"Darius Degher may not be a household name, but that’s not through lack of talent or effort. Indeed, the most cursory glance at his CV indicates a singer-songwriter with Zelig-esque qualities. Over the years, he’s shared stages with REM, Don McLean, Lucinda Williams, Los Lobos, Dr. John, and Guy Clark. In the ‘80s he led Paisley Underground outfit Darius and the Magnets, released an acclaimed solo debut album, “Cardboard Confessional”, and played sitar on Warren Zevon’s "Sentimental Hygiene" record. After relocating to Sweden for a decade or so, and recording an album with his new band Burning Bridges, he made his way back to California, which brings us to his latest recording, and his first album for eight years, “The Coyote Cantos”. It’s difficult to believe our paths haven’t crossed before, but as the saying goes, better late than never. “The Coyote Cantos” is very much a singer-songwriter album, with Degher’s rootsy voice to the fore. The production is bright and full, and the arrangements supply plenty of hooks. Opening cut “Edge of the Western World” is the perfect start. Guitar and keyboards come together like something from a classic mid/late ‘60s Dylan record, and a killer chorus wedges the song deep in the subconscious. He likes to tell a story, too. “The Ballad of Bob and Oblivion” is a wonderful title with a song to match, and “The Gas Station Lady” is a banjo-propelled tale of alien abduction and some intergalactic probing. If it weren’t for the fact that he’s 30 years into a career, I’m sure there’d be a call to label him the next Bob Dylan, as it’s similarly branded songwriters like John Prine, Steve Forbert and Elliott Murphy that come to mind. That’s good company to keep, and I’m sure fans of the above trio will find much to enjoy in Degher’s brand of literate Americana." Rob F., Leicester Bangs Blog, UK BIO Darius Degher is a songwriter, poet, singer, and guitarist. He also played sitar on Warren Zevon’s "Sentimental Hygiene" CD. He has released five CDs and performed at some of the USA’s most important rock music venues: CBGB in NYC, the Whiskey and Roxy in L.A., the Continental Club in Austin, as well as other venues like the South By Southwest Music Conference, New York City's New Music Seminar, and the Shrine Auditorium. Over the years, he and his bands have played on bills with acts as diverse as REM, Don McLean, Lucinda Williams, Los Lobos, Doctor John, and Guy Clark, to name just a few. His latest single “American Constitution” was released in February, 2013. His latest full CD The Coyote Cantos was released in July 2012. His first solo CD Cardboard Confessional helped make him a feature of the Los Angeles acoustic music scene of the late 80s (which included so many important burgeoning artists, such as Lucinda and Victoria Williams, Rosie Flores et al). The CD came out on Gold Castle/Capitol Records (the same folk music label that featured artists like Bruce Cockburn, Joan Baez, and Don McLean, and went out of business in 1990). The CD was released nationally and received radio airplay in numerous American cities. See press excerpts below. The video for the song "White Boy Raving" was aired on MTV and other music video shows. It also made Billboard Magazine's Top Twenty Video List. In 1997, his second solo CD Garage Sale of the Soul was released on F-Hole Records. During the 1980s and 90s he played with his band Darius and the Magnets and then as a solo artist. The Magnets were part of the so-called “Paisley Underground” scene, which operated parallel to the Southern California punk scene of the early 1980s. The band, which played the L.A. haunts of the day (Madame Wongs, Music Machine, Club Lingerie, etc), released a single on Big Time Records of Australia. There was also an EP as well as two videos, one of which aired on MTV’s Basement Tapes show. More recently, until 2005, he was the singer and songwriter in Burning Bridges, of Malmö, Sweden. Their CD Poor Man’s Vacation (and other Tales of the Wild and the Weary) was released in 2003. The band performed at numerous festivals and clubs around Sweden from 2000 to 2005, opening shows for the likes of Sixteen Horsepower and Dr. John. From reviews of Cardboard Confessional and Garage Sale of the Soul “More down to the ground than even Dylan achieved in his talking blues days . . . Darius is a fresh new breed of folkie, proud of but not stuck on tradition.” Kurt Wolf, San Francisco Bay Guardian ”Every once in a while an album comes along with lyrics so wondrous, so vital, that they should be scripted on parchment, bound in fine leather and handed out . . . Darius -- songwriter or poet?” Robert J. Hawkins, San Diego Union Tribune ”Hearing Hollywood’s poet laureate in concert is always a treat . . . his lyrical abilities are still unsurpassed.” Rich Robinson, Los Angeles Reader” ”Cardboard Confessional is a veritable cornucopia of bright, lyrical wit and intelligently crafted songs . . . Darius is a unique talent.” Richard Foss, L.A. Reader and Bam Magazine ”Five fingers” (highest rating) “ . . . a breath of fresh air in a sea of smog. an LP that would surely ‘hit’ if less of us were so into the ‘me’ generation, though it still might.” In Concert Magazine From reviews of Poor Man’s Vacation “It’s gorgeous, earthy, and tasteful.” Lars Thulin, Ystads Allehanda och Trelleborgs Allehanda “This music has grown straight up out of southern soil, without the dirt being brushed off. . . a brave debut in today’s musical climate.” Arvid Jurjaks, Borlänge Tidning, Espresso . “A good buy if you like both Merle Haggard and Neil Young.” Jonas Ohman Ginza, Countrykrönika.“ “This is music that goes straight to the heart via what one really wants, music from the borderlands between different cultures, countries, and tastes.” Rune Häger, Independent Music Journalist, Malmö.