IL GATO is an indie-baroque-folk band from San Francisco, California. Their recent independent release, “All these Slippery Things” (July 2010), is the band’s first studio album and second full-length release. It was recorded and mixed at the renowned Tiny Telephone (with overdubs recorded at home), engineered by Ian Pelicci (Deerhoof, Rogue Wave, Hauschka, etc.) and mastered by Roger Seibel at SAE Mastering (Broken Social Scene, Death Cab for Cutie, Bon Iver, The Dodos, Cat Power, The Decemberists, Modest Mouse, etc.).
The core ensemble of musicians consists of guitarist/harmonica/vocalist Daimian Holiday Scott, pianist/trumpeter/vocalist Matthew Souther, upright bassist/vocalist Andrew Thomas, drummer/vocalist Johnny Major and violinist/trumpeter Annabel Ibanez. With a pop sensibility, their sound incorporates folk with a reggae down beat, harmonious rap, lavish modern-classical instrumentation, and emotionally charged vocals with a floating delivery. Common associations include Modest Mouse and Neutral Milk Hotel.
“All these Slippery Things” is a grand departure from IL GATO’s first release, “conversationmusic” (2007), a solo singer/songwriter recording by Gainesville, Florida native and former architect Daimian Holiday Scott. With the help of some of the Bay Area’s finest indie musicians, “All these Slippery Things” is embellished by full horn and string sections, piano, upright bass, drums, banjo, accordion, harmonica and melodica, hence putting the “baroque” in indie-folk.
IL GATO writes emotionally complex songs about life and love and loss and how if you are going to be a lover in this world you are undoubtedly also going to be a loser and how maybe that isn't such a bad thing. Maybe it is even a beautiful thing.
IL GATO has been on the bill with Castanets, Tom Brosseau, Sam Amidon, The Felice Brothers, Frank Black of the Pixies (almost), The Parson Red Heads, Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band, The Ferocious Few, {{{sunset}}}, The Shants, Annie Bacon, Wolf & Crow and other quality acts.
Additionally, IL GATO songs have been played on radio stations (Indie 101.3FM, WEVL, KALX, SomaFM, etc.), listed on blogs (CMJ, Consequence of Sound, LargeHearted Boy, The Bay Bridged, Crawdaddy Magazine, The Deli, etc.), featured in Sundance Film Festival's "Crime after Crime" and enjoyed by many.
“All these Slippery Things” is available for purchase at ilgato.bandcamp.com.
LINEUP
Daimian Holiday Scott: vocals, acoustic guitar, harmonica, loop pedal, etc.
Matthew Souther: trumpet, flugelhorn, piano, melodica, vocals, etc.
Johnny Major: drums, vocals, etc.
Andrew Thomas: upright bass, electric bass, mandolin, vocals, etc.
Annabel Ibanez: violin, trumpet, etc.
PRESS
"The album...is nothing if not impressive."
"This is by far the most vivid, intense and confident work to come out of the Bay Area in quite some time. il gato have begun their journey outside of the Bay Area and are ready to impress and enthrall. We wish them luck"
"The current quartet plays with an abundance of stringed instruments - guitars, mandolin, banjo, upright bass - and adds to the mixing pot piano, drums, harmonica, horns and melodica. The band's compositions fuse with mildly estranged vocals that have a storytelling style plucked from country-folk. When asked to describe its music, Holiday Scott coins the genre "indie-Baroque folk-rock," which he explains as "folk-rock with classical instruments and a liberal use of repetition."
Il Gato's music has become slightly more pop as it has developed, but the dash of alt-country is never lost, and it has also started to feature more group singing. Its performances remain intimate and enveloping, washing the listener away in its oddball and dreamy stories. Il Gato is about to record its first full-length, set for a late Spring release."
"Indefinite magic is key here. You can't quite put your finger on what makes this bluesy indie band so good, but you can't stop listening listening anyway. Perhaps it's the haunting vocals, the easygoing acoustic guitar, or the addition of instruments like melodica, mandolin, and standup bass. Whatever the reason, it's a mesmerizing listen."
"For an album recorded at a studio with the word “tiny” in the name and then overdubbed in an Oakland apartment building, I must say the finished product is quite amazing.
Il Gato seems to generally be going all out – in the studio and in the realm of life, too. From a band that draws inspiration from the far reaching sounds of Neutral Milk Hotel, Tortoise, Ethiopian jazz, Boyz II Men, and Pearl Jam, they clearly have been able to latch on to different types of music as they have been developing. Music is changing constantly, and you have to jump on waves of sound while they still seem fresh, combine them in a blender and kick out the jams. Il Gato is already doing a fantastic job of this."
PRESS IMAGES (Click to Download Hi-Res Version)
