Kevin House

Impressionistic, soulful, with vivid metaphors, Kevin House's songs are intimate, ornate; burnished with beautiful melodies that stay with you.

Gutter Pastoral, his debut album, is a dinner party where lyrical poetry, and hushed mournful music are the main course. Spooky little fairy tales are what engineer Gord Nichol said while in the process of recording the album - featuring guest musicians Samantha Parton (The Be Good Tanyas), trumpet player JP Carter (Millenium Project), upright bass player Russell Sholberg (Tony Wilson Quintet), saw player Enzo Garcia (Jolie Holland), and pianist Mike Derrick (Radiogram).

At times bringing to mind a more weatherbeaten Nick Drake, there's something of the European chanson tradition at work here also; with a jazz influence creeping in here and there plus unusual guitar voicings, and strange ambient nuances.

Kevin House is both a painter and a musician.He was born in England and raised in Canada and the U.S. He started his painting career in New York City, when down to a few dollars in his pocket he found a roll of canvas and literally painted to cover his rent, selling his work on the street. House is schooled in the school of the unschooled and trained by no one in particular. His work has been shown throughout the U.S and Canada and has been featured in Canada"s National Post, Bark magazine, Elle Canada,and featured on the discovery channel documentary "Sideshow of the stars" which aired in 2006.House views his banner work as being part of the sideshow painting tradition. While working within this form House has painted boxers , animals, dead french poets, sideshow performers, and other oddities in the tradition of sideshow banners.

Lately he has been working on "Based on a true story" documenting the lives of 5 imaginary (or real ?) folks in letters, photographs, minatures , recordings, and paintings. This museum like show will proceed forever , or as long as new information and artifacts surface with the help of fellow historians of dubious distinction. His other new work is paintings on 78 records which seem to be some sort of idols worshipped by tribes from a mysterious and exotic island named Recordland. folk art deco perhaps?

Kevin House"s work is in the collections of Famed british actor Malcolm Mcdowell, Last Gasp publisher Ron Turner , Geek Love author Kathrine Dunn, Magician actor and comedian Harry anderson , C.B.C personality Bill Richardson, Author photographer and curator Mark Sloan among many others.


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