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Jim Osborn & the Handsome Pilgrims are an alternative-folk outfit based out of the Hudson Valley, New York. After several years of performing with rock trio The Nuclear Suite, sharing the stage with such acts as Badfish, Will Dailey, The Big Shoe, Amber Rubarth, and Joshua James, Jim began recording and performing solo in 2008. Always Toward the Sunlight, his first official release as a solo artist, introduced notable country and folk influences with a fresh balance between candid humor and intimate poetry. The music on this album finds bright chord progressions juxtaposed with themes of childhood demons, ("You May Have Heard," "Home Movies") amusing anecdotes of self-deprecating wit and simple hope ("Just Another One," "Flowers and Cards," "California") and heartsick portraits of lost life and detached reality ("Chainsaw Toys," "Not Quite a Small Town"). Responding to the success met by his solo outings, Jim recorded The Northerners in the winter of early 2009. This second CD is marked by more themes of contemplative isolation, ("Snow Songs," "God and the Skunk," "Socks and Fog") escapism, ("Frontier Feeling," "I Wish I Was a Moose") romantic reassurance, ("Poem on a Paper Cup," "Party on the Windowsill") and fearful acceptance of life's inevitable hardships ("Figure Marine," "The Epitaph"). Both of these recordings are available on most major digital retailers. 

The Handsome Pilgrims are comprised of Kristofer Giordano (percussion), Shea Ratynski (accordion/melodica/bells/electric guitar), and Kevin Costigan (slide guitar/bass/banjo/mandolin). This group has redefined the sound of Jim's first two albums and together composed an impressive array of new original material, some of which can be heard on the first EP released officially under the name of the full band, Powder Mill , summer 2010. This recording delves deeper into the exploratory alternative folk aspects touched upon in Jim's earlier recordings. Cathartic aural madness echoes the misgivings and trepdiations of the lyrics ("Bridges and Houses," "To Anyone"), steady dynamic layering creates organic landscapes ("More for the Road," "New York  Rain"), driving enthusiasm brings the recording to life ("Joe Cornell"). In only five tracks, this album lyrically and musically challenges conventional notions of stability, progress, perception, and conscience. Utilizing the myriad instruments available among the musicians' repertoire, every track proves a fresh and unique expression of compositional ingenuity, the likes of which are rare to find with such accessible songwriting. In promotion of this new outfit and recording, Jim and the Pilgrims independently booked and financed a tour of the northeast, performing in bars, theaters, and coffeehouses from Burlington, VT to Washington DC, and many places in between. 

Jim.Osborn@MooseBearBuffalo.com

845 489 5991