{{taxobox |name = Birch |image = Betula pendula 001.jpg |image_caption = Silver Birch |regnum = Plantae |unranked_divisio = Angiosperms |unranked_classis = Eudicots |unranked_ordo = Rosids |ordo = Fagales |familia = Betulaceae |genus = ''Betula'' |genus_authority = L. |subdivision_ranks = Species |subdivision = ''Many species;'' ''see text and classification'' |}}

Birch is a tree or shrub of the genus ''Betula'' ( ''Bé-tu-la''), in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/oak family, Fagaceae. The Betula genus contains 30–60 known taxa. It is widespread on the Northern Hemisphere, across a variety of boreal, mountainous and temperate climates.

Etymology

The common name ''birch'' is derived from an old Germanic root, ''birka'', with the Proto-Indo-European root *''bherəg'', "white, bright; to shine." The Proto-Germanic rune berkanan is named after the birch. The botanic name ''Betula'' is from Latin.

Description

Birch species are generally small to medium-size trees or shrubs, mostly of temperate climates. The simple leaves are alternate, doubly serrate, feather-veined, petiolate, and stipulate. They often appear in pairs, but these pairs are really borne on spur-like two-leaved lateral branchlets.. The fruit is a small samara, although the wings may be obscure in some species. They differ from the alders (''Alnus'', other genus in the family) in that the female catkins are not woody and disintegrate at maturity, falling apart to release the seeds, unlike the woody cone-like female alder catkins.

The bark of all birches is characteristically marked with long horizontal lenticels, and often separates into thin papery plates, especially upon the Paper Birch. It is practically imperishable, due to the resinous oil which it contains. Its decided color gives the common names gray, white, black, silver and yellow birch to different species.

The buds form early and are full grown by midsummer, all are lateral, no terminal bud is formed; the branch is prolonged by the upper lateral bud. The wood of all the species is close-grained with satiny texture and capable of taking a fine polish; its fuel value is fair.

Flower and fruit

The flowers are monoecious, opening with or before the leaves and borne on three-flowered clusters in the axils of the scales of drooping or erect aments. Staminate aments are pendulous, clustered or solitary in the axils of the last leaves of the branch of the year or near the ends of the short lateral branchlets of the year. They form in early autumn and remain rigid during the winter. The scales of the staminate aments when mature are broadly ovate, rounded, yellow or orange color below the middle, dark chestnut brown at apex. Each scale bears two bractlets and three sterile flowers, each flower consisting of a sessile, membranaceous, usually two-lobed, calyx. Each calyx bears four short filaments with one-celled anthers or strictly, two filaments divided into two branches, each bearing a half-anther. Anther cells open longitudinally. The pistillate aments (catkins) are erect or pendulous, solitary; terminal on the two-leaved lateral spur-like branchlets of the year. The pistillate scales are oblong-ovate, three-lobed, pale yellow green often tinged with red, becoming brown at maturity. These scales bear two or three fertile flowers, each flower consisting of a naked ovary. The ovary is compressed, two-celled, and crowned with two slender styles; the ovule is solitary.

Ecology

thumb|right|alt=A stand of birch trees|A stand of birch trees.Birches often form even-aged stands on light, well-drained, particularly acidic soils. They are regarded as pioneer species, rapidly colonising open ground especially in secondary successional sequences following a disturbance or fire. Birches are early tree species to establish in primary successions and can become a threat to heathland if the seedlings and saplings are not suppressed by grazing or periodic burning. Birches are generally lowland species, but some species such as ''Betula nana'' have a montane distribution. In the British island, there is some difference between the environments of ''Betula pendula'' and ''Betula pubescens'', and some hybridization, though both are "opportunists in steady-state woodland systems". Mycorrhizal fungi, including sheathing (ecto-) myccorhizas, are found in some cases to be beneficial to tree growth.

Birch foliage is used as a food plant by the larvae of a large number of Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) species; see List of Lepidoptera that feed on birches.

Species

;Birches of North America include:

''Betula alleghaniensis''—Yellow Birch (''B. lutea'')

''Betula cordifolia''—Mountain Paper Birch

''Betula glandulosa''—American Dwarf Birch

''Betula kenaica''—Kenai birch

''Betula lenta''—Sweet Birch, Cherry Birch, or Black Birch

*''Betula lenta'' subsp. ''uber''—Virginia Round-Leaf Birch (endemic, Cressy Creek, Smyth County, Virginia)

''Betula michauxii''—Newfoundland Dwarf Birch

''Betula minor''—Dwarf White Birch

''Betula nana''—Dwarf Birch or Bog Birch (also in northern Europe and Asia)

''Betula neoalaskana''—Alaska Birch or Yukon Birch

''Betula nigra''—River Birch or Black Birch

''Betula occidentalis''—Water Birch or Red Birch (''B. fontinalis'')

''Betula papyrifera''—Paper Birch, Canoe Birch or American White Birch

''Betula pendula''—Silver Birch, a European birch commonly planted as an ornamental, becoming naturalized

