Lucinda Black Bear is the new project led by Christian Gibbs (aka C.Gibbs) and fleshed out with instrumentalists from the Brooklyn melodic folk scene. The band released ‘Capo my Heart’ and other Bear Songs in November of 2007 with a show at Joe’s Pub in New York City… Gibbs has received rave reviews for his solo work in Rolling Stone, Spin, NBC News, Billboard, Alternative Press, No Depression, Harp, Guitar World Magazine, and many other notable publications. Songs like ‘Capo My Heart’ and ‘Fought the Bear’ with their plaintive, understated Elliott Smith meets Radiohead meets Chet Baker ruminations, are attracting new music lovers the world over.
‘Most Innovative of 2007’ – NPR’s All Songs Considered
‘Top 10 Great Unknown Artists of 2007’- #4… “Lucinda Black Bear… plays carefully written folk-rock with stunning arrangements… they paint lonely, deserted images with dark minor chords and complex melodies.” – NPR
“Capo My Heart provides a prime example of Gibbs’ angular melodies, muted emotions and a heavy emphasis on varying tones and textures. While the lush, ethereal beauty of ‘Fought the Bear,’ ‘Winterland’ and ‘You Got It Blue’ takes several listens to absorb fully, peeling away the shimmering layers makes those repeated encounters all the more intriguing.” – Performing Songwriter
“Another vector for the haunted folk rock tunes of Christian – or C. – Gibbs, Lucinda Black Bear takes a different instrumental tack, crafting spectral, more atmospheric contexts to go with Gibbs’ descriptive epistles.” – Harp
“the striking, melancholy tunes on Lucinda Black Bear’s new disc, Capo my Heart, could push (the band) over the top.” – Time Out New York
“Gibbs is an enormously talented songwriter, and the five-piece band (comprising guitar, bass, drums, cello and violin) provides full, powerful arrangements for his minor-key pop songs. Influences by Elliott Smith and The Beatles drive some of the album’s best tracks… ‘Capo My Heart’ and Other Bear Songs is a musical achievement that is not to be missed.” – The Owl Magazine