{"product_id":"faun-fables-the-transit-rider","title":"Faun Fables - The Transit Rider","description":"\u003cp\u003eArriving right on time for its 20th anniversary, \u003cstrong\u003eFaun Fables\u003c\/strong\u003e’ musical theatre work \u003cem\u003eThe Transit Rider\u003c\/em\u003e returns in a lovely 2LP vinyl edition that dimensionally burnishes the bristling performances and elevated chamber\/cabaret folk sounds of the original CD-only release. At once a work of theatre, allegory and autobiography, \u003cem\u003eThe Transit Rider\u003c\/em\u003e amplifies Faun Fables’ distinctive electroacoustic wash of Anglo-European folk sounds, shimmering allusively from traditional to \u003cstrong\u003eKurt Weill\u003c\/strong\u003e to folk-rock and back again.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe route that led to \u003cem\u003eThe Transit Rider\u003c\/em\u003e goes back even further than 2006; it was first embarked upon in the early 1990s, when \u003cstrong\u003eDawn McCarthy\u003c\/strong\u003e moved to NYC and was introduced to the transient and constant glories of its subway system, a massive world unto itself. As she rode the trains, the subterranean, singing landscape suggested a journey in song: a rider aboard a ubiquitous transit system, a network of rails, roads, corridors and trails extending in all directions, meeting itself again on the far side of the world. Upon this endless circuitous path, she encounters characters that may or may not help her search to find a clearing amid this mass of machinery and humanity in which to stop and have a picnic.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 2001, \u003cem\u003eThe Transit Rider\u003c\/em\u003e took the form of a full-length theatre production in San Francisco, with a cast of thirteen aided by the inspiring work of director\/lighting designer \u003cstrong\u003eAllen Willner\u003c\/strong\u003e. Its music was further developed, recorded and adapted into a touring show by Dawn and her stalwart co-conspirator \u003cstrong\u003eNils Frykdahl\u003c\/strong\u003e (of Sleepytime Gorilla Museum), joined by multi-instrumentalists \u003cstrong\u003eJenya Chernoff\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eMatt Lebofsky\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe album features contributions by Dawn’s mother \u003cstrong\u003eMichelina Tyrie\u003c\/strong\u003e (\u003cem\u003eEarth’s Kiss\u003c\/em\u003e) and father \u003cstrong\u003eWill McCarthy\u003c\/strong\u003e (\u003cem\u003eI No Longer Wish To\u003c\/em\u003e, a poem written during his last days as a stockbroker), with thematically related songs by \u003cstrong\u003eZygmunt Konieczny\u003c\/strong\u003e (\u003cem\u003eTaki Pejzaz \/ Such a Landscape\u003c\/em\u003e), \u003cstrong\u003eSoeur Sourire\u003c\/strong\u003e (\u003cem\u003eJe Voudrais \/ I’d Like to Be\u003c\/em\u003e) and the Anglo Saxon traditional \u003cem\u003eHouse Carpenter\u003c\/em\u003e added to the mix.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor the double LP release, the artwork has been revamped, featuring previously unseen photos of the original stage show and the touring cast that followed. As with all Faun Fables music, the sweep of history and the voices of the people thrillingly coincide in the songs and singing of \u003cem\u003eThe Transit Rider\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe project’s conceptual\/theatrical properties give it a special pride of place in Faun Fables lore. Taped footage of the live show was stored away long before the YouTube and social sharing boom. Fortunately, all capricious mists of time have parted just in time for \u003cem\u003eThe Transit Rider\u003c\/em\u003e’s 20th anniversary celebration - original performance footage from the theatre show will be released and Faun Fables will revisit songs from the album throughout their Summer 2026 tour.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Transit Rider\u003c\/em\u003e combines Faun Fables’ distinctive song telling style with their full-hearted\/throated thespian energies, rumbling trippily past flashing lights and strangers in thirteen exquisite folk-cabaret urban anthems, a pungent masterpiece of 21st century folk rock.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Drag City","offers":[{"title":"Black Vinyl 2LP","offer_id":58775406870873,"sku":"SDZ-49871","price":37.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0588\/3455\/0945\/files\/0044078760_10.jpg?v=1785940948","url":"https:\/\/spindizzyrecords.com\/products\/faun-fables-the-transit-rider","provider":"Spindizzy Dublin","version":"1.0","type":"link"}