About a month ago I raked in a revolutionary wonderful new music find, significantly adding to my faux-hipster enlightenment. It was released when I was at the ripe age of three and a half unbeknownst to me, but now at 17 the music is something that I feel has been with me for the whole of my life.
Andrew Bird — most widely known for his work in Squirrel Nut Zippers — is a wonderful musician who has “been around the block” musically for the past 38 years, participating in 3 varied musical acts in his time. His wavelengths that are currently encompassing my ears, stem from that of his first project, “Andrew Bird’s Bowl Of Fire.”
Their first CD, “Thrills,” came out in 1998. The pre-war jazz and traditional folk sound is an absolute delight to listen to, and ultimately, a treat. Verbose lyrics and Bird’s powerfully smooth voice (similar to that of Zachary Condon), mixed in with his lively violin arrangements makes for a musical experience that lends to an uncontrollable urge to have a good time and dance away your blues.
Over fall break alone, I listened to the CD more than 15 times on repeat, the music wafting through the air as I did housework. Cleaning and dancing go together like butter on toast. The best part was that Andrew Bird’s Bowl Of Fire appealed to my family as well, so I could play the tunes as loud as my little heart desired.
The full sound of the music is hard to find in today’s day and age (it doesn’t even exist on iTunes, an atrocity, I know), but decent acoustic covers of the songs can be enjoyed from sources such as YouTube, due to the fact that Andrew Bird changes the sound of his music from album to album. His inconsistency makes for a wider array of listeners to appeal to, but likewise when he performs older songs, they tend to be converted to whatever musical style that he is currently pursuing.
If you fancy yourself ready for such charming music, feel free to email me at [email protected] and maybe we can work something out. #winkwink My favorite tracks on the album are “Glass Figurine” and “Minor Stab.” Questions, comments, and concerns are also welcome as always.
