Bjork's Bjack

When the Austin City Limits lineup came out, my sister delighted in telling me Icelandic icon Bjork would be among the headliners. I think she was expecting a big reaction from the name, but I never really considered myself to be a Bjork fan. I know why she would assume as much. Several years ago I wouldn't stop talking about "Dancer In The Dark," the Lars von Trier movie staring Bjork and a whole soundtrack of her music. I was obsessed with the CD, Selmasongs, for a while. It was so inventive and exciting and depressing. Very depressing (I've seen the movie dozens of times, but I've only watched the ending three times because it makes me start bawling). When her next CD came out and it wasn't another album full of Selmasongs, Bjork and I parted ways.

With ACL on the way, my musical tastes have started veering back. I blame all the LCD Soundsystem, M.I.A. and even that damn Cabaret Hoover song spinning in my head. I'm listening to a lot more electronic, avant garde kind of stuff, and Bjork is fitting in quite nicely. Her latest CD, "Volta," bursts with percussive craziness, flowing into beautifully sparse melodies and aching lyrics. It's fantastic. I'm very curious how this will translate on stage in September.

Preview Tracks: Earth Intruders.mp3 by Bjork
Pneumonia.mp3 by Bjork
Bonus Track: In The Musicals.mp3 by Bjork, from Selmasongs
Artist Website: bjork.com
Hear More Music: Bjork's MySpace, Bjork on The Hype Machine
Buy Music: Volta, Selmasongs
ACL Online: Festival Lineup, Buy Tickets