Artist description Every musical genre these days seems to suffer from label-phobia. Pop music is equated with glamorized attitude, and alternative rock with bubbly trash, punk with tuneless boredom. But as the corporate music industry has chewed and vomited its share of all musical genres, indie music is returning to the forefront in all its original glory. The real, raw rock-based sounds that have defined every youth based musical declaration are back. Enter, The Parting Gift, a moody and emotionally tinged group headed by Kim Leaman. Evidenced by their powerful CD, the group alternates between grungy fuzzy guitar licks, slamming drums and dripping sonic movements, all held in place by Leaman's haunting, melodic voice.-Brita Brundage The Fairfield County Weekly

Music Style Eerie, pensive, and unpredictable songs with chillingly beautiful vocals. It's unforgettable, bittersweet, and hypnotic music.

Musical Influences Sebadoh, Nirvana, The Smiths, Radiohead, Remy Zero, Jeff Buckley, Gnu Fuz

Similar Artists Jeff Buckley/Coldplay/Nirvana

Artist History Since summer of 1998, this Danbury-New Haven based band has already sparked interest in music fans of many generations throughout the country. Mixing influences of Jeff Buckley, Radiohead, The Smiths, and Nirvana (to name a few) the music is fresh and original. The Parting Gift combines "vocals that lull like a strong narcotic" with an instrumental spiral of moodiness. The music has just enough of an eerie edge to keep you guessing. This can be observed at thier live shows as you watch people gawk and sway. Catchy, pensive melodies, that are sung with such intensity that you cannot help but feel the emotions pouring out. It's that type of music where the songs could be about a number of different things, but it's always something to someone. The Parting Gift brings an intense and refreshing new sound to the indie rock scene. They have been building a name for themselves by playing events, bars and clubs all over the east coast. "The Parting Gift's sound is reminiscent of the days when alternative rock was really THAT- with female vocals and a WXCI circa-1990 feel," says Stephen Krcmar from The News Times, Danbury, CT. They are currently the most requested local artist in rotation on the Western Connecticut college radio station, WXCI. Recently, The Parting Gift supported thier EP on the road last summer. They are currently back in the studio recording and performing in showcases in NYC.

Group Members Kim Leaman-vocals/guitar Dan Golden-bass Paul Maddison-guitar Brian DeAngelo-drums Brian Delmonico-piano and weird noises

