Danielson Famile
Encyclopedia
Danielson is an American Rock band from Clarksboro, New Jersey
Clarksboro, New Jersey
Clarksboro is a historic area of Gloucester County, New Jersey, United States located in the existing municipality of East Greenwich Township.-Birthplace:*Hardy Richardson, former major league baseball player...

 that plays indie pop
Indie pop
Indie pop is a genre of alternative rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the mid 1980s, with its roots in the Scottish post-punk bands on the Postcard Records label in the early '80s, such as Orange Juice, Josef K and Aztec Camera, and the dominant UK independent band of the mid...

 gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...

 music. The group consists of frontman Daniel Smith and a number of various artists with whom he collaborates. Smith has also released solo work as Brother Danielson.

When joined by his family the band is known as Danielson Famile or Danielson Family, whose members have included Smith; his "siblings Andrew, David, Megan, and Rachel; wife Elin; friends Christiaan & Melissa Palladino; [and] daughter Lilly". Sufjan Stevens
Sufjan Stevens
Sufjan Stevens is an American singer-songwriter and musician born in Detroit, Michigan. Stevens first began releasing his music on Asthmatic Kitty, a label co-founded with his stepfather, beginning with the 1999 release, A Sun Came...

 has also recorded and performed with the group.

The band is known for Smith's squeaky falsetto
Falsetto
Falsetto is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ligamentous edges of the vocal folds, in whole or in part...

 vocals, innovative musical arrangements, and matching nurse uniforms, "that act, according to Daniel, as 'visual reminders of the spiritual and emotional healing taking place' within audience members." During some performances Smith has "worn a nine-foot tall, hand-made nine-fruit tree to 'bear the good fruit,'" in reference to the fruit of the Holy Spirit
Fruits of the Holy Spirit
Fruit of the Holy Spirit is the descriptive name given by the Apostle Paul to a nine-point list of Christ-like attributes of a true Christian life. In the...

.

History

In 1993, while attending Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...

 as a senior, Daniel Smith experienced a spiritual
Spirituality
Spirituality can refer to an ultimate or an alleged immaterial reality; an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his/her being; or the “deepest values and meanings by which people live.” Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer and contemplation, are intended to develop...

 reawakening:
"This was the year I stopped running away from home, picked up my acoustic guitar again and changed from being Dan back to Daniel. I woke up to the fact that I have an amazing family, an amazing childhood and I began to relate everything I was thinking and doing with this in mind... I began reading the Bible and praying again and songs and art started flowing. I would meet with my dad and talk philosophy and theology and I became a child again."
Smith has cited the major influence his musician father had on him growing up and the importance of lyrical content. Smith began recording songs that would later comprise the album A Prayer for Every Hour: "some from my solo 4-track, some with my friends Jason Faunce and Missy Forsyth backing and some with my brothers and sisters backing. Danielson became the name of the songs that I write. I had become "Daniel" and realized that I am a son." He submitted the album as his final thesis (and received an 'A' grade) and performed, joined by his siblings, at the senior art show. Smith then sent the album out to several indie labels but only received a response from Tooth & Nail
Tooth & Nail Records
Tooth & Nail Records is a record label founded by Brandon Ebel in the U.S. state of California in November 1993. The label later moved to Seattle, Washington, where it is situated today...

 in California, who picked up the album and released it in 1994.

Daniel Smith, his siblings, and friend Chris Palladino began to perform in New York City, New Jersey, and Philadelphia as the "Danielson Famile." The group released Tri-Danielson!!! (Alpha)
Tri-Danielson!!! (Alpha)
Tri-Danielson!!! is the third full length album by New Jersey indie rock band Danielson Famile.-Track listing:# "Tri-Danielson!!!" – 0:22# "Southern Paws" – 2:58# "Rubber-Necker" – 1:46# "Body English" – 2:07# "Runnin' To Brother" – 3:00...

and Tri-Danielson!!! (Omega)
Tri-Danielson!!! (Omega)
Tri-Danielson!!! is the fourth full length album by New Jersey indie rock band Danielson Famile. This album is referred to as Tri-Danielson, Vol. 2 by allmusic[].-Track listing:14. "Cutest Lil' Dragon"15. "Idiot Boksen"...

in 1998 and 1999 respectively, earning them further college radio play and broadening their indie audience. The band became known for their onstage costumes (initially nurse uniforms with large red hearts sewn on) as well as their homemade t-shirts and other merchandise. While the lyrical content was unabashedly Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...

