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Beat Circus

Beat Circus was formed in 2002 in Boston, Massachusetts by singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Brian Carpenter, who has been its only constant member since its inception. In 2005 Carpenter began a radical shift in direction resulting in the recording of Dreamland, the first part of Carpenter's Weird American Gothic trilogy, with legendary NY producer Martin Bisi. Filled with dark narrative songs and loosely based on historical events associated with turn-of-the-century New York, Dreamland was the culmination of a two-year effort by Beat Circus. In Summer 2007 Brian Carpenter debuted the third incarnation of Beat Circus with a new concept and sound to develop the second part of the trilogy, Boy From Black Mountain, personal songs about family and fatherhood in the tradition of Southern Gospel songwriters and Southern Gothic literature.

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5
Album Review

Beat Circus: These Wicked Things

Read "These Wicked Things" reviewed by Mark Sullivan


Boston-based band Beat Circus first got together in 2002, and in 2005 leader Brian Carpenter (the only constant member over the life of the band) began working on his Weird American Gothic trilogy of albums, which explore the rich culture of three American mythologies: The American Circus, Southern Gothic literature, and the Old American West. Dreamland (Cuneiform Records, 2008) was the first, followed by Boy From Black Mountain (Cuneiform Records, 2009). In 2012 Carpenter was commissioned by the ...

170
Album Review

The Beat Circus: Ringleader's Revolt

Read "Ringleader's Revolt" reviewed by Javier AQ Ortiz


If one were to cast Howard Stern's Wack Pack as the band members of the traveling carnival of the outstanding HBO show Carnivàle, the music on Ringleader's Revolt could be envisaged with some ease as a soundtrack. Hell, even the cover art offers an inkling!

The Beat Circus operates on a musical boundary hardly ever performed live or even heard on record. Their performances on this release, however, have a jumping dramatic flair with a clear--almost visual--goal that ...

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169

Recording

Celebrate Cuneiform Records Download Week: Free MP3s by Wadada Leo Smith, Ergo, Zevious, Jason Adasiewic and Beat Circus

Celebrate Cuneiform Records Download Week: Free MP3s by Wadada Leo Smith, Ergo, Zevious, Jason Adasiewic and Beat Circus

Source: Michael Ricci

Download five free MP3s courtesy of Cuneiform Records.

She Haunts Me (3:41) Ergo From: Multitude, Solitude Cuneiform Records South Central L.A. Kulture (4:50) Wadada Leo Smith From: Spiritual Dimensions Cuneiform Records Where's the Captain? (5:10) Zevious From: After the Air Raid Cuneiform Records Hide (4:26) Jason Adasiewicz's Rolldown From: Varmint Cuneiform Records ...

165

Event

TUBAPALOOZA with Slavic Soul Party and Beat Circus at Zebulon

TUBAPALOOZA with Slavic Soul Party and Beat Circus at Zebulon

Source: All About Jazz

Saturday Nov 19th, 9PM TUBAPALOOZA with Slavic Soul Party and Beat Circus ZEBULON 258 Wythe Ave Williamsburg Brooklyn NO COVER!!! Zebulon, one of Brooklyn's best kept secrets, has been host to many big events since its opening, including a Butch Morris residency with drummer Kenny Wollesen's big band, and most recently the Tubapalooza series organized by tubist Ron Caswell. This fourth installment ...

"Boston's little circus of malcontents not only has the chops but features a fallen hellfire preacher/band leader (the captivating Brian Carpenter) who simultaneously channels Nick Cave and Johnny Cash. " -- Shawn Bosler, Village Voice

"The music and the wonderfully well-realized arrangements of Dreamland are, if anything, better than on the band's debut...the stylistically varied results make for a wonderfully imaginative record." -- Stewart Mason, All Music Guide

"Dreamland truly functions as a smorgasbord of the early twentieth-century music heard in both the old and new worlds. Carpenter possesses both vision and skill at execution in abundance." -- Michael Meade, Skyscraper Magazine

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

These Wicked Things

Innova Recordings
2019

buy

Boy From Black...

Cuneiform Records
2009

buy

Ringleader's Revolt

Innova Recordings
2005

buy

The February Train

From: Boy From Black Mountain
By Beat Circus

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