One of America's more enduring cult figures and the driving force behind the Arizona-based group Giant Sand, Howe Gelb seems to wallow in the anti-pop stance of his work. With an assortment of pedal and sonic effects, a raspy voice that evokes a scabrous mixture of Tom Waits and Leonard Cohen and a collection of songs that pay respect to Americana but never bow down to it, Gelb is a fairly unique individual. His last performance in Ireland was just a couple of weeks ago at Kilkenny's Rhythm & Roots festival where Giant Sand frightened the poor lambs with an experimental gig that Gelb himself seemed thoroughly bemused by. He plays Whelans, Dublin, tomorrow night. Prepare yourselves to expect the genuinely unexpected.
