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How does a scrawny Swede like Kristian Matsson so perfectly capture the Appalachian spirit of bluesmen like Mississippi John Hurt? That's part of the mystery that makes the music of Matsson's project, The Tallest Man on Earth, so captivating. With a voice so reedy is makes Bob Dylan sound like Pavarotti, Matsson fingerpicked his way through last year's earthy Shallow Grave, an album that earned him the endorsement from last year's breakout star of the indie-folk scene, Bon Iver's Justin Vernon, who says of the artist:
Before I heard The Tallest Man on Earth, I thought the art form of songwriting had already moved past the contraption of voice and guitar. Well, to say the least, He somehow crumpled the contraption and re-invented it via his own isolated perspective. His songs are these garden tools, that are made of gold. But there is dirt all over them. He is absolutely one of the best performers I have ever seen.
The Pabst Theater is bringing The Tallest Man on Earth to Milwaukee on April 1 for the first of many promised free, "No Buck Shows" at 8 p.m.
