Karl Blau might have already released one of my favorite albums of this year with his most recent KELP Lunacy titled Baby Nettles.  The sad part about that is only a handful of people will ever hold a copy of it.  While this limited release won’t make it to many ears his next album, which I am very excited about, titled Zebra will be seeing the light of day via, one of my personal favorite labels, K Records.

I was able to catch Karl at two of his 5 or so New York City shows earlier this year where he performed solo doing his thing with a guitar and and his beat box style vocal loops where he mentioned his new album, and said it would be paying tribute in a way to the music of Africa.

K Records has released a press release about the album with more details:

Listening to Karl Blau’s albums and trying to describe what you hear is like walking through a local farmer’s market and describing all the vegetables grown in that area. The common thread running through Blau’s records is a love felt for homegrown music. Most anyone can sense the passion this cultivator has for his trade.

In a world of instant access to musical cultures near and far, Blau overtly mirrors African musical influences with hints of blues, soul and rock steeped in l’herbe de Northwest and he calls it Zebra [KLP205].

This striped burro was birthed in the trusty analog setting of Dub Narcotic Studios in Olympia, Washington. For Zebra Blau explored the frontiers of folklore, adding one instrument at a time (drum, guitar, bell, keys, saxophone, flute, piano) in an organic process of response to this confluence of sounds. A restless thinker, Blau is adept at imaginative and sweet songs about education, work, love and society. Blessed with an expressive and gentle baritone, Blau asks the eternal question: “what’s next?” Every generation has its own revolution and we need heartfelt music now as much as ever. Let’s practice how we dance. (read the whole thing here)

GvsB posted the first single of the new album a while back, and I have been sitting on it taking it in for sometime now.  The track features both Melanie Valera ( Tender Forever) and Arrington de Dionyso(Old Time Relijun).  I hope you enjoy this first track as much as I do:

[mp3] Karl Blau- “apology to pollinateurs”
(off Zebra. via GvsB)

Every time Blau releases an album it brings a freshness to my ears…whether it is creating something entirely new, or transforming something familiar Karl Blau really cannot do any wrong in my book.

Karl Blau’s Zebra will be out on October 6th, 2009 and you will be able to purchase it from K Records here.

Karl Blau has a whole slew of tour dates lined up too…last time I saw him he mentioned working on a full band format…I wonder if that is happening this time around?  Either way these shows are not to be missed ( will update the post once the venue for the NYC show is confirmed):

• Aug 21, 2009 – Seattle, Washington @ Q Cafe
• Aug 22, 2009 – Rochester, Washington @Helsing Junction Sleepover – w/ Desolation Wilderness, Joey Casio, Christmas, Tender Forever, Jeffrey Jerusalem
• Sep 18, 2009 – Portland, Oregon @ Backspace – w/ Mount Eerie, Tara Jane ONeil, No Kids
• Sep 19, 2009 – Oakland, California @ 21 Grand – w/ Mount Eerie, Tara Jane ONeil, No Kids
• Sep 20, 2009 – Los Angeles, California @ Eagle Rock Center for Arts – w/ Mount Eerie, Tara Jane ONeil, No Kids
• Sep 22, 2009 – San Diego, California @ Che Cafe, San Diego State – w/ Mount Eerie, Tara Jane ONeil, No Kids
• Sep 24, 2009 – Eugene, Oregon @ EMU Ampitheater, University of Oregon – w/ Mount Eerie, Tara Jane ONeil, No Kids
• Sep 25, 2009 – Olympia, Washington @ Northern – w/ Mount Eerie, Tara Jane ONeil, No Kids
• Oct 11, 2009 – Olympia, Washington @ Northern – w/ LAKE
• Oct 12, 2009 – Tacoma, Washington @ The Den – w/ LAKE
• Oct 13, 2009 – Seattle, Washington @ The Josephine – w/ LAKE
• Oct 15, 2009 – Pullman, Washington @ Belltower – w/ LAKE
• Oct 17, 2009 – Salt Lake City, Utah @ Kilby Court – w/ LAKE
• Oct 18, 2009 – Denver, Colorado @ Rhinoceropolis – w/ LAKE
• Oct 20, 2009 – Lawrence, Kansas @ The Jackpot Saloon – w/ LAKE
• Oct 22, 2009 – Chicago, Illinois @ Schubas Tavern – w/ LAKE
• Oct 23, 2009 – Grand Rapids, Michigan @ The DAAC – w/ LAKE
• Oct 24, 2009 – Bloomington, Indiana @ Russian Recording – w/ LAKE
• Oct 25, 2009 – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania @ Garfield Artworks – w/ LAKE
• Oct 28, 2009 – Plattsburgh, New York @ North Country Food Co-Op – w/ LAKE
• Oct 29, 2009 – Brooklyn, New York @ TBA (Market Hotel? Todd P still has TBA) – w/ LAKE
• Oct 30, 2009 – Haverford, Pennsylvania @ Lunt Basement – w/ LAKE
• Nov 4, 2009 – Greensboro, North Carolina @ Square One – w/ LAKE
• Nov 5, 2009 – Lexington, Kentucky @ Al’s Bar – w/ LAKE
• Nov 7, 2009 – Athens, Georgia @ Secret Squirrel – w/ LAKE
• Nov 8, 2009 – Tallahassee, Florida @ Club Down Under – w/ LAKE
• Nov 10, 2009 – Dallas, Texas @ Swiss House – w/ LAKE
• Nov 11, 2009 – Austin, Texas @ Emo’s Jr. – w/ LAKE
• Nov 12, 2009 – Lubbock, Texas @ Bash Riprocks – w/ LAKE
• Nov 13, 2009 – Albuquerque, New Mexico @ Burt’s Tiki Lounge – w/ LAKE
• Nov 14, 2009 – Phoenix, Arizona @ Trunk Space – w/ LAKE
• Nov 17, 2009 – Los Angeles, California @ The Smell – w/ LAKE
• Nov 18, 2009 – Santa Barbara, California @ Biko Garage – w/ LAKE
• Nov 20, 2009 – San Luis Obispo, California @ SLO Art Center – w/ LAKE
• Nov 21, 2009 – Santa Cruz, California @ Resource Center for Non Violence – w/ LAKE

For much more info on Karl Blau (mp3s, ect) please click here.