Rachel Blumberg

Rachel Chaiya Blumberg (born February 10, 1969)[1] is an American musician, artist, and filmmaker, best known for her tenure as the drummer for the indie rock band The Decemberists.

Rachel Blumberg
Rachel Blumberg playing drums for Bright Eyes
Background information
Born (1969-02-10) February 10, 1969
Portland, Oregon, U.S.
GenresIndie pop, folk rock
Occupation(s)Musician
Instrumentsdrums, percussion, vocals, ukulele, banjo, accordion, piano
Associated actsNorfolk & Western, M Ward, The Decemberists, She & Him, Jolie Holland, Bright Eyes, Death Vessel, Califone, The Low Anthem

Early life

Blumberg was born in Portland, Oregon in 1969. She is the daughter of Naomi Blumberg, a Portland cellist and President Emerita of the Oregon Cello Society, and Bernie Blumberg, a professional musician and a public school music teacher, supervisor and principal.

Music career

In addition to drumming for The Decemberists, Blumberg was a member of many Portland-based indie bands, including Sissyface, Boycrazy, Norfolk & Western, The Minders (briefly) and M. Ward's backing band.[2]

She spent most of 2007 lending her drumming and singing talents to the touring Omaha indie band Bright Eyes on the Four Winds and Cassadaga tour.[2] In 2007 and early 2008, she recorded new records with Norfolk & Western, M. Ward, and Jolie Holland.[3]

Blumberg has recorded with Providence, RI band The Low Anthem and performed with Califone, Death Vessel, and Honeybunch. She has performed her own music under the monikers Manzanita and Arch Cape.[4]

In addition to drums and singing, she plays ukulele, banjo, accordion, piano, and other various stringed, electronic or percussion instruments.[2]

Blumberg has taught for many years at Portland, Oregon's Rock and Roll Camp For Girls and its Girls Rock! Rhode Island offshoot.[4]

Filmmaking and art

Blumberg makes music videos using stop motion animation and a variety of other techniques including painting, collage, and puppetry. Notable videos she has directed include "Dry Town (Demo)" by Gillian Welch,[5] and "Jules and Jim" by Nada Surf; others include songs by Musee Mechanique, Dramady, and Tom Hagerman.[6][7] Blumberg says her animation style was influenced by the work of the Brothers Quay and Jan Svankmajer.[8]

She is also a visual artist and has shown her work in Portland, Oregon and Omaha, Nebraska. Notable musicians who own her work include Gillian Welch, Jonathan Richman, Matthew Caws of Nada Surf, Jenny Conlee of The Decemberists, and Laura Veirs.

Performing discography

Norfolk & Western
  • Centralia (LP, FILMguerrero, 2000)
  • Winter Farewell (LP, FILMguerrero, 2002)
  • Dusk in Cold Parlours (LP, Hush Records, 2003)
  • If You Were Born Overseas (LP, self-released, 2005)
  • The Unsung Colony (LP, Hush Records, 2006)

Otterpop a.k.a. Bunny Summer
  • Pollen Count (Compilation Cassette, Amacha Productions, 1992) (as Otterpop)
  • Slaughter on 13th Street (Compilation Cassette, Disgraceland Productions, 1993) (as Bunny Summer)
  • The One About Las Vegas (7" single, spinART Records, 1994) (recorded 1991) (as Bunny Summer)

Sissyface
  • A Night at the x-Ray (Cassette, Cravedog Records, 1994)
  • Damn Everything but the Circus (7", Cravedog Records, 1994)
  • 4X4 Monster Truck Series (Compilation 7", Cravedog Records, 1995)
  • Can't Stand the Smell (Compilation Cassette, Cravedog Records, 1995)
  • Muscle Car (Split 7" with Scribble, Cravedog Records, 1995)
  • With a Shower of Sparks (Compilation 7", Cavity Search Records, 1995)
  • Tiger Stripes Forever (Compilation 10", Undercover Records, 1996)
  • King Lighter Stealer (CD, Cravedog Records, 1996)
  • Can't Stand the Smell, Vol. 2 (Compilation CD, Cravedog Records, 1996)

Boycrazy
  • Last Thursday +2 (7", Magic Marker Records, 2000)
  • Foreign Words (LP, Magic Marker Records, 2001)

The Decemberists

M Ward

Robert Deeble

Douglas Shepherd
  • Type Foundry Sessions EP (EP, self-released, 2001)

Corrina Repp

She and Him

Jolie Holland

Notes and references
  1. "United States Public Records, 1970-2009," database, FamilySearch (23 May 2014), Rachel Chaiya Blumberg, Residence, Portland, Oregon, United States; a third party aggregator of publicly available information.
  2. McCullough, Amy (October 17, 2007). "Here Comes Your Fan: Dude, I'm In the Band!". Local Cut. Willamette Week. Archived from the original on October 18, 2007. Retrieved 2008-12-11.
  3. Jurek, Thom. "allmusic ((( The Living and the Dead > Overview )))". Allmusic. Retrieved 2008-12-11.
  4. "Volunteer Spotlight: Rachel Blumberg". Girls Rock! RI. 2013-07-29. Retrieved 2018-03-16.
  5. "See Gillian Welch's Quirky 'Dry Town' Video". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2018-03-16.
  6. "Animations/Film". rachelblumberg.com. Retrieved 2018-03-16.
  7. "Rachel Blumberg Sees And Hears More Than You". Take Magazine. 2016-08-03. Retrieved 2018-03-16.
  8. Blumberg, Rachel (2013-12-29), Jules and Jim - Nada Surf - Vimeo, retrieved 2018-03-16
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