5965

Gayngs (starring Justin Vernon) played a show - sort of with Prince (pics), announced more dates (w/ ACL, 2 in NYC)

live photos by Drew Kaiser

DOWNLOAD: Gayngs – The Gaudy Side of Town (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Gayngs – Faded High (MP3)

Channy Moon Casselle, Justin Vernon & Dessa (Gayngs) @ First Avenue on Friday
gayngs

Who are Gayngs? A druggy-disco supergroup comprised of the following…

Ryan Olson (Digitata), Zach Coulter (Solid Gold), Adam Hurlburt (Solid Gold), Joe Westerlund, Phil Cook (Megafaun), Brad Cook (Megafaun), Michael Lewis (Happy Apple), Justin Vernon (Bon Iver), Ivan Rosebud (The Rosebuds), Stefon LeRon Alexander (POS), Mike Noyce (Bon Iver), Jake Luck (Leisure Birds), James Buckley (James Bukley Trio, Mystery Palace), Nick Ryan (Leisure Birds), Shön Troth (Solid Gold), Danny Krzykowski, Chaney Moon Cassell (Roma di Luna), Katy Morley, Maggie Wander, Maggie Morrison (Lookbook, Digitata), Joe Mabbott (Passions), Grant Cutler (Lookbook), Xander.

Their debut album, Relayted, came out May 11th on Jagjaguwar. Two songs from it are posted above. Start with the blissed out funk of “Faded High” or just stream the whole thing at 89.3 The Current.

Gayngs played their first ever show on Friday, May 14th at First Avenue in Minneapolis. The show was in Minneapolis, so naturally Prince showed up, and actually almost joined them onstage (there is even photo evidence of the funky one with guitar in hand). Gayngs all wore tuxedos in line with the night’s theme, The Last Prom On Earth. The set of pictures in this post are from that show. They continue below with some videos.

The band will play their next live shows this September and October. Those include the just-announced ACL Festival, and a pair of NYC dates. They play Webster Hall on October 3rd and Music Hall of Williamsburg on October 4th. Tickets should be on sale this week. All dates below.

A video of the group at work/play, the video for their cover of Godley & Creme’s “Cry,” some porny teaser trailers (nothing says sexy like a clarinet), more pictures and some videos from their first gig, all dates, and much more, below…

“Cry” by GAYNGS

Gayngs @ First Avenue….

Ryan Olson
gayngs

Justin Vernon
gayngs

Ryan Olson
gayngs

Stef Alexander, Dessa
gayngs

gayngs

gayngs

Gayngs – Cry, First Avenue, Minneapolis, 5-14-10

Zak Coulter
gayngs

Mike Lewis
gayngs

Gayngs – Faded High, First Avenue, Minneapolis, 5-14-10

gayngs

When Ryan Olson decided to make a record with Solid Gold members Zack Coulter and Adam Hurlburt, it was clear to them what the result would be: a collection of drugged-up keyboards and slick bedroom production almost exclusively inspired by 10cc’s “I’m Not In Love.” To be fair, they weren’t entirely off. What they didn’t know was that it would spiral into a project of epic proportions, enlisting the talents of over 25 musicians from various scenes around the country, relocating the base of operations from Olson’s Minneapolis bedroom/studio to the Wisconsin-based studio April Base, and the genesis of a musical super-family, GAYNGS.

From the moment anyone heard Olson, Coulter, and Hurlburt’s rough version of their first composition “The Gaudy Side of Town,” they wanted in on it. To most of the players involved, this genre of music was quite foreign yet entirely familiar. Olson knew this, and began calling upon an eclectic cast of contributors whom he thought would share his vision, and relish in the idea of exploring uncharted musical territory within them. The first people to join the cause were North Carolina’s Megafaun (Joe Westerlund, Brad Cook, Phil Cook), and with them came Ivan Howard (The Rosebuds), and Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon and Mike Noyce. By mid-2009 the studio sessions were becoming more and more frequent, bouncing back and forth between April Base and Olson’s bedroom. In Minneapolis, Olson brought in Rhymesayers rapper P.O.S and his fellow Doomtree artist Dessa, psych-rockers Jake Luck and Nick Ryan (Leisure Birds), song-birds Channy Moon-Casselle and Katy Morley, jazz-saxophonist Michael Lewis (Happy Apple, Andrew Bird), retro-pop duo Maggie Morrison and Grant Cutler (Lookbook), and slide-guitarist Shön Troth (Solid Gold).

Vocally, GAYNGS is a triumph. Zack Coulter (Solid Gold) shines from the jump, floating over the record with his airy, haunting melodies. Fans of Bon Iver will recognize Vernon’s familiar falsetto, but will flip when they hear his Bone Thug’s-style R&B. Ivan Howard sounds right at home with his sensual and breathy leads, while P.O.S. abandons his genre entirely for a soul inspired tenor. With over a dozen people contributing vocals, its incredible how cohesive the album sounds.

After a year of tracking and mixing, GAYNGS is officially ready to release the album, entitled Relayted. The initial goal was achieved perfectly, yet Relayted sounds refreshing and modern. With each song written at 69 BPM’s, and tripped-out transitions from song to song, it is truly an audio experience from start to finish.

gayngs

“Relayted” tracklist
CD:
The Gaudy Side of Town
The Walker
Cry
No Sweat
False Bottom
The Beatdown
Crystal Rope
Spanish Platinum
Faded High
Ride
The Last Prom on Earth

Double LP is a different sequence:
A1- The Gaudy Side of Town
A2- The Walker

B1- Cry
B2- No Sweat
B3- False Bottom

C1 The Beatdown
C2 Crystal Rope
C3 Spanish Platinum
C4 Ride

D1 Faded High
D2 The Last Prom on Earth

More of the band’s prolific, if brief, video output is here.

Gayngs – 2010 Tour Dates
09/29/10 Milwaukee, WI: Turner Hall
09/30/10 Chicago, IL: Metro
10/01/10 Toronto, ON: Phoenix Theatre
10/02/10 Boston, MA: Paradise
10/03/10 New York, NY: Webster Hall
10/04/10 Brooklyn, NY: Music Hall of Williamsburg
10/05/10 Washington, DC: Black Cat
10/07/10 Nashville, TN: Mercy Lounge
10/10/10 Austin, TX: Austin City Limits Festival