Artist of the Day: Andrew Bird

To say Andrew Bird knows music is an understatement. At four years old, he picked up his first violin in Chicago, Illinois for what would become one of his many Suzuki style music lessons. From then on, he began soaking up classical music completely by ear and spent his teenage years exploring Hungarian Gypsy music, early jazz, country blues, South Indian music and more. After graduating from Northwestern with a bachelors degree in violin performance, he self-released Music of Hair on his own label Bowl of Fire. He went on to spit out a few more respectable albums and this past January his fifth solo effort, Noble Beast was born. The classically-driven folk album has received high praise from the critics for Bird's ability to string together all these different sounds (violin, guitar, glockenspiel, and freakishly good whistling) along with strange, incoherent lyrics to make something quite beautiful and ear pleasing. He's a little bit of Bright Eyes with an indie feel like Sufjan Stevens, never leaving behind his classical roots. It's safe to say that Andrew Bird is the coolest dork in Folk right now, and you should be listening to him. Check out "Oh No" on Bird's myspace.
http://www.myspace.com/andrewbird

Andrew Bird will be playing in Atlanta at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre on June 15. And if your one of the lucky kids going to Lollapalooza in Chicago this August, you're in for a treat as Bird will be gracing his hometown stage. 

Andrew Bird
Who's Who: Andrew Bird ( violin, guitar, glockenspiel, whistling, vocals)
Formed: 1996 in Chicago, Illinois
Label: Fat Possum
Latest Release: Noble Beast (2009)
On the Web: www.andrewbird.net

-Kristen Lee
Currently listening to "Anonanimal" by Andrew Bird

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