2010 marks the 25th anniversary of "Valley Of Rain" - the debut album by Giant Sand, the ever-shifting alternative rock band overseen by "the Godfather of Alt.

Country" Howe Gelb. This year will also see a new Giant Sand album, "Blurry Blue Mountain", released in October.

Fire Records is also proud to announce the start of a Giant Sand/ Howe Gelb series of rolling reissues from September 2010, which will see the re-release of roughly 30 albums starting with the re-release of "Valley Of Rain" and culminating in two box sets to be released next year.

"Giant Sands is a mood," says Howe's of Giant Sands, as if trying to offer a low-key explanation for his dizzying array of artistic exploration that includes a back-catalogue of some 40 albums as a singer, band-leader and producer.

After growing up in Pennsylvania in the 1970's, it wasn't until he moved to Tuscon, Arizona that he met his musical soul mate, the guitarist Rainer Ptaceck.

The two formed Giant Sand worms and issued only a handful of recordings before the worms were put to rest: since then, Giant Sand have released 24 albums - an impressive haul when considering Howe's equally prolific output under other projects including Black Ranchette and Arizona Amp & Alternator as well as his solo releases.