that indie sound has bored friends talking about him, shadily changed other people's music and played him, hollered from rooftops about him, and still hasn't had enough. in a way that indie sound is a breathing, living thing because of him. the conception of that indie sound started that day - when the people had grown tired of my obssesion, worn their coats, and gone back to playing their dave matthews, or jay z, in some cases. the rant needed a space even if it was to the depthless bowels of the web. so ta da!
oh and i'm not being patronising. i do still like you dave, after all these years, but i've discovered the internet - and i think i'm in love.
no, he's not 'fresh' and no, he hasn't come up with another album. but that indie sound isn't the site that keeps up with js. tis has deep, deep respect for this man.
The kooky music man - Andrew Bird's music can conjure up places and people in vivid verses. he's actually a poet first, but can also give the kettle a run for its money with the kind of whistling he's capable of. lyrics of his song 'Scythian Empire':
five-day forecast bring black tar rains and hellfire
while handpicked handler's kid gloves tear at the inseams
their Halliburton attaché cases are useless
while Scotch-Guard Macintoshes shall be carbonized
now they're offering views of exiting empires
such breathtaking views of Scythian empires
Scythian empire
horsemen of the Russian steppe
Scythian empire
archers of an afterthought
routed by Sarmatians
thwarted by the Thracians
Scythian empire
kings of Macedonia
and the Scythian empire
lovely innit.
Bird has the ability to combine antiquated sounds and adapt them to a new feel. yes, he does have a bachelor's in violin, and can play the guitar (duh), mandolin, loop pedal, glockenspiel (the xylophone family). he can be jazz, rock, folk, blues, a ballad and anything else he wants to be, where ever he wants to be. but tis loves the fact that he's low-key and a bit nutty, and has a friggin smashing sense of humour. don't we love musicians who can still laugh. now he has one album too many and tis would go a bit mad trying to pick one to write about. so a list of songs instead to fire up that imagination, me lovelies (done with a four-beer-down scot accent)?
in no particular order that indie sound presents:
tenuousness
fake palindromes
a nervous tic motion of the head to the left
plasticities
headsoak
tnt
how indiscreet
sovay
sycthian empire (scroll up)
oh no (album starts with 'oh no' and closes with 'on ho!' the clever bird!)
fitz and dizzyspells (that indie sound's ever-favourite)
a sic of elephants
the trees were mistaken
go ahead and listen listen listen.
albums to look out for:
Andrew Bird and the Mysterious Production of Eggs
Noble Beast
Weather Systems
http://www.andrewbird.net/
dont know if it sounds better on the album or live so here are both the versions.
