ThaMuseMeant
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ThaMuseMeant

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The best kept secret in music

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"THAMUSEMEANT BACK WITH NEW SOUND"

After being a perpetual favorite on the jam band circuit for the first eight years of their career, ThaMuseMeant took a hiatus in 2000, but have now regrouped and revamped and are back on the road.

Originally from Santa Fe, New Mexico and consisting of David Tiller on the mandolin, Aimee Curl on bass and vocals, Nathan Moore on guitar, and Enion Pelta on violin, ThaMuseMeant have become more of a sassy string band than a jam band. They have replaced drums with a violin and are focusing on the strings aspect of their sound, which has turned their formerly described "acid folk" into tattooed folk music.

It's no surprise that this group called it quits four years ago when looking at their massive discography and the amount of time they clocked on the road. Releasing five albums in eight years while touring countless festivals including the H.O.R.D.E. Tour would make even the toughest road warriors want to get off the bus. However, the band's road effort paid off in the form of a record deal with High Sierra Records and an enormous fan base. In addition, ThaMuseMeant earned much respect from their musical colleagues when sharing the stage with outstanding guests such as the String Cheese Incident, Sheryl Crow, Greg Brown, Leftover Salmon, Tragically Hip, and James McMurtry, among others.

Although ThaMuseMeant were originally known for their jam band vibe, their musical shift into a strings-oriented sound has proven to be for the better. Their stunning lyrics compliment their sound so well that although their voices are at the forefront, their impeccable musicianship shines through with ease. By combining roots of bluegrass, folk, jazz, jam, rock, and swing with lyrics that can't help but immerse audiences, ThaMuseMeant are definitely back in the game.

Their latest album, Silver Seed, is their new string-style debut and is nothing short of fantastic. Not only is it the perfect welcome back record, but it also shows how vital each band member is to the overall sound. This unique, insightful, and energetic band will be on the road this summer and should not be missed.

8.07 | Lalo's | Shasta, CA
8.12 | Sweetwater | Mill Valley, CA
8.13 | 12 Galaxies | San Francisco, CA
8.19 | Sam Bond's | Eugene, OR
8.20 | White Eagle | Portland, OR
8.21 | Good Foot| Portland, OR
8.22 | Amercian Music Festival | Forest Grove, OR

JamBase | Worldwide
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- Jambase.com


"REUNITED BAND TOURS AS STRING QUARTET"

ThaMuseMeant rhymes with amusemeant. Carnival fun is just one of many reeling emotions in their original songs and live performances on a stage or a street corner. Now a Portland, Oregon based string quartet, the gypsy collective seems to follow their muse as a lifelong journey. They make music that is invigorating, lively and meaningful. At times, other-worldly.

Reunited in late 2003 following a three year hiatus, the new ThaMuseMeant affirms the spirit of their first eight years as a band: they play and sing as if they are compelled to, by angels or instinct. The band's ethereal world-folk sound revolves around the trio of Nathan Moore(guitar/vocals), David Tiller (mandolin), and Aimee Curl (bass/vocals). David's partner Enion Pelta (violin) makes her debut with the reconfigured band on their new studio album, Silver Seed (Frogville Records).

"At present we are calling ourselves a string band," said David. "A sassy string band - tattooed folk." The string quartet version is still able to satisfy the dancers with some percussive acoustic rythems from bluegrass and other traditions. Enion, a classically trained violinist from the age of three, is a capable improviser and blends styles with ease.

As before the hiatus, Aimee's striking voice and trademark warble takes center stage on many songs. David's fluid mandolin deftly traverses genres from bluegrass to jazz to Eastern European styles, and any jam inbetween. Nathan, who writes more good tunes a year than many bands do in a career, infuses every song with personality.

With the subtraction of drums and the addition of Enion's violin, the band turns in a new direction. It's decidedly less rock and jam, but still kin to the spirited music and improvisation that was always ThaMuseMeant. Sometimes serious, sometimes relaxing, the new songs still engage the listener. An exciting evolution in acoustic music is afoot.

They began in the early 90s in Austin, Texas and then Santa Fe, New Mexico. First playing acoustic songs on the street corner, the band members still enjoy busking in their current hometown of Portland. The trio became ThaMuseMeant with drummer Jeff Sussman, creating a unique folk rock blend. Aimee and Nathan took on dual roles as singer-songwriters, with harmony and loveable yodeling in the mix.

They played the H.O.R.D.E. tour, S x SW in Austin, and High Sierra in California, and befriended Leftover Salmon, String Cheese Incident, Greg Brown, The Slip, Keller Williams, and other contemporaries in the genre blending mid-90s roots revival. The original line-up released five albums and toured for eight years.

Prolific songwriters, the band played while riding in the bus on extensive tours. They constantly improved, reaching out to many genres and flavors in pursuit of songs with meaning and feeling. Traveling around the country, they blended their experiences into songs often composed on the spot. In 1998 they released the watershed Sweet Things featuring some of the best songs yet. Their first-last album was Grow Your Own on High Sierra records, which blossomed into extensive touring in 2000. At the end of the road, they got off the bus. When ThaMuseMeant's website announced they were breaking up, fans wrote online tributes. As the band parted ways, Nathan and Aimee and David recorded a heart-wrenching farewell album at a cabin in Colorado. Nudes features nine songs that engage the moment of change. Would a goodbye in song from the original acoustic trio - the founders and Austin street performers - foreshadow the next incarnation of ThaMuseMeant?


