Last Saturday, folk violinist and champion whistler Andrew Bird performed a live webcast concert from London. The performance was the first of a monthly series taking place in the installation space A Room for London, a riverboat perched on the roof of Queen Elizabeth Hall. Once a month, a musician will enter the small Roi des Belges, which will operate as a one-bedroom hotel during much of 2012, for two days–the first day to familiarize themselves in preparation for the next day’s webcast. Having apparently stayed there Friday night, Bird kicked off the Sounds From a Room series this past weekend. If you missed, head over to The Guardian to check out the replay.

That replay will be available for one month before being replaced by February’s Sounds from a Room performer, German composer Heiner Goebbels. For more information on A Room for London and the Sounds from a Room series, see their web site. Below, watch an interview with Bird prior to Saturday’s special webcast.

Bird’s newest record, Break It Yourself, is out March 6th on Mom + Pop Music.

On March 6th, folk virtuoso Andrew Bird will release his sixth album, Break It Yourself, via Mom + Pop. For our first taste, Bird has unveiled “Eyeoneye”. The guitar-centric number has the initial rumblings of some giant arena-rock number before Bird chirps in. From there, the cut grows and swells throughout, from quiet ’50s slow jam to straight ahead rock and roll bliss. Take a listen below (via P4k).

Also, don’t forget: Ticket orders for each of Bird’s upcoming shows include a digital copy of the album, along with a download of Fake Conversations, a live EP culled from Bird’s fall 2011 tour, and a second live EP from the 2012 tour, which will be released in the spring. Starting tomorrow (o1/24), a limited-edition deluxe version of the record will be available for pre-order on Bird’s website. According to a press release, the package will include the album on double LP and CD, as well as a DVD entitled Here’s What Happened, a lyric booklet, a poster, a “photographic reproduction of the 1915 album cover image,” and a “stationary and stamp set.” Check out the album tracklist alongside Bird’s aforementioned tour dates below.

Break It Yourself Tracklist:
01. Desperation Breeds…
02. Polynation
03. Danse Caribe
04. Give it Away
05. Eyeoneye
06. Lazy Projector
07. Near Death Experience Experience
08. Behind the Barn
09. Lusitania
10. Orpheo Looks Back
11. Sifters
12. Fatal Shore
13. Hole in the Ocean Floor
14. Belles

Andrew Bird 2012 Tour Dates:
03/05 – London, UK @ Barbican Cantre
03/06 – Paris, FR @ La Cigale
03/08 – Brussels, BE @ Cirque Royal
03/09 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso
03/15 – Dallas, TX @ Majestic Theatre #
03/16 – New Orleans, LA @ The Howlin’ Wolf #
03/17 – Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle #
03/19 – Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium #
03/20 – Columbus, OH @ Southern Theatre #
03/22 – St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant #
03/23 – Kansas City, MO @ The Uptown Theater #
03/24 – Milwaukee, WI @ Riverside Theater #
04/09 – Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theatre $
04/10 – Vancouver, British Columbia @ The Vogue $
04/11 – Portland, OR @ Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall $
04/13 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater $
04/18 – Mesa, AZ @ Ikeda Theater at Mesa Arts Center $
04/19 – Santa Fe, NM @ Lensic Performing Arts Center $
04/20 – Tucson, AZ @ Rialto Theater $
05/03 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer %
05/04 – New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre %
05/05 – New York, NY @Beacon Theatre &
05/06 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues %
05/08 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club %
05/09 – Baltimore, MD @ Ram’s Head Live %
05/10 – Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore Detroit @
05/12 – Chicago, IL @ Auditorium Theatre @

# = w/ Eugene Mirman
$ = w/ Laura Marling
% = w/ Patrick Watson
& = w/ Tift Merritt
@ = w/ Mucca Pazza

Other notables include St. Vincent, Arctic Monkeys, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, The Weeknd, Frank Ocean, Justice, Mazzy Star, M83, Explosions in the Sky, Childish Gambino, Flying Lotus, Destroyer, Cat Power, Madness, SBTRKT, Beirut, Amon Tobin, DJ Shadow, fIREHOSE, Miike Snow, The Rapture, M. Ward, Jimmy Cliff with Rancid frontman Tim Armstrong, The Horrors, Buzzcocks, James, EMA, Girls, tUnE-yArDs, and more.

The lineup also packs Wild Flag, ASAP Rocky, Kendrick Lamar, Neon Indian, Santigold, Modeselektor, The Big Pink, Wu Lyf, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, The Head and the Heart, Laura Marling, Company Flow, AraabMUZIK, Kaskade, Le Butcherettes, Real Estate, Wild Beasts, La Roux, Thundercat, Azealia Banks, Kasabian, Goyte, Manchester Orchestra, Black Lips, Atari Teenage Riot, and more. Check out the full lineup below or at our Festival Outlook.

Update: Tickets go on sale Friday, January 13th at 10:00 AM PT. According to Pop & Hiss, three-day passes are $285, three-day with shuttle are $335, and VIP are $665.

As previously reported, Andrew Bird will return with his sixth LP, Break It Yourself, on March 6th via Mom + Pop Music. The image you just scrolled past is the album’s artwork, and the 14-song tracklist is posted below. Bird has already previewed a number of the album tracks in concert, and you can also find live footage below.

Update: A brief 30-second video previewing the album is streaming on Bird’s website.

Also, don’t forget: Ticket orders for each of Bird’s upcoming shows include a digital copy of the album, along with a download of Fake Conversations, a live EP culled from Bird’s fall 2011 tour, and a second live EP from the 2012 tour, which will be released in the spring.

Break It Yourself Tracklist:
01. Desperation Breeds…
02. Polynation
03. Danse Caribe
04. Give it Away
05. Eyeoneye
06. Lazy Projector
07. Near Death Experience Experience
08. Behind the Barn
09. Lusitania
10. Orpheo Looks Back
11. Sifters
12. Fatal Shore
13. Hole in the Ocean Floor
14. Belles

“Desperation Breeds”:

“Danse Caribe”:

“Give It Away”:

“Lazy Projector”:

“Lusitania” (w/ St. Vincent):

“Hole in the Ocean Floor”:

Photo by Cameron Wittig

Folk virtuoso Andrew Bird has announced details of sixth studio album, and the first since 2009′s Noble Beast. Titled Break It Yourself, the album was produced by Bird himself and recorded in his barn in Western Illinois. The end result will be released by Mom + Pop Music on March 6th.

In support of the release, Bird will embark on a U.S. tour this spring. The outing begins on March 15th in Dallas, TX and wraps up on May 12th in Chicago, IL. Joining him on the road will be Eugene Mirman, Laura Marling, and others. Check out the entire tour schedule below.

Ticket orders for each show include a digital copy of the album, along with a download of Fake Conversations, a live EP culled from Bird’s fall 2011 tour, and a second live EP from the 2012 tour, which will be released in the spring.

Andrew Bird 2011/2012 Tour Dates:
12/21 – Chicago, IL @ Museum of Contemporary Art *
12/22 – Chicago, IL @ Museum of Contemporary Art *
01/12 – Honolulu, HI @ Hawaii Theatre
03/05 – London, UK @ Barbican Cantre
03/06 – Paris, FR @ La Cigale
03/08 – Brussels, BE @ Cirque Royal
03/09 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso
03/15 – Dallas, TX @ Majestic Theatre #
03/16 – New Orleans, LA @ The Howlin’ Wolf #
03/17 – Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle #
03/19 – Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium #
03/20 – Columbus, OH @ Southern Theatre #
03/22 – St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant #
03/23 – Kansas City, MO @ The Uptown Theater #
03/24 – Milwaukee, WI @ Riverside Theater #
04/09 – Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theatre $
04/10 – Vancouver, British Columbia @ The Vogue $
04/11 – Portland, OR @ Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall $
04/13 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater $
04/18 – Mesa, AZ @ Ikeda Theater at Mesa Arts Center $
04/19 – Santa Fe, NM @ Lensic Performing Arts Center $
04/20 – Tucson, AZ @ Rialto Theater $
05/03 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer %
05/04 – New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre %
05/05 – New York, NY @Beacon Theatre &
05/06 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues %
05/08 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club %
05/09 – Baltimore, MD @ Ram’s Head Live %
05/10 – Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore Detroit @
05/12 – Chicago, IL @ Auditorium Theatre @

# = w/ Eugene Mirman
$ = w/ Laura Marling
% = w/ Patrick Watson
& = w/ Tift Merritt
@ = w/ Mucca Pazza

While you prepare for the invasion of costumed kids (and adults), sit back and take in Cluster 1’s best videos from the past week. We’ve got interviews, previews, creepy music videos, and, oh yeah, our excellent CMJ coverage. Take a seat, enjoy, and watch out for that sugar overload on Monday! Better yet, use that burst of energy to submit a video to us. Make sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter, too! Happy Halloween!

