Trebuchet by George Hrab

July 1, 2010 6:56 PM

Podcaster, musician, atheist, skeptic and comic raconteur George Hrab is releasing his latest solo album Trebuchet through CD Baby and free mp3 download [65MB].* Hrab talks about Trebuchet with Swoopy and Derek on the Skepticality podcast, on the Token Skeptic podcast [46MB MP3], and with Karen Stollznow on the Point of Inquiry podcast.

From Point of Inquiry: "George is the Host and Producer of the Geologic Podcast, a popular weekly show about music, comedy, science, and skepticism. The drummer in the band Philadelphia Funk Authority [YT], he is a successful multi-instrumentalist musician [nifty YT] who has performed on-stage with Elton John, and given a performance in the White House for Bill Clinton.

"For the past fifteen years he has also been a solo artist, releasing his music independently. George’s songs tackle science, the paranormal and pseudoscience, from the Occasional Songs for the Periodic Table in which he sings to each element, to an ode to the coelacanth [Wiki]."

Trebuchet tracks include
"God Is Not Great" [live YT];
"Everything Alive Will Die Someday" on our shared finiteness
"Ms. Information" a love funk song dedicated to his co-conspirator
"Far" [painstaking YT] astronomical literacy about distances
"When I Was Your Age" on the vicissitudes of cameras, video games and phones
"Death From The Skies" featuring Bad Astronomer Phil Plait
"Small Comfort" [live YT] showing clear-eyed grief over the death of a loved one and
"Happy Birthday, Baby" a jazzy creative commons birthday song [previously].

Hrab's voice is like a hybrid of Ben Folds' clear tenor and Andy Partridge's snarky bark. Hrab's influences include Yes, Talking Heads, XTC, Zappa, Rush, 70's funk and more, as the album demonstrates.

Here is a time-lapse of Hrab designing the cover art on his wall [YT].

*Those willing to purchase the CD support an indy artist, plus receive a 20-page booklet and the chance to receive a "Golden Ticket" -- entitling the recipient to a live George Hrab performance at one's home [contiguous US 48 and other restrictions may apply as explained in the interviews aforementioned].

posted by McLir (4 comments total)

I really like this distribution model; hopefully it catches on: The free download is a single mp3 containing the entire album. You can listen to the whole thing, and if you like it enough, pay to download separate tracks.

But his podcast is so bizarre.
posted by qxntpqbbbqxl at 8:13 PM on July 1, 2010

I actually like his podcast more than his music. I try and try; I appreciate his subject matter and I really like the same bands he does, but I just don't enjoy his singing.

Thank you for letting me get that off my chest. I feel so much better. sorry geo!
posted by jazon at 9:52 PM on July 1, 2010

Not knowing anything about him, I saw George Hrab perform a set at a convention a couple of years back, and I thought he was quite good. Thanks for the post.
posted by Faint of Butt at 2:39 AM on July 2, 2010

Thanks for the great post.
posted by signalnine at 1:48 PM on July 2, 2010