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Revision as of 23:51, 21 April 2007

Danielson
Musical artist

Danielson Famile (aka Danielson) is a band from Clarksboro, New Jersey, that plays a quirky blend of Indie pop and gospel music. They are also a notable example of Bass-Pop, perhaps more fittingly called Avant-Pop. The members of the band are Daniel Smith and his siblings Megan Smith (Megan Slaboda), David Smith, Rachel Smith (Rachel Galloway), Andrew Smith, wife Elin K. Smith, and friend Chris X. Smith (Chris Palladino). Recently, Sufjan Stevens has joined the band as an adopted member of the family, playing banjo on the album Brother Is to Son and touring with them when possible.

Distinguishing characteristics of the band include frontman Daniel Smith's squeaky falsetto and sometimes nasally vocals. The band also incorporates visuals into some of its performance such as matching costumes and encouraging audience participation of clap-alongs, hand gestures and dance moves. Some appearances have seen Daniel playing a guitar while inside a costume of a ten foot tree bearing nine fruits of the Holy Spirit.

Members of Danielson Famile portray a proud DIY attitude within many aspects of their work. All of Danielson's album artwork is done by Daniel himself, with the exception of the construction paper inserts of the two Tri-Danielson albums which were done by Chris. The animation in their music videos for the songs Headz in the Cloudz and Rubbernecker feature stop motion animation done by Chris. The band members's uniforms begin as Daniel's vision and then are designed by Megan. Although all the girls participate in the sewing, the driving force behind the construction is Marian, their mother.

History

While attending Rutgers University, Daniel Smith sang and played bass in the indie band Sap Laci, whose 1993 self-produced cassette demo God Made Guitar, Women Make Us Play Them contained elements of what would become the Danielson sound: Dan's squeaky vocals ("I may look like I'm 12, but I sound like I'm 13!"), obtuse melodies and spiritually-themed lyrics ("I talked to God, I told him I screwed up again - He said 'Dan, Give me 10 push-ups!' I said to Him 'I'll do 1000!'"). With its distorted bass guitar and electric guitar, the sound of Sap Laci was heavier than Danielson, influenced by the Pixies and Love and Rockets. This band eventually broke up (guitarist/co-vocalist Jason Paunce may have enlisted in the Navy).

In Daniel's final year at Rutgers University, he experienced a spiritual reawakening (bandmate and fellow student Chris Palladino went on to bible college in California after graduating from Rutgers) and enlisted several siblings to record the album A Prayer for Every Hour which he submitted as his thesis and for which he received an 'A' grade.

Around 1996 the CD was picked up by the Christian-centered label Tooth & Nail Records and Daniel, his siblings, and Chris Palladino began to perform on a semi-regular basis in New York City, New Jersey, and Philadelphia often billed as the "Danielson Famile", sharing the bill with groups such as fellow Christian indie rockers Soul Junk. The group released Tri-Danielson!!! (Alpha) and Tri-Danielson!!! (Omega) in 1998 and 1999 respectively, earning them further college radio play and broadening their indie audience, and became known for their onstage costumes (initially nurse uniforms with large red hearts sewn on), their homemade t-shirts and other merchandise.

While the lyrical content was unabashedly Christian, Danielson Famile nevertheless received strong press and support from the mainstream audience due to their musical inventiveness and continued touring and release of recorded albums. At live shows, the grass-roots support of their family and friends was apparent, helping to sell merchandise and otherwise lending a hand.

In 2001, the Danielson Famile signed to Secretly Canadian, leaving their original label Tooth & Nail. (They are also associated with the label "Sounds Familyre".) The first Danielson release for the label was Fetch the Compass Kids, recorded by Steve Albini.

The Danielson biography on Secretly Canadian's website states of the band:

Even though Daniel wrote many of their songs 6 years ago, the family shies away from copious rehearsing. These songs are intentionally integrated with a creative, improvisational quality they couldn't practice if they tried: songs dependent on the interaction of the moment, the spirit, and the rediscovery of sounds and patterns made by people who know each other very well.

Daniel Smith's solo debut was released in 2004, recorded under the Brother Danielson moniker, an album titled Brother : Son. It was followed in May 2006 by the ambitious Ships, which featured contributions from a total of 20 musicians. (Contrary to popular belief, there were not more than 40 musicians — that number comes from their Myspace page, which lists engineers, artists, publicists, and booking agents, as well as artists with whom they collaborated on a series of related seven-inches.) Alphabetically, the musicians who contributed to 'Ships' are as follows:

According to Daniel, his musical influences include his dad (Lenny Smith), Jesus movement worship songs, the Beatles, Bob Dylan and Syd Barrett.

Members

  • Daniel Smith
  • Megan Smith (Megan Slaboda)
  • David Smith
  • Rachel Smith (Rachel Galloway)
  • Andrew Smith
  • Elin K. Smith
  • Chris X. Smith (Chris Palladino)
  • Sufjan Stevens

Discography

Danielson

Full length albums

EPs

  • Insound Tour Support Series with Soul Junk (1999, Insound)

12 inch vinyl

Singles (7 inch vinyl)

Singles (CDs)

  • Flip Flop Flim Flam (2001, Fluevog)

Covered By

  • Welcome Wagon Mews Too: An Asthmatic Kitty Compilation (2006) Track: "Sold! To the Nice Rich Man"

Compilation appearances

  • Art Core Volume 2 (1996) Track: "Song for Every Speaker" (as Danielson)
  • Tooth & Nail Rock Sampler, Volume 1 (1997) Track: "Smooth Death" (as Danielson Family)
  • The Unaccompanied Voice: An A Capella Compilation (2000) Track: "Allhallow's Eve"
  • Better Than the Beatles: A Tribute to the Shaggs (2001) Track: "Who are Parents?"
  • Dimension Mix: A Tribute to Bruce Haack (2005) Track: "Nothing to do"
  • Mews Too: An Asthmatic Kitty Compilation (2006) Track: "My Lion Sleeps Tonight"

Brother Danielson

Full length albums

Singles (7 inch vinyl)

Movies

  • "Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music?" DVD (2006)
  • "Danielson: a Family Movie (or, Make a Joyful Noise HERE)" (2007)

External links

References

  1. For example, at the 2004 Cornerstone Festival.
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