Mike Katzif
-
Bowerbirds' handcrafted songs creak and swell like wooden floorboards in an old house. With acoustic guitar, accordion and violin. Hear the group perform their captivating Tiny Desk concert.
-
When it comes to odd time signatures, classics like "Take Five" and the theme to Mission Impossible are excellent places to start. But a small bit of digging turns up many other fantastic, and often lesser known works. Here are a five more songs that successfully employ the 5/4 time signature with great diversity and show how playing in 5 can be used in a variety of approaches and styles.
-
With this live version of "Wonderwall," Mehldau reduces Oasis' most famous song to a post-bop stride-piano exercise.
-
With a frenzied organ groove, the song repeatedly stops and starts on a dime, like a dance-crazy game of musical chairs. It's from an album of music for kids, but adults should appreciate it, too.
-
Bill Frisell's guitar sits front and center, teasing out references to gritty desert rock, and slinky upstroke strums of dub and reggae. Inventive studio tricks add languid, ethereal atmosphere.
-
Employing the help of producer John McEntire, Thomas D'Arcy's showcases his skill for merging captivating hooks with pensive self-awareness.
-
Hoop crafts an eclectic concoction of troubadour folk, summery California pop and Broadway balladry. At times, the music can be introspectively nuanced, at others powerful and cinematic.
-
Featuring stylized '60s chamber-pop instrumentation, The Brunettes' glossy production and entangled vocal harmonies make "Her Hairagami Set" sound rich and fully developed.
-
Dirty Projectors' songs mix controlled cacophony and catchy melody. Those extremes dominate the band's new Rise Above, on which it attempts to reconstruct and remake Black Flag's 1981 album Damaged.
-
Since the mid-'90s, Imperial Teen has been known for its blend of garage-rock, new-wave and shimmering pop-punk. "Do It Better" follows that formula to perfection.