"Hopes and dreams... will end up killing you."

November 8, 2011 5:33 AM

Daniel Knox prophecies calamity and doom on piano and kazoo. A Chicago musician and songwriter with the voice of a 1920s troubadour, Knox composes tragicomic ballads reminiscent of Will Oldham or Tom Waits. Listen to Evryman for Himself, the harrowing Ghostsong, the poignant You Win Some, You Tie Some, and Disaster.

Knox was introduced by David Lynch at a premiere of Inland Empire, where he improvised a short organ piece. He is currently working on "a longform piece of music written and arranged for piano, voice, horns, strings, and percussion based on the photography of John Atwood," during a residency at The Watermill Centre.

posted by oulipian (7 comments total)

The music was surprisingly good. Thanks for this.
posted by Daddy-O at 6:38 AM on November 8, 2011

I love finding artists who have created their own genres - thank you for posting this.
posted by usonian at 6:57 AM on November 8, 2011

Daniel Knox's website

Interview and recording on WBEZ's 848 by Alison Cuddy.
posted by garlic at 7:05 AM on November 8, 2011 [1 favorite]

Oh, I think the genre has been around for a while.
posted by flabdablet at 8:37 AM on November 8, 2011

Oh, I forgot to link to Knox's website. Thanks, garlic! I hope everyone enjoys the music as much as I do, I was amazed that most of his YouTube videos only have a few hundred views. It's wonderful, haunting work that certainly deserves an audience.
posted by oulipian at 10:05 AM on November 8, 2011

I really dig this stuff. Thanks for the links!

(I am surprised you compared him to Will Oldham though; I don't hear that very much. I really hear Nick Cave!)
posted by ericost at 7:59 PM on November 8, 2011

It's nice... I hear The National.
posted by blueberry sushi at 3:15 AM on November 9, 2011