Twig Harper is a pioneer of both experimental music and the inner caveats of the mind. His solo work and the work he does with his main project, Nautical Almanac, cracks the boundaries of an auditory experience and leads those who choose to listen into a unique mindset. We discuss his philosophical beliefs, his interpretations of what music is, and Donald Rumsfeld.
The music community has lost another great genius today in Jimmy Lee Lindsey Jr., best known as “Jay Reatard.” We here at Artist Advocacy are, of course, very sad to report such news and wish all the best to his family and friends. However, they may rest assured that his music will live on as [...]
Chaz Bundick, a.k.a. Toro Y Moi, burst onto the scene in 2009 after several of his dreamy lo-fi synth-pop tracks scorched through the blogosphere and were eventually deemed “good shit” by none other than Kanye West. Carpark Records snatched up the South Carolina native and released the Blessa 7”. This year Bundick will be releasing two full-length albums, the first, Causers of This, is out February 2. I caught up with Chaz during a rare moment of downtime to talk about his quick rise, songwriting, and recent turn as a clothing model.
I remember going through a weird phase when I first heard “Heart of Chambers”. It was somewhere in the middle of being really excited about being young and being scared to death about growing up. Somehow this song managed to slap me in the face and throw me into dreamland. I suppose that’s one of the best ways to describe the sort of place Beach House’s music brings me. The duo, Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally, both had separate, but equally charming responses for some questions I had.
“Gordon Bennett” is cockney slang used to express feelings of frustration and/or anger, and translates loosely to something like, “God Damnit!” As a child, this bit of slang always amused me since my Gordon Bennett–my father–is probably the kindest, most temperate man I know.
Not Not Fun should be the poster child for DIY labels. They take everything you’ve always daydreamed of doing with your own record label and, well, actually do it. Britt and Amanda Brown have been in many various music projects, all the while maintaining this eclectic “business.” If listening to awesome music, putting together great releases with friends, and managing a well-respected label is your job, then you clearly must be doing something right. NNF sounds like fun to me.
Last night, Baltimore’s Ottobar was host to Deacon’s first set without the rest of the Animal Collective. There was a lot of tension in the air, a lot of anticipation, and a lot of big Charm City names in attendance–from DJ Dog Dick to Dan Deacon. No one was quite sure what to expect from Deacon, who has proven himself to be quite prolific in the past, but released next-to-nothing in the past year. Recently he has gained a lot of publicity, both negative and positive, in his efforts to fund a trip to Mali to play 2010′s Festival in the Desert, an opportunity he wants to use to create a book and a CD that will raise awareness about the beauty of Mali and the need for an end to slavery.
Fern Silva‘s new film Sahara Mosaic will have its international premiere at the Rotterdam Festival. The festival takes place January 27th – February in the Netherlands. Good luck, Fern!