Instruments Guitar-Drums-Bass-keyboard noise

Albums One Star Down/TPG-EP

Press Reviews *HALL OF FAMERS With a haunting, wistful voice and songs that unfold like wounds opening, the music of Kim Leaman from The Parting Gift has drawn comparisons to the late Jeff Buckley. With just one major album, Grace, left behind when he drowned in the Wolf River in Memphis Tennessee (an off shoot of the Mississippi River) in 1997, Buckley became a mythic musical figure. His voice, full of ache, openess and vulnerability in songs like "Grace" , "Last Goodbye" and a heartbreaking rendition of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" seemed almost to foretell his own sudden disappearance. The album left such an impression in fact, that it was named 73 in VH1's 100 greatest albums, and Buckley earned an exhibit at the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame. Enter Buckley fan and local musician Kim Leaman. On July 19th, the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame in Ohio is honoring Buckley and soul-jazz artist Nina Simone, whose song "Lilca Wine" Buckley covered. The Parting Gift, a bnad that includes Leaman on guitar and vocals, BRian DeAngelo on drums, Paul Maddison on guitar, and Dan Golden on bass, was chosen to play three songs at the event. While most of the thirty bands on the bill are playing two Buckley or Simone covers, the orginizers liked The Parting Gift's originals so much, they're letting them play their own music-music that typically involves a mesh of melodic punk, atmospheric space and Leaman's aforementioned drifting, quivering vocals. One of the songs will be in French, says Leaman, in honor of Buckley's French-Canadian mother. "A lot of the songs I've written were inspired by him." says Leaman "We have a similarity in our lyrics, talking alot about spiritual things, death, reincarnation. Our music is more avant-garde rock than alternative rock, more artsy than regular rock n' roll." The Parting Gift, who hail from Danbury and used to perform at Hat City Ale House and the yearly Gasball Festival, is now deep in negotiations with a New York producer and looking to be signed. The Jeff Buckley tribute should certainly help them in that regard, and provide a tangible link between the band and its muse.-Brita Brundage Fairfield County Weekly******************************************************************************************************** *Kim Leaman to perform gritty music in Pawling: Kim Leaman has always been into music. The singer/songwriter can recall running around her New Jersey neighborhood as a child in a red slip singing the score to "Annie." However, Leaman has aspirations beyond calling a bald guy "Daddy." She's got talent too. This self described "dark and mysterious" girl plays moody, gritty music with emotional lyrics that reminds me of Sarah Fimm-minus the techno interludes. Leaman opens for Patti Rothberg tonight at The Towne Crier Cafe. The singer's biggest influence is Jeff Buckley (and her guitar playing often is compared to his), but she was listening to trendy duo The White Stripes when I visited her last week. She's also into Nirvana, Chris Lee, Bauhaus, Dinosaur Jr., and The Smiths, but she unintentionally bears musical resemblance to Sarah Mc Lachlan (especially on "Brush Up") and Stevie nicks post-Fleetwood Mac. Leaman's soft alto has the same kind of lilting urgency as those singers. Her music is volitale and shodowy, featuring purposely eerie, vague lyrics about-well whatever you think they're about. "Beads of Water" has a very Buckley-esque sound, doleful and dissident, with lots of reverb (it sounds like she's in a canyon). The lyrics "I can see your face/Riddles of your grace/They think we're quite insane/But a spirit becomes you, my love" are "deep" and really cryptic" according to Leaman. She perfers to write that way, "so you have to make up your own mind" about thier meaning. The decided fan favorite "Wealth of Words" goes "all of this betrayal in my past/I seem to just forgive it/As I walk into the arms/ Of his wisdom, of his Christmas voice/This is all I've ever asked for." 'What, exactly, is a Christmas voice," you want to know? Leaman's lips are sealed. "One Star Down" the title track on her CD, has Radiohead-like sound and poignant lyrics. The disc's cover shows the singer at a cemetery looking mysterious and introspective sporting everyone's favorite non-color, black. Leaman hopes to unveil a new song at tonight's gig. "Heaven is a River", a song she composed in French. ("I'm learning from my friend", she said), is about someone dying and subsequently making heaven a better place. Leaman's dad, who played in a Beatles-esque band called The Mourning Glories for several years, started her on the guitar at age 10. She's been playing at coffee houses since she was 13, which is where she met alot of local musiciam\ns. Leaman has always taken her music seriously. She actually still performs a song she wrote in junior high - a soul stirring number called "Solitude". If you're looking at Leaman and thinking she looks familiar, you may have seen her play with her band The Parting Gift, which has been around for about four years. TPG plays harder stuff, with a more introspective, but less opaque vibe than Leaman solo. It's not too different, though, since she writes for them as well. Though She plays solo regularly, she perfers working with the band "because I like it electric and I like it loud." Leaman has graced the stage (either with her band or solo) at NYC venues such as Baby Jupiter, Dillon's Acme Underground, and The Gallery at CBGB's-which she packed the place "bytelling everyone about it." Locally she's played Danbury's Gasball Festival, Hat City Ale House, Cousin Larry's Colorado Brewery, and the now defunct coffeehouses Coffe Pub and Seattle Espresso. New HAven-ites may have heard of her at Rudy's or BAR. The cute, petite chanteuse with a penchant for vintage clothes calles herself a tomboy and says it's easy to blend into the mostly male local music scene. "I try to fit in and don't usually dress up to perform." When asked if she has any guy groupies, Leaman was uncertain. "A lot of guys, especially musicians approch me after I play to talk about music."-Laurel Tuohy The Danbury News Times***************************************************************************** ********************************************** ~*FANS*~ Kim, You could easily take over the world just by being yourself........you took me in less than a heartbeat.************************************************************** ************************************ I just listened to Wealth of Words! I absolutely love that song!!! I love all of them of course! I had the girls in the office listen to it! They loved it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They want to know when you are playing again so they can see you!!! :) ****************************************** Hey! I just wanted to say that I am so very impressed with your band! I have heard and played with many local bands, but have been intrigued by very few. When I was played your stuff, I was blown away. The songs are really good, has so much substance. And Kim, your voice is beautiful. So I thought that you couldn't be as good live, so I checked you out at The Ale House. And you just continued to impress me. From one song writer to another, Kim you are a true inspiration. I would love to work on some songs together for my project and some songs I have. I have one song that I would love to record with your vocals on it. Let me know if you are interested. I am not a stalker, both Shawn and even your drummer knows me! hahaha! Hope to work with you soon. **************************************************** Posted by Amanda on 9/16/2000, 12:11 pm 169.226.227.226 Hey all.... I am so glad I discovered this website today. You guys are going to become one of my favorite bands, I can tell. Anyway I already e-mailed you but I just wanted to post here and say hi again! I love 'wealth of words'... that song is one of my favorites of all time. that's a pretty big deal too because I listen to tons of music. anyway that's all folks. love ya, **************************************************** Hey, I just found your mp3 of "Wealth of words" and you don't know how exciting that was to me.... about 6 months ago I heard that song on WXCI and loved it so i called and asked for the name of the song/artist. Then about a week later I requested it and recorded it onto a tape. After that I was addicted and listened to the tape about a million times... anyway i eventually lost the tape, but never forgot about your song. I tried to find a website for your band but was never successful. So today I was online looking for mp3s and your song popped into my head. When I found it I was soooo excited and I am listening to it right now for the fourth time (I just downloaded it)Anyway I just wanted to tell you that story.... I am going to download the rest of your songs now. I am from Brewster, NY but now I'm at college in Albany. If you guys are on tour I would definitely travel to see you live. Ok, thanks so much for being awesome... much love, Amanda :) *************************************************** I'm been listening to your CD a lot lately. A LOT. I even put up an entry about it on my blog: 'Kim has such a gorgeous voice & her songs are so perfect. This CD of hers I burned for myself is like my perfect multipurpose album. I can listen to it when I'm happy, angry, sad, miserable, ecstatic.....it's just so perfect & just so what I need right now. Thank you, **************************************** Kimmy....' You REALLY need to record more songs, especially 'Mary.' Yes, that one most definitely. And then you need to send me a CD so I can build a new one. I even threw in a link to your Indiegroup site. I should make you one, though...heh.

Additional Info Lawyers are in the process of getting a settlement against former band mambers who stole money and tried to copyright our songs in their names. If you go to www.thepartinggift.com you will find some entertaining words that slander me and my bands name. Please ignore....they (who shall reamin nameless because I am the bigger person) will be dealt with. Karma Karma Karma baby!

Location Danbury, CT - USA

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