, Danielson Famile nevertheless received strong press and support from mainstream
Mainstream
Mainstream is, generally, the common current thought of the majority. However, the mainstream is far from cohesive; rather the concept is often considered a cultural construct....

 audiences due to their musical inventiveness.

Danielson signed to Secretly Canadian
Secretly Canadian
Secretly Canadian is an American independent record label based in Bloomington, Indiana. It was started in 1996 by Chris and Ben Swanson, Eric Weddle, and Jonathan Cargill. Their first release was a re-issue of an album by June Panic...

 Records in 2001 and released Fetch the Compass Kids
Fetch the Compass Kids
Fetch the Compass Kids is the fifth full length album by New Jersey indie rock band Danielson Famile. A portion of the album was recorded by Steve Albini in Chicago at his Electrical Audio studios.-Track listing:# "We Don't Say Shut Up" – 2:06...

, which was recorded by Steve Albini
Steve Albini
Steven Frank Albini is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, audio engineer and music journalist. He was a member of Big Black, Rapeman, and Flour, and is currently a member of Shellac...

. Smith then released a solo record in 2004 (Brother Is to Son
Brother Is to Son
Brother Is to Son is the sixth full length album by New Jersey indie rock band Brother Danielson.-Track listing:# "Things Against Stuff"# "Cookin’ Mid-County"# "Animal In Every Corner"# "Daughters Will Tune You"# "Our Givest"# "Sweet Sweeps"...

) as Brother Danielson. It was followed in May 2006 by the ambitious Ships
Ships (album)
Ships is the seventh full length album by New Jersey indie rock band Danielson. The album was a massive collaboration among Daniel Smith and various other musicians.-Track listing:# "Ship the Majestic Suffix" – 2:54# "Cast It at the Setting Sail" – 3:30...

, which featured contributions from a total of 20 musicians, including Deerhoof
Deerhoof
Deerhoof is a musical group consisting of Satomi Matsuzaki, John Dieterich, Ed Rodriguez and Greg Saunier.-Origins:In 1992, Greg Saunier, having recently graduated with a degree in music composition from Oberlin Conservatory of Music, joined a short-lived San Francisco quartet called Nitre Pit, on...

, Sufjan Stevens
Sufjan Stevens
Sufjan Stevens is an American singer-songwriter and musician born in Detroit, Michigan. Stevens first began releasing his music on Asthmatic Kitty, a label co-founded with his stepfather, beginning with the 1999 release, A Sun Came...

, Why?, Serena Maneesh
Serena Maneesh
Serena-Maneesh is an alternative rock band from Oslo, Norway.- Significance of the Name:...

, and Half-handed Cloud
Half-handed Cloud
Half-handed Cloud is a band from Berkeley, California. It was started as a one man band by John Ringhofer, who created the band name based on an occurrence in the Old Testament. Half-handed Cloud is under Asthmatic Kitty Records. His previous band was Wookieback with Matthew Vollmer and Brandon...

.

It was recently announced that the band have been chosen by Matt Groening
Matt Groening
Matthew Abram "Matt" Groening is an American cartoonist, screenwriter, and producer. He is the creator of the comic strip Life in Hell as well as two successful television series, The Simpsons and Futurama....

 to perform at the edition of the All Tomorrow's Parties
All Tomorrow's Parties (music festival)
All Tomorrow's Parties is a music festival which takes place at Camber Sands holiday camp in East Sussex and Butlin's holiday camp in Minehead, Somerset, England....

 festival he is curating in May 2010 in Minehead, England.

In 2011, Smith released Best of Gloucester County
Best of Gloucester County
Best of Gloucester County is the eighth full length album by New Jersey indie rock band Danielson.-Track listing:# Complimentary Dismemberment Insurance# This Day Is A Loaf# Grow Up# Lil Norge# But I Don't Wanna Sing About Guitars# People's Partay...

, the first Danielson album released solely through his Sounds Familyre Records
Sounds Familyre Records
Sounds Familyre Records is an independent record label based in Clarksboro, New Jersey, started and still managed by Danielson founder, Daniel Smith, who created the label in 1999.-Artists:* Sufjan Stevens* Danielson* Half-handed Cloud* Soul-Junk...

 label.

