Gabriel James profile picture

Gabriel James

Here's to the roles we play.

About Me


Seven tracks from "Fits to Pitch" have been licensed by PBS for the 2007-2008 season! Details to come...
Six tracks from "Fools" have been included in the Fall, 2006 season of PBS' Roadtrip Nation...
"This is an eclectic mix of acoustic jazz, if there ever were a genre. Gabriel James is a Minneapolis singer-songwriter who brings a Midwest flavor to the crowded singer-songwriter realm. I suppose you could call him a male Ani DiFranco...His songwriting depicts attitude and edge...You won't get any sappy Mayeresque tracks here, but it's refreshing. "You know I'd give the world to you/If the world was mine/But you know the rules," he sings in "In the Hands of Fools." He's got the guitar antics of Ari Hest ala "Consistency" here, and through many of the tracks. As the album goes on, it only gets better as we slow down in "Maybe" and a little rhythmic in "Pretend." Overall, this was a refreshing listen. Favorite Tracks: In the Hands of Fools, Maybe. Rating: 4 stars." --Discovering Artists
"Gabriel James puts his music first and lets everything else fall into place. 'Music that speaks to the soul'...I can go along with that. If you dig your music on the acoustic side with a bit of jazz flavor, then you need to help yourself to a taste of 'Fools'..." --Ear Candy Magazine
"Gabriel James sophomore album is jazzy pop-rock at its very finest. He juggles between melodies like a circus clown, ridiculously throwing great catchy hooks at you like hes got a billion more where that one came from. His songwriting abilities to be sure are brilliant but its his voice thats going to attract most singer/songwriters to attempt to copy his style. Beautiful. Get this now." --J-Sin, Smother.net
"...Gabriel's songs succeed for many of the same reasons Ani DiFranco's do...Theyre confessional, intelligent tunes propelled by a slightly offbeat, funkified delivery..." --The Onion, Minneapolis
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My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 1/15/2006
Band Website: gabrieljames.com
Band Members: On stage and in studio:
Gabriel James - guitars, voice
Jeremy Johnson - drums, percussion
Kellie Nitz - upright bass, voice
Erik Naslund - trumpet, guitar, voice
Carolyn Koenig - piano, flute, voice
Influences:
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"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side."
--Hunter S. Thompson
Sounds Like:

album price #
GABRIEL JAMES: Fits to Pitch $9.99
GABRIEL JAMES: In the Hands of Fools $9.99
GABRIEL JAMES: Dance Songs for the Narcoleptic $7.99
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Record Label: grass root records
Type of Label: Indie

My Blog

Credit Where Credit is Due

The recording and production of Fits over the last 9 months has given me the opportunity to work with some amazing talent, most of whom are involved in at least a couple other projects of their own. P...
Posted by Gabriel James on Fri, 27 Jul 2007 08:39:00 PST

Obsolete Children, Part IV

Obsolete Children, Part IV It's almost Christmas. Every few years, my mom pulls out a picture of me standing in front of the Christmas tree, 5-year-old arms curled in my bestest Superman pose, and spo...
Posted by Gabriel James on Fri, 27 Jul 2007 08:39:00 PST

Conundrum

Tonight I went to a holiday party hosted by a fellow musician and his fiancé. In true party form, the friends of the fiancébusiness professionals and family starterscongregated in the kitchen and th...
Posted by Gabriel James on Fri, 27 Jul 2007 08:39:00 PST

Obsolete Children, Part III

Obsolete Children, Part III Reading over my last Obsolete entry now, I'm seeing much more of the analytical academic in me coming out in those paragraphs than the usual blatant smart ass. I'll try to ...
Posted by Gabriel James on Fri, 27 Jul 2007 08:39:00 PST

Obsolete Children, Part II

Obsolete Children, Part II I have these memories from when I was kid. Sometimes they pop into my head because of a conversation; other times it's intentionalI'll see a kid playing and I'll push to re...
Posted by Gabriel James on Fri, 27 Jul 2007 08:39:00 PST

Adults are just obsolete children and the hell with them.

The title is a Dr. Seuss quote. I'm convinced he's smarter than Jesus. Part I. The new album has gotten me thinking quite a bit lately. And not just the standard, "I think I am hungry. Let there ...
Posted by Gabriel James on Fri, 27 Jul 2007 08:39:00 PST

Sneak Peek @ the New Album

We've uploaded "Naked," a track from the forthcoming album, which is due to be finished by the end of the year (formal release is tentatively scheduled for early Spring, '07).Let us know what you thin...
Posted by Gabriel James on Fri, 27 Jul 2007 08:39:00 PST

Airline Mechanics are the New Superheroes.

Remember: It takes a college degree to fly a plane, but only a high school diploma to fix one. Reassurance for those of us who fly routinely in our jobs. After every flight, Qantas pilots fill ou...
Posted by Gabriel James on Fri, 27 Jul 2007 08:39:00 PST