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Liam Finn Announces New Band

06/08/2010
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Liam Finn has a new band named Barb which also features Lawrence Arabia, Eliza Jane Barnes, Connan Mockasin and Seamus. The band's self-titled album will be released August 24, 2010 on Yep Roc.

The lovechild of southern hemisphere it-kids Liam Finn, Lawrence Arabia, Eliza-Jane Barnes (Liam's live and recording cohort), Connan Mockasin (formerly of Connan and the Mockasins) and Seamus Ebbs (former Mockasin and drummer extraordinaire), BARB is what happens when five passionately creative friends lock themselves in a world-class studio for a month with no plans and plenty of wine. On a break from their successful primary solo careers, the band had no expectations other than simply, making music. "We just booked the studio for a month, which is quite daunting in a way. It was just a complete risk and an unknown. We didn't have any songs or anything written," says Finn of the sessions.

All potent writers and performers in their own right � Lawrence Arabia released his debut album Chant Darling earlier this year via Bella Union to across the board rave reviews � the impetus for the collaboration was simple and genuine. Liam explains, "We have been involved in each others music for so long... getting up to play at each others shows... touring together when possible, we knew starting a band together would be fun... but we had no idea what it would sound like."

Musically, the songs seemed to distill directly from that freeing lack of preconceptions. Musically, one can hear Liam's avant-garde leanings as well as Lawrence Arabia's (James Milne) moody melodicism taking center stage, underpinned by a collective obsession with their own irreverent version of American soul music. More a throwback to analog sounds of the past or futurism set into sonic motion, your guess is as good as ours - or theirs, for that matter. But one thing is certain� it sounds pretty damn good.


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