While researching my love of the Guillemot's "Annie, Let's Not Wait" I discovered the French blog Blogotheque and their UNBELIEVABLY cool Take Away Shows (or Concerts a Emporter, en Francais.)
The concept is simple and genius - armed with acoustic instruments and one video camera, hipster bands record live, on-the-street versions of their songs. Blogotheque describes it this way: "Sessions are always filmed as a unique shot, without any cut, recorded live. We usually haven’t much time to record them, so the groups have to be spontaneous, to improvise, play with what they have with them, and with their environment, whether there’s a public or not."
The results are amazing. In "Annie," the Guillemots use only a guitar, an upright bass, drumsticks on a variety of found objects, and a small choir of hand clappers (oh yeah, and an old typewriter.) The result is other-worldly.
"Made-Up Love Song," another Guillemots gem, begins with lead singer Fyfe Dangerfield singing alone, wandering aimlessly, bard-like, through the streets of Montmarte, until he stumbles across his band members on a back stairwell and the song really takes off. (Bonus here is the look on the pedestrian's face as he walks right through this impromptu concert.)
The Shins episode does a nice job of demonstrating the truly impromptu nature of the series. I've also included a link to the Cold War Kids take-away performance of St. John, just to remind you of the power of rhythm.
SO SO SO SO cool! Can't wait to see what's next in the Take Away show series!
YouTube link: Annie Let's Not Wait - The Guillemots
YouTube link: Made Up Love Song #43 - The Guillemots
YouTube link: Cold War Kids - St. John
YouTube link: The Shins - Turn a Square, The Past and Pending, Australia
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