Andrew Bird: Fever Year

Many artists have tried to film life on the road, particularly the rigors of touring. While they’ve had various levels of success, it’s doubtful that any could match Andrew Bird’s last tour experience. Filmed during his 2009 tour, Fever Year captures the singer/songwriter’s 165^th and final show of the year. All of the time leading up to that last concert was spent with Bird suffering from a perpetual fever. Despite the challenges, he still crisscrossed the country with his beloved band members, embracing nature and stage alike, as long as he could. Xan Aranda’s documentary puts this sense of brotherhood on screen, embracing everything Andrew Bird is in a snapshot in time. -JM

Brown Shoe – “Late Nights”

Is it physically possible to say the word “dreams” without Inception being the first thought in your head? Maybe not, but the reference does fit a little with Brown Shoe’s latest music video. This Cluster 1 premiere features the band members facing their inner demons in their subconscious as they sleep. A large variety of psychological issues, dealing with everything from childhood to sex, is explored, but the answers aren’t on the surface. Just like real dreams, you need to look deeper to understand. -JM

CANT – “Believe”

With their latest video, CANT tests our thoughts on whether or not aliens are real. The music syncs up perfectly with a number of home videos that show alien-like activity taking place in the sky, whether it be lights, or hovering white discs. It just might be enough to make people believe in extraterrestrials. Do you believe? -TM

Cluster 1 goes to CMJ 2011

The CMJ Music Marathon has a different impact, depending on who you ask. For New Yorkers, it means the Village and Williamsburg…are still really crowded, so nothing’s changed there. For bands, it’s a chance to get recognition and momentum for upcoming projects. For music fans, it’s a bevy of musical possibilities that might include the next must-see act. For Cluster 1, we captured a whole bunch of interview footage with some names you may see more of the near future. Sami Jarroush spoke with The Stone Foxes, Caveman, Sleeper Agent, The Pass, and Vanaprasta about their experiences playing New York City’s annual extravaganza. Add this video with our CoSigned feature, and we’ve got your CMJ needs covered. -JM

Cluster 1 Hangout: Tristen and the Ringers

Recently, Tristen and the Ringers stopped by our Chicago studio to grace us with their presence and an intimate chat. The band performed their original track “Doomsday”, and then our own Nick Freed took them out for drinks at Black Rock Tavern. Over a couple of beers, Freed chats with the Nashville rockers about their recent mini tour (“It’s a weekender”), their experience at Ottawa Blues Festival (their stage collapsed after they left it), and their next LP. Be sure to hang out with Tristen and hear their stellar performance in the studio, only here on Cluster 1. -TM

Cut Copy Interview

Success is a finicky thing these days. Some find it on the internet, but others uncover it by touring constantly and working their way up the festival bill. Cut Copy has done the latter very well. Recently, Cluster 1 caught up with the Australian export in San Francisco and discussed the bonds of touring, the bands they’ve enjoyed this year, and the coffee that awaits them back home. It’s a wonderful thing to see the world, just ask these guys. -TM

Man Man – “Piranhas Club”

We are all pretty impressionable as children. We see something, we like it, and, naturally, we want to be it (in my case, it was Marty McFly). What Man Man has done visually with their video for ‘Piranhas Club” is absolutely astounding. One child goes from being John Travolta in Grease to Kiefer Sutherland in Stand By Me. It’s a real wild one. -TM

Sidewalk Hustle Presents the Drums in Toronto

Like us, Sidewalk Hustle is a music blog that gets the perks of meeting some of today’s coolest and most interesting bands. In Toronto, the bloggers hustled over to catch The Drums and chat with them on a few topics, namely what tracks they enjoy performing live, the responsibility of touring, and their latest LP, Portamento. -TM

Thomas Negovan – “Welcome to My Nightmare”

Thomas Negovan couldn’t have picked a better week to drop his video for this Alice Cooper Halloween cover. Extremely unsettling from beginning to end, “Welcome to My Nightmare” tells the story of a disciplined serial killer, completely at peace with what he does. All his actions are meticulous and seemingly emotionless. The violence is never shown on camera either. All we get are splashes of blood on the floor and the quick shadow of a killer claiming another victim. -JM

Wild Flag – “Electric Band”

With the World Series rapidly reaching its conclusion, Wild Flag decided to put together a little baseball game itself. This supergroup wasn’t going to face off with just any competitor though. They throw down with a team of bears. The match between these two groups is intense, coming down to the last out. Who wins the game? Watch and find out! -JM

The trailer for Xan Aranda’s new documentary Andrew Bird: Fever Year has landed online. In the clip, the Chicago-born multi-instrumentalist compares his artistic development over the year to that of an animal hibernating. Viewers also get a look at his home recording studio and other, more intimate behind-the-scenes footage. Check it out below (via IndieWIRE).

At the New York Film Festival, Aranda said that Bird, who owns the film, has no plans to release it commercially (so, enjoy the trailer, non-festival goers). For a list of upcoming screenings at film festivals, head here. Bird will also be bringing his sonic arboretum installation to Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art in December.

Of all the towns devastated by the recent economic downturn, Braddock, PA is an especially interesting case. The home to Andrew Carnegie’s first steel mill and an early, thriving destination for new immigrants, the Rustbelt city is now a harrowing example of the abysmal state of the country as a whole. Some 90% its residents left town when the economy began to tumble, turning the city into a veritable ghost town. Now, to aid the struggling populace, Levi has launched a number of community-based projects to reinvigorate the area.

The latest of those events, a series of charity concerts called “Benefit Braddock”, take places from November 10th to the 12th. The first day features performances from Andrew Bird and Kurt Vile and the Violators. The following day, Built to Spill will perform alongside opening act Atlas Sound. The final day of the benefit sees performances from The Hold Steady and Titus Andronicus. Each show begins promptly at 8 p.m. at the Braddock Carnegie Library.

Tickets for each day are $25; head here to grab yours. Proceeds from the show will support rebuilding efforts of the town tripled by a contribution from Levi’s.

The real surprise here is Bird’s original, non-diegetic compositions. He has created a background score that manages to tell quite a story, one of hope in the face of desolation, without even needing to see the movie. Bird follows a general formula of minimalist background sounds underneath deeply moody and passionate violin melodies. The former paint a cold, grey picture, while the latter breathe life and personality into the otherwise dour soundscapes.

Opening track “Scotch and Milk” captures this aesthetic perfectly. Oscillating chords of indiscriminate instrumental origin soon give way to a pulsating and nervous violin pizzicato, on top of which Bird layers lines of poppy violin melodies and driving tremolo strings. Other bits suggest darker scenes, like the eerie harmonics and dissonances of “Cancerboy Strikes Again/Monsterstream”. Luckily for Norman, his life isn’t just pain and suffering: He probably gets some action to the accompaniment of “The Kiss”, with finger-picked acoustic guitar and sweet, wordless vocalizations. Although they make for a staggeringly good movie score, these tracks probably won’t end up on your iPod; however, the five actual songs on this soundtrack are keepers.

Essential Tracks: “Night Sky”, “Scotch and Milk”, and “You Are a Runner and I Am My Father’s Son”

For as awesome as Muppets: The Green Album proved to be, it was only the beginning of the musical onslaught for the Jason Segel, Amy Adams-starring reboot of The Muppets. As it turns out, the film’s official soundtrack is just as bonkers, featuring a who’s who of notable musicians like Andrew Bird and Paul Simon, reports Billboard. Plus, you know a soundtrack’s great when Miss Piggy isn’t even the best part.

In addition to Bird and Simon’s contributions, Leslie Feist dueted with Mickey Rooney — yes, that Mickey Rooney — on “Life’s A Happy Song”, which was one of four original tracks written for the film by Flight Of The Conchords’ Bret McKenzie. Joanna Newsom also contributed vocals, in this case to album opener “The Muppet Show Theme” (sorry, no Muppet joke here, folks). Other soundtrack highlights include appearances by Segel and Adams and The Muppets Barbershop Quartet covering “Smells Like Teen Spirit”; now THAT is Nirvana. Check out the entire tracklist below.

The soundtrack hits stores November 21st via Walt Disney Records. The Muppets hits theaters on November 23rd. Check out the trailer below.

The Muppets Official Soundtrack Tracklist:
01. The Muppets – The Muppet Show Theme
02. Jason Segel, Amy Adams & Walter – Life’s A Happy Song
03. Kermit & The Muppets – Pictures In My Head
04. Paul Simon – Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard
05. The Moopets – Rainbow Connection
06. Starship – We Built This City
07. Amy Adams & Miss Piggy – Me Party
08. Chris Cooper – Let’s Talk About Me
09. Jason Segel & Walter – Man Or Muppet
10. The Muppets Barbershop Quartet – Smells Like Teen Spirit
11. Camilla And The Chickens – Forget You
12. The Muppets – Rainbow Connection
13. Andrew Bird – The Whistling Caruso
14. Finale Entire Cast – Life’s A Happy Song
15. Manha Manha & The Two Snowths – Mahna Mahna

Photo by Nate Slevin

Never one to be shackled to just one artist outlet, Chicago looping violinist and whistler Andrew Bird currently has his talons in a variety of enterprises. From sonic art installations to tour documentaries, Bird has been spreading his wings wide. His next project to take flight is the movie Norman, for which he provided the original music and score. The film enters limited release on October 21st, and to celebrate, we’re giving away a pair of Andrew Bird-related prizes:

– A signed copy of the Andrew Bird-penned Norman soundtrack on CD.

