NPR Music TIny Desk Concert: The Nels Cline Singers

[ygohome]

I first heard Nels when he played guitar for Watt on his Ball Hog and Tug Boat tour in 1995. His playing is one of a kind and I love it. I hadn't seen him play live since 1997 or 1998. Its cool seeing him up close like this in the video instead of in a dark night club. A very interesting guy and I dare say he is the best guitar player I've seen play live.

[Heisenberg85]

Fight fight fight fight fight fight fight fight!!

[MickeyMacaroney]

hes got a new album this year with saxophonist tim berne. quickly becoming one of my favorites from either of them

[HeNdRiXIzGoD321]

its funny cause he wasnt even on YHF.....

[Trebgah]

I LOVE the sound of Nels on a phrygian scale!

[filardope]

this song makes me feel free! go, nels!

[evorg666]

wow! I guess I'm another ape, making a comment.

[GeorgeJohnPaulRingo]

Maybe a few Wilco fans here expecting him to play something more Impossible Germany-ish? Sorry guys, this is the kind of gear Nels was making long before Wilco came knocking. It a challenging listen, more about the sounds and textures than the structure. Not everyone cup of meat, but definitely mine.

[rollerblaker]

@GeorgeJohnPaulRingo says georgejohnpaulringo

[GeorgeJohnPaulRingo]

@rollerblaker Yep, says me. What's your point? That a Beatles fan could only ever possibly listen the Beatles?

[rollerblaker]

@GeorgeJohnPaulRingo i just didn't like the way you automatically assumed people don't like it and expect him to play the way he does in wilco, it's almost as if you don't even like it, but, for some reason, think it's something cool to like so you force yourself to act like you like it. i don't know, i don't mean to sound like an asshole. just the way you said what you were saying pissed me off

[GeorgeJohnPaulRingo]

@rollerblaker That's ok, I didn't like your comment either. It's like, you were saying that you like the Beatles, but, for some reason, you think that if you act like you don't like them, the people who do like them won't like looking like they like the same things that you like, so they won't like them anymore, and you'll be cooler for liking them, and I'll look like a bad person because my father was a dairy farmer who couldn't drink milk. You know what I mean?

[deadheadman66]

i wonder if they put out that YHF vinyl on the shelf to try and impress Nels with their Wilco collection...only to realize that he didnt play on that album!

[deadheadman66]

not somethin you can hum along to, but damn...youve gotta respect people coming at music from a whole new angle. they can all probably play the pants off any traditional song, but theyve chosen to just deconstruct the whole mess. i dig.

[pmandrade89]

does anyone know if he is using a pedal on this or it is plugged direct to the amplifier?

i think he might be using his compresor sustainer

[dollydoodle]

@pmandrade89 definitely a pedal board, there's a touch of delay and a volume pedal at least!

[panchobehrmann]

@pmandrade89 He is most definitely using his CS-3

[Jmp153]

safe to say that by far most people who listen to this or similar kinds of music are musicians of some sort, they have at least tried to play and instrument. Its like if you havent studied or attempted to make music, you probably wont appreciate this.

[ZRN959]

0:33 Wilco....

[NoGoats]

Nels Cline belongs to a certain form of musicians who will be acclaimed for every bit of them in a near future

[marikishter]

@NoGoats every bit of them?

[NoGoats]

Great stuff...incredible

[Matlock665]

This is a great band, don't listen to these uninformed wankers, as you can tell by the drummer holding his own cymbal, they are a little constricted here.

[Wezuhley]

I love me some good avant garde atonal arhythmic stuff. and i don't love me none of this.

[rollerblaker]

@Wezuhley so you do love it?

[iLEE]

They all got chops!

[tynang]

The blond lady at the computer does not look impressed to be there: "Oh, I have to listen to live music at my work again, I F$%@ing hate my life." - I think at one point she is checking her Facebook (nice work!)....

This is a fantastic little snap shot, thanks NPR.

I think it is hilarious that people subject themselves to videos they don't like. That said, I ate sweet pickles till I liked them, took me almost 8 years of hating sweet pickles and eating them to start to have cravings.

[glassesRcute]

I love the drummer's little sticks :D

[runawayuniverse]

Dig the Nels Cline Singers big time & love the addition of Yuka to the group.

[cruise03]

this seems to be either a love it or hate it group. I personally am more on the hate side. Go ahead and put me in your box, but I prefer songs that have some more distinct form. the first two minutes were confusing and far too ambiguous for my taste. maybe I just don't understand, but it's also possible that I just don't care.

[cruise03]

@cruise03 correction, the ENTIRE performance was too ambiguous for me

[764amc08]

@cruise03 you try dragging a Cleo up twelve flights of stairs... XD

[jaksspring97]

Dissonant elevator music. oh so edgy...(and irrelevant)

yuck.

[SqwishTV]

Atmospheric, detailed, and highly unpredictable... Very intriguing... Two thumbs way up!

[Maurinovsky]

Sounds like a 70's drama movie soundtrack!!!! Not my cup of tea

[launderground]

we love nels cline singers.

[Jadziukes]

god i love this channel

keeps opening me up for more and more amazing artists

[al638]

I saw Nels with Jon Brion at the old Largo, now I have never done any drugs, but I have a feeling i know what an acid trip feels like. It was an AMAZING show!

This group really challenges the listener, you can't just sit back and listen, you have to almost wrestle with what you are listening to. Thanks NPR Tiny Desk for another great show.

[azatrox]

meh

[casey7615]

shit.

[ekovv]

Mind blown!

[bluewolfer]

Great!