Red Oak Duo is the sound of the modern American West: vast rural landscapes, one-stoplight towns, suburban sprawl crawling up foothills and valleys, freeways, strip malls, rugged coastlines, volcanic rock, alpine lakes, dry arroyos, and a diverse, multicultural population.
Adam Benjamin (piano and Rhodes) and Storm Nilson (acoustic and electric guitar) compose original music drawn from their experiences in these places. Americana collides with abstraction, technology, and pastoralia to paint a haunting portrait of early 21st century America. Their sound is Copland-esque, but fully contemporary.
"It's a work of faith. Faith in this idea: that if all humans are given a chance to create something that they feel is meaningful, and if we all feel that we are living truthfully and fulfilling our role in the greater cause, then perhaps these unthinkable changes in human organization will no longer be unthinkable." —Adam Benjamin
Seven American Monuments is their second full-length album (after their 2011 self-titled debut on f.Boo Music). It features seven new works composed by Benjamin and Nilson, each written for a particular place or experience in the American West. Acoustic, electric and electronic sounds combine to form a rich orchestral palette, and their improvisations draw from bluegrass, jazz and classical languages. Above all, this band of two sounds like nothing but themselves.
At Orenda Records, we take pride in the presentation of deep, imaginative expression, and Red Oak Duo's Seven American Monuments, is transportive to say the least. We're so thrilled to present this latest addition to our catalog, and encourage you to see Red Oak duo live on their fall tour:
Friday, September 29 : RENO, NV
730pm at Laughing Planet UNR
With Special Guests Zachary Teran and Miguel Jimenez-Cruz
941 N. Virginia St., Reno NV 89503
$10 Suggested Donation ($5 Students)
Sunday, October 1 : CARMEL, CA
3pm at Carl Cherry Center for the Arts
4th and Guadalupe, Carmel-By-The-Sea CA 93923
$20 cover charge
Monday, October 2 : LOS ANGELES, CA
9pm at Blue Whale
With Special Guests Billy Mohler and Matt Mayhall
123 Astronaut E S Onizuka St. Suite 301, Los Angeles CA 90012
$10 cover charge