Daniel Smith has cited his musical influences as including "T.Rex, Rapeman
Rapeman
Rapeman was an American post-hardcore/noise rock group founded in 1987 and disbanded in 1989. It consisted of Steve Albini on guitar and vocals, David Wm. Sims on bass, and Rey Washam on drums.-History:In an interview, Albini reported that "'Rapeman' is .....

, B.A.L.L., Syd Barrett
Syd Barrett
Syd Barrett , born Roger Keith Barrett, was an English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and painter, best remembered as a founding member of the band Pink Floyd. He was the lead vocalist, guitarist and primary songwriter during the band's psychedelic years, providing major musical and stylistic...

, Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...

, Bongwater
Bongwater (band)
Bongwater was a psych rock band formed in 1985 and dissolved in 1992. The group was founded by Ann Magnuson and Mark Kramer , who had worked together previously in Pulsallama. The group also featured drummer Dave Licht and guitarists [Dave Rick] and later Randolph A. Hudson III...

, My Bloody Valentine, Beat Happening
Beat Happening
Beat Happening is an American punk band formed in Olympia, Washington in 1982. Calvin Johnson, Heather Lewis and Bret Lunsford have been the band's continual members...

, Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill is an American hip hop group from South Gate, California. Cypress Hill was the first Latino hip-hop group to have platinum and multi-platinum albums, selling over 18 million albums worldwide...

, Ween
Ween
Ween is an American alternative rock group. They formed in 1984 in New Hope, Pennsylvania when central members Aaron Freeman and Mickey Melchiondo met in an eighth grade typing class. Ween has a large cult underground fanbase despite being generally unknown in American pop music...

, Donovan
Donovan
Donovan Donovan Donovan (born Donovan Philips Leitch (born 10 May 1946) is a Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist. Emerging from the British folk scene, he developed an eclectic and distinctive style that blended folk, jazz, pop, psychedelia, and world music...

, Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth is an American alternative rock band from New York City, formed in 1981. The current lineup consists of Thurston Moore , Kim Gordon , Lee Ranaldo , Steve Shelley , and Mark Ibold .In their early career, Sonic Youth was associated with the No Wave art and music scene in New York City...

, Royal Trux
Royal Trux
Royal Trux was an American alternative rock band from 1987 to 2001, founded by Neil Hagerty and Jennifer Herrema .-History:...

, Beatles, Half Japanese
Half Japanese
Half Japanese is a punk rock band formed by brothers Jad and David Fair in their Coldwater, Michigan bedroom around 1975. Their original instrumentation included a small drum set, which they took turns playing; vocals; and an out of tune guitar...

, A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest is an American hip hop group, formed in 1985, and is composed of rapper/producer Q-Tip , rapper Phife Dawg , and DJ/producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad. A fourth member, rapper Jarobi White, left the group after their first album but rejoined in 2006...

, [David] Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...

, Can
Can (band)
Can was an experimental rock band formed in Cologne, West Germany in 1968. Later labeled as one of the first "krautrock" groups, they transcended mainstream influences and incorporated strong minimalist and world music elements into their often psychedelic music.Can constructed their music largely...

, Pixies, Minutemen, James Brown
James Brown
James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...

, Tom Waits
Tom Waits
Thomas Alan "Tom" Waits is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."...

, Daniel Johnston
Daniel Johnston
Daniel Dale Johnston is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and artist. Johnston was the subject of the 2006 documentary The Devil and Daniel Johnston. He currently lives in Waller, Texas....

, Brian Eno
Brian Eno
Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno , commonly known as Brian Eno or simply as Eno , is an English musician, composer, record producer, singer and visual artist, known as one of the principal innovators of ambient music.Eno studied at Colchester Institute art school in Essex,...

, Larry Norman
Larry Norman
Larry David Norman was an American Christian musician, singer, songwriter, record label owner, and record producer, who worked with Christian rock music...

, Captain Beefheart
Captain Beefheart
Don Van Vliet January 15, 1941 December 17, 2010) was an American musician, singer-songwriter and artist best known by the stage name Captain Beefheart. His musical work was conducted with a rotating ensemble of musicians called The Magic Band, active between 1965 and 1982, with whom he recorded 12...

 and more".