''Betula populifolia''—Gray Birch

''Betula pubescens''—Downy Birch also known as White Birch, European White Birch, Hairy Birch (Greenland; also in Europe incl. Iceland, northern Asia)

*''Betula pubescens'' subspecies ''tortuosa''—Arctic Downy Birch (Greenland; also in subarctic Eurasia incl. Iceland)

''Betula pumila''—Swamp Birch

;Birches of Europe and Asia include:

''Betula aetniensis''—Sicilian Birch

''Betula albosinensis''—Chinese Red Birch

*''Betula albosinensis'' var. ''septentrionalis''—North Chinese Red Birch

''Betula alnoides''—Alder-leaf Birch

''Betula austrosinensis''—South China Birch

''Betula carpatica''—Carpathian Birch

''Betula chinensis''—Chinese Dwarf Birch

''Betula dalecarlica''

''Betula ermanii''—Erman's Birch

''Betula grossa''—Japanese Cherry Birch

''Betula jacquemontii'' (''Betula utilis'' subsp. ''jacquemontii'')—White-barked Himalayan Birch

''Betula kamtschatica''—Kamchatka birch ''platyphylla''

''Betula mandschurica''—Manchurian Birch

*''Betula mandschurica'' var. ''japonica''—Japanese Birch

''Betula maximowiczii''—Monarch Birch

''Betula medwediewii''—Caucasian Birch

''Betula nana''—Dwarf Birch (also in northern North America)

''Betula pendula''—Silver Birch

''Betula platyphylla'' (''Betula pendula'' var. ''platyphylla'')—Siberian Silver Birch

''Betula pubescens''—Downy Birch also known as White Birch, European White Birch, Hairy Birch (Europe incl. Iceland, northern Asia; also in Greenland in North America)

*''Betula pubescens'' subspecies ''tortuosa''—Arctic Downy Birch (subarctic Eurasia incl. Iceland; also in Greenland in North America)

''Betula szechuanica'' (''Betula pendula'' var. ''szechuanica'')—Sichuan Birch

''Betula utilis''—Himalayan Birch

:''Note: many American texts have ''B. pendula'' and ''B. pubescens'' confused, though they are distinct species with different chromosome numbers.''

Uses

Birch wood is fine-grained and pale in colour, often with an attractive satin-like sheen. Ripple figuring may occur, increasing the value of the timber for veneer and furniture-making. The highly-decorative Masur (or Karelian) birch, from ''Betula verrucosa'' var. ''carelica'' has ripple texture combined with attractive dark streaks and lines. Birch wood is suitable for veneer, and birch ply is among the strongest and most dimensionally-stable plywoods, although it is unsuitable for exterior use.

Birch ply is made from laminations of birch veneer. It is light but strong and has many other good properties. Birch ply is used to make longboards (skateboard), giving it a strong yet flexy ride. It is also used (often in very thin grades with many laminations) for making model aircraft.

Extracts of birch are used for flavoring or leather oil, and in cosmetics such as soap or shampoo. In the past, commercial oil of wintergreen (methyl salicylate) was made from the Sweet Birch (''Betula lenta'').

''Birch-tar'' or ''Russian Oil'' extracted from birch bark is thermoplastic and waterproof; it was used as a glue on, for example, arrows, and also for medicinal purposes.

Fragrant twigs of silver birch are used in saunas to relax the muscles.

Birch is also associated with the feast of Pentecost in Germany, Central & Eastern Europe, and Russia, where its branches are used as decoration for churches and homes on this day.

Birch leaves make a diuretic tea and to make extracts for dyes and cosmetics.

Ground birch bark, fermented in sea water, is used for seasoning the woolen, hemp or linen sails and hemp rope of traditional Norwegian boats.

Birch twigs were bound in a bundle, also called birch, to be used for birching, a form of corporal punishment.

Many of the First Nations of North America prized the birch for its bark, which due to its light weight, flexibility, and the ease with which it could be stripped from fallen trees, was often used for the construction of strong, waterproof but lightweight canoes, bowls, and wigwams.

The Hughes H-4 Hercules was made mostly of birch wood, despite its better-known moniker, "The Spruce Goose".

Birch is used as firewood due to its high calorific value per unit weight and unit volume. It burns well, without popping, even when frozen and freshly hewn. The bark will burn very well even when wet because of the oils it contains. With care, it can be split into very thin sheets that will ignite from even the smallest of sparks.

Birch sap extracted by cutting the standing trees is considered a common drink in rural Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia. The juice is sometimes extracted, bottled and sold commercially. Similarly in the British Isles the sap is often used to make a wine. Birch seeds are used as leaf litter in miniature terrain models. ''Birch flowers'' is the English marketing name for the catkins of the broussonetia luzonica tree. Known in the Philippines as ''himbabao'' or ''alukon'', these flowers are commonly used in the cuisine of northeastern Luzon. However, despite their English name and the similar appearance of their flowers, broussonetia luzonica is not in any way related to the birch tree.

