Piñataland

Piñataland
OriginBrooklyn, New York, USA
Genresalternative rock
chamber rock, gypsy rock
Years active1998–present
MembersDavid Wechsler, Doug Stone, and a rotating cast of other musicians.
Websitehttp://music.pinataland.com/

Piñataland is a Brooklyn-based musical group created by David Wechsler and Doug Stone. Their songs are often about obscure historical events and people,[1][2] including:

  • The pygmy Ota Benga ("Ota Benga's Name")
  • The painter John Banvard ("The Ballad of John Banvard")
  • The daredevil Sam Patch ("The Fall of Sam Patch")
  • The elephant Topsy ("Coney Island Funeral")
  • The spiritualist John Murray Spear ("Dream of the New Mary")
  • The journalist William Cobbett's efforts to rebury Thomas Paine ("American Man")
  • Edward Leedskalnin's Coral Castle ("Latvian Bride")
  • The Inuit Minik Wallace ("If Ice Were Warm")

Pinataland have often performed at historical sites such as the Old Stone House (Brooklyn), the Cobble Hill Tunnel, and Green-Wood Cemetery. They have also covered historical tunes, such as President John Quincy Adams' campaign song "Little Know Ye Who's Comin'".

Discography

  • Piñataland - EP (1997)
  • Songs from Konijn Kok - EP (1999)
  • Songs for the Forgotten Future Volume 1 (2003)
  • Songs for the Forgotten Future Volume 2 (2008)
  • Hymns for the Dreadful Night (2011)

References

  1. ^ Interview with Douglas Stone, Swordfish: Justin Vellucci on Music. Originally published in Delusions of Adequacy, September 27, 2004.
  2. ^ Pinataland: Musical History, National Public Radio

External links

  • Official website
  • Pinataland on Allmusic
  • Pinataland: Musical History, National Public Radio
  • Pinataland article in New York Observer
  • Pinataland: Best dark old-weird-history orchestrette, Pinataland in Village Voice's Best of 2004