Studio albums

  • A Prayer for Every Hour
    A Prayer for Every Hour
    A Prayer for Every Hour is the debut full length album from New Jersey indie rock band Danielson Famile.-Track listing:# "Nice Of Me"# "Feeling Tank"# "Ugly Tree"# "Like A Vacuum"# "Need A Beard"# "Pepcid 20mg"# "Birds"# "1,000 Push-ups"...

    , Danielson, Independent, 1994
  • Tell Another Joke at the Ol' Choppin' Block
    Tell Another Joke at the Ol' Choppin' Block
    Tell Another Joke at the Ol' Choppin' Block is the second full length album from New Jersey indie rock band Danielson Famile.-Track listing:# "A No No" – 3:51# "Ye Olde Battleaxe" – 4:39# "Me To Datee" – 3:32# "The Lord's Rest" – 4:58...

    , Danielson Famile, Tooth and Nail, 1997
  • Tri-Danielson!!! (Alpha)
    Tri-Danielson!!! (Alpha)
    Tri-Danielson!!! is the third full length album by New Jersey indie rock band Danielson Famile.-Track listing:# "Tri-Danielson!!!" – 0:22# "Southern Paws" – 2:58# "Rubber-Necker" – 1:46# "Body English" – 2:07# "Runnin' To Brother" – 3:00...

    , Danielson, Tooth and Nail, 1998
  • Tri-Danielson!!! (Omega)
    Tri-Danielson!!! (Omega)
    Tri-Danielson!!! is the fourth full length album by New Jersey indie rock band Danielson Famile. This album is referred to as Tri-Danielson, Vol. 2 by allmusic[].-Track listing:14. "Cutest Lil' Dragon"15. "Idiot Boksen"...

    , Danielson, Tooth and Nail, 1999
  • Fetch the Compass Kids
    Fetch the Compass Kids
    Fetch the Compass Kids is the fifth full length album by New Jersey indie rock band Danielson Famile. A portion of the album was recorded by Steve Albini in Chicago at his Electrical Audio studios.-Track listing:# "We Don't Say Shut Up" – 2:06...

    , Danielson Famile, Secretly Canadian
    Secretly Canadian
    Secretly Canadian is an American independent record label based in Bloomington, Indiana. It was started in 1996 by Chris and Ben Swanson, Eric Weddle, and Jonathan Cargill. Their first release was a re-issue of an album by June Panic...

    , 2001
  • Brother Is to Son
    Brother Is to Son
    Brother Is to Son is the sixth full length album by New Jersey indie rock band Brother Danielson.-Track listing:# "Things Against Stuff"# "Cookin’ Mid-County"# "Animal In Every Corner"# "Daughters Will Tune You"# "Our Givest"# "Sweet Sweeps"...

    , Brother Danielson, Secretly Canadian
    Secretly Canadian
    Secretly Canadian is an American independent record label based in Bloomington, Indiana. It was started in 1996 by Chris and Ben Swanson, Eric Weddle, and Jonathan Cargill. Their first release was a re-issue of an album by June Panic...

    , 2004
  • Ships
    Ships (album)
    Ships is the seventh full length album by New Jersey indie rock band Danielson. The album was a massive collaboration among Daniel Smith and various other musicians.-Track listing:# "Ship the Majestic Suffix" – 2:54# "Cast It at the Setting Sail" – 3:30...

    , Danielson, Secretly Canadian
    Secretly Canadian
    Secretly Canadian is an American independent record label based in Bloomington, Indiana. It was started in 1996 by Chris and Ben Swanson, Eric Weddle, and Jonathan Cargill. Their first release was a re-issue of an album by June Panic...

    , 2006
  • Best of Gloucester County
    Best of Gloucester County
    Best of Gloucester County is the eighth full length album by New Jersey indie rock band Danielson.-Track listing:# Complimentary Dismemberment Insurance# This Day Is A Loaf# Grow Up# Lil Norge# But I Don't Wanna Sing About Guitars# People's Partay...

    , Danielson, Sounds Familyre, 2011

Compilations

  • Trying Hartz (2-disc retrospective), Danielson, Secretly Canadian
    Secretly Canadian
    Secretly Canadian is an American independent record label based in Bloomington, Indiana. It was started in 1996 by Chris and Ben Swanson, Eric Weddle, and Jonathan Cargill. Their first release was a re-issue of an album by June Panic...

