Archive for the Artists Category
 Seriously, this guy is amazing! Andrew Bird is an accomplished violinist who is able to add that instrument along with some very impressive whistling to create a sound all his own. This is music that is hard to classify, there just aren’t that many artists out there that are doing what Bird is doing and it might be easier to list instruments that he can’t play instead of those that he can. His music can rock, it can make you cry, it can be fun, and at times, it can be ethereal; it’s just takes you somewhere else.
One thing that Bird and I have in common is that we both learned to play the violin by the Suzuki method which directly leads to one of our major differences, he is amazing on the violin and I gave up before I was 7!
It’s been a long road but Andrew Bird has worked himself into the Indie spotlight with albums like Andrew Bird & the Mysterious Production of Eggs and his latest release Armchair Apocrypha. Favorite tracks include “Sovay,” “Skin, Is My” and “Fake Palindromes” but to be honest, you really can’t go wrong with Mr. Bird.
Download “Heretics” from Armchair Apocrypha.
If you like Andrew Bird try: Sufjan Stevens, Jose Gonzalez, Tobias Froberg
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Kalai (Kaniela Ka lei Ali’i ‘O’Kalani Kala’i) was born in Hawaii, but raised primarily in Alaska. His musical styles include blues, folk rock, and acoustic. His fans usually also like Ben Harper, G. Love, Israel, Damien Rice, and he is much better than that annoying Jack Johnson. Give your ears the soothing sounds of “On My Mind” (available on his Myspace page). You can’t forget a crowd favorite, “Fear Not the Wild Things,” which combined with the music from the rest of his albums will convince you as it has me, that Kalai brings a new standard to the singer/songwriter category of Indie music. He has a super smooth and controlled voice, and is almost surgical with his clean and crisp guitar playing.
Nicknamed “The Hand” because of an enormous hemangioma that grew on his hand as a child, he has had to learn to live with constant pain in the affected area’s of his hand which he usually keeps wrapped and medicated. His sound is a mix of the areas and cultures which have influenced him through his life; the laid-back sounds of the Polynesian culture as well as the blues and folk styles of the mainland. One thing common in Blues music that Kalai is an expert at is ad-libbed, on-site song writing. Just as a he makes a joke or tells a story, he can immediately flow that story or joke into a completely original song.
On stage and in person, he is one of the funniest musicians you may ever meet, aside from Stephen Lynch of course. His humor and vocal tones when he is making jokes and teasing, have a strange but welcome familiarity, just like that of the late Mitch Hedberg. Even in the middle of a live performance, he once took a short time to make fun of me as I had to leave to take a phone call from a friend who was meeting me at the concert. By short time I mean 15 minutes, and by make fun of me I mean thoroughly embarrass.
If you are a big fan, leave a comment with your favorite songs and why you like Kalai.
Label type: Indie
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 Imogen Heap, the talented and dynamic ex-Frou Frou front woman takes the lead as a soloist continuing with her strong independent sounds and emotion evoking lyrics. Regardless of what style of music you come from, you are sure to enjoy listening to “Hide and Seek” as well as the rest of the tracks on her recent album Speak for Yourself. It’s a well-rounded, powerful album that you not only need to hear but are sure to love after you do.
On stage there really isn’t an explanation that will do her justice. Mixing and looping her own sounds and creations live, she provides a unique expression of multiple instruments controlled over a MIDI keyboard and laptop while singing at the same time. She is self-taught in sequencing, music engineering, and sampling. On musical instruments, she is proficient in playing piano (her first instrument), as well as the cello, clarinet, guitar, drums, and the unique Array Mbira.
Imogen is an accomplished singer/songwriter and producer who has worked with people from Josh Groban (ah hem, no comment), Britney Spears (we might just forgive her this one time for that), Jeff Beck, Sean Lennon, Blue October, and even Acacia. She has been burned a few times and doesn’t trust big music labels, rightly so, but has recently sided with BMG after working explicitly with Almo and Megaphone.
As far as genres are concerned, good luck really hitting the nail on the head, but as far as an attempt we could put her in the following: Electronic, Alternative, Indie Rock, and Ambient.
Label Type: Indie
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