Show Preview: Death Vessel at Emo's Lounge

Image by Lisa Corson

Death Vessel at Emo’s Lounge
Friday, September 12
Emos (603 Red River St)
10pm
[info]

You might be surprised to learn that Death Vessel isn’t a morbid metal band, but instead a Sub Pop signee and the folk project of one Joel Thibodeau – just as surprising, perhaps, as hearing Thibodeau’s voice for the first time and being bowled over by the pitch. Of all of this band’s notable features, it’s Thibodeau’s high-octave vox that commands your attention, but you’ll stay for the songs themselves and their tendency to sound epic and truncated all at once.

Death Vessel is touring behind their second release Nothing Is Precious Enough For Us, having cut their teeth with previous tours with fellow neo-folk figures in high places including Iron and Wine, José González and Low. Their new album built largely around acoustic-based mid-tempo numbers that curl into big crescendos of drums, banjo and more.

Playing with Death Vessel at Emo’s Lounge is Micah Blue Smaldone, another folker with an ear for more traditional structures that conjure up images of lute-playing man-goats frolicking in the woods…or which just lean a little more on Irish balladry of old. Maybe that’s it.

Death Vessel: "Bruno's Torso" (mp3)
Death Vessel: [website] [myspace]
Micah Blue Smaldone: [website] [myspace]