Brian Straw at Happy Dog

Imagine an urgent Leonard Cohen armed only with whisky and a blown tube amplifier, lost in the sprawling Midwest, driving his solitary heart toward an uncertain future. Exploding the usually hidden place between love and sadness, where melody and hope tiptoe warily. As though climbing the arching tree to recover the fallen bird's nest ... Brian Straw grew up in Richmond, Indiana, an idle town off I-70 that first set the tone for the soundtrack Straw carried with him. Songs began to pour out of him there and the town's windows cracked open as the hearts and ears that Straw implored began to listen. To harness his creative impulses Straw left Indiana and drifted from New York City to Bellingham, Washington and a few places in between. Garnering a base of supporters and critical praise along the way, Straw has toured nationally, sharing the stage with the likes of Calexico, the Black Heart Procession, Andrew Bird and Devendra Banhart. As an independent operator Straw has self-released two EP's and two albums. In 2001 his first full length album 'once you're lost you're encouraged to stay lost' and the EP 'Backfeed Pools' were released, to be followed in 2003 by the live collection, 'what finds you is not yours, what leaves you is not stolen.' In 2004 , 'Bleeding Sun', an EP recorded with backing band, the Six Parts Seven, was also released. As a collaborator with the acclaimed instrumental band, the Six Parts Seven (Suicide Squeeze Rec.), Straw turned in a twelve minute opus for their remix album, 'Lost Notes From Forgotten Songs', complete with ghostly samples, ebbing soundscapes, delicate banjo, and his mournful baritone voice - a performance 'Splendid' highlights as "an epic but intimate gothic ballad that recalls recent Nick Cave." ... Currently between Cleveland and Brooklyn, Straw recently finished work on his most focused album yet, the release of which will soon be announced. Also currently booking West Coast and European dates for summer 2006.