POI DOG PONDERING

Poi Dog Pondering formed in the mid-eighties in Hawaii, and continue to record and tour today. Since their inception, they have had stays in three states, and on at least 3 labels. Through all the changes, the only constant has been Frank Orrall.

After touring and recording around Hawaii in the early days, they moved to Austin, Texas in 1987. There, they released several independent EPs. Eventually, they signed to Columbia, on which they released 3 albums, Poi Dog Pondering (1989), Wishing Like A Mountain, Thinking Like A Sea (1990), and Volo Volo (1992).

In the mid-nineties, the band relocated to Chicago, started their own label (Pomegranate Records), and began experimenting with new sounds. Bringing more of a dance beat to their still folky sound. While in Chicago, they have released 3 more studio albums, Pomegranate (1995), Natural Thing (1999), and In Seed Comes Fruit (2003).

Give a listen to these:
Living With the Dreaming Body off their self-titled Columbia album.
Bury Me Deep from Wishing Like A Mountain. . .
Complicated from Pomegranate.

Find out more about Poi Dog Pondering, and buy their music at the official site here. You can also pick up their best of (Austin years) at Amazon.

As an added bonus, but on a completely different subject, here's a song by Michelle Shocked that, as far as I can tell, has never been released on an album. This comes from the single "If Love Was a Train", released back in 1988. It was recorded live at the Metroplex in Atlanta on October 12, 1988.
Michelle Shocked - Yamboree Queen(live).
By the way, this is recorded off vinyl. If anyone out there has a better sounding copy, feel free to pass it along.
Buy Michelle Shocked's music at her official site here.