Giant Sand

Infobox Musical artist
Name = Giant Sand

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Img_capt = Giant Sand performing in Faenza, Italy in 2006
Img_size =
Landscape = yes
Background = group_or_band
Alias = Giant Sandworms
Origin = Tucson, Arizona, USA
Genre = Alternative rock
Years_active = 1985–present
Label =
Associated_acts = Calexico
URL = [http://www.giantsand.com/ www.giantsand.com]
Current_members = Howe Gelb
Thøger T. Lund
Anders Pedersen
Peter Dombernowsky
Past_members = John Convertino
Joey Burns
Rainer Ptacek
Chris Cacavas
Paula Jean Brown
Tom Larkins

Giant Sand is an American rock band, based in Tucson, Arizona, USA. The name is shortened from the original "Giant Sandworms", a reference to the creatures in the "Dune" books. Overseen by singer-songwriter Howe Gelb, its membership has shifted over the years—at times with each album. For a long while the band's rhythm section consisted of John Convertino and Joey Burns who left the band when their side project, Calexico, grew more widely known than Giant Sand and, as Gelb characterized it in 2004, Calexico "began to work against Giant Sand and eat away at what the band was" [cite web|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2004/sep/03/popandrock|title=True grit|last=Simmons|first=Sylvie|date=3 September 2004|publisher=guardian.co.uk|accessdate=2008-08-02] .

Other members have included keyboardist Chris Cacavas (of Green on Red)Fact|date=June 2008, bassist Paula Jean Brown (who was briefly a member of The Go-Go's and was married to Gelb at the time [cite web|url=http://crookedrain.org.uk/?p=27|title=Howe Gelb|last=Stance|first=Frankerton|date=1 May 2006|publisher=Crooked Rain|accessdate=2008-08-02] ) and drummer Tom Larkins (later to become a Jonathan Richman sideman).Fact|date=June 2008

Guest artists have included Victoria Williams, Neko Case, Juliana Hatfield, PJ Harvey, Vic Chesnutt, Steve Wynn, Vicki Peterson, Rainer Ptacek, M. Ward, Isobel Campbell nearly all members of the band Poi Dog Pondering, and regular cameos from Gelb and Brown's daughter, Indiosa Patsy Jean. [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/145197-giant-sand-provisions]

Discography

*"Valley of Rain" (1985)
*"Ballad of a Thin Line Man" (1986)
*"Storm" (1987)
*"The Love Songs" (1988)
*"Long Stem Rant" (1989)
*"Swerve" (1990)
*"Ramp" (1991)
*"Center of the Universe" (1992)
*"Purge and Slouch" (1993)
*"Stromausfall" (1993)
*"Glum" (1994)
*"Backyard Barbecue Broadcast" (1995) [cite web|url=http://www.sa-wa-ro.com/GiantSand-Pages/giants-bbb.htm|title=BACKYARD BARBECUE BROADCAST|last=unattributed|date=undated|publisher=sa-wa-ro.com|accessdate=2008-08-02]
*"Chore of Enchantment" (2000)
*"Rock Opera Years" (2000)
*"Unsungglum" (2001)
*"Cover Magazine" (2001)
*"Infiltration of Dreams" (2002)
*"Too Many Spare Parts..." (2002)
*"...Is All Over...The Map" (2004)
*"Provisions" (2008)

Filmography

*"High and Dry: Where the Desert Meets Rock and Roll" (2006) – a documentary about Tucson musicians which includes music and interviews with Giant Sand members [cite web|url=http://www.upstairsfilm.com/highanddry/|title=High and Dry: Where the Desert Meets Rock 'n Roll|last=unattributed|date=2007|publisher=Upstairs Film|accessdate=2008-08-02]
*"Drunken Bees" (1996) – a documentary about Giant Sand by Marianne Dissard

References

External links

* [http://www.giantsand.com/ Giant Sand] official website
*Internet Archive music|id=GiantSand
*myspace|giantsand
* [http://www.owomrecords.com/ Ow Om Records] record label run by Howe Gelb
* [http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:h9frxqw5ld6e Giant Sand] at Allmusic
* [http://blogs.villagevoice.com/music/archives/2008/09/howe_gelb_will.php Q&A] with the Village Voice (9/16/2008)