Tag: npr music

Anna Von Hausswolff Plays An Epic Pipe Organ In New York

There’s no denying there’s a spiritual quality to the music of Anna von Hausswolff. Much of this can be attributed to the fact that the Swedish singer and musician plays the pipe organ, an instrument that fills cavernous church sanctuaries and holy spaces with rich layers of sound. But it’s also her songs on this year’s superb record Ceremony, that take on an otherworldly transcendence mixing moody orchestrations with engrossing, almost poppy melodies.

So when Soundcheck had the opportunity to film von Hausswolff in New York City, as a co-production with NPR Music’s Field Recordings series it was only natural to seek out a pipe organ in a church that could accommodate. Filmed and recorded inside the spacious and regal Christ Church — a United Methodist church on Park Avenue — von Hausswolff’s rendition of “Funeral For My Future Children” is outright stunning.

Amidst the ornate decorations and glowing candles, the stained glass windows, and simply the sound of the of organ as it swelled and enveloped the entire room, von Hausswolff’s performance showcased the nuanced beauty of her voice and the epic power of the instrument.

Wilco (The Tiny Desk Concert)

Back in late September, we all gathered on a Saturday at the NPR Music offices for a special Tiny Desk Concert with Wilco. One of the best we’ve had, and certainly my favorite I’ve seen and played a part in. I had the pleasure of filming and editing the video along with some great NPR multimedia producers. The result is a pretty stunning and intimate video from one of my all-time favorite bands. 

Photo Gallery: Lost In The Trees @ Black Cat Backstage

I caught one of my favorite new bands of 2010 at South By Southwest on the first night: Lost In The Trees. If you knew about the horrifying childhood that inspired the works, you’d be incredibly surprised how joyful and celebratory the music actually is. And when you catch the band on stage, the humility, and endearing charm of front man Ari Picker is so big and genuine, you cannot help but fall in love with this band.

I decided to catch them again back here in D.C. Monday night at the Black Cat’s Backstage, where a full crowd of people were all captivated. NPR Music was there to webcast the show, so be sure to take a listen. (Also be sure to check out our Tiny Desk Concert with them from last year).

But in the meantime, here are a few shots I managed to take.

Reblogging: NPR Links Update

Been awhile since I’ve dumped some links. This time I seem to have a whole boatload…So let’s get to it then.

All the Links after the jump…

Best Song I’ve Heard All Day — ‘This Is War’

(part 929 in a 1001 part series)

One of my favorite new music discoveries this year has been the duo Houses, who’s album All Night was one of my most heavily played albums from about October on. As I said in my recent Song of the Day write up, their minimalist electronic music is dark, hazy and yet completely blissful and emotionally cathartic.

So I was happy to find — albeit belatedly — that they recently released a new song, “This Is War,” on the site Alternative Apparel. This one eschews the electronics and samples for a dirgey piano, washed out guitar lines and haunting vocals that build to climactic peak that recalls The Antlers, The National or Deerhunter. Apparently a holiday song, here’s what Houses’ member Dexter Tortoriello writes about the music:

Holiday songs are often about snow, gifts or family – all of which are happy and nice – but when you stop and think about it, most holidays are based around very serious events. Christmas is, at its core, a recognition of the birth of one of the most famous and controversial figures in history. His birth and life are a truly incredible story in themselves, regardless of your personal beliefs. The song is about that very first Christmas day. It’s a haunting yet beautiful melody; we chose not to use the electronics that we’re known for on this song and opted instead for a more traditional composition. It seemed fitting.

Needless to say, it’s great. Check out the video below:

Houses Gift to Alternative Apparel from Houses on Vimeo.

Reblogging: More NPR Music Links

Another update of links.

In addition to all the videos I produce for NPR Music’s Tiny Desk Concert series, I have recently taken over as a producer on NPR Music’s Latin alternative show Alt.Latino. The most recent show from last week was dedicated to the diverse sounds of Chile.

— Alt.Latino: All About Chile

You can also listen here:

And for past shows I’ve produced check out:

Alt.Latino: Old-School Disco And Brand-New Styles
Alt.Latino: Rock Innovators To Hear Now
New Music For Fall From Alt.Latino

More NPR Music links after the jump.
Continue reading Reblogging: More NPR Music Links

Reblogging: Another NPR Link Update

It’s been awhile since I had my last link dump of articles and videos and projects posted over at NPR Music and NPR.org. So here goes.

Reviews and Blog Posts:

— First Listen: Superchunk, ‘Majesty Shredding’

— First Listen: Blonde Redhead, ‘Penny Sparkle’

— First Listen: Jesca Hoop, ‘Hunting My Dress’

— All Songs Considered blog: How ‘Scott Pilgrim’ Rocks Out On Both Page And Screen

— Song of the Day: Lower Dens: A Blissful Swarm Of Feedback

Video work:

— Ana Tijoux: Tiny Desk Concert (filmed and edited)

— Brian Courtney Wilson: Tiny Desk Concert (filmed and edited)

— Lawrence Arabia: Tiny Desk Concert (filmed)

— Peter Wolf Crier: Tiny Desk Concert (edited)

— Frazey Ford: Tiny Desk Concert (filmed)

— Mavis Staples: Tiny Desk Concert (filmed)

— The Holmes Brothers: Tiny Desk Concert (edited)

— Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer, Zakir Hussain: Tiny Desk Concert (filmed)

— Villagers: Tiny Desk Concert (filmed and edited)

Oh yeah, and be sure to check out the new podcast I’m producing alongside NPR’s arts and entertainment blog Monkey See. It’s called Pop Culture Happy Hour and features Linda Holmes, Trey Graham, Stephen Thompson and Glen Weldon discussing all things television, movies, comics, books.

Here’s the most recent one:

— Pop Culture Happy Hour: Emmys, ‘Runway,’ And General Misanthropy