#3629: Chamber Pop/Art Songs

For this New Sounds, listen to orchestral and chamber music songs that don’t fit comfortably into the “indie” rock world, like music from My Brightest Diamond, Kaizers Orchestra, or Beirut.

From My Brightest Diamond (Shara Nova)'s record, “This is My Hand,” hear "Resonance," a percussively driven experimental pop tune featuring the Detroit Party Marching Band, well-chosen synths, and explosions of soaring operatic grandeur. Then hear music from the London-based band These New Puritans, which might be described as a classical score goes to a hard jazz set between a rock place. Also, sample music from the Norwegian group, Kaizers Orchestra, from a 3-part record, “Violeta, Violeta”, released over a two-year period. Co-founded by Janove Ottesen, this gypsy-rock/Balkan brass outfit was one of the first non black-metal Norwegian bands to sing in their native language and become popular beyond Scandinavia, who then broke up in 2013.

There’s music from Swedish singer Thomas Feiner and the Anywhen, over the brooding strings of the Warsaw Radio Symphony Orchestra. Feiner’s low register feels like a whispered prayer from a goth cowboy on the Scott Walker-like ballad “Dinah and the Beautiful Blue.” Plus, hear music from bassist/composer Jherek Bischoff from his record, “Composed” - featuring a full orchestra made up of individual players, manipulated in the studio, and more.

PROGRAM #3629 Chamber Pop/Art Songs (First aired on 8/18/2014)