No one knew but the muse. After ThaMuseMeant dissipated in 2000, David formed TAARKA, which is still touring with Enion and Jarrod Kaplan. Aimee went to school in New York City, and spent time in Ireland. Nathan inevitably, traveled and wrote songs. In 2002, he got Frogville Records off the ground with artist friend John Treadwell (they'd had the idea since 1999). In addition to releasing a string of Nathan Moore solo albums in the last two years, Frogville is a grassroots music community recording several bands.

Another of Nathan's adventures during ThaMuseMeant's hiatus was a surprise recording with The Slip: Surprise Me Mr. Davis Nathan and the Slip share the skills of versatility and improvisation. Whether the font of inspiration comes from dream and spirit, or politics and drudgery, singer-songwriter Nathan Moore is in very close contact with his muse. He's like a streetwise troubadour. On a good day, he could come up with three new songs or more. Nathan remembers his repertoire of hundreds of songs. At a post show party or on the band's bus, he won't go long without picking up a guitar. A porch or sidewalk will do also. The songs often have layers of meaning, symbols and stories of our time. Song forms range from poetic romps and stream of consciousness, to protest songs and social metaphors. Nathan is political, but not bombastic.

He sings and writes songs as if he c - An Honest Tune


"Stereo Review, July 1998"

Walking down Austin's Sixth Street one night at a recent South by Southwest Music and Media Conference, I happened across some buskers who were playing a killer "Matty Groves" as well as an original called "My Death Comes a Callin'" that included yodels to die for. A proper gig the next night confirmed my first impression: ThaMuseMeant, from Santa Fe, deserves to make a million hatfuls of coins.

The easy way to peg the quartet is to say it's a jam band, but this is laser-focused, song-oriented jamming. And although the band's name may seem awkward, it's an apt description of the amusement you get each time the four bring a song to a close, having gone exactly where the muse meant them to go. You'll find "Matty Groves" on their first album, 1995's Live at the Mineshaft Tavern, and "My Death Comes a Callin'" on last year's Breakfast Epiphanies, but the band hits its stride on Sweet Things. The many highlights include the slinky hook of "The Man with Saleable Eyes," the tough picking of "Innocent Again," and the loping twang of "I Love You (Oh Well)."

Most of all, the album shows how each member of a quartet can be equally indispensible. Nathan Moore is the acoustic-guitarist, co-vocalist, and songwriter, and he's a master of poetic reveries but also partial to direct lines like "Lord, if I know anything at all / It's that life is such a long fall / You can try flying, but you're better off / Just looking down for something soft." David Tiller is the multi-instrumentalist, dazzling to no end on mandolin. Jeff Sussmann is the drummer, holding everything together with quick hands. And Aimee Curl is the bassist and, as the other vocalist, the band's secret weapon, trumping Natalie Merchant and Edie Brickell with a voice both fresh and old-timey, as if recalled from a long-ago radio show. That said, here's hoping she doesn't get The Big Head and leave the band, for ThaMuseMeant is indeed a band and a marvelous one at that. - Stereo Review


Discography

Silver Seed (2004)
Grow Your Own (2000)
Sweet Things (1997)
Breakfast Epiphanies (1997)
Live at the Mineshaft Tavern

For Booking: Mountain High Music, 303-415-1958
Rob Sarno, rob@mtnhighmusic.com
Aly Constine, aly@mtnhighmusic.com

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Bio

In tradition of ancient bards, TheMuseMeant is reminiscent of the renaissance, a time where stories were told by means of song and poetry. Using traditional instrumentation and an elegant presentation - their music is a timeless expression of musical prose and thoughtful arrangement.

Deeply interwoven in the tapestry of TheMuseMeant is a rich history of lore and imagination. Once a perennial favorite of the jamband and festival circuit, ThaMuseMent split up in 2000 after touring relentlessly for eight years – but as 2003 came to a close, the band reunited, in a slightly different realm and are now back on the road. Today the foursome appears more like a string quartet rather than a jamband. The lyrics are consistently introspective and deeply moving, reminding us of our shared human experience and bittersweet journeys through life.

With hundreds of original songs to choose from, this sassy string band of legendary songsmiths plays with a large musical vocabulary – from old-time instrumentals to poetic ballads to swing and revolutionary gospel. Ranging from sparkling vocals to a haunting violin, this act is one of originality and diversity. ThaMuseMeant is comprised of David Tiller on mandolin, Aimee Curl on bass and vocals, Nathan Moore on guitar and Enion Pelta, a classically trained violinist.

In their first eight years the band released five albums, signed with High Sierra Records, played the H.O.R.D.E tour among many other festivals, and shared the stage with such illustrious guests as the String Cheese Incident, Sheryl Crow, Greg Brown, Leftover Salmon, Tragically Hip, James McMurtry and many others.

ThaMuseMeant reminds the listener of days gone by, with magical interludes into the history of music itself. Their unique melodic expression is endured by fans of all ages, which embrace their distinctive yet familiar songs.