blizzard, car swerved off the side of the road in the middle of nowhere, into a snowbank. My friend and I had no way of scaling the mountain of snow and had no way of calling for help . We were desperate and freezing and seriously scared that no one would find us until it was too late. I had music playing just to distract myself from my own fear, then the song "Stuck" came up on shuffle. I'd never been personally affected by a song before that. It was beautiful and life-changing but disturbingly parallel to what was happening... anyway, shortly after, another person swerved off the road and we helped each other get back to safety. That was the moment my head got stuck in the Sand <3

    February 2012

  • renandearaujo

    i think its my new favorite underground band

    December 2011

  • Cox_of_Seagulls

    i like glum

    June 2011

  • benjamintelfer

    I love this band.

    June 2011

  • MrSouljacker

    Howe Gelb & many others say happy birthday to Bob Dylan: http://www.ondarock.it/speciali/dylanbirthdayeng.htm

    May 2011

  • exprof

    http://concerts-review.over-blog.com/article-roots-roses-festival-a-lessines-le-1-mai-2011-tome-2-73159379.html Lessines

    May 2011
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Giant Giant Sand in Vienna on 08/14/12

14 Aug 2012 | from howegelb.com/#/shows

Artist: Giant Giant Sand Date: Tuesday, August 14th 2012 City: Vienna Venue: Arena Country: Austria Notes: information coming soon Add to Google Calendar | Download iCal

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