New York City tomorrow is your only chance on this tour to catch the always wonderful, extremely talented Karl Blau.

This tour is coming just after the release of his new African influenced album titled Zebra (but you can actually say that all of his music is African influenced).

If you haven’t heard the second single (I’ve already posted it once) “Dark Sedan” listen to it now:

[mp3] Karl Blau- “Dark Sedan” (Buy Zebra here!)

This song is definitely in my list of best songs of 2009, and on top of that…  Karl Blau has released one (or more) of my favorite records in both 2007 (Dance Positive), 2008 (Nature’s Got Away and AM), and it looks like he has at least two (Zebra and Baby Nettles), if not three (I think there is one more that I need to get my hands on), that will be in my year end lists this year.

Karl Blau has been nice enough to post some tracks for free download on his wonderful Kelp Lunacy, and during my listening I came across some real gems.

First up is “Too Thirsty to Drink Water,” and it is what I what I consider a signature Blau solo live song…guitar, vocals, minimal drum beats, and of course loops….but ends with a worldly sounding drone.  I’ve been listening to this track all morning and it has been so sweet to my ears…gearing up for the awesomeness that will be tomorrow!

[mp3] Karl Blua- “Too Thirsty to Drink Water”

Off of Grease and Bread, buy it here.

This next track… as a pretty well listened fan of Blau’s I can honestly say that I would have a hard time confirming that this was Blau if he didn’t attach his name to the track.  This has happened before, but this one is by far the most unusual coming to date. This very well might be a traditional song, but I wasn’t able to find very much information on it…on that note it comes from  If I Knew Zen What I Know Now which Blau says ” is a collection of would-be pop songs: that is would-be if they were sung in English. There’s a song in Hebrew, and a few in made-up languages and even some deutsch gesprechen–also English and several instrumentals.”  Thanks Karl for giving me some back ground on it.  With that said:

[mp3] Karl Blau- “My Name, My Name”

as I said, this track appears on If I Knew Zen What I Know Now.  Buy it here!

I posted this next track a my previous post about Karl, but just discovered this amazing video!

Karl Blau- “Song For Kevin”

Karl Blau is on tour right now, with fellow K Records stars LAKE! If you didn’t know Karl Blau produced the most recent LAKE album too.  Karl mentioned during his shows in New York back in May that he was working on a full band format…I wonder if that is happening on this tour?  Maybe LAKE will help out…lots of possibilities!  Here are the dates:

• Tonight! Oct 28, 2009 – Bennington, Vermont @ Bennington Collegew/ LAKE
• Tomorrow! Oct 29, 2009 – Brooklyn, New York @ Ash’s Place – 234 Wythe St – w/ LAKE, White Diamonds, and Alex Bleeker and the Freaks!
  • I can’t say it enough…this is not to be missed.
    
• Oct 30, 2009 – Haverford, Pennsylvania @ Lunt Basement – w/ LAKE
• Oct 31, 2009 – Hellertown, Pennsylvania @ Shorb’s Costume Extravaganza – w/ LAKE
• Nov 1, 2009 – Baltimore, Maryland @ The Windup Space – w/ LAKE
• Nov 3, 2009 – Richmond, Virginia @ The Camel – w/ LAKE
• Nov 4, 2009 – Greensboro, North Carolina @ Artistika – w/ LAKE
• Nov 5, 2009 – Lexington, Kentucky @ Al’s Bar – w/ LAKE
• Nov 6, 2009 – Knoxville, Tennessee @ The Pilot Light – 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 @ Ocher 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 15, 2009 – Tucson, Arizona @ The Hangar Art 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
• Nov 22, 2009 – San Francisco, California @ The Hemlock Tavern – w/ LAKE
• Nov 23, 2009 – Arcata, California @ The Green House – w/ LAKE
• Nov 24, 2009 – Salem, Oregon @ Ike Box – w/ LAKE

Links:

• More Great Pumpkin posts on Karl Blau (mp3s, release info, videos, ect) click  here.
• Buy other Karl Blau releases directly from him here.
  • or if you have other shopping needs at insound.
• More on K Records here.
• Photo by Arrington De Dionyso