Shangri-La Music recording group One eskimO has announced the upcoming release of its much-admired self-titled debut. The collection arrives on September 22.
The London-based band was hand picked by Tori Amos to open for her on this upcoming North American tour. The dates kick off on July 10th at Seattle’s WaMu Theater, and then continue through mid-August (see attached itinerary.)

The brainchild of singer/songwriter Kristian Leontiou, One eskimO arrives with an impressive breadth of imagination that instantly marks them as something extraordinary. Produced by Rollo Armstrong (Faithless, Dido), the music is an ambitious and affecting collection of widescreen modern pop, alive with iridescent textures and intricately crafted songcraft. Songs like “Hometime” and “Kandi” (featuring an indelible chorus sampled from Candi Staton’s classic “He Called Me Baby”) are moving and expressive, touching upon such universal themes as love and heartbreak, success and failure. The band’s “Givin Up” has already been featured on Los Angeles’ KCRW and was a “Song of the Day” pick.

What’s more, the release comes in tandem with a full-length animated film (Passion Pictures) in which the band members are represented by a delightfully drawn line-up of anthropomorphized animals, with Leontiou himself presented as the lonely Eskimo of the group’s moniker. One eskimO’s unorthodox self-visualization adds idiosyncratic color and character to a captivating musical work already abounding with invention and emotion.

The animation that accompanies the song “Hometime” has proven an international sensation, receiving numerous honors at film festivals around the world, not to mention a 2008 British Animation Award. In addition, the song – written while Leontiou recuperated from a snowboarding mishap in the Alps – was featured in Toyota’s environmentally aware “Why Not?” campaign.

One eskimO has also drawn bountiful critical acclaim for both its recorded work and its inspired live show. Uncut declared the self-titled CD to be “naively charming,” going on to praise its “beguiling melodies and quaint atmospherics.” “The vibe was warm and cozy, and the vocals beautifully clear and soulful. The sound was so perfect that at times I wondered if we were listening to a recording, but then the scratch of a drum or the intake of a breath provided a reality check. It didn’t take long to be immersed in the One eskimO world,” wrote The Independent of a recent live performance. The article went on to laud One EskimO as ” truly refreshing and utterly talented. Well worth investigating.”

One eskimO
North American Tour 2009

All Dates w/ Tori Amos

JULY
10 Seattle, WA WaMu Theater
11 Portland, OR Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
13 Oakland, CA Paramount Theater
16 San Diego, CA Humphrey’s
17 Los Angeles, CA Greek Theater
18 Phoenix, AZ Dodge Theater
20 Salt Lake City, UT Abravenal Hall
21 Denver, CO Paramount Theater
23 Kansas City, MO Starlight Theater
24 Grand Prairie, TX Nokia Theater
25 Austin, TX The Long Center For The Performing Arts
27 Atlanta, GA Chastain Park Amphitheater
28 Orlando, FL Bob Carr PAC
29 Miami, FL The Fillmore @ Jackie Gleason Theater
31 Durham, NC Durham PAC

AUGUST
1 Washington, DC DAR Constitution Hall
3 Chicago, IL Chicago Theater
4 Milwaukee, WI Riverside Theater
5 Minneapolis, MN State Theater
7 Indianapolis, IN Murat Theater
8 Detroit, MI Detroit Opera House
10 Toronto, ONT Massey Hall
11 Montreal, QUE St. Denis Theater
13 New York, NY Radio City Music Hall
15 Philadelphia, PA Tower Theater
17 Boston, MA Bank of America Pavilion