Dry River String

Concert alert for anyone residing in or near Osaka – harp-maestro Joanna Newsom will play Sunsui on Saturday, February 6th. Regularly, a show by her would be special enough, but she has promised a new album on her out at the end of February so this will be a great opportunity to hear some new tunes before the rest of the world (assuming the leak can wait a few days). And who isn’t down with nearly ten-minute-long tunes about monkeys?

Opening for Newsom? Dry River String, a three-piece folk group armed with soft singing voices and barely-there percussion. There sound is less Newsom (no classical leanings or use of the word “thee”) and more Erlend Øye. The snippet of “Cover Me” available on the band’s MySpace brings to mind Kings of Convenience, with the delicate guitar picking and downcast harmonizing. Even better is the sprite (and oddly named) “An Able Politician Saves Oil.” Just take a listen below. The Kyoto three-piece only have one EP (released at the end of last year) out thus far, but expect even more out of Dry River String.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bztQseKzaII&hl=en_US&fs=1&]