By Damian Biniek
In February of 2010, Andrew Bird was one of the featured “speakers” at TED when they held an event in Long Beach, California.
Earlier today, I spoke about Bird’s use of looping to develop a dense layer of backing melodies, effectively transforming himself into a one man band. There’s perhaps no better showcase for his skill at looping than his impressive performance at TED.
Enjoy!
By Damian Biniek
If you read my previous post on Kishi Bashi, you already know I love looping. That’s when a music artist uses a foot pedal to record a particular melody and then plays over that melody for a much fuller sound.
What I didn’t acknowledge there is that I also love string instruments. There’s something heavenly and rich to the sound of them. From bluegrass to classical music, I sit enraptured by the sweet tones they produce.
Like Kishi Bashi, Andrew Bird brings both elements to the table. While the violin is his primary musical tool, Bird is a multi-instrumentalist who creates complex and soaring arrangements. And his lyrics are just as intricate.
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Andrew Bird: Sectionate City
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Andrew Bird: Anonanimal (Pitchfork)
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Andrew Bird: Eyeoneye
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Andrew Bird: Give It Away (KEXP)
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Andrew Bird: Three White Horse (The Current)
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Andrew Bird: Spare-Ohs (La Blogotheque)
By Damian Biniek
I’ve been on hiatus. Obviously. But I’m back… and well, I feel like dancing.
Not literally, of course. Unless it is in the comfort of my own bedroom… or last Friday at the Brooklyn Bowl, doing my little hippie-like, noodly type dancing to the sounds of Soulive.
Look, I know I can’t dance. Not well anyway. But when the spirit strikes you, you just gotta move, right? Sometimes I don’t get how I can be so reserved and awkward on a normal day, but feel inspired to bust a move to some awesome music.
For your morning music today, I want to share a film with you.
You may already be familiar with the DJ, Girl Talk. As a purveyor of our modern remix culture, Greg Gillis has been mashing up some of the best music from the later half of the 20th century and today since about 2007, when he quit studying biomedical engineering to focus solely on his music projects.
I could try to explain what I find so appealing about some of the songs he’s remixed as Girl Talk, but Gillis explained it best on a 2009 episode of Weekend America, where I first learned about him.
I could make an album that would be totally un-listenable, and use Beethoven and county music and whatever. But for this, it’s all about walking the line, creating something that’s somewhat experimental and progressive, but still accessible. I’m a pop fiend, and I like to sample stuff that people are familiar with, whether they like it or hate it, to just have that emotional, nostalgic connection to these songs.
The joy in his songs is picking out the known in all the unknown. With the layering of all these different cuts and songs, each track becomes something new and intricate, but you can find within them something recognizable. Something joyful to connect with.
With that joyful buzz surrounding him, Gillis spent 2011 fundraising on Kickstarter and beginning to film around New York City. The end result is a brilliant and engaging feature length music video called “Girl Walk//All Day.”
The film is parceled out in 12 chapters, with each chapter corresponding to one of the 12 tracks on Girl Talk’s album “All Day.” There’s a loose narrative here with three characters, “The Girl” (played by Anne Marsen,) “The Gentleman” (played by Dai Omiya,) and “The Creep” (played by John Doyle” spending a day traversing New York City by dancing their way through it.
You can check out the first chapter down below or see the full film at http://girlwalkallday.com.
And be sure to let us know what you think in the comments!
By Damian Biniek
Founded in Seattle in 2005 and then relocated to South Carolina, Band of Horses is an act that reflects their migratory roots.
Fusing the sounds of Southern rock and country with an indie rock aesthetic, this group has an appealing energy which verges on dive bar-singalong with layered and reverb-tinged harmonies over a twangy electric sound.
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Band of Horses: The Funeral (Grand Central Station)
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Band of Horses: Infinite Arms (Hollywood Forever Cemetery)
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Band of Horses: Ode to the LRC (Black Cab Sessions)
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Band of Horses: No One’s Gonna Love You (Amoeba)
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Band of Horses: Marry Song (KCRW)
By Damian Biniek
Some great bonus content for your morning music listening today!
In December of 2012, Lissie appeared on the podcast for Wits, a variety show produced by Minnesota Public Radio.
The other guest for the recording of this live show was musician/poet/activist/god among men Henry Rollins.
Stick around for games, music, and one of the highlights of the show, Lissie’s musical performance during “Pop Song Correspondences.”
In this episode of Wits, punk rock icon Henry Rollins tells us why he wants to be in a constant state of agitation, Lissie bewitches us all with her songs, and the two compete in our Wits game show.
Your Morning Music 