NC Ensemble Demonstrates International Influences

It must be difficult for Greensboro band Crystal Bright and the Silver Hands to avoid comparisons to the likes of Dresden Dolls, being categorized by terms like “vaudeville” or “cabaret.” Even Amanda Palmer dubbed her duo as “punk cabaret” to avoid the “gothic” labels.

Crystal Bright, ringmaster of the Silver Hands, is easily paired with the likes of Palmer and her style, partially because it’s that arduous to place Bright’s group in any specific genre. It helps that Bright’s resume encompasses an education of ethnomusicology and anthropology, not to mention the global buffet of musical adventures – from participating in a mariachi band, a Balinese gamelan ensemble, a Brazilian samba group, a Ugandan ensemble and a Chinese ensemble.

“All of the ensembles I played in have influenced my sound now,” explains Bright, who goes on about “tainting” Silver Hands guitarist Diego Diaz with the introduction of nylon strings after Bright wanted to record “Malaguena Salerosa,” a song from her mariachi days. “I really like Eastern European accordion music, and that probably comes out in the sound. Also, for some reason, I always write in a minor key, which makes the music sound ‘darker’ to Western ears.”

Imagine entering a burlesque show but instead of dirty, whimsical jokes, folktales are narrated, and instead of the audience crying out for Crystal Bright’s lingerie, it cries for the saw, one of Bright’s instruments that imitates a windy, melancholy whistle. The sound is a transcontinental brothel of folk cabaret fables, filled with circus loners and angry gypsies that finger nylon strings and bang fire buckets with rusty spoons. Besides the diverse cultures Bright has immersed herself in, what makes up the spirit of the group are folk stories, as their name is derived from a fairytale. “There is a story called ‘The Handless Maiden’, and it is about her losing her hands and gaining them back in the end, representing her coming into her full creative and soulful self, which I felt like I was doing then, and am still doing.” says Bright.

The Silver Hands are guitarist Diaz, drummer Peter Lewis and Taylor Bays whose talents include guitar, glockenspiel, and other random items like bowling balls and cooking pots. There’s also Charles Kurtz who plays double bass most of the time, but when he is unable, Bright’s accordion through a bass cabinet suffices. Along with accordion and saw, Bright also plays piano. Self-managed and taking on a DIY approach, the Silver Hands have played many shows in North Carolina and are always striving to collaborate.

Their self-titled album features eclectic eight tracks of carnival folk, fairytale pop and gypsy jazz. Without a doubt, the international influence engulfing the Silver Hands is easily heard. “Sometimes I’m inspired by a story and write about that. The process varies. Most of the time I’ll get a melody in my head and record it in my phone. It might be for a bass line or a vocal line, and then I’ll flesh it out. I’ll start playing and then try to let lyrics come into my head and write them out in a free flow process. It can take a week to a couple of years to finish a song!” laughs Bright.

-Christina Dore

www.crystalbrightandthesilverhands.com