PRAISE FOR BRASSLAND

Brassland continues to garner respect for its role in cultivating the "other music" scene in New York. Laura Snapes writes in The Guardian's feature on the label,
"Brassland, the New York record label part-run by two brothers from the National, is a focus for some of the city's most intriguing and creative musicians..."
Read the article here...

ON THE HORIZON

Padma's chamber opera, 2 Moon Smile, is coming along after a sneak preview of arias last October in Sydney. Clogs will be developing the music in residencies and performances later this year, and into next season.

POLKA THE ELK IN NYC

Clogs' members, Rachael Elliott and Thomas Kozumplik, join bassoonist Lynn Hileman and pianist Cynthia Huard on Thursday, October 27th to perform music from Elliott's new CD, Polka the Elk at the Rose Studio at Lincoln Center in New York City. More info: Music Starts From Silence

TWO MOON SMILE IN SYDNEY

On Monday, 22 August, Michael Halliwell (baritone), Sue Newsome (clarinet/bass clarinet), and David Miller (piano) offer the world premiere of three songs from Padma Newsome's new opera-in-progress, 'Two Moon Smile.' The concert takes place at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music on Macquarie Street at 7:30 pm, as part of The Opera Connection series. Padma's pieces include: Song of the Bees, All Skinned Out, and Lavender Air.

> > > The Opera Connection at Sydney Con

THANK YOU, LONDON

...and, Happy Birthday, Mr. Reich. We had a wonderful time last week in England catching up with many friends during the Reverberations Festival. A special thanks to the folks at Barbican for hosting such a spectacular marathon weekend of concerts. We are grateful to the Bergersen String Quartet for their beautiful contributions to our set on Sunday, and to the New London Children's Choir and leader, Amanda Dean. Thanks also to Lisa Kaplan, Nico Muhly, David Cossin and Shara Worden for joining us.

Session 2 (Saturday, 7 May, 14:00) (SOLD OUT)
Session 6 (Sunday, 8 May, 18:00)

> Bryce's interview for the Barbican's Reverberations Festival (on Brassland)

ECSTATIC MUSIC FESTIVAL

Clogs perform on Saturday, March 12th as part of Merkin Hall's Ecstatic Music Festival, a celebration of contemporary music with over 150 composers and performers participating. We will be joined by Shara Worden and the Brooklyn Youth Chorus, led by Dianne Berkun. The program includes two new Ecstatic Music Festival commissions for Clogs and chorus by Padma Newsome and Bryce Dessner, along with music from our 2010 album, The Creatures in the Garden of Lady Walton.

> Shara Worden's interview & performance on Studio 360 with Kurt Anderson (begins ca. 8:50), 1/21/11.

> Great photos at Brooklyn Vegan of Clogs & the Brooklyn Youth Chorus performing at Merkin Hall.

PRAISE FOR THE CREATURES


Writing on the NPR Music blog, John Schaefer cited The Creatures in the Garden of Lady Walton as one of "The 5 Best Genre-Defying Albums of 2010," describing it as "one of the most evocative and appealing records of the year, in any genre."

Laura Snapes of the NME Music Blog
chose The Creatures as one of 2010's Most Underrated Albums: "With the fetid mush of lo-fi slackerism in the air, it was a pleasure to hear a band rejoicing in the sheer limits of sonic intricacy."


Pitchfork's David Raposa describes the opening song, "Cocodrillo," as "a marvel of composition and production" with each voice entering "the cacophony mimicking the sounds of a vibrant jungle. [...] Lady Walton contains the most accomplished and varied music Clogs have recorded to date."

John Kelman's thoughtful review on All About Jazz:
"Words like "ambitious" often suggest bolder, sweeping music, and while a larger cast of characters augmenting Clogs' longstanding line-up does allow for a broader sonic palette, the music still breathes a combination of minimalist concerns, haunting folklore and, in this case, greater use of vocals."

Robert Cooke's 2010 review of "The Creatures" for Drowned in Sound

“They were the hit for me...Great performers, great writing. I’m going to buy their CD when I get home.”
—Terry Riley, to The New York Times after Big Ears

"LAST SONG" VIDEO

Brassland has released a subtle animation of Last Song on Youtube.

Last Song features Matt Berninger and Padma Newsome on vocals. Video by filmmakers/animators/brothers, Benjamin and Stefan Ramirez-Perez.

CD RELEASE PARTY

WNYC'S SOUNDCHECK WITH JOHN SCHAEFER
MONDAY, MAR 22, 2 PM on 93.9 FM

Visit the link (below) to stream or podcast the show

THE BELL HOUSE, BROOKLYN, NY
WEDNESDAY, MAR 24, 8 PM
with Òlöf Arnalds & Julianna Barwick

2010 BIG EARS FESTIVAL, KNOXVILLE, TN
SATURDAY, MAR 27, 4 PM, BIJOU THEATER
with Shara Worden, Matt Berninger, Aaron Dessner & Sufjan Stevens

This year's festival includes Terry Riley, The National (with My Brightest Diamond), Bang on a Can, and many others. Complete program here.

ANNOUNCING THE RELEASE OF OUR FIFTH ALBUM:
THE CREATURES IN THE GARDEN OF LADY WALTON

After four mainly instrumental releases, The Creatures is our first record devoted to the art of song. The vocalists include Padma Newsome, Shara Worden (My Brightest Diamond), Matt Berninger (The National) & Sufjan Stevens, together with a host of guest instrumentalists, including Aaron Dessner (The National) and Osso String Quartet.

The song-cycle was composed by Padma during his 2005 residency at Giardini La Mortella, sponsored by the Fromm Foundation. The Garden is a rich botanical paradise created by Lady Walton (the widow of the late British composer Sir William Walton) on the island of Ischia in Italy's Bay of Naples. Clogs was saddened to learn of Lady Walton's death in 2010, shortly after the release of Creatures.

Brassland has put together a great set of offers for our fans, including several 'package deals.' Visit the Brassland Store for details.

More on the making of Veil Waltz and The Creatures in the Garden of Lady Walton on Stereogum.

CLOGS AT THE SOUTHERN THEATER, MINNEAPOLIS, MN

Thanks to Kate, Lindsay, Phillip, Austin, and all the folks at The Southern Theater and the Weisman Art Museum in Minneapolis for a great weekend! Lovely photos from the concert by Jon Behm are available on Reviler; here's a sample:

Left to right: Rachael Elliott, Bryce Dessner, Shara Worden,
Lorne Watson, Padma Newsome, Thomas Kozumplik

VEIL WALTZ (EP)
THE CREATURES IN THE GARDEN OF LADY WALTON

Veil Waltz released January 26, 2010
Veil Waltz includes music composed for two recent film soundtracks: Turn the River (2008), directed by Chris Eigeman and starring the striking Famke Janssen; and Colony (2009), directed by Carter Gunn and Ross McDonnell. Both films feature original music by Padma Newsome & Bryce Dessner, performed by Clogs.
Album artwork by Danish design team, Hvass&Hannibal.

For updates on this and other releases, please visit Brassland.

> Visit Clogs' News Archive (2004-2009)