October 7, 2014
XYLOURIS WHITE, COLLABORATION BETWEEN LEGENDARY CRETAN LUTE PLAYER GEORGE XYLOURIS AND UNDERGROUND ICON JIM WHITE, EXTENDS US TOUR IN SUPPORT OF DEBUT ALBUM GOATS, OUT OCTOBER 14 ON OTHER MUSIC RECORDING CO.
Ben Ratliff of The New York Times Calls The Music “Intense, Joyous, Rugged”
Produced by Guy Picciotto (Fugazi), Album Showcases Unique Union Between Leading Artists from Vastly Divergent Scenes
While coming from different parts of the world and from vastly divergent musical backgrounds, the connection between George Xylouris and Jim White, who perform together as Xylouris White, is palpable from the first note of their debut LP, Goats, produced by Guy Picciotto of Fugazi. George Xylouris is a legendary Cretan folk musician, White is an icon of underground music, and together they have forged something surprising and impossible to categorize. In his review for The New York Times, Ben Ratliff says, “Both are extraordinary musicians. Their music starts with old Cretan forms — the brisk, dance-beat sousta and the slow, sung, expressive rizitika — and spreads outward into loose, sympathetic improvisations of uncertain length, the kind of thing that has been at the center of each man’s music for a long time. It’s intense, joyous, rugged music.” The Chicago Reader describes it as ‘pulse-racing,” adding that the album “erases lines between disparate international traditions as well as between folk and rock.” Other Music Recording Co. releases the album October 14 (October 13 in the UK/EU). The duo have extended their U.S. tour in support, including performances in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and Portland.
George Xylouris was born into a Greek musical family of incomparable stature; his uncle, Nikos Xylouris, is arguably one of the most iconic Greek performers of all time. Nicknamed the “archangel of Crete,” his songs are part of the fabric of modern Greek music. Nikos’ younger brother, Antonis Xylouris (George’s father), is better known as Psarandonis, a world-renowned singer and lyra player who has long pushed against the boundaries of traditional folk, playing his instrument with a passion and intensity that has made him a hero in Crete, a legend throughout Greece and famous around the world amongst fans of international folk. George grew up playing the lute, and spent much of his youth accompanying Psarandonis on many of his most important recordings and performances, pushing the lute into new realms in much the same way his father does with the lyra. George is a dynamic player who has gone on to lead many ensembles of his own, performing on more than 70 albums, and while his approach to his music is multi-faceted, his treatment of the lute as a lead instrument has frequently set him apart from the tradition he also embraces.
Jim White emerged from the Australian post-punk scene to become one of the most beloved and instantly recognizable drummers of today. Best known for his long-running role in Dirty Three, that trio’s unique instrumental line-up of violin, guitar and drums is perhaps the perfect format to showcase White’s distinct style; and like Xylouris, White frequently pushes his instrument into an unconventional lead role. A powerful and original player who has flourished in many settings, White has collaborated, toured and recorded with a wide array of brilliant artists over the years, including Cat Power, Will Oldham, PJ Harvey, Nick Cave, Bill Callahan and many more.
Xylouris and White first met through mutual friends on the Melbourne music scene when George was living in Australia in the early ‘90s; Dirty Three and Xylouris Ensemble shared bills, and George sat in with Dirty Three on occasion. Much later Jim and George accompanied Psarandonis on a couple of tours preceding the formation of Xylouris White. Through a series of live performances and recording sessions in Greece, Australia, and New York City, the duo forged a new sound. Picciotto’s production was the final piece of the puzzle, bringing Goats into focus. The record begins an ongoing collaboration—already one of the most expressive and personal of either musician’s long career. The duo is working on a follow-up album, and will be touring the world throughout the fall and winter, including several European dates with Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy. An updated itinerary is below (new shows are bolded). More dates will be announced soon.
“Both are extraordinary musicians. Their music starts with old Cretan forms — the brisk, dance-beat sousta and the slow, sung, expressive rizitika — and spreads outward into loose, sympathetic improvisations of uncertain length, the kind of thing that has been at the center of each man’s music for a long time. It’s intense, joyous, rugged music.”
The New York Times
“White seems to speak with his drums more than keep time, circling the kit as if tickling his brain. And with his eight acoustic strings, Xylouris moves between frantic strums that suggest an aggressive electric shredder and radiant harmonics that recall a new-age guru. Goats … feels like an inspired conversation about new possibilities.”
The Independent Weekly
“The duo’s striking new album … erases lines between disparate international traditions as well as between folk and rock.”
Chicago Reader
Xylouris White U.S. Tour
October 7
Durham, NC
Carrack Gallery
October 8
Baltimore, MD
Metro Gallery
October 9
Brooklyn, NY
Union Pool
w/ Big Brave
October 10
Beacon, NY
Quinn’s
October 11
Kingston, NY
O Positive
October 16
Brooklyn, NY
Union Pool
October 17
Somerville, MA
Cuisine en Locale
October 18
Providence, RI
Columbus Theatre
October 19
Portsmouth, NH
The Red Door
October 23
Brooklyn, NY
Union Pool (OMRC CMJ Showcase)
October 25
Portland, OR
Bunk Bar
October 26
Seattle, WA
Sunset Tavern
October 28
San Francisco, CA
Hemlock Tavern
October 29
Los Angeles, CA
Jewel’s Catch One
Xylouris White European Tour
November 18–19
London, UK
Church of St. John
w/ Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy
November 20
Brussels, BEL
AB
w/ Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy
November 21
Utrecht, NL
Le Guess Who?
w/ Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy
November 22
Boulogne-Billancourt, FR
BBMix Festival
w/ Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy
November 24
London, UK
Cargo
November 26
Leicester, UK
The Musician
November 27
Glasgow, UK
King Tuts
November 28
Leeds, UK
Howard Assembly Room
November 29
Newcastle, UK
The Cluny
November 30
Coventry, UK
Coal Vaults
December 1
Brighton, UK
The Hope
December 5
Handelsbeurs, Gent, BEL
Autumn Falls
December 7
Düdingen, CH
Bad Bonn
December 8
Zurich, CH
El Lokal
December 9
Karlsruhe, DE
Badischer Kunstverein
December 10
Berlin, DE
Bassy Club
Goats
1. Pulling the Bricks
2. Old School Sousta
3. Psaradonis Syrto
4. The Bells
5. Wind
6. Suburb
7. Chicken Song
8. Fandomas
9. Run and La
Buy Links
Amazon: http://smarturl.it/xyamazon
iTunes: http://smarturl.it/xyitunes
Other Music Recording Co.: http://www.othermusicrecordingco.com/products/goats
Artist Page
http://www.othermusicrecordingco.com/collections/xylouris-white
