Daníel Bjarnason & Sam Amidon have new albums & shows, both opening for Efterklang (because Balmorhea cancelled)
by Andrew Frisicano
DOWNLOAD: Daníel Bjarnason - Bow to String I. "Sorrow Conquers Happiness" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Efterklang - Modern Drift (MP3)
Daníel Bjarnason...
Tonight's Efterklang's show at (Le) Poisson Rouge (3/3) has been merged with the club's earlier show, which adds Icelandic composer Daníel Bjarnason and the banjo playing Sam Amidon to the bill. Tickets are on sale.
Part of the reason for the new lineup is the fact that Balmorhea, who was to open Efterklang's entire tour had to cancel due to a family emergency. As a result the band's tour schedule had been updated with new openers, posted below. Efterklang will also be touring without violin+ player Peter Broderick, who has to tend to "a knee surgery that isn´t healing properly." Best of luck to both of them.
All three of the bands playing have records that just came out, or are coming out shortly. Efterklang's Magic Chairs came out February 23rd. "Modern Drift" from it is posted above.
Bjarnason's debut album, Processions, came out on the Bedroom Community label on March 2nd. "Sorrow Conquers Happiness," the full-throttle first part of his Bow to String concerto, which opens the record, is posted above. Its multi-track cellos evoke a range of sounds from clanging chains and machine gun taps to spiraling riffs and even a bit of tender melody.
At age 30, Daníel Bjarnason is already a veteran of Iceland's music scene, and his compositions have received international acclaim in recent years. As co-founder and chief conductor of the Isafold Chamber Orchestra, he's recorded two discs of modern classical music on the 12 Tónar label....He has lent his talents to artists on the other side of the alleged classical/rock divide--Ólöf Arnalds, Pétur Ben, Hjaltalín, and, most famously, Sigur Rós, collaborating with that band at its Abbey Road sessions with the London Sinfonietta--before creating Processions with producer and Bedroom Community co-founder Valgeir Sigurðsson.
He'll be joined at the show by cellist Sæunn Thorsteinsdottir, pianist Vicky Chow, and others.
Sam Amidon's new record, I See the Sign, comes out on Bedroom Community on April 20th. Among the guests on the album is Beth Orton, who Amidon opened for in January. He plays a record release show at 92YTribeca on April 10th with Thomas Bartlett (Doveman). Tickets are on sale.
Its amazing lead single, "How Come That Blood," is available here. Sam was recently featured on the World Cafe, which you can stream online.
Sam Amidon will be part of the Whale Watching Tour, which'll pair him with Bedroom Community labelmates Ben Frost (who plays at Big Ears with Tim Hecker), Nico Muhly (who plays with Doveman at the Kitchen March 18th and 19th), Valgeir Sigurðsson, and a band of musicians across Europe this April and May. Tour dates for that and more are below...
Efterklang - 2010 Tour Dates
02.03 - Philadelphia, PA / First Unitarian Church supp: F. Teige and H. Broderick
03.03 - New York, NY / Le Poisson Rouge w. Sam Amidon & D. Bjarnason
04.03 - Boston, MA / TT The Bears supp: Magic Magic
05.03 - Montreal, Canada / La Sala Rosa supp: Burls
06.03 - Toronto, Canada / El Mocambo supp: Snow Blink
07.03 - Detroit MI / The Pike Room supp: Sunlight Ascending
08.03 - Chicago, IL / Lincoln Hall supp: Volcano!
11.03 - Seattle, WA / The Triple Door supp: Pan Pan
12.03 - Vancouver, BC, Canada / Biltmore supp: Apollo Ghosts
13.03 - Portland, OR / Doug Fir supp: Helios & Dragging an Ox
15.03 - San Francisco, CA / Bottom Of The Hill supp: Tartufi
16.03 - Los Angeles, CA / Spaceland / supp: Sisu
18.03 - Austin, TX / SXSW / 4AD & Bella Union showcase @ Buffalo Billiards / w. Midlake / 12AM
19.03 - Austin, TX / SXSW / Danish Day Party S The Music Gym/ 2PM
19.03 - Austin, TX / SXSW / End of an Ear In-store / 5PM
20.03 - Austin, TX / SXSW / more info
Sam Amidon - 2010 Tour Dates
Mar 03 Le Poisson Rouge - Daniel Bjarnason & Sam Amidon New York, New York
Mar 27 Big Ears Festival - 802 Tour (Sam, Nico Muhly, & Doveman) Knoxville, Tennessee
Apr 10 92YTribeca - Sam Amidon Album Release! w/Thomas Bartlett New York, New York
Apr 15 Southern Theater - Sam Amidon & Nico Muhly Minneapolis, Minnesota
Apr 19 Vooriut - Gent
Apr 20 The Barbican - London, London and South East
Apr 21 National Concert Hall - Dublin, Dublin
Apr 24 Arnolfini - Bristol, Southwest
Apr 25 Reading Concert Hall - Reading, South
May 09 Theatre House 'Juras Varti' - Ventspils
May 16 The National Theatre (Þjóðleikhúsið) - Reykjavík
Whale Watching Tour - 2010 Tour Dates
Apr 19 Vooriut Gent
Apr 20 The Barbican London, London and South East
Apr 21 National Concert Hall Dublin, Dublin
Apr 24 Arnolfini Bristol, Southwest
Apr 25 Reading Concert Hall Reading, South
May 04 Sala Espace Torino
May 05 Salzhaus Winterthur, Zurich
May 06 Minoritenkirche Donau Festival Krems
May 08 Uppsala Konzert & Kongress Uppsala
May 09 Theatre House 'Juras Varti' Ventspils
May 16 The National Theatre (Þjóðleikhúsið) Reykjavík