– A pair of passes to one of Andrew Bird’s upcoming Northeast concerts:

10/12 – Rochester, NY @ Harro East Ballroom
10/13 – Troy, NY @ Troy Savings Bank Music Hall
10/14 – Concord, NH @ Chubb Theatre
10/17 – Poughkeepsie, NY @ Bardavon 1869 Opera House
10/18 – Binghamton, NY @ Osterhout Concert Theater
10/20 – Northampton, MA @ Calvin Theatre

Two winners will be selected, so one will receive the CD and the other will get to see Andrew Bird live. Either way, you’ll be jamming to some sweet, folksy tunes from one of the modern masters. To enter, here’s what you have to do:

• Go to the Norman Facebook page here.
• Post a quote or image on their wall expressing the idea that “hope and help are real”.
• Include this link in the wall posting: http://on.fb.me/ABirdGiveaways
• Click “Enter Now” on the contest page here to fill out the contact information, and make sure to say, “Referred by Consequence of Sound”.

Winners will be selected by the contest runners. Be sure to reference Consequence of Sound in your entry, as there will be a special set of prizes for our loyal community.

So what’s with the “hope and help are real” bit? Norman is what we’ll call the breakthrough film from director Jonathan Segal (because let’s face it, you didn’t know Fred Savage and Amy Adams co-starred in a movie, either). It follows the life of 18-year-old Norman Long, played by Dan Byrd (of a feather, am I right?), as he struggles with the oft painful existence of the modern teenager. After battling depression, he finally gets a girlfriend – just when something unthinkable happens to his family. It’s powerful stuff, to be sure. See how Andrew Bird’s music fits in, and see what the film is all about, in the trailer below.

Enough Thunder, the six track follow-up to James Blake’s CoS Top Star-earning self-titled debut, was released in the U.S. on Tuesday via Universal Republic. If you’re the owner of a Spotify account, you can stream the EP in its entirety right now. Update: You can also listen to the EP below.

Other albums available for an early spin:

– The new album from Baltimore synth pop outfit Future Islands, On The Water, is out October 11th via Thrill Jockey. You can stream it now at NPR.org.

– Andrew Bird’s original score for the new film Norman hits stores on October 11th via Mom + Pop Records. You can hear it now at Bird’s Facebook page.

– Misfits’ first album in eight years, The Devil’s Rain, is out this week via Misfits Records. You can stream it now at Spinner.

– The debut album from Indiana-based indie-rock band Dreamers of the Ghetto, Enemy/Love, is out this week via Temporary Resident Ltd. You can hear it now at Spinner.

Andrew Bird’s music has always been a sound best described as intricate. It requires the listener to pay full attention to the nuances woven into every offering. Now, Bird’s folksy, classical work becomes even more of an all-consuming endeavor when he and sculptor/inventor Ian Schneller bring The Sonic Arboretum out of storage later this year.

If you recall, the Sonic Arboretum first debuted at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York in August 2010 for a one-night performance. The installation featured 53 “plant-shaped audio horn speakers powered by custom-made tube amplifiers” created by Schneller, with Bird providing specific compositions that played continuously.

From December 6th-31st, The Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago will feature the installation in an expanded capacity, with the “forest” now comprised of 70 horn speakers. Bird himself will use the Sonic Arboretum as the P.A. for two special performances on December 21st and 22nd.

For a sneak peek of what’s to come, check out video from Bird’s August 2010 gig at the Guggenheim below. Showtimes and tickets information can be found here.

Feature Artwork by Cap Blackard 

While Annie Clark has earned a lot of well-deserved acclaim as a songwriter and guitarist, she’s also a brilliant reinterpreter of other artists’ songs. From Big Black and INXS to Tom Waits and Dolly Parton, Clark has put her own distinct brand on everything from classic tracks to beloved obscurities since she burst onto the indie rock scene five years ago.

To hold us over until the release of the new St. Vincent record, Strange Mercy, here are several of Clark’s best cover songs from over the years.

The Beatles – “Dig a Pony”

What: The Beatles’ “Dig a Pony”, from 1970′s Let It Be

When: Regularly while touring behind Marry Me and Actor. This version is from her performance at All Points West in Jersey City, New Jersey, on August 1st, 2009.

As far as St. Vincent cover songs go, this is where it all begins. Clark’s version of one of the best tracks from The Beatles’ final album was a staple of her setlist as early as 2007, and she’s offered up several different variations of her own rendition over the years. In most, Clark takes advantage of her own guitar chops and rockabilly-s up the main riff, muting her chords while singing John Lennon’s mostly nonsensical lyrics. She utilizes the breaks between verses to issue some real noise from her guitar, which makes the sudden transitions to her soft voice that much sweeter.

Big Black – “Bad Penny” and “Kerosene”

What: Big Black’s “Bad Penny” and “Kerosene”, from 1987′s Songs About Fucking and 1986′s Atomizer

When: At the Our Band Could Be Your Life 10^th Anniversary Show at New York’s Bowery Ballroom on May 22nd, 2011

On a night that included Ted Leo performing as Minor Threat, Dan Deacon as the Butthole Surfers, and Tune-Yards as Sonic Youth, author Michael Azzerrad’s greatest display of curatorial prowess was in selecting the doe-faced Annie Clark to play the harsh, intentionally ugly noise rock of Steve Albini’s Big Black. Clark doesn’t back down in the least, taking the songs as an opportunity to spit, scream, and downright shred her guitar in tribute to Big Black’s buzz saw assault. When the lyrics to “Bad Penny” come from Clark’s lips, they seem every bit as threatening as Albini intended them to be. This one’s stunning.

Nico – “These Days”

What: Nico’s “These Days”, from 1967′s Chelsea Girl

Where: On tour as early as 2007. This version is live in Phoenix, Arizona, on February 11th, 2010.

Like “Dig a Pony”, Clark’s cover of the Jackson Browne-penned song “These Days” has long been part of her live repertoire and was even included as a bonus track on the Japanese release of Marry Me. The St. Vincent version is a pretty, acoustic rendition featuring excellent fingerpicking work that falls somewhere between Nico’s softly sung version and Gregg Allman’s more countrified approach.

Tom Waits – “Big Black Mariah” and “Tango Til They’re Sore”

What: Tom Waits’ “Big Black Mariah” and “Tango Til They’re Sore”, from 1985′s Rain Dogs

When: During the Rain Dogs Revisited show in London, England, on July 13th, 2011.

Last July, an assortment of musicians gathered at London’s Barbican to cover Tom Waits’ classic 1985 album, Rain Dogs. Clark was on hand to give her take on Waits’ “Big Black Mariah” and “Tango Til They’re Sore”. For the former, Clark cranks up the already-pounding percussion present in Waits’ original and smothers the song in dissonant guitar noise and orchestral squeals, her voice alternating between shouted growls and hushed whispers. Clark hits all the right marks in the song but makes it distinctly her own; it’s a cover of which I feel Waits might even approve.

Clark’s cover of “Tango Til They’re Sore” sticks closer to the source material, dropping the jazzy piano in favor of stop-stutter guitar work and muted trumpet wails. The star of the song is Clark’s voice, which really gets a chance to belt out several of the lyrics here. With all of the praise that’s heaped upon her for her guitar playing, it’s sometimes possible to forget that she’s also a great singer.

The Magnetic Fields – “Yeah! Oh, Yeah!” (with John Vanderslice)

What: The Magnetic Fields’ “Yeah! Oh, Yeah!”, from 1999′s 69 Love Songs

When: On tour with John Vanderslice in 2007. This version is from the last stop of the tour on May 10th, 2007, in Los Angeles, California.

Annie Clark and John Vanderslice’s take on this 69 Love Songs track is actually softer and less noisy than The Magnetic Fields’ original version. Trading off verses, Clark and Vanderslice give a heartfelt rendition with only minimal acoustic accompaniment.

Bob Dylan – “Oh Sister” (with Andrew Bird)

What: Bob Dylan’s “Oh Sister”, from 1976′s Desire

When: Regularly during encores when touring with Andrew Bird in 2009. This version is from the Columbus, Ohio, date of the tour on October 19th, 2009.

For their duet, Annie Clark takes the role that had been filled by Emmylou Harris on Dylan’s original recording. Here, the harmonica fills have been replaced by whistling, making the song a step more upbeat, with additional instrumentation coming in as the song moves along.

INXS – “Need You Tonight” and “Never Tear Us Apart” (with Beck)

What: INXS’s “Need You Tonight” and “Never Tear Us Apart”, from 1987′s Kick

When: On March 3rd, 2010, at Beck’s house.

