School of Seven Bells Live on KCRW

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School of Seven Bells treated us to a stripped down, acoustic set this morning. Stepping out from behind the swirling wall of sound and wizardry you hear on their albums — with just two acoustic guitars and a keyboard — the harmonies of identical twins Alejandra and Claudia Deheza were at the forefront and as impressive as ever. Benjamin Curtis also seemed energized by the new arrangement.

The band talked to Jason about crafting their new record, “Disconnect from Desire,” and told us they found the name through Oblique Strategies, a set of cards created by Brian Eno and Peter Schmidt first published in 1975. Each card contains a phrase or cryptic remark which can be used to “break a deadlock or dilemma situation.”  One of the sisters pulled the “disconnect from desire” card and it matched her vibe at the moment so well, they named the album after it!

(Oblique Strategies is now in its 5th edition and available as an iPhone App, in case you need some inspiration)

Check out a really special performance, including a few songs that have been getting heavy airplay: the heartwrenching “I L U” and “Windstorm,” which kicks off the album.

RR