Kate Mann and The Calamaties - a rotating cast of characters possibly including Bernardo Gomez (upright bass), Jason Mayberry (percussion), Marilee Hord (fiddle)...and that's just in Portland. There are Calamities everywhere!!!
Influences
PJ Harvey, Tom Waits, Townes Van Zandt, Ray LaMontagne, Patty Griffin, Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter, Mazzy Star, Neko Case, Bruce Springsteen, Cat Power, Johnny Cash, Marianne Faithful, Lucinda Williams, Kristen Hersh, The Be Good Tanyas, Eric McFadden, Jim White...just to name a few
“Kate's got a back tat that's the size of Oregon and a voice that's twice as big. Armed with a guitar and harp, she cranks out a chicken-wired wall of country rock that'll have your toes tappin' while you watch out for flying beer bottles.”
Jeffrey Morgan
Metrotimes - Detroit's Weekly Alternative
“Kate Mann is much more than a pretty face with an acoustic guitar. She is an artist in every sense of the word, and her music speaks volumes way beyond her years. The New Mexico native's style was shaped by her surroundings of endless skies and vast deserts, giving her a Southwestern disposition that is a little bit treacherous. Affected by such artists as PJ Harvey, Townes Van Zandt and Tom Waits, Mann possesses a gritty and somewhat jagged sound as she enlists unusual chord progressions to accompany her gruff vocals. While she writes with abstract metaphors that could be construed as idiosyncratic, her messages come across compellingly clear. Since her arrival to the West Coast a decade ago, Mann has become one of Portland's most recognizable talents, winning audiences throughout the entire Northwest. Mann's debut disc, November Songs, was released last year. This first outing was recorded live in the studio in a single weekend, and it shows - I mean that in a good way though. The disc captures Mann raw and exposed. The minimalism of each song is refreshing as she takes you on a dark journey to the corner of her soul.”
Tony Engelhart
Weekly Volcano
“Devil's Rope, (Kate Mann’s) second album, shows her confidence growing, her sound toughening, and her future brightening.”
Marty Hughley
The Oregonian A&E
Kate Mann’s songs take you on a southwestern journey of the nighttime world with snapshots of love lost and dangerous encounters. Kate grew up at the foot of the Sandia mountains in New Mexico, and the texture of the desert subtly sculpts her music. A deeply resonant, unique vocal quality, atypical chord progressions, and compelling and intelligent lyrics combine to conjure comparisons as varied as PJ Harvey, Lucinda Williams, Tom Waits, and Nick Cave.
A former high school teacher, Kate had an awakening of sorts in 2005 and dedicated herself to music full time. She traded in her car for a van, fixed up her mother’s old 1963 Gibson acoustic, and started touring the Western United States. Her unique brand of moody Americana has been cultivating a loyal local fan base, and she is continuing the trend regionally. Her song “Cowboys are my Weakness” was recently selected as a finalist in the Americana category of the Independent Music Awards, and she received some national airplay for selections off her most recent album. Kate has also been winning fans in Europe, where her first album has gotten airplay and positive reviews.
“Devil’s Rope,” Kate’s second album, was recorded at 8-Ball Studio in Portland and coproduced by Kate and studio owner Rob Stroup. The album, distributed by Burnside Distribution, takes the songwriter into new territory. Whereas Mann’s debut, the 2005 release “November Songs,” was a sparse acoustic recording, “Devil’s Rope” surrounds Mann’s dusky voice and acoustic guitar with aggressive slide guitar and harmonica, rumbling drums, and accordion and classical guitar sounds that conjure images of gypsy caravans. Recording for the artist’s third album will begin in January 2008.
Hello Kate!Thanks very much for your kind words and accepting our request!You have a great great sound and a very unique voice..beautiful!We love it!!!Have a great day!
"The only real voyage consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes; in seeing the universe through the eyes of another, one hundred others--in seeing the hundred universes that each of them sees." *Marcel Proust*
"Ignorance is not knowing anything and being attracted to the good... Innocence is knowing everything and still being attracted to the good. " *Clarissa Pinkola-Estes*
Thanx for the add, I love your song orange dress! Ya Motley Crue, the first album was really good and they steadily got worse. Have you heard the song Blues for Bukowski its great!
Yee haw indeed - you sound ready for Texas! See you there ... all night jams...cheap beer under the Texas stars...mud, scorpions and tornadoes... it'll be great!
Thanks for your comments. You have some great songs on your page, and I look forward to seeing you around town. We had a great time on Sat. playing at Anna Banana's and we'll be back there on the 24th. Peace! -Tom of Blackberry Jam
