National’s Dessner Brothers Pair Up with Breeders for Mixed-media Project
6/3/2009 By Brock Thiessen

Now that all the Dark Was the Night hubbub is dying down, Aaron and Bryce Dessner are setting their sights on yet another non-National project. This time it will be a new mixed-media piece done in collaboration with visual artist Matthew Ritchie, including guest vocal spots from the Breeders’ Kim and Kelley Deal, My Brightest Diamond's Shara Worden and fellow National band-mate Matt Berninger.

The piece is being dubbed The Long Count and is commissioned by the Brooklyn Academy of Music, who are also giving the Dessners a 12-piece chamber orchestra to play with. Apparently, The Long Count involves an eclectic array of themes, including the 1976 World Series and a Mayan creation myth, of all things.

In the words of the press release: "Jointly conceived by the collaborators as a one-hour, immersive multimedia experience exploring ideas of symmetry and creation, The Long Count weaves together disparate themes ranging from the hero twins of the Popul Vuh (a Mayan creation myth) to the epic 1976 World Series victory of the Cincinnati Reds over the New York Yankees (which occurred in the year of the Cincinnati-born Dessners' birth).

"Ritchie's large-scale sculptural environment frames a one-hour animated film made from the artist's intricate, biomorphic drawings. An evocative, complex score and song cycle composed and performed by the Dessners and a 12-member chamber orchestra will be illuminated and sung by guest artists."

Also, if you’re looking for some more details, Ritchie has given us this image to mull over, not that it will help all that much.

The piece will run as part of BAM’s Next Wave festival in Brooklyn, and will be performed by the Dessners & Co. on October 28, 30 and 31. On the last night, there will be a Q & A session with the Dessners and Ritchie.

No word yet if The Long Count will take on album form, but the National are still reportedly working on that Boxer follow-up.

More News: << Previous Story | Next Story >>
Do you have a news tip for us? Did anything crazy happen at a show? Got any inside info on a band? Click here to let us know!
• Metric Respond to Backlash over Help Haiti T-Shirt
• Bright Eyes/Neva Dinova Split EP to Get Reissued with Extra Tracks
• The Weakerthans Divulge Details of Forthcoming Live Album
• Megadeth Co-Founder Dave Ellefson Returns for Rust in Peace Tour; Dave Mustaine to Release Autobiography
• MGMT Unveil Congratulations Release Details
• White Stripes Slam U.S. Air Force Over Super Bowl Ad, Bring Ballet to Toronto
• Japanther Announce New Album, Canada-Heavy Tour
• Old Man Luedecke Sets Up for My Hands Are on Fire and Other Love Songs
• Listen to Basia Bulat’s Heart Of My Own Now on Exclaim.ca
• Check Out New Tracks by Drumheller, Brasstronaut, Souljazz Orchestra and More in Click Hear
Mary J. Blige - Stronger with Each Tear
Mary, we love the fact that you're happy ― no more drama ― and that your personal issues seem to be a thing of the past. Trouble is, your pain was what fuelled your passion. It's the reason why What's the 411 was a classic, and why subsequent albums were usually measured by whethe... Full Review
Toronto Punk Finds A Voice
If you've ever wondered why Toronto's first wave punk scene lacks the oral histories, band biographies, and memoirs pouring out of similar scenes, Treat Me Like Dirt is for you — as evidenced by a first printing selling out a week before its release. "I didn't know that any of this had happened the way I knew that New York and London had these great punk movements," says author Liz Worth.... Read More
The Hurt Locker Dir. by Kathryn Bigelow
Taking a break at about the halfway mark of director Kathryn Bigelow's Iraq war drama, The Hurt Locker, I realized my jaw was sore. I had been unconsciously clenching it from the first moment of The Hurt Locker, which chronicles a three-man team of explosives ordinance disposal (bomb s... Full Review
Social Networking
• Be our friend on MySpace
• Be our fan on Facebook
• Tweet us on twitter
Viewing the November 2002 Issue: • Contents Page • News • Click Hear • Articles --> On the Cover  •  Points  •  Blab  •  Books  •  Critics Cliches  •  Point of View  •  Questionnaire  •  Research  •  Timeline • Music Reviews --> Recently Reviewed  •  Aggressive Tendencies  •  Destination Out  •  Frequencies  •  Groove  •  Pop Rocks  •  Wood, Wires & Whiskey  •  Concert Reviews • Motion Reviews --> Recently Reviewed  •  Dvd Reviews  •  Music DVD Reviews • Music School --> N/A • Contests • Contact --> About Us  • Advertising  • Distribution  • Getting Reviewed  • Getting Published  • Letters To The Editor  • Partnerships  • Subscriptions • Exclaim! Radio --> Aggressive Tendencies Radio  • Beats & Rhymes Radio  • Frequencies Radio  • Destination Out Radio  • Groove Radio  • No Future Radio  • Pop Rocks Radio  • Wood, Wires & Whiskey Radio • Exclaim! TV • Home & Latest Issue • Browse Issues