    , 2008

Singles

  • "Flip Flop Flim Flam" - Danielson Famile (Fluevog, 2001)
  • "The Kid" / "Five Stars and Two Thumbs Up" - Brother Danielson (Secretly Canadian
    Secretly Canadian
    Secretly Canadian is an American independent record label based in Bloomington, Indiana. It was started in 1996 by Chris and Ben Swanson, Eric Weddle, and Jonathan Cargill. Their first release was a re-issue of an album by June Panic...

    , 2003)
  • "When It Comes To You I'm Lazy" / "Goody, Goody" - Danielson (Kill Rock Stars
    Kill Rock Stars
    Kill Rock Stars is an independent record label founded in 1991 by Slim Moon and based in both Olympia, Washington and Portland, Oregon. The label has released a variety of work in different genres, making it difficult to pigeonhole as having any one artistic mission...

    , 2006)
  • "I'm Slow But I'm Sloppy" / "Did I Step On Your Remix" - Danielson (Anticon Records, 2006)
  • "Dry Goods Dry Power" / "Left-Handed Smoke Shifter" - Danielson (Sounds Familyre, 2006)
  • "Our Givest (Odd Nosdam Remix)" / "Jokin' At the Block (Dymaxion Remix)" - Danielson (Secretly Canadian, 2008)
  • "Moment Soakers" / "Eagle" - Danielson (Sounds Familyre, 2009)

DVDs

  • Tooth & Nail Videography - 1993-99 (Tooth & Nail Records, 2000)
  • Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music (Blank Stare, 2006)
  • Danielson: A Family Movie
    Danielson: A Family Movie
    Danielson: A Family Movie is a 2006 documentary film about the Christian indie pop band Danielson. It was directed, filmed, produced, and edited by JL Aronson.-Content:...

     (or, Make A Joyful Noise HERE)
    (Homevision, 2007)

Compilation appearances

  • "Song for Every Speaker" - Art Core Volume 2 (Tooth & Nail, 1996)
  • "Smooth Death" - Tooth & Nail Rock Sampler, Volume 1 (Tooth & Nail, 1997)
  • "Allhallow's Eve" - The Unaccompanied Voice: An A Capella Compilation (Secretly Canadian
    Secretly Canadian
    Secretly Canadian is an American independent record label based in Bloomington, Indiana. It was started in 1996 by Chris and Ben Swanson, Eric Weddle, and Jonathan Cargill. Their first release was a re-issue of an album by June Panic...

    , 2000)
  • "Who are Parents?" - Better Than the Beatles: A Tribute to the Shaggs
    The Shaggs
    The Shaggs were an American all-female rock group formed in Fremont, New Hampshire in 1968. The band was composed of sisters Dorothy "Dot" Wiggin , Betty Wiggin , Helen Wiggin , and later Rachel Wiggin ....

    (Animal World, 2001)
  • "Nothing to Do" - Dimension Mix: A Tribute to Bruce Haack
    Bruce Haack
    Bruce Clinton Haack was a musician, composer, and pioneer of electronic music. He was born in Alberta, Canada.-From Alberta to New York :...

    (Eenie Meenie, 2005)
  • "My Lion Sleeps Tonight" - Mews Too: An Asthmatic Kitty Compilation (Asthmatic Kitty
    Asthmatic Kitty
    Asthmatic Kitty is an American independent record label founded in 1999 by a community of musicians from Holland, Michigan led by musician Sufjan Stevens and his stepfather Lowell Brams. Some were Holland natives, and others had come to attend local colleges and universities...

    , 2006)
  • "Worried Shoes" - I Killed the Monster: 21 Artists Performing the Songs of Daniel Johnston
    Daniel Johnston
    Daniel Dale Johnston is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and artist. Johnston was the subject of the 2006 documentary The Devil and Daniel Johnston. He currently lives in Waller, Texas....

    (Second Shimmy, 2006)
  • "Happy Days Are Here Again" - Song of America
    Song of America (album)
    Song of America is a 3-disc, compilation album comprising 50 songs related to the history of America. Released on September 18, 2007 under Split Rock Records/Thirty One Tigers, the music collection was conceived by former U.S...

    (Split Rock Records / Thirty One Tigers, 2007)

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK