With a lively spirit, the singer from the Bavarian Forest cranks up the guitars loud on her new, fifth studio album "Rodeo." The raven flies again – but this time it wants to go where it has never been before.
On "Rodeo," Karin Rabhansl cheerfully shifts her own parameters. The newly gained musical hardness suits her well. The album is also a small love letter to her highly esteemed heroines and heroes like Led Zeppelin, Kyuss, Weezer, Radiohead, Sigur Rós, and PJ Harvey. The 13 songs on "Rodeo" are about the ride of life – sometimes leisurely, sometimes intense; sometimes you feel secure and make good progress, and then there are phases where you have to hold on tight to avoid being thrown off.
And there are many live dates as well.
You can see Karin and her band in 2023 as follows:
February 11 - STRAUBING – Raven (Band)
February 15 - LANDSHUT - Rocket Club (Band)
March 22 - EICHSTÄTT - Fiddler’s Green (solo)
March 29 - ROTH - Rother Bluestage (Band)
May 18/19 - ALTZELLA - Blues and Rock Festival (Band)
June 17 - HILPOLTSTEIN - Kreuzwirtskeller (Band)
July 1 - PRIEN a. CHIEMSEE - Swing in Prien (Band)
July 7 - SCHWANDORF - Bürgerfest (Band)
July 28 - MEGESHEIM - Der Krater bebt Open Air (Band)
August 4 - DÖHLAU (Frankenblick) - Musical Evening Döhlau (Band)
November 10 - ZIRNDORF - experience Wigner! Song Ping Pong (solo)
November 24 - INGOLSTADT – Dialektig Festival (Band)
On "Rodeo," Karin Rabhansl cheerfully shifts her own parameters. The newly gained musical hardness suits her well. The Lower Bavarian with the colorful striped stockings (a defiant trademark!) cleverly quotes rock heroes like Led Zeppelin, Kyuss, and Weezer and indulges in her deep love for Radiohead, Sigur Rós, and PJ Harvey. The 13 songs on "Rodeo" are about the ride of life – sometimes leisurely, sometimes intense; sometimes you feel secure and make good progress, and then there are phases where you have to hold on tight to avoid being thrown off.
Content-wise, Karin Rabhansl remains attached to quirky, somewhat offbeat stories on "Rodeo." We experience driven heroes, broken biographies, seemingly everyday situations where the mood quickly turns unpleasant. But here comes the good news: Despite some rather hefty content, "Rodeo" sounds noticeably brighter and more positive than the last studio album "Tod & Teufel" (2018). A contradiction? Not necessarily. Dealing lightly with heavy themes is truly an art in itself...
Karin Rabhansl tells her darkly colorful stories and social studies not only in the first person but also from the neutral position of an observer and chronicler. Remarkable in these times focused on feelings is a detail: In the lyrics, there is careful observation, but little judgment and, above all, no whining.
There is the aging cowboy who climbs back onto the rodeo horse – because he has to or cannot do otherwise. There is the young woman for whom seemingly everything fits in life. It’s about manipulation and energy thieves, about pretenders and paranoia, about the eternal theme of guilt & forgiveness, and once again about dark legendary figures from Rabhansl's Lower Bavarian homeland. As different as the protagonists in Karin Rabhansl's songs may be, there is a common thread: They all somehow try to master their fate. Mistakes are made and punished, often one feels controlled in a dead end – and yet finds a way out, wresting a solution from life.
Ultimately, "Rodeo" is about perseverance. About coping. And about gathering all your courage to take the reins when things don’t work out anymore. Because being afraid of death is also a way to die.
Over Rabhansl's stories hovers the silent realization that this life is not an easy one and never has been. And that the world is not inherently good or bad, but often just a tricky place – strange and beautiful, yet always full of trapdoors and shallows. This message is served with a smile on "Rodeo" – for example in "Anett," a seemingly superficial party number with a fat brass section, where the protagonist is suddenly approached from a completely unexpected side in a beer pub. Despite the cheerful foundation, the message of this song is clear and non-negotiable: "No means no!"
"Rodeo" was once again recorded with producer Sven Peks (Flo Mega, Turbonegro) and the current Karin Rabhansl band: guitarist Joschi Joachimsthaler, keyboardist Julia Fischer, drummer Simon Weber, and the band leader on vocals, bass, and acoustic guitar. The cover artwork features an excerpt from the linocut "Spring or Let It Be" by Nuremberg sculptor Christian Rösner (2008).
The first single "Amor" with a funny video can be seen here:
https://youtu.be/TzNJv_ANdXU
Band:
Karin Rabhansl – vocals, bass, acoustic guitar
Joschi Joachimsthaler – guitar, vocals
Julia Fischer – keyboard, vocals
Simon Weber – drums, vocals
Discography:
2011: Mogst schmusn, mia wad’s wurscht (self-production)
2013: Singa (F.A.M.E. Recordings/Sony Music)
2015: Anna (Donnerwetter Musik/Cargo)
2018: Tod & Teufel (Donnerwetter Musik/Cargo)
2023: Rodeo (Donnerwetter Musik/Cargo)
