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December 2004

Handmade Music for Christmas Eve

Friday, December 24, 2004

Had enough of the souped-up Xmas songs bombarding you in the stores? Host David Garland offers an hour of Christmas music on an intimate scale. For the last few years songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Sufjan Stevens has been using his banjo, piano, guitar, oboes, recorders, his gentle singing voice, and his unusual sensibility to record some traditional and original Christmas music. He's given these recordings to family and friends, and this year they can be heard on Spinning On Air. The familiar Christmas song "I Wonder as I Wander" was written by the wonderful and eccentric folklorist John Jacob Niles, and that song and others will be heard from his 1940 album "Early American Folksongs and Carols." And John Fahey applies his American Primitive Guitar to carols for some rough-hewn beauty.


Songs from Now and Then

Friday, December 17, 2004

Maybe it's just a coincidence, or maybe there's a stylistic cycle in progress. Whatever the reason, there are brand new recordings and recordings from the early 1970's that have a lot in common. Some songwriters both now and then bypass conventions by stretching forms, harmonies, and melodies to create intriguing, expressive music. Some of the current artists included are Noah Georgeson, Panda Bear, The Dirty Projectors, White Magic, and Josephine Foster. From the early '70s we'll hear Robin Williamson, Jack Bruce, Brigitte Fonataine with the Art Ensemble of Chicago, and Tyrannosaurus Rex. Who knows what accounts for this aesthetic alignment, but the music is great!


Donovan

Friday, December 10, 2004

As the composer of such hits as Catch the Wind, Mellow Yellow, Sunshine Superman, Season of the Witch, and Hurdy Gurdy Man, Scottish-born songwriter Donovan was one of the great troubadours of the 1960s. His music helped express and shape the turbulent renaissance of that era by fusing joy, compassion, introspection, and a marvelous gift for melody. Donovan remains a very thoughtful, articulate man, as you can hear when he joins host David Garland for an extensive interview. Donovan's latest album is called "Beat Cafe," and he's become an advocate of artists coming together outside the mainstream to break new artistic and cultural ground, in the tradition of the Beats and Bohemians. This show will include Donovan's old and new recordings, plus some unique in-studio performances of his songs.


Diane Cluck & David Delaware: extraordinary songs

Friday, December 03, 2004

Host David Garland writes: I'm very excited by the songs of my two guests this week. Both Diane Cluck and David Delaware are New York City-based singer-songwriters I hadn't even heard of until two weeks ago, but now they have my highest recommendation. This is very powerful music. Their songs are daring, essential, dramatic, beautifully made, and likely to provoke goosebumps and gasps. Each has developed a personal style and both have extraordinary voices. I'm giving each an hour to perform in the WNYC studio, share some home-made recordings, and chat a little bit about their music. Diane will go first, and then David. Please listen; maybe you'll find their songs as incredible and thrilling as I do.
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