Steve Abel, Geoff Maddock, Mike Hall, Milan Borich, Gareth Thomas with special singing guest appearances by Jolie Holland, Kirsten Morrell, Anika Moa, Mardi Potter and Renee Louise Carafice.
Influences
drink, waiata, waking dreams, duende and faerie, Leadbelly, Guided by Voices, broken stuff, living stuff, Ray Davies, mr L Cohen, near anything flying nun, Li'l Chief, Arch Hill, The Clean, The Puddle, Hank Williams (p.b.u.h) and Johny Cash, John Rowles, the big O, the King, the Boss, Randy Newman, T Rex, Nina Simone, Patti Smith, Morrisey and Bonnie Billie, VU, Bob Dylan, Van Zandt, punk and post, folk & anti-folk, Nashville, Sun, Tamaki Makaurau, The Kosmokrator, love, depression etc... also thanks to Steve Albini, Bowie, Nick Cave, Neil Young, Led Zep, Scott Walker and all the destitute lovers.
“Abel is an extraordinarily good songwriter” - Alternatui Awards which named Little Death 2006 Album of the Year
“Richly poetic lyrics create a mood that is sometimes dark, sometimes mystical and bordering on the avant-garde. Listening to these songs is like viewing pictures in a gallery.” - NZ Musician Magazine
“Abel is a refined writer whose lyrics have a bone-bare quality – the sound of someone writing and singing from a place where there is no guile, just hard truth and clear eyes.” - Graham Reid, elsewhere.co.nz
FLAX HAPPY (2008, Kin'sland Records)
Steve Abel's universally acclaimed sophomore release is "A fine collection of dark, otherworldly tunes - Sparse, spellbinding and special"**** (Marty Duda, Real Groove Magazine). FLAX HAPPY, which features Texan alt-folk chanteuse Jolie Holland and New Zealand's Anika Moa, foments the first album collaboration with the same band of musicians - newly named The Chrysalids. FLAX HAPPY was named in the Amplifier.co.nz best albums of 2008.
"Wonderful. Actually, beyond wonderful." - Andrew Tidball, www.cheeseontoast.co.nz
"Sublime" * * * * - Dominion Post
"A Rarity" * * * * - NZ Herald
"Lush beautiful folk. Dark but uplifting Americana." * * * * - Leeds Guide UK
"Equal parts disturbing and lullaby-esque. Sparse but dense, quiet
but intense. Consummately relaxed danger." - Pop Musicology UK
"Impressive simple beauty." - Organ Magazine UK
Little Death (2006, Kin'sland Records)
Little Death was named 2006 Alternatui Album of the Year and listed in the NZ Herald's Best Sounds of 2006. The album features the seminal Duet (Lonely I Be) with Kirsten Morrell, and the rollicking Sweetheart among many other heart-rending tracks.
"Arrant musical hypnosis...a treasure" - William Dart, Radio NZ Concert FM
"A melancholic masterpiece" - Pavement Magazine
"Beautifully crafted" - Southland Express
Described as “In a community of poet troubadours,” (Nick Bollinger, Radio NZ) Abel draws on old and new world alternative traditions. Both FLAX HAPPY and Little Death embody the alt-folk essence like few albums anywhere. The musical collaboration born has become a hypnotic live outfit described by the New Zealand Herald as a "kiwi supergroup" and newly named The Chrysalids: Gareth Thomas (Goodshirt), accordion; Geoff Maddock (Bressa Creeting Cake, Goldenhorse), electric guitar; Milan Borich (Bic Runga band, Pluto), drums; Mike Hall (Brunettes, Dimmer, Pluto), double bass; Steve Abel, acoustic guitar – and all sing.
Steve has shared the stage in recent years with Kristen Hirsch, Jolie Holland, The Haints of Dean Hall, Micah P Hinson, Richard Buckner, Hayden, The Brunettes, Samuel Flynn Scott, Goldenhorse, The Vietnam War, Age Pryor, Don McGlashan, The Sami Sisters and Paul McLaney, among many others. His song Hospice for Destitute Lovers features in the gothic fairytale feature film Woodenhead by Florian Habicht. He is currently based in Europe.
STEVE ABEL & THE CHRYSALIDS's Friend Space (Top 16)
i be there on the 22nd to sing with you on brighton ground. we indeed sang that song very beautifully. hoping for another moment like this...with you and mister laney some day.
i've almost forgotten about swiss luxury... what a pleasure so sweet.
Will Scott's new album, GNAWBONE is here!!! The CD is available at CDBaby and other online retailers.
Over three years in the making, GNAWBONE is Scott's fully-produced studio debut and features a crack team of hand-picked musicians as well as guest performances by Jan Bell, Jolie Holland, Samantha Parton, and Preacher Boy (the album's producer).
Sorry I missed your gig at the tabernacle - got there a half hour afterwards cos the tubes weren't working. Anyway, mustn't grumble... hope to catch u and your guys live soon !
Hey..I see you are touring - Not playing anywhere round here eh? Let me know! Maybe..just maybe you might want to download 10 recordings we did in February? We left the Satanism/drunken terror/chaos in a box and turned up at a little old building for an acoustic band gig.
If you do..Then visit our latest blog for the link.
heya, just a little note to say we got this debut album thing released on monday! we'll be out playing in March/April, hope to catch you then... x a. s. z. a
Hi STEVE ABEL & THE CHRYSALIDS We wanna thank you for your very important support in those sad days.
This thanx are in our name, in the name of Enrico's wife Paola and in the name of his sons.
Enrico Micheletti's ashes are flyin' throughout the universe and we hope his soul is finally arrived at a beautiful destination.
What about his music and the music we had recorded toghether?
We finally decide to get it out. We wanna remeber Enrico in this way. In the first quarter of 2009 we will publish all our and Enrico Micheletti' s materials on Itunes and many other stores on the web.
We'll send you a message when it's all ready.
God bless you!!! Have a wonderful 2009!!!
KEEP THE BLUES ALIVEEEE!!!!!!!
Ciao STEVE ABEL & THE CHRYSALIDS ti volevamo ringraziare per le tue parole e per il tuo sostegno in periodo così difficile per noi.
Questi ringraziamenti non sono formali, sono veramente sinceri a nome nostro, della moglie di Enrico Paola e a nome dei suoi figli.
Le ceneri di Enrico Micheletti sono disperse nel mar Tirreno e stanno viaggiando nell' universo. Noi speriamo che anche la sua anima abbia raggiunto finalmente il miglior approdo possibile.
Cosa fare del suo materiale in nostro possesso e del materiale che abbiamo registrato insieme?
Dopo aver pensato a lungo sul da farsi abbiamo deciso di pubblicarlo. Lo pubblicheremo su Itunes ed altri siti così tutti potranno trovarlo se lo cercano. Glielo dobbiamo. Glielo deve chi lo ha conosciuto.
Cercheremo di pubblicare tutto ciò che è in nostro possesso nei primi mesi del 2009.
Thanks for the kind comment. Sorry for the delay, but I've been putting the final touches on the debut record. It's up now on itunes and amazon (amiestreet, rhapsody, etc.) There are 2 sides: Sink and Fall. "Sink" is more pop and electronic; "Fall" is more punk and country. We appreciate all your support. Have a happy MWU year
Online Now!
