Spoken word artist Andrea Gibson has just released a new album of her poetry called Yellowbird, and its title track begs the question why her work will never be as important to her family as her uncle’s job as a Little Debbie snackcake salesman.
It’s just an example of what Gibson is trying to get across with her progressive poetry on why art is so easily traded, lowly funded and ignored in schools. This kind of work is what makes Gibson so well known about the queer and spoken word communities — she always has something real to say, and does it with a personal touch that draws you in from the start.
Yellowbird is available online, but will also be in stores July 21. Featuring instrumental by Chris Pureka and Kim Taylor the album is quite musical, even when it’s simply Gibson’s voice flowing, like in the beginning of “Maybe I Need You,” a piece on love with anecdotes on feeling like E.T. with a glowing heart and how she “never wanted to write a break-up poem.” But she did, and it’s a good one.
You can catch Andrea Gibson on the road this summer as well, as she’s touring the U.S. Check out her MySpace for more details.
Are you a fan of Gibson’s? Are there any other queer spoken artists you enjoy?
