Lucinda Black Bear

Lucinda Black Bear featured on:
NPR "All Songs Considered"- Year in Review 2007
CD available on Amazon.com and
For U.S. Booking contact Lost Barrio Artists-[email protected]
U.S. Management and PR September Gurl
Lucinda Black Bear is the new project led by Christian Gibbs (aka C.Gibbs) and fleshed out with instrumentalists from the Brooklyn melodic folk scene : Mike Cohen (Soft Explosions, Bad Teenage Moustache) on bass, Kristin Mueller (Gloria Deluxe aka Cynthia Hopkins, Caulfield Sisters, Ports of Call) on Drums, Chad Hammer (Ray Charles), and Clare Burson on violin. The band was conceived when Gibbs had a batch of self-recorded material that he felt needed some new blood and new instrumentation to augment his piano-guitar based, loop laden songs. He met Mueller (all decked out in denim) at a party in L.I.C. and upon learning she played drums, asked her if she would be interested in lending her talents to a new project. Gibbs then recruited multi-instrumentalist and plaid shirt afficianado Mike Cohen to play bass. They had crossed paths many-a-time in various rehearsal rooms and clubs scattered around Brooklyn but had yet to collaborate together. Knowing these songs needed the melancholy tug and pull of strings, Gibbs had mentioned to a cluster of people outside Brooklyn's Southpaw that he was looking for a violinist when Clare Burson responded "I play violin." Next Gibbs sought out a cellist he had heard great things about, a bleach blonde mohawked school teacher named Chad Hammer. The band scheduled a show at Pete's Candy Store and got to work. Born from minor keys and a heavy dose of melody, Lucinda Black Bear evokes the rapture and sorrow of a motherless cub. The new album frolics the musky musical landscape with palatable sonic morsels incorporating cellos, feedback, loops, pianos, drums, and oddly tuned acoustic and electric guitars. The band released "Capo my Heart and other Bear Songs" in November of 2007 with a show at Joe's Pub in New York City. The record was also released in Switzerland on Noi Recordings where the band toured this past Fall for before going out on tour in the States. Gibbs has received rave reviews for his solo work in Rolling Stone, Spin, NBC News, Billboard, Alternative Press, No Depression, Harp, Guitar World Magazine, and many other notable publications. Songs like "Capo My Heart" , and "Fought the Bear" with their plaintive, understated Elliott Smith meets Radiohead meets Chet Baker ruminations, are attracting new music lovers the world over.
NPR-All Songs Considered
November 14, 2007 - Brooklyn's Lucinda Black Bear is a new project led by Christian Gibbs. They play carefully written folk rock with stunning sonic arrangements.Lucinda Blackbear's debut CD, Capo My Heart and Other Bear Songs, is a melancholy collection of songs that are expressive and moving. With Mike Cohen on bass, Kristin Mueller on drums, Chad Hammer ..o, and Clare Burson on violin, they paint lonely, deserted images with dark minor chords and complex melodies. The strings and acoustic instruments blend well with distorted electric guitar and subtle feedback.On the title track, slow guitar and piano play along with Gibbs' dreamy vocals: "if I could build a tree up to the stars / I'd lay there forever". The last track, "Hibernation Song (Blue it Got You)", is an instrumental piece that features dissonant, droning strings.Christian Gibbs has also played in a number of other notable bands including Foetus, the Morning Glories, and the '80s pop group Modern English.
Performing Songwriter, March /April 2008 Capo My Heart provides a prime example of [Christian] Gibbs' angular melodies, muted emotions and a heavy emphasis on varying tones and textures. While the lush, ethereal beauty of "Fought the Bear," "Winterland" and "You Got It Blue" takes several listens to fully absorb, peeling away the shimmering layers makes those repeated encounters all the more intriguing.
Village Voice Headlining the evening was Lucinda Black Bear, a rock-noir outfit headed by C.Gibbs (a/k/a Christian Gibbs). Gibbs is neither awkward, nor young; in fact, he’s extremely confident in commanding this five piece he’s recently assembled, who're bolstered by a cello and a violin. Gibbs has been around the game awhile; he flirted with a major label release in 1999, and has subsequently released two records this decade. He’s received accolades over the years from high end places such as the New York Times and NPR, but seemingly has failed to catch on with those most likely be his fans—those who appreciate Okkervil River or Magnolia Electric Company / Songs: Ohia.Unlike Marling, Lucinda Black Bear sing songs about fighting bears. Well, just one song, really, involves a throwdown: “Fought The Bear” is a large sounding rocker, a full-on assault of Gibbs crowing and crescendo’ing about a quick brush with death, something that fits his band's morose vibe. He passionately convinces us that this bear fight (with his bare hands) really happened, something that as we get older, we don’t even consider possible. There was a time, decades ago, that fighting bears seemed like a real possibility as did playing professional sports. Another one of the staples in Lucinda Black Bear’s catalog is “Kites,” a slow, twangy ballad that highlights Gibb’s abstract storytelling. It’s not a carefree kite flying song (although flying kites, is in fact, referenced) but instead comes off a bit bitter, a bit jaded, and dejected, as Gibbs describes coming to terms with losing a friend. Gibbs himself puts this into his performances, a downsized version of himself that the jaded and the heartbroken can appreciate—those with imagination, yet who were never rewarded for that quality.Lucinda Black Bear might be just getting off the ground, and Gibbs has assembled a talented backing band. But his song arrangements (like on the album) would even lend themselves to a larger ensemble, maybe a piano here and there, and a banjo or mandolin would even sound appropriate—but for Union Hall’s tiny stage, a five piece was enough for the moment. written by Michael D. Ayers
Harp Magazine Another vector for the haunted folk rock tunes of Christian—or C.—Gibbs, LBB (which features singer-songwriter HARP fave Clare Burson on violin) takes a different instrumental tack, crafting spectral, more atmospheric contexts to go with Gibbs’ descriptive epistles on the self-released Eastern Spurs.
