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Simon Joyner at Natrix Natrix
Friday, July 18
Natrix Natrix (3222 John Campbell’s Trail)
$5, 9pm, BYOB
[info]

Simon Joyner is one of the originals, a folk singer-songwriter whose first solo effort, 1992’s Umbilical Chords, placed him square inside a burgeoning and exciting world of lo-fi guitar wonders making humble cassette tapes and simultaneously inspiring a generation. Like John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats (with whom he has collaborated) or records by early K Records luminaries Beck or Calvin Johnson himself, the influence of Joyner’s confessional style have reverberated throughout independent music - and not just in Omaha, either, where Bright Eyes’ Conor Oberst has taken it upon himself to enjoy the mainstream success that Joyner has eschewed for so long.

Wherever you find people who enjoy that particular tape-hiss aesthetic of sparse acoustic folk music, you’re bound to find a Simon Joyner record somewhere in their collection. Austin has its own contingency, most notably in the form of Natrix Natrix, a label and house/venue who have consistently put out albums (mostly in cassette form) by acts including Flaspar, Viking Moses, and notable locals like Moth!Fight! and Spirit of Space.

Having just hosted a couple of successful house shows, Natrix Natrix are set to outdo themselves with Joyner’s appearance at their abode this Friday, along with local musician Lonnie Eugene Methe and Houstonite Caleb Fraid. The show begins at 9:00, and a five dollar donation is all it takes to see possibly one of the most intimate folk shows in Austin this year. Says Natrix Natrix co-founder Rhonda Turnbough: "We are honored that Simon Joyner, a great songwriter of our time who has influenced our scene so much, is going to play in Austin at our house. It will be a rare chance to see him play in this part of the country and I hope people don't let this one slip by."

Natrix Natrix: [website] [myspace]
Simon Joyner: [myspace]
Lonnie Eugene Methe: [myspace]
Caleb Fraid: [myspace]