Spinning On Air Archive
April 2005
Antony and the Johnsons
Friday, April 29, 2005
Antony and the Johnsons join host David Garland to perform and present their music in the WNYC studio. Antony is noted for the passion, beauty and intensity of his voice, and Laurie Anderson describes Antony's singing as "the most exquisite thing that you will hear in your life." Antony began performing in the '90s during late-night punk-drag-cabaret shows at the Pyramid Club, and his new album, "I Am a Bird Now," is beginning to grab a wide audience, with its provocative blend of romantic music, intense passion, and lyrics that explore aspects of personal and gender identity. Antony will sing and play his songs with the Johnsons (cellist Julia Kent and guitarist Kevin Barker), and we'll hear from the new album. After his in-studio performances, Antony serves as guest DJ, sharing some of his all-time favorite recordings of gospel, '80s pop, belly dance music, and more.
» View slideshow of Antony and the Johnsons on Spinning on Air
Rokia Traoré
Friday, April 22, 2005
English folksinger Vashti Bunyan's first release in 35 years is a recording made with New York's bold, inventive Animal Collective. Hear how they combine, and then compare the surprisingly similar voices of '50s jazz singer Beverly Kenney with the young Norwegian singer Hanne Hukkelberg. Then meet Rokia Traoré, a young singer/songwriter from the African country of Mali. She works with the traditional styles and acoustic musical instruments of her home, but she's not a traditional performer. Her music is innovative, and makes compelling personal statements about her passions and insights. Rokia joins host David Garland for an illuminating conversation about her music, and to perform a few songs accompanying herself on guitar. We'll also hear selections from her new CD "Bowmboi," recorded with full ensemble, and even, on two songs, the Kronos String Quartet.
Angels of Light & Akron/Family
Friday, April 15, 2005
Michael Gira of The Angels of Light, and members of the band Akron/Family join host David Garland to present their new albums. Gira is a veteran of his 1980s loud, dark, harrowing band Swans, and has recently been recording equally intense but acoustically played songs as The Angels of Light. For the new album "The Angels of Light Play 'Other People,'" Gira enlisted as his backing musicians Akron/Family, a young ensemble whose own self-titled album is new on Gira's Young God Records label. Both albums are richly imaginative explorations of the possibilities of song. Akron/Family encompass psychedelia, home-spun harmonies, simple acoustic guitars, and elaborate soundscapes to create music that's introspective and mind-blowingly expansive all at once. In their work with Gira, Akron bring new depth to The Angels of Light. With the artists on hand to comment and elucidate, listen to these albums which are sure to become influential.
Dirty Projectors
Friday, April 08, 2005
Dave Longstreth is one of those rare composers who has created his own musical world, with its own unusual laws of musical physics. Passionate songs that seem on the verge of falling apart suddenly turn on a dime; melodies that seem improvised are repeated exactly by the ensemble; the musical vocabularies of jazz, classical, rock and folk mutate into something excitingly alien. Longstreth brings his band Dirty Projectors (Longstreth singing and playing guitar, two female singers, cello, and double bass) into the WNYC studio for a live set, and for conversation with host David Garland. Highlights from Dirty Projectors' new CD, "The Getty Address," are also heard. It's a concept album that links the Eagles' frontman Don Henley with the ancient Aztecs...
» View slideshow of Dirty Projectors on Spinning on Air
Hawaiian War Chant Extravaganza
Friday, April 01, 2005
In honor of the impish spirit of April Fool's Day, and in response to popular demand, host David Garland once again presents his most notorious project: two hours of renditions of one song, the danceable ditty The Hawaiian War Chant.
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David Garland, host of WNYC's Evening Music and Spinning on Air, is also a composer and a performer. He has performed his music extensively in the U.S. and Europe and several of his recordings and downloads are available on his Web site, DavidGarland.com.
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