Giant Sand
Giant Sand is an American band from Tucson, Arizona. Its most constant member is singer-songwriter Howe Gelb. The group started as Giant Sandworms in the late 1970s post-punk and paisley underground scenes. They later shortened their name and developed an idiosyncratic sound rooted in alternative country but touching on a wide range of other styles and featuring Gelb's beatnik-influenced vocals and songwriting.
Members have included keyboardist Chris Cacavas, bassist Paula Jean Brown, Mark Walton, drummer Tom Larkins. and Iain Shedden, drummer with Australian band The Saints. For a long while the band's rhythm section consisted of John Convertino and Joey Burns. In the early 2000s Howe Gelb reinvented the band again - this time with players from Denmark.
Guest artists over the last 3 decades have included Victoria Williams, Neko Case, Juliana Hatfield, PJ Harvey, Vic Chesnutt, Steve Wynn, Vicki Peterson, Rainer Ptacek, M. Ward, Isobel Campbell, nearly all members of the band Poi Dog Pondering, and Indiosa Patsy Jean.Discography
Giant Sand
- 1985: Valley of Rain
- 1986: Ballad of a Thin Line Man
- 1988: The Love Songs
- 1988: Storm
- 1989: Long Stem Rant
- 1990: Swerve
- 1991: Ramp
- 1992: Center of the Universe
- 1994 Stromausfall
- 1993: Purge & Slouch
- 1994: Glum
- 1995: Goods and Services
- 1995: Backyard Barbecue Broadcast
- 1997: Official Bootleg Series Volume 1: Build Your Own Night It's Easy
- 2000: Chore of Enchantment
- 2000: Official Bootleg Series Volume 2: The Rock Opera Years
- 2001: Official Bootleg Series Volume 3: Unsungglum
- 2001: Selections Circa 1990-2000
- 2002: Cover Magazine
- 2002: Infiltration of Dreams
- 2003: Official Bootleg Series Volume 5: Too Many Spare Parts in the Yard Too Close at Hand
- 2004: Is All Over the Map
- 2008: *proVISIONS*
- 2008: Provisional Supplement
- 2010: Blurry Blue Mountain
- 2015: Heartbreak Pass
- 2018: Returns To Valley Of Rain
Giant Giant Sand
- 2012: Tucson; a Country Rock Opera
Melted Wires
- 2010 ''Melted Wires
Howe Gelb
- 2011: ''Snarl Some Piano
Filmography
- "Good Luck Suckers" Giant Sand's concert at the Trabendo in Paris - France 2016
Editing in DVD with the documentary "Sounds of Tucson" - Director Guillaume Dero - La Huit.