On March 3^rd, 2010, a group of musicians including Annie Clark gathered at Beck’s home studio to lay down the fourth installment of his Record Club project: a full-album cover of INXS’s Kick. Other musicians included were Angus Andrew, Aaron Hemphill and Julian Gross of Liars, Sergio Dias of Os Mutantes, and Brian LeBarton and Daniel Hart of St. Vincent. Video of the jam session was later released in installments on Beck’s website.

Annie Clark takes the lead vocals on “Need You Tonight”, which has the clear touch of Beck’s techier work, with electronic beeps and drum machine beats leading the instrumentation. This version of “Never Tear Us Apart” could almost pass as a cut from St. Vincent’s own Actor, with Clark singing over lush strings and light piano playing, giving it a very orchestral feel. It’s really astounding that this arrangement came together in less than a day.

Readers with any interest should definitely check out the full session on Beck’s Record Club website; Annie Clark’s role isn’t as center stage on the rest of the album, but their take on tracks like “Kick” and “Sensation” are rather brilliant.

Neil Young – “Harvest Moon” (with Bon Iver)

What: Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon”, from 1992′s Harvest Moon

When: Bowery Presents and Brooklyn Vegan’s A Night of Comedy and Music to Benefit Haiti at the Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York, on January 23rd, 2010. (See also: the Dolly Parton cover below.)

Annie Clark and Justin Vernon divide up the lyrics to the title track from Neil Young’s pseudo-sequel to Harvest. Vernon pulls off a rather close Young impression with his part, while Clark channels her inner Loretta Lynn on her verses.

Dolly Parton – “Jolene” (with Bon Iver)

What: Dolly Parton’s “Jolene”, from 1974′s Jolene

When: Bowery Presents and Brooklyn Vegan’s A Night of Comedy and Music to Benefit Haiti at the Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York, on January 23rd, 2010. (This is the same show as the Neil Young cover above.)

Dolly Parton’s tale of a housewife confronting her husband’s mistress was covered by Annie Clark and Justin Vernon at a Haiti benefit in 2010. It’s a song that’s been redone almost as many times as Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah”, but the pair put their own individual stamps on the song by taking turns with the verses on this darkened version.

The National – “Mistaken for Strangers” (with members of The National)

What: The National’s “Mistaken for Strangers”, from 2007′s Boxer

When: On tour in 2010. This version is from the July 13th, 2010, show in Lyon, France, with The National.

Solo versions exist of Clark’s cover of “Mistaken for Strangers”, as well as cuts where she performs the song with members of The National. This particular rendition falls into the latter category and features Annie Clark singing a duet with Matt Berninger. The cover is not far off base from the original at all, but the results are quite beautiful.

Crooked Fingers – “Sleep All Summer” (with The National)

What: Crooked Fingers’ “Sleep All Summer”, from 2005′s Dignity and Shame

When: On SCORE! 20 Years of Merge Records: The Covers, released in 2009

To celebrate their 20^th anniversary, Merge curated a collection of music that featured contemporary artists covering classic songs from the Merge catalog. Annie Clark and The National’s Matt Berninger teamed up again to record Crooked Fingers’ heartbreaking “Sleep All Summer”, taking a soft approach backed by a beautiful horn accompaniment.

Copies of SCORE! are still available from Merge, and proceeds from the compilation benefit select charities.

Photo by Nate Slevin

“Is he suffering hazards from chasing the ghost of inspiration? Or merely transforming into a different kind of animal ‘perfectly adapted to the music hall?’” asks the official website for the documentary Fever Year. Fans will get answers next month when the new feature-length film on multi-instrumental looper and whistling extraordinaire Andrew Bird premieres at the prestigious 49th New York Film Festival. The film will be shown October 1st (6:15 EST) and 2nd (9:00 EST) at Lincoln Center.

Filmed after the concluding months of immense touring and a decade of hard work, the documentary was brought about by Bird’s desire to have him and his band-mates and their 155th (and final) show of the year presented in a way that was more than just the standard TV spots and internet videos. However, the film is far from the typical “concert capture” approach. As explained by director, Xan Aranda, “Fever Year isn’t a document of Andrew’s intimate details or an assay of his sweat. It’s a snapshot” that goes on to show “his risk and reward for being an undeniable creative force.”

Bird is not finished with the world of cinema just yet. The Chicago-based folker scored the independent film Norman which is set to be released October 21st, via AMC Independent. The dramedy revolves around a troubled high-school youth and his struggles with the perils of daily existence. That’s heavy. Check out some of the music from the film on the Norman website and pick up the soundtrack when it drops on October 11th via Mom + Pop records.

Appropriately enough, Kulash and Co. “get things started”—though, not quite with a Crazy Harry-caliber bang—with their trippy, blip-and-bleep, beat-heavy version of “The Muppet Show Theme Song”. Rivers Cuomo and Paramore’s Hayley Williams pull up a lily pad and trade verses on “Rainbow Connection”, a rendition that finds its niche when Cuomo’s Weezer cohorts join in and turn the final verse into a warm, glowing march.

Alkaline Trio score The Green Album’s first major highlight by taking guitars to road song “Movin’ Right Along” (think The Gimme Gimmes), complete with “dooga-duns” and Kermit and Fozzie’s comedic Studebaker banter. Andrew Bird beautifully channels his inner frog on “Bein’ Green”, Kermit’s classic song of self-acceptance, putting his own stamp on the song with his signature violin and Muppet-esque whistling.

However, it might be the deeper cuts that really make this compilation a winner and also suggest that there are some serious, die-hard Muppet fans behind these mics and guitars. My Morning Jacket deliver a delicate and vocally daring “Brothers in Our World” medley—pulled from the final scenes of 1977’s Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas—that would make its composer, Paul Williams, proud. Sondre Lerche perhaps fesses up to catching Muppet Show reruns in Norway as a kid with his silly and infectious, mostly acoustic take on Scooter and Sgt. Floyd Pepper’s “Mr. Bassman”.

All that’s “green” isn’t necessarily gold here, but most of it shines. And these tracks, if you’re a 20, 30, or even fortysomething, will probably bring a smile to your now grown-up face. And you’ll probably have no better luck concealing it than Damian Kulash. But, hey, that’s what the frog does.

Essential Tracks: Andrew Bird’s “Bein’ Green”, My Morning Jacket’s “Brothers in Our World”, and Sondre Lerche’s “Mr. Bassman”

For a great deal of people who have seen Andrew Bird live, they understand the power, beauty, and grace the Chicago folk looper brings to the table. Now, even those who haven’t seen Bird in his natural habitat can figure it out for themselves thanks to Fever Year, an upcoming documentary by filmmaker Xan Aranda that chronicles Bird’s life on tour (via Exclaim!)

According to the official site for the documentary, Fever Year was “filmed during culminating months of the acclaimed singer-songwriter’s most rigorous year of touring, Andrew Bird crosses the December finish line in his hometown of Chicago — feverish and on crutches from an onstage injury. Is he suffering hazards from chasing the ghost of inspiration? Or merely transforming into a different kind of animal ‘perfectly adapted to the music hall?’” Along with performances from Bird, the film also features cameos from collaborators Michael Lewis, Annie Clark of St. Vincent, Martin Dosh, and Jeremy Ylvisaker.

The film is set to premiere at the Vancouver International Film Festival, which runs from September 29th to October 14th, and then hit the festival circuit later this year. Stay tuned for the trailer, which is expected to drop shortly. In the meantime, check out Bird tackling “Plasticities” live during a December 2nd, 2010 show at Minneapolis, MN’s First Avenue below.

Update: Muppets: The Green Album is a tribute compilation, so Ms. Deschanel is safe after all.

Sure, it’s not even July yet, but we already assumed that Zooey Deschanel would leave 2011 with the award for “Most Appropriate And Thus Amazing Choice For A Soundtrack”. That was, however, until Disney went ahead and announced Muppets: The Green Album (via Pitchfork), an accompanying soundtrack for the Jason Segel-written The Muppets movie. Featuring the likes of My Morning Jacket, Weezer, OK Go, Andrew Bird, Sondre Lerche, and more covering classic Muppets songs, no amount of cuteness can save Winnie the Pooh now.

The 12-track effort houses a number of potentially amazing efforts, including OK Go tackling The Muppet Show theme song, Alkaline Trio handling “Moving Right Along”, Andrew Bird’s rendition of “Being’ Green”, and, the piece de resistance, Weezer and Paramore’s Hayley Williams dueting on “Rainbow Connection” (Bethany who?).

The LP’s collaborative nature mirrors the film’s plot, with Segel and Amy Adams’ characters helping Kermit the Frog reunite the Muppets in order to raise money to save Muppet Theater. Oh, and Dave Grohl will lend a musical assist.

Check out the entire tracklist below. Muppets: The Green Album hits stores August 23rd, while The Muppets arrives in theaters November 23rd.

