Seems like everywhere I turn, bands are giving props to the one, the only, Charles Darwin. Well, ok, I can think of two.
Providence trio (now quartet with newly minted member, Mat Davidson), The Low Anthem, named their 2009 album after him. Lead singer, Ben Knox Miller, once explained to The Providence Journal that the thematic effort, Oh My God, Charlie Darwin, centered on “Darwinism driving the evolution of values, and not being grounded in a set of absolute values. I became obsessed by this idea of Darwinism for a while…the idea that the powerful crushes the weak and that these are the values that live on. And while species are evolving, our morals and ethical codes are evolving, too, depending on which [idea] has legs…” Super deep.
So, The Low Anthem proved the “survival of the fittest” theory in 2009 after being placed into more “Best of the Year” lists than I can count on my fingers and toes. Including ours. The band isn’t taking too much time to digest its success. The Low Anthem is getting ready to kick off a tour with the Avett Brothers in February (holy line-up, Batman), and they’re prepping their OMG,CD follow up in a reconverted pasta sauce factory. Delish! If that wasn’t enough, Miller and bandmate Jeff Prystowsky are going to resurrect their college radio show on Ohio’s WOXY 97.7 starting January 31, 2010 at 10 AM ET.
In other Charlie Darwin inspired news, it was announced today that Swedish electro-pop duo, The Knife, will release the studio version of their opera based on Mr. Darwin and his book, On the Origin of Species, in a collaboration with Mt. Sims and Planningtorock. Tomorrow, In A Year will be released on March 1, 2010. For all the info, including a free download of “Colouring of Pigeons” in exchange for your e-mail address, take a look here.