Time Out Lucinda Black Bear is a new quintet led by Christian Gibbs, a veteran local singer who really knows his way around a dark pop melody. Gibbs has had brushes with fame before but the striking, melancholy tunes LBB delivers could push him over the top. Tonight’s show benefits Life for the World, an addiction-help center.
PlaybackI love falsetto vocals. Friggin' love 'em! There's something about hearing a male voice reaching for that challenging, octave-stretching high note—and nailing it—that is utterly sublime. Whether it's Brian Wilson, Neil Young or Chris Martin (or Bono, for gosh sakes), a good falsetto can reel me right into whatever song I'm listening to.So Lucinda Black Bear had me at the "hello" of the opening track on their debut album ‘Capo My Heart' and Other Bear Songs. The song in question, "Kites," finds singer/guitarist/keyboardist Christian Gibbs soaring to a wonderful "high" on the verses perfectly, blissfully. And it gets this album off to a gripping start indeed.Lucinda Black Bear is anchored by the voice and tuneful compositions of Gibbs (an acclaimed Brooklyn songwriter best known for his prior work Parade of Small Horses), with worthy accompaniment by other Brooklynites, including bassist Mike Cohen (Soft Explosions, Killer Elite), drummer Kristin Mueller and cellist Chad Hammer. Gibbs has a pleasing, emotive voice, and his piano playing is bright and fluid. After that fine opening track, the pleasure continues: "All She Wanted" features ear-friendly finger picking, gorgeous harmony vocals and unexpected Beatle-ish orchestral interludes. It's a wonderful example of modern folk-rock, with the sort of lilt that'll make you smile.The titular "Capo My Heart" is a solemn piano and guitar ballad that truly has "classic" stamped on it. Between the grabber of a melody, the tasteful chords and Gibbs' immaculate delivery, this song ascends to a level of sheer craftsmanship that will make you recall the best melodic pop music of the '60s and '70s. With "Winterland," you get a nice jangly rocker that again finds Gibbs favoring the higher registers, with the harmonies and stirring tempo supporting him all the way. "Noon Day Sun" and "Give U Nothin'" vary the flow with rather eccentric arrangements; the offbeat vocals and percussion of that latter track, in particular, show that Gibbs isn't content to settle for the lowest common denominator. He's reaching, exploring—trying to find the musical sounds that best represent his thoughtful musings about life and love.And he doesn't overload his songs: "Here I Am" features mostly straightforward lyrics ("I'll be your pleasure/ I'll be your pain/ I'm the desire that never wanes..."), but it's such a beautifully compact song, with warm plunky piano and a flawless arrangement, that you feel grateful for the tastefulness Gibbs shows at every turn (he also produced).And what to make of the concluding "Hibernation Song (Blue it Got You)," a peculiar little cello-laden ambient instrumental that ebbs and flows, signaling all sorts of additional possibilities for Gibbs' active muse? Not sure, but it tops off a beautifully paced recording in surprising style. Gibbs seems to be rather intuitive in his musical choices, and he's come up with a real winner here. Capo is a Bear-y fine album, the kind you can enjoy from start to finish and look forward to playing again and again. B+ | Kevin Renick
The Owl Mag The Brooklyn-based band Lucinda Black Bear is led by singer-songwriter Christian Gibbs, who has received acclaim for his solo work in the past. Gibbs is an enormously talented songwriter, and the five-piece band (comprising guitar, bass, drums, cello and violin) provides full, powerful arrangements for his minor-key pop songs. Influences by Elliott Smith and The Beatles drive some of the album’s best tracks, including the gorgeous, immediately memorable "Fought the Bear" and the laid-back, acoustic guitar-driven "All She Wanted" and "Noon Day Sun." "Kites" recalls Radiohead's best pop melodies, and the sprawling, poetic "Here I Am" is a track worthy of Beck’s album Sea Change. The songs do a wonderful job of capturing the beauty of sadness, with the string section pitching in to create the album's darkest, most affecting moments. "Capo My Heart" and other Bear Songs is a musical achievement that is not to be missed.
- Kiri Oliver
The L Magazine Lucinda Black Bear's frontman, Christian Gibbs, does that Thom Yorke-thing with his voice where he sounds like a ghost. Back that up with some cello and violin, and you've got yourself a slow, spooky treat. $6.
Telegraph.uk.co Dude, what is up with the BEAR thing?'
These immortal words echoed across the American radio waves on National Public Radio's Best CDs of 2007. The reviewer had apparently just noticed that his list of hot American bands was weirdly bear-heavy, including: Grizzly Bear, Minus the Bear, Bear Vs Shark, Giant Bear and Lucinda Black Bear.
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