Los Angeles, CA. (Top40 Charts/ Chase Park Transduction) - Chad Bishop and
Elizabeth Lopiccolo, the central songwriting team of The Cripple Lilies, return with the anticipated full length, La Bete. Gathering momentum from the release of a live EP in 2005, the duo began writing new material, while rigorously thumping local venues, stirring up public attention and honing the stripped-down live sound that signaled a definite departure from their earlier projects. Along the way, they collaborated with longtime friend and co-conspirator
Aaron Finley and gifted local musicians Sean Petersen and
Brandon Warren. The resulting quintet was widely acclaimed locally and regionally, and after much research and forethought, they recorded in Athens, Georgia with acclaimed producer
David Barbe (Son Volt, Drive By Truckers) of Chase Park Transduction.
At first listen, fans of their earlier work as C.B. Radio may be in for a bit of a shock. It's a lovely shock. Gone is the blustering horn section, the ambitious violin, the sharp dry energy of a vigorous young band holding the line behind well-written songs. No, La Bete is a different creature altogether, a siren's call, to be sure, but emerging gently, wistfully, as from deep in a well. This production favors live room sounds, warm and close vocal performances and understated instrumentation that doesn't really hit home until the third or fourth listen. And that's not because you aren't paying attention - it's simply that the degrees of subtlety involved in the writing, arrangements and performances are such that it can't be absorbed all at once. It unfolds with each consecutive listen, and seldom puts a foot wrong.
It's as if the lines of the opening track's chorus set the stage for the rest of the album: "And all I have is half a heart / Full of love." There is the duplicity of recognized damage, of reduced function, coupled inseparably with a wholesome commitment to see this through to its conclusion. The "half heart" that is "full of love" is the vehicle for transformation; less sometimes really is more in this case.
While each of the nine tracks is a treasure, the album is less over-reaching, generically speaking, than previous studio recordings. Bishop's vocal melodies moving artfully from menacing whisper to clear falsetto (often in the same song), and Lopiccolo's increased role as lead vocalist on several tracks (Carnations, Left Over Legs), lends a sonic and thematic consistency that reveals a fully-realized artistic vision. This is no mere collection of songs, however well-written, no postcard from a series of live sessions. This is clearly, from composition to execution, an album, the cohesive result of a mature talent that has successfully harnessed the sensibilities of roots Americana with the best of classical and post-rock influences.
Band is available for interview. For any questions regarding The Cripple Lilies, please contact Scott Simoneaux at Infectious Publicity - (p) 323.969-0401 (c) 504.250-0081 or e-mail protected from spam bots.
5-5 - Opelika, AL - Eighth and Rail
5-6 - Atlanta, GA - The Earl
5-7 - Chattanooga, TN - The Black Sheep Pub
5-8 - Nashville, TN - The Basement
5-9 - Athens, GA - Farm 255
5-10 - Savannah, GA - The Sentient Bean
5-11 - Columbus, GA - Rhino's Bar
5-12 - Valdosta, GA - Vito's Rock and Roll Pizzeria
5-16 - Ocean Springs, MS - Government Street Grocery
5-17 - Montgomery, AL - Head On The Door
5-18 - Houston, TX - The Meltdown
5-19 - Austin, TX - The Troubadour
5-20 - Austin, TX - Epoch's Coffee
5-24 - Lawrence, KS - Replay Lounge
5-25 - Kansas City, MO - The Record Bar
5-26 - Omaha, NE - The Saddle Creek Bar
5-27 - Des Moines, IA - Vandeville Mews
5-29 - Minneapolis, MN - The Fine Line Music Cafe
5-31 - Minneapolis, MN - The Acadia Cafe
6-2 - Chicago, IL - The Uncommon Ground
6-4 - Columbus, OH - Cafe Rumba
6-6 - Portsmouth, NH - WSCA 1-6.1 fm
6-7 - Cambridge, MA - All Asia Cafe
6-8 - New York, NY - Arlene's Grocery
6-11 - Richmond, VA - The Camel
6-12 - Raleigh, NC - The Pour House
6-13 - Chapel Hill, NC - The Cave
