Sydney: Sun 8 May at The Vanguard, NEWTOWN. Tickets $18/$15
Blue Mountains: Sat 28 May at Katoomba RSL, KATOOMBA. Tickets $20/$15
The Crooked Fiddle Band spent February 2011 recording their forthcoming debut album with legendary engineer Steve Albini in his Electrical Audio studios in Chicago. Whilst the worst snowstorms in 15 years blanketed the city, Albini (Nirvana, The Pixies, Joanna Newsom, Gogol Bordello) captured the band live and raw – with a set of tunes that roam across a wide range of styles and influences whilst maintaining an intense, cinematic energy.
Countess Bathory (who’s tale inspired this composition) was a foreboding 17th Century Hungarian noblewoman whose particularly bloodthirsty habits have spawned aspects of our modern vampire myths. If a party had been thrown to celebrate her demise, with a band of upstarts to provide accompaniment to the revelry, it may have sounded somewhat like The Crooked Fiddle Band’s latest offering – rooted in tradition but raw and punked up with dark, ecstatic energy. Violinist Jess Randall wrenches creaks, screeches and groans from her violin, while the uncompromising rhythm section whips the dance floor into a writhing mass, and gypsy melodies pluck at spirit and soul.
“We play acoustic instruments, but like to push them to the limits,” says guitarist Gordon Wallace. ”In ‘Countess Bathory’s Finishing School for Girls’ we wanted to take the dark mood and inject it with a celebratory atmosphere.”
The single is available as a free download from Bandcamp. The full album will be available in June 2011.
UK and European tour : June/July 2011.
Australian tour : September/October 2011.
Check back here for more details
