Dreamfolk collective Christians & Lions have been at it for 15 years, catering to the cognoscenti with a slew of self-released albums. Their latest is called Young Familiar (their first in 10 years) and once again the Providence, RI based band delivers a batch of songs about the occult, Russian folk handicraft, radical politics, and queerness.
Young Familiar digs deep at a leisurely pace. It's an intricate mix of folk-tinged vaudeville, sounding like a band that played in small theaters in the Forties, with a few West Coast pop melodies thrown in. They are all about storytelling, relying almost exclusively on acoustic instruments to get the message across.
Christians & Lions:
Ben Potrykus: vocals, guitar, organ, synth banjo, saw, programming
Chris Barrett: trumpet, euphonium
Chris D’Amore: upright bass
Chris Mara: drums, percussion
Dan Thorn: keyboards
Erica Sutherland: vocals
Fiona Wood: violin
Gregory Tellier: electric guitar solo
James Weinberg: accordion
Miriam Lee: viola
Sara Honeywell: trombone
Young Familiar is a self-released album. Buy it from their website.
Tracks:- Changeling
- Tell the Keeper
- Is To As Are To
- Professional Medium
- Lucky Ghost
- City of Sunken Bells
- Palekh
- The Swailing
- Tender Offer
- Something On Your Mind
- Names of the Hare
- Wild Shade
- 11/08 Somerville, MA @ Pink Noise Studios
(tape release party)