Dec 12th, 2008 · Silje Nes is a Norwegian musician who mixes the delicate sounds of the acoustic guitar with the bright, charming ambiance of electronica. Her soft, thin voice blends nicely with the whimsical instrumentation. Her new record, Ames Room, has a child-like brilliance that could pass as an upbeat, dreamy collection of lullabies.
Oct 19th, 2008 · When asked about Swedish pop music, one might pick out names like the sweetly whimsical Jens Lekman or the playful chamber pop outfit I'm From Barcelona. But on Na Na Ni, the debut album from experimental sextet Fredrik, the band from Malmo, Sweden shows that its country's musical output is capable of offering up even more.
Jun 2nd, 2008 · The most rambunctiously infectious song on Stoltz's recent Circular Sounds, "Tintinnabulation" functions as a sort of aural funhouse, where bells and whistles and reverberations transform a first-rate pop song into a dizzying, whimsical ride.
May 22nd, 2008 · Singer-songwriter Sam Phillips makes gorgeously textured, spare acoustic music. Hear a cut from her mesmerizing new CD Don't Do Anything. The keyboard-and-drums duo Mates of State are back with their best album yet, the stunning Re-Arrange Us. Also on the show: the whimsical world of Rupa and the April Fishes, a classic reissued from Jethro Tull, New Orleans pianist Henry Butler, and Rachel Taylor Brown, another great unknown from our Second Stage series.
Nov 1st, 2007 · Enjoy a whimsical yarn and hearty food at Warsaw's Inn Under the Red Dog. It's where party bigwigs are purported to have indulged in luxury dining during Poland's Communist era, writes Berlin-based correspondent Emily Harris.
Oct 14th, 2007 · This year, 850,000 visitors are casting their eyes heavenward to watch a rainbow assortment of whimsical hot-air balloons fill the sky at the International Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque, N.M. The star of the show is Darth Vader, who comes with his own storm trooper security detail.
May 30th, 2007 · Mando Diao departs from rock 'n' roll formula on "Good Morning, Herr Horst," adopting haunting chord progressions punctuated by klezmer rhythms. Below the song's whimsical melody and rhythm lies a dark message about the opportunities that come with squalor.
May 17th, 2007 · Writing "N.Y. Doll" from the perspective of a late New York Dolls bassist, Robyn Hitchcock opts not to copy the Dolls' pre-punk strut and roar. Instead, he sticks to what he knows, slowly stretching the guitar jangle until it ripples and pulses with the hum of psychedelia.