James Ess, Guy Capecelatro lll, Koko Taylor, Eric Wolfe, Steve Haruch, G. Honey Porter, Jarid del Deo
Influences
Roy Orbison, Bob Flanagan, The Typing Explosion, AC/DC, Maisy Buttercup, Joseph Cornell, Eartha Kitt, The Late Matt Jasper, Muhammad Ali, Ken Burns, Paxil
Portsmouth, NH --> Seattle, WA --> Urbana, IL --> Portsmouth, NH (honorable mention to Oakland, CA) --> Seattle, WA
"Jarid del Deos trio Unbunny has somehow flown under the radar through a gradual migration from Washington state to New Hampshire, releasing a series of pleasingly folk-tinged lo-fi discs on a parade of small labels along the way. Influences are displayed prominently on sleeves with the bands fifth LP, Snow Tires: the stark acoustic strumming of Nightwalking and I Knock Things I Havent Tried is a direct lift from the Elliott Smith fake book, while del Deos nasal voice nods to Neil Young, particularly on understated full-band workouts like the piano-laced Nothing Comes to Rest. But what initially seems an impressive style-exercise gradually reveals Unbunnys unique charms, largely through cryptic poetry and personal lyrics. On Pink Lemonade, del Deo repeatedly pleads, Dont leave me with the shakes to a melody reminiscent of the Beatles Dont Let Me Down. His appeals apparently rebuffed, the closing title track finds the narrator unable to summon more than a whisper as he hauls boxes from his girlfriends garage and frets over the condition of her tires. Surveying his small towns Main Street Christmas decorations, he mumbles Do they really think a string of colored lights is gonna rescue me? Del Deo may not be the sunniest sort, but Snow Tires is the best kind of bummer." --CMJ New Music Monthly
Snow Tires, much like the previous full-length Black Strawberries, is drowsy country-rock guitar with twinklings of orchestral pop, its spare poignancy touching the soul. --Neumu
[T]he fifth album from the circa-America based Unbunny is one of the most beautiful records of the year, evocative of Elliot Smith and Neil Young but with more heartbreaking fragile chord changes of the kind Mark Linkous used to do so well with Sparklehorse. --Americana UK
Unbunny is a monkey from outer space. Plus we didn't get to lay drums down yet but hopefully later this week. Additionally Unbunny is a bird that lives in your chest.
Hey there Jarid, I had a sweet time in Seattle, really psyched the weather held out for the two days. Thanks for showing me around that city of yours. Hey what was the name of that band you mentioned, New Oak I think?
Congratulations on the new album-- heard the NPR podcast with "The Path" and fell in love all over again with this incredibly understated, unassuming, unequaled unbunny music. Unreal.
