Susan Gilbert's creative wordplay is complimented by the colorful soundscapes of Plastic Duck (flute, bass, percussion, bowed saw) in a collection of songs and musical poems that are hard to categorize, funny with a dark edge, and original.

13 MP3 Songs
POP: Quirky, SPOKEN WORD: Poetry



Details:
In this musical realm, the surprising wordscapes of Susan Gilbert are brushed and spattered over an inventive sonic canvas by an unlikely quartet, to create music which most pleasantly addles the wits.

Managing to be simultaneously kooky and profound, Susan has created an unruly collection of delightfully eccentric songs. You may find yourself gently confused, drifting through ballads on the lilting flute of Richard Curtis, or wryly amused, marching to raucous, mirthful tunes that evoke the pot-and-pan processions of childhood, or cosmically moved, as you are jettisoned through atmospheric soundscapes spontaneously crafted by percussionist Bill Wagner and bassist Nate Bynum. Susan Gilbert and Plastic Duck cleverly nudge you along into a new musical landscape, oddly familiar but slightly skewed.

Susan Gilbert: piano, keyboard, vocals
Richard Curtis: flute, alto sax, spoken voice
Nate Bynum: electric bass, bass effects, musical saw
Bill Wagner: percussion, conga, FX

Additional appearances by
Amanda Strong: harmony on "girlfriend"
Don Julin: mandolin on "funny dog"

Bill Palladino recorded most of the tracks over a two-day session at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Traverse City, Michigan. Patrick Niemisto recorded two of the songs at his studio, and Nate Bynum recorded and mixed "strange planet." Final work on the project, mixing, editing, and some additional recording, was done by Don Julin.

Complete lyrics are available to download at www.plasticduck.net.

Here are a few quotes from their former incarnation as Keyboard and Plastic Duck:

âMany musicians talk about being edgy, creative or that worst of all adjectives â âuniqueâ â but few succeed to the extent of Keyboard & Plastic Duck, who take creativity to its outer limit with oddball instruments, unusual rhythms and thoughtful, off-kilter songs of a quirky, whimsical natureâ¦â
âRobert Downes, Northern Express

âEven if you didn't speak a word of English, this would be fascinating stuff, and the lyrics are as outrageously creative as the music. It's all out on the fringes of song, but somehow makes you feel right at home there. Everyone in this quartet is in love with sound, and so is elaborately gentle with it, whether lyrically or musically. As an experience, Keyboard and Plastic Duck is thoroughly delightful.â
âPeter Berryman, of Lou and Peter Berryman