David Bazan (Pedro The Lion) * Wye Oak

David Bazan (born January 1976) is an indie rock singer/songwriter from Edmonds, Washington. Bazan (pronounced "buh-zahn") was the lead singer and creative force behind the now-defunct band Pedro the Lion and was the lead singer of Headphones, a band he formed out of his interest in synthesizers. He then released an album under his name, David Bazan.

Collaborations
In the early 90's he played drums in the band The Guilty (later named Coolidge) with fellow songwriter Damien Jurado.[1] Bazan had attended Shorewood High School with Jurado.

In 2002, he played drums and sang backup vocals for Seldom; in 2004, he played with Starflyer 59. Bazan has made various studio appearances with Seattle-based bands; for instance, he played drums in 1998 on Unwed Sailor's Firecracker EP[2], and contributed to the Rosie Thomas album These Friends of Mine.

Bazan was part of The Undertow Orchestra with Mark Eitzel (American Music Club), Will Johnson (Centro-matic, South San Gabriel), Vic Chesnutt, and Scott Danbom (Centro-matic, South San Gabriel). They toured the USA and Europe in 2006.

Bazan is a personal friend of comedian Horatio Sanz,[3] and performed at Sanz's 2006 Christmas show, The Ho-Ho-Horatio Christmas Special, at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York City. In 2007 he did a Take-Away Show acoustic video session.

Bazan has worked with artist manager Bob Andrews of Undertow Music Collective since 2004.

Recent projects
Bazan recorded his first solo project, the EP Fewer Moving Parts, in between touring as a member of The Undertow Orchestra. The EP was released on 13 June 2006. Bazan recently finished a nationwide solo tour featuring Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie and Johnathan Rice and also contributed a cover of the song "Let Down" to Stereogum's "OK X"[4] project, a tribute to the Radiohead album OK Computer. A full length debut album with his new band "David Bazan's Black Cloud" is in the works for early 2009; it will be released by Barsuk Records.[5]

On September 5, during an interview with Minnesota Public Radio, Bazan mentioned his next album will be played entirely by him and he will recruit friends to play live when he tours. The album, 'Curse Your Branches,' will be released in the spring and may include, "Please, Baby, Please," a song he debuted during the interview.

During his solo tour in September, Bazan has been playing seven new songs that will appear on his new album: "Please, Baby, Please", "Weeds in the Wheat", "Curse Your Branches", "American Flags", "Broken Arm", "The Stitches" and "Harmless Sparks."

A hidden page on Bazan's website was found by fans detailing an upcoming DVD release. The DVD is said to be interviews, intimate live performances filmed in his home studio, on his front porch, and while driving around in his Ford Bronco, Shot during two weekends in June and July in Seattle, WA.

On October 28th, 2008 Bazan released the album version of "American Flags" on his Facebook and Myspace pages in celebration of the 2008 election. It was made available for purchase on iTunes and other online vendors on November 4th, along with the version of "Please, Baby, Please" recorded for the DVD.

DVDs
Bazan: Alone at the Microphone (2008)

EPs
7 song demo (1994)
Fewer Moving Parts (13 June 2006)

Singles
"The Poison Makes", split single b/w "Walk Slow" by Casey Foubert (January 2003, Bedside Recordings) 500 numbered on black vinyl on Ben Gibbard's short lived label
"Away in a Manger" (25 October 2006, Suicide Squeeze) 1,000 printed on marbled vinyl
"Jingle Bells" (4 November 2008, Suicide Squeeze) B-side: "All I Want for Christmas"
200 printed on white vinyl
400 printed on red vinyl
400 printed on green vinyl

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Formed in mid-2006, Wye Oak (formerly known as Monarch) are Jenn Wasner and Andy Stack. Jenn & Andy have been playing music together and apart in Baltimore, MD, and chose their name from the honorary state tree of Maryland. If Children is the culmination of many months of recording, polishing and perfecting to achieve what Any Given Tuesday best described as, “. .. . mingling in a room full of shoegaze, alt-country, folk, and noise, shaking hands, kissing cheeks, and making friends with everyone.” If Children is an exuberant debut – noisy and restrained in turn, Wye Oak describe their philosophy: "We'd like to think that if a song is good enough, it'll stand on its own regardless of how much noise you pile on top. On the other hand, we do like noise." Listen, and we think you will have to agree!

The droll tone and fleeting sweetness of a Yo La Tengo are cut into the more deeply textural concerns of shoegaze in the Baltimore group's work. It's an interesting alignment, given the contrast in senses of humor. But Wye Oak successfully shed tonnage from the latter without losing potency.

http://www.wyeoakmusic.com

User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License and may also be available under the GNU FDL.