Try Alpha Danielson?

December 11, 2005 1:27 PM

I really like the Danielson Famile. Any suggestions of other artists that would appeal to me?

I can anticipate some of the responses, like Sufjan Stevens and Joanna Newsom, but hopefully some MeFites out there have recommendations to hidden treasures. Also, I know the Famile is "Christian music" but that is not particular what attracts me to them.

posted by Falconetti to media & arts (28 comments total)

I love them, too!
What is it that attracts you to them, then? Some hints would be helpful, especially for a band as weird as the Danielson Famile.

Oh, and my first recommendation is Deerhoof, if you haven't heard 'em already. They're sort of ... of a piece with the DF. I believe they've toured together, even.
posted by Dr. Wu at 1:29 PM on December 11, 2005

I have a hard time explaining why I like them so much. I would say I like the skronky, loud-soft dynamic, the juxtaposition of the creaking falsetto and the other vocals, and the whole ramshackle, yet melodic feel to it. They are just always surprisingly fun to listen to. I also like their lyrics, which are religious, but not overtly.

I have one Deerhoof album and that is definately something I would consider to be of the same "type." Thanks!
posted by Falconetti at 1:59 PM on December 11, 2005

I downloaded the new White Stripes album a few weeks ago, and when it comes on random, I always think that they sound a lot a like. The reason I like Danielson is the unique sound, and depth and layers of sound they include. I'm anticipating the answers as well.
posted by TuxHeDoh at 2:43 PM on December 11, 2005

I don't have a specific suggestion, but one way that I've found lots of new music based on what I like is liveplasma.
posted by JPigford at 2:51 PM on December 11, 2005

Tullycraft?
The Causey Way? Soul Junk? Built to Spill (circa NothingWrongWithLove)? Half-handed cloud? Early Bright Eyes {fevers&mirrors}, Enon? Russian Futurists?
posted by shoepal at 2:57 PM on December 11, 2005

Maybe because I learned about them at around the same time, and because their names are similar, I always link The Handsome Family and the Danielson Famile. But I do think they have a shared sensibility, of sorts.

Weird-ass old-time folk/bluegrass - such as Dock Boggs, Charlie Poole, Clarence Ashley, and especially Bascom Lamar Lunsford -- are similar to the DF in that they are sometimes explicitly Christian, and are usually deeply strange. DF has deep roots in music of the so-called Americana genre. (I can't recommend Boggs or Lunsford enough.)

On the other end of the spectrum, the gloriously insane (but super- super-tight) band Melt Banana goes off on some of the same weirdo musical tangents as DF.

Shonen Knife, The Frogs, and Ween are examples of bands who I believe carry out their own unique and unusual worldviews (for lack of a better word) in a most thorough way, just as the DF do.

And, of course, you must have every Captain Beefheart album. Probably the single biggest influence on the Danielson Famile. Mind-blowingly great stuff.
posted by Dr. Wu at 2:58 PM on December 11, 2005

daniel johnston
if you don't know daniel johnston already, give him a shot. he's an interesting man, even if you can't stand his music.
half-handed cloud
the album of theirs that I know is Thy Is A Word, and Feet Need Lamps, which is a collection of jumpy, spazzy, crazy songs that give some vivid illumination to bible stories.
posted by carsonb at 2:59 PM on December 11, 2005

this is a long shot, but perhaps you'd like Clinic (do these guys not have an official site?). you might also like Brian Eno's first three albums.
posted by mcsweetie at 3:01 PM on December 11, 2005

I utterly second carsonb's and mcsweetie's suggestions, as well, and would like to throw Kool Keith into the mix, just for the hell of it and because I think he's awesome and weird and weirdly awesome.
posted by Dr. Wu at 3:07 PM on December 11, 2005

This might be totally off since I haven't heard that much from the Famile, but along the Sufjan Stevens quirky-pop line, I'd throw out Little Wings.
posted by youcancallmeal at 3:07 PM on December 11, 2005

Make Up? The Liars The Books? Microphones? (also second: Ween, Daniel Johnston)

You could also try Pandora
posted by shoepal at 3:07 PM on December 11, 2005

They are my favorite!

