JIM BIANCO and
HOOTS AND HELLMOUTH
CSPS debut | Jim Bianco is a talented singer-songwriter raised in Brooklyn but now making waves on the West Coast. Bianco's memorable songs and adventurous storytelling echo individualistic greats such as Lyle Lovett and Tom Waits, but his style has evolved into a universe that is distinctly his own. Bianco has been called that rare breed of artist who creates music that transcends his time, which is, when you think about it, the recipe for musical immortality. Luckily, you can discover him now.
CSPS debut |  Not quite folk or alt-country, but more than just a rock group, Hoots and Hellmouth crafts fiery, cathartic roots-rock that the band describes as "new music for old souls."
Philadelphia's Sean Hoots and Andrew "Hellmouth" Gray play acoustic guitars. Coming together in 2005, the two began creating a body of work that was vastly different from what either had created in the past. Backed by a mandolinist and upright bass, they tend to favor country-rock harmonies and hippie romanticism, in the mode of Crosby, Stills & Nash or the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.
Often fleshing out their arrangements with organ, upright bass, drums and mandolin, the band saw their star begin to rise after appearances at the 2006 Philadelphia Folk Festival and at  WXPN's All About the Music festival. Their debut album, Hoots & Hellmouth, is marked by rambunctious energy, a welcome sense of humor, a hint of old-time string bands, and the potential to grow into something most original. Blending soul, folk, country, gospel and rock, with the sounds of classic Americana, the first CD of Hoots and Hellmouth has lived up to the promise of its fantastically popular, revival-like live shows — which is saying a lot.
Fri Mar 28 | 8 pm
CSPS | 1103 Third St SE | Cedar Rapids
$10 advance | $12 day of show

Ticket info
Go to Jim Bianco's Web site or Hoots and Hellmouth's
Hoots and Hellmouth on MySpace
Click here for a downloadable flyer (PDF)
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