Muppets: The Green Album Tracklist:
01. OK Go – Muppet Show Theme
02. Weezer and Paramore’s Hayley Williams – Rainbow Connection
03. The Fray – Mahna Mahna
04. Alkaline Trio – Moving Right Along
05. My Morning Jacket – Our World
06. Amy Lee – Halfway Down the Stairs
07. Sondre Lerche – Mr. Bassman
08. The Airborne Toxic Event – Wishing Song
09. Atreyu’s Brandon Saller and Good Charlotte’s Billy Martin – Night Life
10. Andrew Bird – Bein’ Green
11. Matt Nathanson – I Hope That Something Better Comes Along
12. Rachael Yamagata – I’m Going to Go Back There Someday

Recently, Chicago’s uber-savvy multi-instrumentalist, Andrew Bird, offered a possible peek of his follow up to 2009′s Noble Beast during a gig at Brooklyn’s Prospect Park (via 24B). Titled “Give It Away”, the sparse piece sparkles with tiny aural fireworks that trademark Bird’s creativity and execution. As he gently sways and comforts with his vocals, Bird also guides us with each pluck, pull, and strum of his violin. If anything, it’s a great indication of what’s to come.

Until the new album surfaces, you can catch Andrew Bird on tour and cross your fingers for another new gem. Judging from our recent write up of Bird’s Ann Arbor gig this past weekend, you’ll see a fair share of new material.

Andrew Bird 2011 Tour Dates:
06/24 – Bondville, VT @ Wanderlust Vermont
08/05 – Regina, CA @ Regina Folk Festival
08/07 – Edmonton, CA @ Edmonton Folk Festival
08/09 – Arvada, CO @ Arvada Center for the Arts & Humanities
08/10 – Boulder, CO @ Chautauqua Auditorium
10/12 – Rochester, NY @ Harro East Ballroom
10/13 – Troy, NY @ Troy Savings Bank Hall
10/14 – Concord, NH @ Chubb Theatre @ Capital Center for the Arts
10/15 – Skowhegan, ME @ Skowhegan Opera House
10/17 – Poughkeepsie, NY @ Bardavon 1869 Opera House
10/18 – Binghamton, NY @ Osterhout Concert Theater @ Anderson Center for the Performing Arts
10/20 – Northampton, MA @ Calvin Theatre
10/21 – Tarrytown, NY @ Tarrytown Music Hall
10/22 – Wilmington, DE @ Grand Opera House

Andrew Bird is a notoriously great performer, and this night was no exception. Therefore, let’s just get this obligatory list of obvious things that happened during the show out of the way:

• The show was opened by Haley Bonar, who cooed songs from her new album, Golder, and announced, to the cheers of the crowd, that she was five-and-a-half months pregnant (yay!).
• Andrew Bird is a really, really good whistler.
• That man is incredible with the violin–bowed, finger-picked, strummed, or otherwise.
• His whirligig phonograph speakers are legitimately awe-inspiring; if it’s possible, they seemed to make the sound more palpable as they spun around.
• As a physical performer, Bird brings it, what with all the “nervous tics” for the appropriate songs and all the theatrics, like when he raised his bow like a sword during “Effigy”.

This is all very familiar ground, though. This writer didn’t attend the Chicago Presbyterian shows, but through hearsay and YouTube clips, it seems like there are quite a few crossovers from those concerts to this one. And again, that’s not a bad thing–just familiar.

Photo by Morgan Barrie

What made the show special was the fact that Bird was clearly just a bit out of practice. An Andrew Bird show is a carefully planned thing. It’s not like some punk show where the band might get drunk and decide, “Hey, let’s cover this Black Sabbath song instead of playing something off the album.” Everything is in its place. The elaborately arranged, whistle-laced violin loops are carefully thought out. For standards like “Nervous Tic Motion” and “Why?”, he was more or less going through the motions–great, carefully planned performances of songs he’s played many times. But for a few songs, he had false starts where he literally scratched his chin to try and remember how the song goes. He admitted that he’d been taking a break for a while. He had a five o’clock shadow. For someone who has his craft down to a science, the imperfections in his delivery were much more interesting than the flawless beauty of his craft.

He played a number of new songs, which he’s worked out live before, such as “The Lazy Projector”, “Breeding Desperation”, “Give It Away”, “Orpheo Looks Back”, and “Lusitania”. Each song had him really concentrating on the task at hand, and the crowd loved every one of them.

Photo by Morgan Barrie

One highlight of the show was a gorgeous rendition of “Sparrows” with the help of Bonar and her guitarist, Jeremy Ylvisaker. Bird introduced the song with the inspiration for writing it: his dad giving his chickens away to some nuns and a line from The End of the Affair. Their three-part harmony, backed by Bird’s sweeping violin loop, was definitely powerful. After the song, Bonar and Ylvisaker left the stage, and Bird remembered what actually inspired the story, and it was that some sparrows had built nests out of his chickens’ feathers above the chimney, and he thought about the fire incinerating the feathers and the smoke floating across the suburbs. He talked about how he thought it was a beautiful symbol of life. He then called it “bullshit.”

That’s the thing about Bird. He comes across as a reclusive raconteur who is great at telling stories but sounds like he’d rather not. He’s funny, self-effacing, and brilliant. And, like the last show CoS covered at that church in Chicago, he closed with a lively rendition of Charley Patton’s “I’m Goin’ Home”, a reminder that the man has a handle on both the new and the old. It’d just be nice if he’d give us an album of that “new” already.

Photography by Morgan Barrie.
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Gallery by Morgan Barrie

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Photo by Nate Slevin

Andrew Bird will head north this fall for a two-week tour of the U.S. Northeast. The trek launches October 12th in Rochester, NY and sees the singer-songwriter hitting cities throughout upstate New York, New Hampshire, and Maine before wrapping up with dates in Northampton, MA and Wilmington, DE.

In addition to his fall leg, Bird will play a series of shows across the U.S. this summer, including a free show at Prospect Park in Brooklyn, NY on June 10th. You can find a complete list of his confirmed tour dates below.

Andrew Bird 2011 Tour Dates:
06/10 – Brooklyn, NY @ Prospect Park Bandshell (Celebrate Brooklyn)
06/18 – Ann Arbor, MI @ Ann Arbor Summer Festival
06/24 – Bondville, VT @ Wanderlust Vermont
08/05 – Regina, SK @ Regina Folk Festival
08/09 – Arvada, CO @ Arvada Center for the Arts & Humanities
08/10 – Boulder, CO @ Chautauqua Auditorium
10/12 – Rochester, NY @ Harro East Ballroom
10/13 – Troy, NY @ Troy Savings Bank Music Hall
10/14 – Concord, NH @ Chubb Theatre
10/15 – Skowhegan, ME @ Skowhegan Opera House
10/17 – Poughkeepsie, NY @ Bardavon 1869 Opera House
10/18 – Binghamton, NY @ Osterhout Concert Theater
10/20 – Northampton, MA @ Calvin Theatre
10/21 – Tarrytown, NY @ Tarrytown Music Hall
10/22 – Wilmington, DE @ Grand Opera House

The Celebrate Brooklyn series always brings a myriad of concerts to the park’s band shell, and while past seasons have featured such heavy-hitters as The National, They Might Be Giants, Robery Cray, Norah Jones, and Passion Pit, 2011 is already off to a kick-ass start. Singer-songwriter and violin/whistler extraordinaire, Andrew Bird, is set kick things with a free performance as part of the opening night gala on June 10th, and Best Coast will open for The Decemberists four days later.

However, the biggest name announced so far is none other than Sufjan Stevens, who makes a rare outdoor appearance for a benefit concert on August 2nd. What’s more amazing is that Asthmatic Kitty’s website says that Stevens – who has no festival dates scheduled this summer – will also be getting all folk-a-delic alongside the “ten-piece intergalactic ensemble of Muppets from the Age of Adz tour.”

Tickets for both the Decemberists and Stevens shows are $35; the former is already on-sale, while tickets to the latter will be available today starting at 12:00pm EST. Gates for the shindigs open at 6 p.m. and more information is available at Celebrate Brooklyn’s official site.

Folks whose jobs don’t allow them to buy concert tickets can tap their inner philanthropist and volunteer to work at the concerts.  More information on volunteering is available at this website.

What’s better than commerical jingles? How about commerical jingles created by the likes of Passion Pit, The Antlers, and Andrew Bird. Say thank you to American Express, who tapped the three acts to record new music for their ongoing ZYNC campaign. Snippets of their creations have been airing on television for a while, but thanks to JP’s Blog, you can now stream the tracks in full below. Downloads can be obtained via American Express’ Facebook page.

Passion Pit – “All These Trees”

The Antlers – “Bird Bank”

Andrew Bird – “Manny’s Montage”

Anyway, Bird’s now iconic, functioning horn decorations (co-produced by Specimen Products) triumphantly cluttered the stage, over 25 of them in all. A small sock monkey sat near the middle, at the pulpit, more or less. The crowd wasn’t quite restless, but the funky, world rhythms pouring out as intro music seemed to keep people up and excited. Or maybe, like me, they were just avoiding sitting down in the pews, knowing all too well the stiff, legroom-less two and a half hours to come. (I swear that’s the last I’ll mention of the seating.)

