Mr. Alvarez, an artist and Carpark folk musician, embarks with Jana Hunter on his first tour today. Download an mp3 here.

Along with being a visual artist who makes drawings…

…and paintings…

…and representations of purgatory…

…he is also a newly-minted touring artist for Carpark. His gentle folk tunes aren't weighed down by the over-labeled freakdom of folk's past few years. On tracks like “Mostly A Friend” he thumbs lightly through a hand-clapping bossa nova that recalls the gentle lilt of old Brazalian masters, legitimized by Alvarez's unadulterated vocal delivery and comfortable, unironic use of dominant seventh chords. (He aint Brazilian, though, he's Baltimorian… by way of Cuba.)

Less Gonzalez Alvarez, “Mostly A Friend”

To see more of his art, visit Thin Plastic. Wait for August 19 to buy his debut on Carpark, Why Is Bear Billowing?.

Tour Dates
07.02 Brooklyn, NY Death By Audio
07.12 New York, NY Knitting Factory
07.17-20 Baltimore, MD Whartscape Fest
08.14 Washington, DC Black Cat !
08.15 Philadelphia, PA M Room !
08.16 New York, NY Knitting Factory Tap Bar !
08.17 Providence, RI AS 220 !
08.19 Cambridge, MA T.T. the Bears !
08.20 Montreal, QC Le Divan Orange !
08.22 Buffalo, NY Soundlab !
08.24 Pontiac, MI The Pike Room !
08.27 Chicago, IL Schubas !
08.29 Denver, CO Hi- Dive !
08.30 Salt Lake City, UT Kilby Court !
08.31 Boise, ID Neurolux !
09.02 Portland, OR Holocene !
09.05 San Francisco, CA The Hemlock Tavern !
09.12 Austin, TX Emo's !
09.13 Denton, TX Rubber Gloves !
09.17 Houston, TX DiverseWorks !
09.19 Birmingham, AL Bottle Tree !
09.21 Atlanta, GA Eyedrum !
09.22, Mount Pleasant, SC Village Tavern !

! = w/ Jana Hunter