Danish/New York avant-garde jazz-pop group Hess Is More, live!

Curated by Whitney Weiss

Total Runtime: 0:42:02

"If you think of a piece of music as a rubberband - I like to try and stretch it. Let's say melancholy in one end and humor in the other, and see how far you can take it. Bringing oppositions together." - Mikkel Hess

The brainchild of multi-instrumentalist and composer Mikkel Hess, Hess Is More currently exists as a six-piece orchestra of New York musicians, with the group's classically handsome leader pulling quadruple duty as drummer, conductor, bass player, and singer. Their actually-original sound could be described as technically-proficient worldly funky jazz that accomplishes quite a lot; mainly, it's clever without being boring and dancey without being dull.

Born in Denmark, Mikkel Hess puttered about on various instruments while growing up, picked up a classical music education in Copenhagen, and delved into computer-based music while tucked away in Rio a decade back. New Yorkers might remember the band from their recent Nublu residency, where they paired artists with their own live music sets, or shows at Union Pool and Cameo Gallery, as well as chichi afterparties for art happenings.

Abroad, Hess is More has collaborated with the Royal Danish Ballet, played Istanbul and Moscow, and worked with tons of artists who are actually interesting. When not busying himself with band duties, Hess has scored many a film and composed music for Danish theatrical performances of "The Wind and the Willows" and "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead" at The Royal Theatre in Copenhagen.

The latest Hess is More record, "Creation Keeps the Devil Away," came out in October of 2011 and features a guest appearance by Nomi Ruiz, the frontwoman of Jessica 6, which makes it pretty much the coolest.

1. Would You Like to Disco? (live at Spot Festiva)
2. In The Fridge (live in Denmark)
3. Ssshhhh (live in Denmark)
4. Piano Waltz (with Chat Roulette as part of the Hess Is More Residency performance art series)
5. Go Go Go Go (live in Denmark)

Find out more about Hess Is More here.

Talk Show - Björk

Magical Icelandic musician/multi-talented artist Bjork dazzles with her ability to wax eloquently on just about anything.

Total Runtime: 0:29:13

Watch Iceland's most famous export manage to articulate on just about everything and remain consistent at thoughtfully chosing her words over the years. From moving to London at 27 to the dangers of television (and listening to poets), she always has something insightful to impart. Prepare to be mesmerized.

From Wikipedia:

Björk Guðmundsdóttir (born 21 November 1965), known as Björk, is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her musical style is eclectic and she has achieved recognition in rock, jazz, electronic dance music,classical, and folk.

Björk's 1990s singles "It's Oh So Quiet", "Army of Me" and "Hyperballad" charted in the UK Top 10. Her record label, One Little Indian, reported that by 2003 she had sold more than 15 million albums worldwide. She has acquired a high level of critical acclaim. She has won four BRIT Awards, four MTV Video Music Awards, oneMOJO Award, three UK Music Video Awards, and, in 2010, the Polar Music Prize from the Royal Swedish Academy of Music, in recognition for her "deeply personal music and lyrics, her precise arrangements and her unique voice."

Björk has also been nominated for twelve Grammy Awards, one Academy Award and two Golden Globe Awards. She won the Best Actress Award at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival for her performance in Dancer in the Dark. She was ranked thirty-sixth inVH1's "The 100 Greatest Women in Rock and Roll", eighth in MTV's "22 Greatest Voices in Music", and sixtieth in Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Singers of All Time."

Talk Show - Björk

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Live Music Show - Hess Is More

Danish/New York avant-garde jazz-pop group Hess Is More, live!

Talk Show - Björk

Magical Icelandic musician/multi-talented artist Bjork dazzles with her ability to wax eloquently on just about anything.

Trailer Trash - The Trailers of Ingmar Bergman

Film is not a document, it is dream.

Talk Show - Björk