Compatriot hometown hero, noted jazz musician, and Tortoise guitarist Jeff Parker took the stage first, dressed for the occasion in a neat, black suit. Seated with his guitar and a panel full of pedals, Parker began to churn out odd, off-kilter tones that chimed like church bells. The lights lowered as he added jazzy licks over the top. His unfortunately too brief opening set came together as a sort of fusion of ambience, drone, and jazz improvisation, a mellow, often beautiful atmospheric start to the evening. Later, insistent bass tones galloped underneath lightning strike-picked, almost Latin arpeggios. The crowd gave Parker a warm reception, but it was all too clear that this wasn’t what they were there for. “Uh…” Parker muttered blankly into the microphone as his set came to an end, “Andrew Bird is up next.”

Photo by Meghan Brosnan

The brief intermission that followed built the anticipation to an audible murmur. Eventually, the dapper, scarfed star of the night clambered on stage, politely nodding to the crowd. The pieces of Andrew Bird’s solo music are so well-worn now, but the first song of his set had everything that one would expect. He began by looping a carefully executed, highly rhythmic groove of violin plucks and whistles before adding a layer of orchestral violin chords over the top. As everything built to a wall of gorgeous sound, he calmly reached down to set the Doppler effect, spinning horn to high and took off his shoes, all while whistling in perfect tune.

Later, Bird addressed his followers. “Hey everybody,” he smiled, with his baritone. “Pleasure to see you. Welcome back, if you are back.” He even added his reasoning for doing the whole Gezelligheid thing over again: “It lets me stretch out,” he said, before introducing longtime fan favorite “Why?”, announcing that the old song helped him relax. Upon recording the loop foundation of the song, Bird realized the timing was a little different. “I guess I was more relaxed than I thought I was,” he chuckled, getting a big laugh from the eager crowd. The man is, flatly put, a consummate pro, a performer. One could even call him an actor in this one-man, call-and-response song. He threw his whole body into the line “damn you for being so easygoing,” rocking violently back and forth at times, holding his head in a cupped hand at others, gesturing manically to emphasize points.

Photo by Meghan Brosnan

Bird’s banter was spot-on throughout the night. On the fact that the number of horns onstage keeps growing, Bird explained,”The horns have been multiplying. It’s been a fertile year.” On a music video idea for the new song “Desperation Breeds”, he painted the audience a picture: ”I’m the bee-keeper, and I’ll get Zach Galifianakis to be the bee, and I’ll just chase him around. It’ll all be in slow motion, of course.” That song was a pulsing, plucking violin loop featuring a very bee-like whirring slide and lyrics that could only come from this witty, well-read lyricist. He rhymed peculiar incantation with the title, a definite achievement. Later, other new songs were introduced as containing interlocking themes (could a concept album be brewing in Bird-land?). “The Lazy Projector” took on the unreliability of human memory (“forgetting, embellishing, lying machine,” he crooned), while the previously titled “Oh Baltimore” is about “being in a self-destructive feedback loop.”

Older songs did get the majority of applause, though, especially the Mysterious Production of Eggs staple “Masterfade” and the bluesy “Headsoak” from 2001′s The Swimming Hour. Bird, however, was clearly more excited about the new material. After bringing Parker back onstage for the rest of the set, Bird revealed exactly how fresh some of the material was. “We’re going to do some stuff I briefly showed to Jeff before the show,” he explained. “That’s not a disclaimer. That’s a fact.”  What came next was what I’d call an Andrew Bird sort of drone. The looped wall of sound produced by the two Chicago masters (one who can do classical as well as pop, the other who can do jazz as well as post-rock) sounded so right, their powerful instruments working together in a pretty, spinning ocean. The horns spun, the swashes of violin and brushes of guitar swirling out over the church.

But Bird also knows that so many other artists wouldn’t have the opportunity to do something like this, that it is incumbent on that cozy fanbase to want it. “I have a pretty cool audience who let me do what I want,” he glowed. “I’m just saying I’m lucky.” The set closed with “Section 8 City”, its cheery whistling and hand clapping melding with Parker’s probably somewhat improvised chording and Bird’s aching violin chords. The two left the stage, the horn spinning out the final loop of their work.

Bird’s encore was much more stripped down, simple. A single microphone was moved to the center of the stage, and the still barefoot Bird played acoustic, sans loop station. The first was a vibrant violin piece seemingly about going crazy. The second brought out the acoustic guitar, with lyrics about how “if you could see right through us, you’d run into your homes and lock your doors” and the wordless “na na na” chorus lilting and flowering. Charley Patton’s “Goin’ Home” closed things out, Bird’s violin fiddling and his voice crooning out a farewell to his cozy group of friends. Until next year, or maybe the next evening for those few that snagged extra tickets.

Photography by Meghan Brosnan.
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Gallery by Meghan Brosnan

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It may seem like a throwaway bonus disc, but Useless Creatures is an album with a capital A. All nine songs have been meticulously placed in an order that flows brilliantly from beginning to end. Tracks often transition into each other, and even when they don’t, the themes or arrangements just work together. If Bird were to tour this album, he’d have to play it in order to keep its beauty intact. Unlike the sprawling Noble Beast, this record is compact yet still lengthy enough to warrant a full price and a full listen. Its combination of traditional music and experimental undertakings (all with the same instruments) will keep you guessing and keep your attention, even through the album’s few weak points.

The album starts with “Master Sigh”, one of the more offbeat numbers that transports you to another place. A low, gospel hum fades in and finds a place in the background as a click-clack beat drops down on top of it. The horseshoe sound builds at a steady pace into a crescendo that overtakes any other sounds by the end. It’s the musical equivalent of seeing the daily life of a small town and then gradually zooming out from above until the features of the land become indistinguishable.

All of the songs that move Bird outside his comfort zone also transport the listener to another time and/or place. The watery percussion of “Nyatiti” creates the feel of being in a jungle. Strumming guitars duel with plucking violins to create a fairly funky groove. Strings and bells drop in here and there, adding texture to an already composite track. “The Barn Tapes” musically moves like the ocean, but it really sends you to outer space. Tidal waves of noise that sound like a tuning orchestra fade into a deep, resonating hum throughout the song. The whole track would work wonders as the peaceful alternative to Ligeti’s Requiem aka the monolith’s score in 2001: A Space Odyssey. Unfortunately, the exchange between these two styles becomes very repetitive after a while. This wouldn’t be a problem if the track was two or three minutes. But 10 minutes of it? That’s way too little substance for such a long length of time.

On the other end of the record, there are several songs that unmistakably scream Andrew Bird. “You Woke Me Up” is full of light violin plucks and loud strings that sweep in and out. This classical piece uses the string plucks to form a backbone as Bird builds a passionate violin piece around it. The song doesn’t build as much as it ebbs and flows, looping around itself to make a layered piece of beauty. However, it’s also another number that could have done with a couple minutes shaved off.

“Carrion Suite” is kindred to “You Woke Me Up” but far superior. The mournful violin that comes in at the start will instantly grab you, tie you to a chair, and make sure all your focus is on the music unfolding before your ears. The way the instrument sighs and screeches makes for a journey with no obvious clues as to where you’ll end up. This only lasts for about a minute before it switches to a rapid, almost violent rhythm similar to a roulette wheel. Soon enough, the two styles collide into one masterful piece of music. The harsh backing rhythm juxtaposes against the cries of Bird’s violin perfectly. The rhythm is strong enough to stand on its own, but when the violin comes in, it instantly demands attention.

Ending where it started with a reprise of “Master Sigh” titled “Sigh Master”, Useless Creatures is both a sister album and the complete opposite of Noble Beast. Where Noble Beast was a lengthy album with shorter songs, this instrumental record contains nine longer tracks, but they’re packed to capacity with arrangements and innovations that stand alongside Bird’s best work. It was a good move on his part to treat Useless Creatures as a real album rather than a collection of outtakes. If you’re a fan of the man, it’d be in your best interest to do the same.

Perhaps it has something to do with the FOLK of it all. After all, folk music generally draws a pretty homogeneous group of, well… folks. These people are commonly mellow, much like the music they listen to. They want nothing more than to sit on some grass, drink some frozen lemonade, try on some hats, make their own banjos, and soak up the beautiful New England scenery. Thus, the organizers of the concert feel that they can invite these warm individuals to a nice location without the fear of them tearing it to shreds.

Located at the gorgeously scenic Fort Adams, in Newport, Rhode Island, glimmering, clear blue water surrounds the small vivid green peninsula. Look out from the fort towers and you’ll see hundreds of beautiful boats rocking along the water. Weirdly enough, there was almost no on-stage banter regarding the nautical backdrop. Not even an “I’m on a Boat” reference from Richie Havens. Come on!

