Giant Sand is the primary outlet for the stylistic curveballs and sun-damaged songcraft of Howe Gelb, a Pennsylvania-born singer/guitarist who found his muse in Tucson, Arizona in the '80s. Beginning as a scrappy rock band with a psychedelic bent, Gelb and his rotating band of collaborators matured into a group that combined hard rock guitars and lonesome country twang with a dry, dusty sound that was an ideal match for Gelb's playful lyrical eccentricities. Giant Sand's trademark sound fell into place with 1988's The Love Songs, while 1995's Glum and 2000's Chore of Enchantment captured Gelb and company at the peak of their abilities. While Gelb retired Giant Sand in 2016, he brought the concept back in 2018 with the album Returns to Valley of Rain.