October 12, 2009 - Not everyone can write and record a song in two days, but that's the Project Song challenge faced by Chris Walla (of Death Cab For Cutie) and J. Robbins (of Jawbox and Burning Airlines). What made this project especially difficult was that the two had never even met before they stepped into NPR's performance studio.
But it didn't take long for Robbins to pick up his bass guitar, for Walla to pick up a guitar, and for the two to begin their musical friendship.
I supplied some inspiration for their song: photo collages created by artist Tom Chambers. They chose a photograph of a house in a canyon filled with water, tilted and flooded. Not far from the house is a dog on a boat, floating either toward or away from the house. I also supplied a series of words. They selected the word "cerebral" and promised when they wrote the song not to be too cerebral about it.
Chris Walla and J. Robbins were joined by Robbins' friend, drummer Darren Zentec. The song they created, "Mercury," takes its subject matter from that photograph, which is a bit of a cataclysmic scenario turned into a song about the climate crisis.
And a great song it is. You can hear the music and watch a video documenting the creative process as it unfolds.Chris Walla And J. Robbins Create 'Mercury'
October 12, 2009 - Not everyone can... more
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The Daily Fix is the first music blog on TV airing on Current TV. The 2-minute daily music news show delivers cutting edge music news and insightful opinion in compelling short doses, utilizing MP3's and user-generated video from all over the web. Hosted by Douglas Caballero, the show airs daily at 9:31am, 1:31pm, 5:31pm, 8:31pm, 12:31am, 4:31am Eastern Time and can be found online at current.com/dailyfix.Straight from the chaos in Denver, The Daily Fix catches up with Chris Walla of Death... more
"Open Windows" is a Current TV exclusive documentary looking at the recording of Death Cab for Cutie's new album "Narrow Stairs," the final days at home in Seattle for the band before they embark on their 2008 tour, and their first shows playing the new songs in front of fans for the first time ever. Featuring interviews and live performance. Shot by Justin Mitchell and Directed by Alex Simmons."Open Windows" is a Current TV exclusive documentary looking at the recording of Death... more
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