Birds to Perform New Guitar Numbers

No, that's not a typo and this is nothing to do with the classic 60s rock band. London gallery and performing arts centre the Barbican is hosting a new work by French "composer" Celeste Boursier-Mougenot in which dozens of zebra finches create improvised compositions by landing and perching on strategically placed electric guitars. Titled the Curve, Boursier-Mougenot's latest installation takes the form of a walk-through aviary, hence the finches' reaction to the visitors becomes itself part of the exhibit. In an interview with the BBC, the composer hinted that his next work will probably involve shoals of goldfish in a tank, and will most likely not be a walk-through (Barbican Centre).

More Theremin

Lady Gaga is the Antichrist

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Concerto for Beatboxer and Orchestra

This Friday sees the world premier of a new classical composition by popular modern composer Anna Meredith. However this is a score with a difference as Anna, in collaboration with top British beatboxer Schlomo (it's his real name), has incorporated 5 of the performance artists into her latest piece, Concerto for Beatboxer and Orchestra, playing at London Southbank Centre. The first problem facing the odd-couple duo was how exactly to score a beatbox performance as the vocal styling had grown from its hip-hop roots entirely by 'word of mouth' and has no formal notation. Undeterred Meredith and Schlomo have spent a year constructing their own, which they hope will gain wider adoption when the entire score of the new work is made available online for free following the first performance (FT).

The Southbank Centre has put up a 'teaser trailer' for the new work


And Schlomo's beatbox talents can be checked out courtesy of the BBC's Jules Holland Show.

Eurovision 1965

Time to make fun of the Eurovision contest again. Here's the winner from 1965.

All-Girl Bands of WWII

Remember our post on the all-female marimba orchestra? Well, I started doing a little research and discovered that during WWII, thanks to the man-shortage, all-female Big Bands flourished. You can read the fascinating story in Tonya Bolden's recent book, pictured to the right. It comes complete with a swinging CD. But to whet your appetite for these pulchritudinous anomalies, check out the clip above.

Bodyspasm

Ah, those wacky Dutch rockers.... More Bodyspasm here.

Follies of the Mad Men #87

Musical gorilla = humorous.

Relevance of musical gorilla to candy bars: uncertain.

Door-to-Door Maniac

Reefer Man

All original content in posts is Copyright © 2008 by the author of the post, either Alex Boese ("Alex"), Paul Di Filippo ("Paul"), or Chuck Shepherd ("Chuck"). All rights reserved. The banner illustration at the top of this page is Copyright © 2008 by Rick Altergott.