White Magic (band)
Encyclopedia
Psych folk
Psychedelic folk or psych folk is a loosely defined form of psychedelic music that originated in the 1960s through the fusion of folk music and psychedelic rock...
folk rock
Folk rock
Folk rock is a musical genre combining elements of folk music and rock music. In its earliest and narrowest sense, the term referred to a genre that arose in the United States and the UK around the mid-1960s...
group based in Brooklyn, N.Y., led by singer/guitarist/pianist Mira Billotte.
History
White Magic's original lineup was Mira Billotte on vocals and piano, drummer/bassist Miggy Littleton and guitarist/drummer Andy Macleod. Billotte played drums and sang in Quix*o*tic with her sister Christina BillotteChristina Billotte
Christina Billotte is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. She is known for her involvement in the punk music scene in Washington DC, as a performer and organizer...
(of Slant 6
Slant 6
Slant 6 was an all-female punk rock trio based in Washington, D.C.The group consisted of Christina Billotte , Myra Power , and Marge Marshall ; it formed in July 1992 following the 1991 breakup of Autoclave, in which Billotte had played...
fame); Miggie Littleton was a founding member of Blood On The Wall
Blood On The Wall
Blood on the Wall is a lo-fi, Brooklyn-based indie rock band, influenced by bands like The Jesus and Mary Chain, Pavement, Pixies, and Sonic Youth. Band members include siblings Courtney and Brad Shanks and drummer Miggy Littleton...
; and MacLeod also played in California Speedway
California Speedway
Auto Club Speedway is a two-mile , low-banked, D-shaped oval superspeedway in Fontana, California which has hosted NASCAR racing annually since 1997. The track was also used for open wheel racing events until 2005. The racetrack is located near the former locations of Ontario Motor Speedway and...
. The current lineup includes "Sleepy" Doug Shaw. Occasionally Tim Dewitt drummer of Gang Gang Dance
Gang Gang Dance
Gang Gang Dance is an American experimental music band based in Manhattan, New York City. The band is known for its distinctive sound which features synthesized electronics and percussion, plus the varied vocal styles of singer Lizzi Bougatsos...
, then credited as "Dutch E-Germ" would play with White Magic when Miggy was not available. For a couple of years, the band played in New York. They soon appeared on a United Bamboo compilation. Drag City
Drag City (record label)
Drag City is a Chicago-based independent record label. It was established with a Royal Trux release in 1990 in Chicago, Illinois by Dan Koretzky and Dan Osborn.Drag City specializes in experimental indie rock acts...
signed them in 2003, and in 2004, they released the band's Through The Sun Door EP to general critical praise. They toured the U.S. in 2009, opening for like-minded folk musicians including Will Oldham
Will Oldham
Will Oldham , better known by the stage name Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, is an American singer-songwriter and actor. From 1993 to 1997, he performed and recorded under variations of the Palace name, including the Palace Brothers, Palace Songs, and Palace Music...
.
In 2005, the group appeared on a free split EP, sponsored by Tylenol
Tylenol
Tylenol is a North American brand of drugs advertised for reducing pain, reducing fever, and relieving the symptoms of allergies, cold, cough, and flu. The active ingredient of its original, flagship product, paracetamol , is marketed as an analgesic and antipyretic...
; it featured three songs each by White Magic and indie rock band The American Analog Set
The American Analog Set
The American Analog Set is an Austin-based indie rock band. They have released six studio albums, on the record labels Emperor Jones and Tiger Style, with their latest on Arts & Crafts.-History:...
. Throughout 2005, Billotte performed as White Magic accompanied by guitarist Sleepy Doug Shaw. White Magic's current lineup's core consists of these two musicians, aided by an array of friends/musicians of similar musical aesthetics.
On November 14, 2006, debut album Dat Rosa Mel Apibus was released on Drag City
Drag City (record label)
Drag City is a Chicago-based independent record label. It was established with a Royal Trux release in 1990 in Chicago, Illinois by Dan Koretzky and Dan Osborn.Drag City specializes in experimental indie rock acts...
.
White Magic's EP, Dark Stars, was released on Drag City on October 26, 2007.
In 2007, Billotte recorded 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...
's "As I Went Out One Morning
As I Went Out One Morning
"As I Went Out One Morning" is a song written by Bob Dylan, released on his 1967 album John Wesley Harding. He has only performed this song live once, in the early phase of the Bob Dylan and The Band 1974 Tour....
" for the Todd Haynes
Todd Haynes
Todd Haynes is an American independent film director and screenwriter. He is best known for his feature films Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story, Poison, Velvet Goldmine, Safe, and the Academy Award-nominated Far from Heaven and I'm Not There.- Style and themes :The writes that "Haynes is...
film I'm Not There
I'm Not There
I'm Not There is a 2007 biographical musical film directed by Todd Haynes, inspired by iconic American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. Six actors depict different facets of Dylan's life and public persona: Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Marcus Carl Franklin, Richard Gere, Heath Ledger, and Ben Whishaw...
.
Discography
- Through The Sun Door EP (2004, Drag City)
- Songs of Hurt and Healing split EP with American Analog Set (2005, Ouch!)
- "Long Time Ago" on the Rogue's Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs, and Chanteys compilation (2006, Anti)
- Katie CruelKatie CruelKatie Cruel is a traditional American folksong, likely of Scottish origin. As a traditional song, it has been recorded by many performers, but the best known recording of the song is by Karen Dalton on the album In My Own Time...
Single (2006, Drag City) - Dat Rosa Mel Apibus (2006, Drag City)
- Dark Stars EP (2007, Drag City)
- "New Egypt" 1-song release, limited to 1000 cds (2008, Southern)
External links
- http://www.myspace.com/whitemagicmusicWhite Magic on MyspaceMyspaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
] - PUNKCAST#335 Live video from Knitting Factory NYC, Sep 27 2003. (RealPlayerRealPlayerRealPlayer is a cross-platform media player by RealNetworks that plays a number of multimedia formats including MP3, MPEG-4, QuickTime, Windows Media, and multiple versions of proprietary RealAudio and RealVideo formats.-History:...
) - Drag City press page for White Magic