The place is remarkably clean; as in I don’t feel like I have to take a shower the minute I step foot on the premises, nor after I exit them. The people typically don’t smell like sewage systems and the air is fresh with ocean mist. It’s nice, which is hard to say about many other gatherings of the same sort. Sure, Bonnaroo is a great place to hear lots of quality music, but it’s filled with all sorts of stenches, it tends to get destroyed as the weekend progresses, and it’s not the best place to bring your family.

In many ways, The Newport Folk Festival is the grandfather of music festivals. It’s been around for a long time, it’s wise, and it likes things just the way they are. Though the acts are a mixture of contemporary and older folk music, people are going to sit for all of it, whether it’s the punk-bluegrass fury of O’Death or Jim James’ angelic croon. You just don’t mess with the order of the place.

At the main stage, the Fort stage, people sit on the lawn and calmly listen to the performances. There’s a small standing area, but it’s never too crowded. It’s mostly people laying back on blankets and reclining in beach chairs. The other two stages, Harbor and Quad, are small tents with a limited selection of fold out chairs. You have to get there early to get a your buns on one, and there’s no standing up front. If you don’t have a seat, you watch from the sides or the back. That’s just the way it is.

On top of that, each day only lasts for about seven hours. It starts mid-day and ends in the early evening. It’s just nice. There are lots of conflicts, which is a downer, but it keeps the day short and sweet. It’s a nice little festival, with all the ingredients for a pleasant weekend bobbing your head by the water.

And then there’s the actual music . . .

Saturday, July 31st

Blitzen Trapper
Harbor Stage, 12:50 p.m.

Day one started off with Portland, Oregon’s Blitzen Trapper. Their jangly, off-kilter blend of Americana and alternative rock was a captivating way to start the day. A lot of the time, Eric Earley’s songwriting is the kind that can go unnoticed without a keen ear. On record, some of it just kind of sneaks by you. He’s usually singing about seemingly arbitrary objects and places that don’t necessarily strike a chord with every listener. Sure, there are the “Furr”s and the “Wild Mountain Nation”s, but many of the other songs have such similar melodies, tempos, and lyrics, that it’s hard to really get into them.

To some extent this was proven true with some of the song selections, but for the most part, live, his musicianship and songwriting skills are all up in your grill. When the band performs, the compositions really take on a new life. Earley doesn’t just play these songs, he embodies them. Whether he is hammering and pulling an acoustic guitar’s strings, screaming into a harmonica, pounding on a keyboard, or going all Stephen Malkmus on his SG, he’s in it to win it. With gorgeous vocal harmonies around every corner, brilliant rhythms, and shimmering synthesizers, the guys make sure you leave with your moneys worth. From the tender, acoustic bestiality of “Furr” to the Zeppelinesque rock of “Destroyer of the Void”, the Trapper were sure to remind us that this was the place where Dylan went electric.

O’Death
Quad Stage, 2:10 p.m.

After trying on some hats and getting some Clif Bar samples, I made my way through one of the fort’s archways to find the Quad stage, the most tucked away of the three. There I witnessed the ramshackle, antebellum bombast of O’Death. Bearded frontman Greg Jamie sounds like Will Oldham just hitting puberty, which lends itself nicely to the group’s progressive, hardcore bluegrass instrumentation, a sound that rips out shards of its influences (from Bill Monroe to Gogol Bordello), throws them in a burlap sack, and breaks through the seams. When things get mellower, Jamie’s voice smoothes out, but at their noisiest, his howl can also sound like a dying soldier’s. With a drummer that could have just escaped from the gallows, just prior to his scheduled execution for murder, a fiddle player who could pass for Jeffrey Dahmer, a bassist who might have also played in Slayer, and a banjoist who wants his banjo to be an axe, these guys know how to party.

Drummer David Rogers-Berry’s set looks like it was just excavated from the flooding of New Orleans. As he hammers away on the fractured crash cymbals and water-stained toms, a substantial scar running down his left tricep, he hits with such fury and power that at any moment he could splinter his stick and stab one of the other members to death with its remainder. After a few minutes with this band, that wouldn’t even be shocking. I mean, the guy does occasionally point at a crowd member and yell his head off at them. People were virtually moshing in their seats.  Those folding chairs felt like a prison.

Yim Yames
Harbor Stage, 3:25 p.m.

My Morning Jacket is a good band. Jim James is a great frontman. This is why it was such a treat to get the chance to see James’ isolated talents on a small outdoor stage. And he delivered. Not only did he sound great, but he even played some My Morning Jacket songs, and not all bad ones, either. You know how usually when you hope for something out of a solo gig, it usually doesn’t go that way? Well, this was like the opposite of that. This was one of the few examples of a guy doing pretty much exactly what his fans wanted out of him. There were some great acoustic renditions of MMJ songs in there, most of which came from Z (“It Beats 4 You”, “Golden”, “Bermuda Highway”, “What a Wonderful Man” “Gideon”). There were some Evil Urges songs too, but I guess that’s alright. “Smoking From Shooting” is one of the better songs on that mediocre album, and he played that. Then there were some new songs performed with a full band, which included Ben Solee and Daniel Moore. The cello added a new dimension of lushness to both old songs and newer ones, elegantly matching up with James’ full-bodied croon. He’s got the voice of a whiskey soaked angel, and he certainly uses it. Highlights included a solo acoustic “It Beats 4 You”, an obscure cover of John Callahan’s “Summer Never Ends”, and the untameable howl of “Gideon”. Also, yay for digital omnichords! (see “What A Wonderful Man).

Andrew Bird
Fort Stage, 4:30 p.m.

Andrew Bird can either be mind-numbingly boring or extremely exciting to watch. If you’re far away, like most people were at the main stage at Newport, it just kind of all mooshes together. His free-form, all over the place performance style doesn’t necessarily suit a festival where people aren’t all listening intently. I guess that’s kind of a silly way to judge a performance, but it’s true. It requires a great deal of concentration to fully appreciate. He sings every song almost exactly the same, so when you’re not paying too close attention, they all sound that way. But, if you actually look at what is going on, it’s pretty astounding. The live looping always comes together perfectly, with Bird whistling his way to a verse and bowing through a chorus. His Doppler inducing amplifier also makes one of the coolest sounds in live music. It wooshes by, as his baroque moan chants each line. His set included a few songs with the help of Calexico, who I regrettably missed earlier. Their mariachi meets Americana instrumentation was definitely a warm welcome to the otherwise sparse, solo affair. Bird concluded the set with a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Oh, Sister”, potentially his most beautiful set selection. Though even live looped violin and a beautiful voice can get monotonous, it’s pretty hard to deny how well Bird pulls it off and how good it all sounds in the end.

John Prine
Fort Stage, 6:05 p.m.

John Prine has been around for a long time. But, age has been kind to him. He’s still going strong. Despite some health complications over the years, the guy still sings his quirky, yet sentimental country damn-near flawlessly. He’s a modest, often self-deprecating man, with lyrics that can at once induce laughter and tears. There was probably a good deal of both on Saturday. Switching off between solemn, fingerpicked ballads and funny, upbeat strummers, he made sure to defend his legacy. The guy also wasn’t afraid to tell the crowd that most of his songs are all the same three chords. Those three chords sound great, so I guess it doesn’t really matter. With a career-spanning set, that sadly left out the affecting “Sam Stone”, Prine reminded us all how a good song sounds. He also brought up Jim James to perform “All the Best” to cap things off. Well done.

Sunday, August 1st

The Avett Brothers
Fort Stage, 1:50 p.m.

The Avett Brothers have a great deal of energy. They soar through their faster songs, pounding on their guitars and banjos with punk fury. For their lusher, slower tunes, they put on the breaks and coo aptly. Musically speaking, they are great at making pop-folk songs. Still, something about them bugs me. Maybe it has to do with how every song is about the word “love” instead of the actual feeling behind it. While those songs are performed impeccably, even ferociously, I can’t believe the phrases or lines being hurled at me, and that poses a problem. The songs are catchy and hard-hitting, but part of what makes folk music great is its ability to fully understand and convey the truest of human emotions, specifically those of the common folk. While these songs tend to be about those emotions, it’s all surface level. They are only about the emotions. I can say the word love, too, but I’ll you’ll know when I mean it. The same is true for the Avett Brothers. They have the passion for performance, but a lot of the time, they’re all talk.

The Felice Brothers
Harbor Stage, 3:30 p.m.

Where the Brothers Avett lack sincerity, The Felice Brothers are convincing enough for us to believe that they actually do drink lots of whiskey, repeatedly break out of jail, and wield shotguns. They’ve got the Catskill mountain sound down, and Ian’s raspy, Dylanesque howl embodies the spirit of the words he sings. They all shout and sing with an energy that doesn’t feel empty. Greg Farley has the stage presence of a rapper, bouncing around the stage with his fiddle or washboard, like a coked-out maniac. They’re tight enough to wow, and just ramshackle enough to feel authentic. They build up lush, textured tunes, rich with dark Americana instrumentation. And, though the band has probably experienced very little of what they write about, the songs work as metaphors for modern emotion. These are love songs under the guise of Southern Gothic imagery. Mark Twain would be proud, but so would Dylan. With The Felice Brothers as evidence, sometimes it takes a lot of lies to tell the truth.

Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros
Harbor Stage, 4:55 p.m.

I had hoped to get a seat for LA’s Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros by getting to the Harbor Stage early. But, right after The Felice Brothers left the stage, nobody moved an inch. The “fire lanes” were even flooded with human beings. This was easily the largest, most excited crowd of the weekend. Cops had to come in and clear out the aisle, as it was a safety hazard. This even prompted a seemingly unprecedented “NO MORE CHAIRS!” chant. Was I waiting for the second coming? When did the Magnetic Zeros become this popular? There were enough girls shouting that it could have been the Beatles’ hitting Johnny Carson. And while Alexander Ebert does look a lot like Jesus, his dirty face and clothes making him look like a righteous nomad, he is just a normal guy with a ridiculously big band behind him. His troupe is more like a good-intentioned cult.

As they took the stage, they lapsed into the soaring “40 Day Dream”, with Ebert howling “I’ve been sleeping for 40 days!” Apparently he had been sleeping, as he claimed to have missed most of the acts on the bill earlier that day after one of his bandmates commented on some of them. The set was a fun one to witness, the nine-piece band all in ridiculously high spirits. It was impossible not to fall in love with Jade Castrinos, as she bashfully pranced around the microphone, tambourine in hand. Every song was received with open arms, but it was definitely “Home” which got the crowd the most excited. The song was destined to be performed for eager fans, the “you” within the lyrics serving as a token of appreciation for the audience. Though he can’t possibly mean it every time, Ebert really does sound like he’s at home wherever he’s with you.

Levon Helm
Fort Stage, 5:50 p.m.

Levon Helm is one of the most animated old men alive. The thing is, Helm isn’t even that old. He just looks like an animated skeleton. In actuality, he’s only 70 years old. He’s not young, but he’s not as old as his frail body would make him out to be. As he dances on stage, shaking his bum and holding his mandolin out in front of him, he looks like the happiest little old man alive. He still hits his drum set like he always has, despite his thin limbs. It’s a sight to see. Sure, it is a bit upsetting that he can’t really sing anymore. After all, he used to possess one of the finest voices in all of folk. But when he does, it shows the passion he still has for his songs.

Opening with “Ophelia”, Helm tried his hand at some singing, before ultimately lending lead vocal spots to the rest of his band for the remainder of the set. With a fantastic, talented group of musicians, classic Band songs were all played impeccably, but a lot the times you could forget Levon was even up there, since there were so many other players involved. The set, then, kind of turned into a set of Band covers, except one of the members was actually sitting in. Nevertheless, it’s fun to sing a long to the live renditions of such great classics.  It’ll never get tiresome listening to songs like “Long Black Veil”, but it does sound a bit odd having Helm’s daughter sing the song (even if it wasn’t originally written by Helm.  It is from a man’s perspective, after all). Either way, the nostalgic performance was a great way to close out a festival that saw dozens of bands deeply rooted in the music Helm penned over the course of his career.

Photography by Nate Slevin.
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Billed as “Andrew Bird & Ian Schneller’s Sonic Arboretum, a site-specific performance involving violin, looped passages, and a landscape of horn speakers,” this unique event is part of a Guggenheim’s “Dark Sounds” concert series. The world-renowned museum brings three indie acts to the rotunda, allowing fans a chance to see these bands in a very unusual setting. On July 15th Beirut brings their brand of world-folk to the gallery while September 3rd the Cinematic Orchestra turns the hallowed halls into an electro-jazz club.

The Guggenheim event site has the info (via Brooklyn Vegan). The concerts tie in with the museum’s ongoing “Haunted: Contemporary Photography/Video/Performance.” The site writes that “the series takes its thematic cue from the conceptual threads that weave through Haunted, aiming to evoke the exhibition’s elements of melancholy, ghostliness, the uncanny, and our collective and individual obsession with accessing the past.” Umm, yeah, what they said.

In March the museum hosted a similar event with Animal Collective, but from all accounts that was less of a concert than a ‘60s-style “happening.” These shows promise to actually be enjoyable.

Tickets for the Beirut show go on sale to museum members ($25) at noon today and to non-members ($30) on Friday, June 25th at the Guggenheim website. The other shows will go on sale at a later date. Tickets for the Andrew Bird show go on sale June 28th for members / June 29th for non-members and tickets for Cinematic Orchestra go on sale July 13th for members and July 14th for non-members. Do note people can already purchase tickets for all three shows through the Dark Sounds membership package.

Dark Sounds Dates
07/15 – Beirut
08/05 – Andrew Bird and Ian Schneller
09/03 – Cinematic Orchestra

Don’t think these artists emailed in recordings of a few Cho lines either. Every artist cowrote his or her track(s). Yes, that means Ani DiFranco played an active role in creating “Captain Cameltoe”. If you don’t find this vaguely distressing, you should.

Several of these songs have seen the light of day, including “Eat Shit and Die” with Grant Lee Phillips and “My Puss”, which became a music video that’s about as classy as you would expect. Listen to those songs at your own risk and check out the full track list below.

Meanwhile, Cho is expected to appear at Bonnaroo this weekend with The Raconteurs Brendan Benson, where they’ll film a music video for their co-written tune, ” Baby I’m With the Band”.

Cho Dependent Tracklist:
01. Intervention (w/ Tegan & Sara)
02. Calling in Stoned (w/ Ben Lee & Tommy Chong)
03. Your Dick (w/ A.C. Newman and Ben Lee)
04. Baby I’m With The Band (w/ Brendan Benson)
05. Hey Big Dog (w/ Patty Griffin, Ben Lee, and Fiona Apple)
06. I’m Sorry (w/ Andrew Bird)
07. Lice (w/ Ben Lee)
08. Enemies (w/ Jon Brion)
09. Asian Adjacent (w/ Grant Lee Phillips)
10. Gimme Your Seed (w/ Garrison Starr)
11. Eat Shit and Die (w/ Grant Lee Phillips)
12. Captain Cameltoe  (w/ Ani DiFranco)
13. My Puss (w/ Diana Yanez & Kurt Hall)
14. Hidden Track: Lesbian Escalation (w/ Rachael Yamagata)

This year’s version of the Ottawa Bluesfest, set to take place from July 7-18 at Leberton Flats, provides a perfect example of this notion. Arcade Fire, The Flaming Lips, and the recently reunited Gories highlight what is an impressive indie portion of the bill. Also included are Weezer, The The Hold Steady, Passion Pit, Metric, Andrew Bird, Blonde Redhead, The B-52s, Swell Season, The Rural Alberta Advantage, and Bear In Heaven.

On the non-indie side, Furthur, Rush, Carlos Santana, Iron Maiden, Drake, Jimmy Cliff, Joan Jett, Dream Theater, Crowded House, Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi Band, John Hiatt & the Combo, Martin Sexton, Robert Randolph & the Family Band, Roger Hodgson, and The Levon Helm Band are all also set to perform.

You can find a full list of confirmed acts here. Tickets will go on sale starting Friday, April 23rd via capitaltickets.ca.

Contributing Silverstein covers for the collection are My Morning Jacket (which opens and closes the album), Andrew Bird, Dr. Dog, Kris Kristofferson, John Prine, and Lucinda Williams. As if that wasn’t cool enough already, also included is a version of “The Cover of the Rolling Stone” by Pixies members Black Francis and Joey Santiago, as well as a track by The Boxmasters, Billy Bob Thornton’s band.

Let’s double back for a second here — this tribute album has inspired what is basically a new Pixies recording. Can we just reflect on this fact?

Bobby Bare and Bobby Bare Jr., who have both scored hits with songs written by Silverstein, have produced the tribute. Preview the album here and see the full track list below.

Twistable, Turnable Man: A Musical Tribute to the Songs of Shel Silverstein Tracklist:
01. Lullabys, Legends and Lies – My Morning Jacket
02. The Twistable, Turnable Man Returns – Andrew Bird
03. This Guitar is for Sale – John Prine
04. The Unicorn – Dr. Dog
05. The Winner – Kris Kristofferson
06. Queen of the Silver Dollar – Sarah Jarosz w/ Black Prairie
07. Daddy What if – Bobby Bare, Jr. w/ Isabella Bare
08. The Cover of the Rolling Stone – Black Francis w/ Joey Santiago
09. Sylvia’s Mother – The Boxmasters
10. Me and Jimmy Rodgers – Ray Price
11. A Boy Named Sue – Todd Snider
12. The Ballad of Lucy Jordan – Lucinda Williams
13. The Living Legend – Bobby Bare, Sr.
14. The Giving Tree – Nanci Griffith
15. 26 Second Song – My Morning Jacket