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| What Time Is It, Mr. Fox? Mix Love and Alchemy on New CD Boston neo-cabaret band What Time Is It, Mr. Fox? plays with love, identity, sexuality, and alchemy on its latest CD, "And Other Stories." The band has been a staple in the Boston underground cabaret scene since the early 2000's, sharing stages with bands like The Dresden Dolls, Humanwine (in which members of Mr. Fox moonlight) and in the seminal Boston Burlesque Association. On November 15th, the band will be joined by the high antics of Emperor Norton's Stationary Marching Band, the dark romantic Calycadenia and a quintet from the acclaimed string orchestra, A Far Cry. The night will also feature an animated short from award-winning film-maker Ruth Lingford, numerous special guest performers and various fiends in fox masks. The CD is available for sale at performances, CDBaby.com, eMusic.com and iTunes. The "And Other Stories" release celebration will take place at The Lizard Lounge in Cambridge, MA, an intimate live music club located just north of Harvard Square. What Time Is It, Mr. Fox? is fronted by singer-songwriter Brian King, whose song "Cold Rain" was recorded by the Grammy Award- winning Soul Queen of New Orleans, Irma Thomas, on her most recent Rounder Records release "Simply Grand." Rolling Stone and The Village Voice highlighted the track in their album reviews and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette declared the song ""a little musical masterpiece. If its gentle passion doesn't move you, get a heart transplant." With his band mates Nathan Cohen on violin, trumpet and viola, Mike Leggio on bass and Nate Greenslit on drums, King creates soulful meditations on beauty, sex, love, identity and transformation. There's the tale of a boy who turns into a cartoon from watching too much TV in "Horror Cartoon", and the damsel in distress who rescues herself from "The Tower." Yet, the soul is truly bared on the stark, dark stripped down blues of "So Mean" as King's voice defies gender in a register somewhere between Billie Holiday and Amy Winehouse. "I relate to words, stories and personal mythology, " King muses. "The way past loves and relationships can create a kind of Greek pantheon in the psyche. I spend a lot of time investigating my own angels and demons in my lyrics. But I've realized this year, when it comes down to it, you've got to have soul. If I don't feel it, it ain't happening." "And Other Stories" also includes contributions from a variety of Boston musicians, including Walter Sickert and the Army of Broken Toys, drummer Russ Lawton (Trey Anastasio), Grammy- award winning producer Scott Billington on harmonica, numerous cellists, accordionists, horn players and Leigh Calabrese on the singing saw. write your comments about the article :: © 2008 Jazz News :: home page |