I would second the recommendations for Daniel Johnston, and I would HIGHLY recommend Old Time Relijun (especially their album Witchcraft Rebellion), Music Tapes (an Elephant 6 project, their album "First Imaginary Symphony for Nomad" got one of the worst Pitchfork reviews ever, but I like it a lot), as well as a SF band called Caroliner (they actually play as Caroliner Rainbow as well and Caroliner < insert other words here>, and their stuff is only on vinyl and often hard-to-find).
posted by unknowncommand at 3:14 PM on December 11, 2005

Forgot to mention Bassholes, whose Blue Roots (reissued on Revenant) is simply a necessity. Quite similar in many ways to Danielson Famile.
posted by Dr. Wu at 3:24 PM on December 11, 2005

Also maybe Mr. Quintron and Miss Pussycat, as far as fun and skronky and ramshackle go. Especially their album "These Hands of Mine".
posted by unknowncommand at 3:26 PM on December 11, 2005

this is the closest I've come to feeling ashamed to recommend certain music on AskMe:

The Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players

I mean, you like Daniel Smith. (speaking of which, he's produced a lot of stuff out there. make sure you dig around for some of the lesser known music he's associated with, if you haven't already.) so I can't feel that bad recommending the Trachtenburgs. they're just so....off-putting. great music, though!
posted by carsonb at 3:29 PM on December 11, 2005

The American Song-Poem Anthology

various session bands/crooners tackle the cream of the cream of the crop of songwriters you'd hoped never existed. this jumps genres a bit on the Danielson Famile, but the spirit remains the same to me.

Off the Charts: the Song-Poem Story is a feature-length documentary on the people who write this music
posted by carsonb at 3:34 PM on December 11, 2005

by the way, I busted out Brother:Son while I surfed around and read this thread. thanks for the occasion!
posted by carsonb at 3:35 PM on December 11, 2005

here's a couple recs:

1) of montreal
2) guv'ner

your above explanation made me think of neutral milk hotel, (also recommended, although not really similar in style).
posted by helios at 3:35 PM on December 11, 2005

Also The Gerbils (I like their album "Battle of Electricity") and Elf Power (especially "A Dream In Sound" and their covers album "Nothing's Going to Happen").
posted by unknowncommand at 3:42 PM on December 11, 2005

Wow, lots of great suggestions so far. And even the ones that I am already familiar with have reminded me to listen to some albums I haven't to in awhile (Captain Beefheart, Quintron, Dock Boggs, Lunford, Of Montreal, Elephant 6 stuff, etc.).

I have listened to samples of some of the suggestions, and I have to say that I really like Tulleycraft, Daniel Johnston, and Half Handed Cloud. The American Song-Poem Anthology also seems really great (at least the name makes me think of the first time I listened to the American Folk Music Anthology and was floored).
posted by Falconetti at 4:36 PM on December 11, 2005

Epitonic suggests:
God Is My Co-Pilot, Free Kitten, This Busy Monster, Little Champions, The Causey Way, Jad Fair and Jason Willett, Half Japanese, Mates of State, Soul-Junk.

I don't actually know any of these bands, but I have had good results with recommendations from epitonic before.
posted by arcticwoman at 4:58 PM on December 11, 2005

You might dig The Unicorns. They are from Canada.
posted by ph00dz at 6:33 PM on December 11, 2005

Mirah?

Former Microphones affiliate/vocalist, and more musically accessible--more melody/harmony, less noise.

Heck, anything on K records probabaly fits the bill.
posted by pullayup at 7:09 PM on December 11, 2005

If you were floored by Harry Smith's Anthology of American Folk Music, there's a fourth volume recently (c. 2000) released by Revenant Records. Harry Smith, alchemist, intended there to be a section for each element. This fourth selection of songs, Earth, isn't in the Smithsonian release.
Also, check out Revenant's catalog of releases; there's probably other stuff there that'll tickle your fancy.
posted by pullayup at 7:28 PM on December 11, 2005

The Mountain Goats, Herman Düne, The Hidden Cameras,The Fiery Furnaces, Spoon,
and what about Pavement or Stephen Malkmus' solo stuff?

Sufjan Stevens used to play/tour with them for a while, i think, and released his first album on their record label
Sounds Familyre so maybe check out the other artists there aswell
And I thoroughly recommend The Frogs!
posted by quantumonkey at 7:32 PM on December 11, 2005

maybe the robot ate me? They're a personal favorite, so I might be hearing things.
posted by carsonb at 8:02 PM on December 11, 2005

John Fahey?
posted by mike_bling at 8:55 PM on December 11, 2005

And for more cool, weird old timey music ala the Harry Smith Collection, Joe Bussard's Down in the Basement comp is a joy straight through, with "The Old Ark's A'Moving" by A.A. Gray And Seven-Foot Dilly particularly having a daffiness akin to Danielson Familie's.
posted by Scram at 10:49 PM on December 11, 2005