Medical

Birch bark is high in betulin and betulinic acid, phytochemicals which have potential as pharmaceuticals, and other chemicals which show promise as industrial lubricants. Birch bark can be soaked until moist in water, and then formed into a cast for a broken arm.

The inner bark of birch can be ingested safely.

In northern latitudes birch is considered to be the most important allergenic tree pollen, with an estimated 15-20% of hay fever sufferers sensitive to birch pollen grains.

Paper

Wood pulp made from birch gives relatively long and slender fibres for a hardwood. The thin walls causes the fibre to collapse upon drying giving a paper with low bulk and low opacity. The birch fibres are however easily fibrillated and gives about 75 % of the tensile strenght of softwood. The low opacity makes it suitable for making glassine.

In India, the birch (Sanskrit: भुर्ज, ''bhurj'') holds great historical significance in the culture of Northern India, where the thin bark coming off in winter was extensively used as writing paper. Birch paper (Sanskrit: भुर्ज पत्र, ''bhurj pətrə'') is exceptionally durable and was the material used for many ancient Indian texts. This bark also has been used widely in ancient Russia as note paper (''beresta'') and for decorative purposes and even making footwear.

Tonewood

Baltic Birch is among the most sought after wood in the manufacture of speaker cabinets. Birch has a natural resonance that peaks in the high and low frequencies, which are also the hardest for speakers to reproduce. This resonance compensates for the roll-off of low and high frequencies in the speakers, and evens the tone. Birch is known for having "natural EQ."

Drums are often made from Birch. Prior to the 1970s, Birch was one of the most popular drum woods. Because of the need for greater volume and midrange clarity, drums were made almost entirely from maple until recently, when advancements in live sound reinforcement and drum microphones have allowed the use of Birch in high volume situations. Birch drums have a natural boost in the high and low frequencies, which allow the drums to sound fuller.

Birch wood is sometimes used as a tonewood for semi-acoustic and acoustic guitar bodies and occasionally used for solid-body guitar bodies. Birch wood is also a common material used in mallets for keyboard percussion.

Culture

Birches have spiritual importance in several religions, both modern and historical.

They are associated with the Tír na nÓg, the land of the dead and the Sidhe, in Gaelic folklore, and as such frequently appear in Scottish, Irish, and English folksongs and ballads in association with death, or fairies, or returning from the grave.

The birch tree is considered a national tree of Russia, where it used to be worshipped as a goddess during the Green Week in early June.

It is also New Hampshire's state tree.

In the Swedish city of Umeå, the silver birch tree has a special place. In 1888, the city was ravaged by fires that spread all over the city and nearly burnt it down to the ground, but some birches, supposedly, halted the spread of the fire. To protect the city against future fires, it was decided to plant silver birch trees all over the city. Umeå later adopted the unofficial name of "City of the Birches (Björkarnas stad)". Also, the ice hockey team of Umeå is called Björklöven, translated to english "The Birch Leaves".

In parts of Germany, young men erect decorated birch trees in front of the houses of their love interests on the night of May 1, to show their feelings.

See also

Taxonomy of Betula

References

Flora of North America: ''Betula''

Flora of China: ''Betula''

External links

Tree Family Betulaceae Diagnostic photos of many species, Morton Arboretum specimens

Category:Trees Category:Ayurvedic medicaments

af:Berk ar:قضبان (نبات) an:Betula az:Tozağacı ba:Ҡайын be:Бяроза be-x-old:Бяроза (дрэва) bo:ཤིང་སྟག་པ། bs:Breza (drvo) br:Bezv bg:Бреза ca:Bedoll cv:Хурăн cs:Bříza cy:Bedwen da:Birk pdc:Baerickebaam de:Birken nv:Kʼishchííʼ et:Kask el:Σημύδα myv:Килей es:Betula eo:Betulo eu:Urki fa:توس (درخت) fr:Bouleau fy:Bjirken ga:Beith gv:Beih (billey) gd:Beith got:𐌱𐌹𐍂𐌺𐌰/Birka ko:자작나무속 hi:भूर्ज hsb:Brěza io:Birko os:Бæрз is:Birki it:Betula he:שדר (עץ) ka:არყი kk:Қайың kv:Кыдз koi:Кыдз lbe:КӀялагьи la:Betula lv:Bērzi lt:Beržas lmo:Bèdola hu:Nyírfa mn:Хус mrj:Куги nl:Berk nds-nl:Birk ne:सउर ja:カバノキ属 frr:Birkebuumer no:Bjørkeslekten nn:Bjørk oc:Beç mhr:Куэ pnb:برچ pcd:Boulhé pl:Brzoza pt:Bétula ro:Mesteacăn qu:Awidul ru:Берёза sah:Хатыҥ sc:Betulla sq:Betula sk:Breza (rod) cu:Брѣꙁа sl:Breza sr:Бреза sh:Breza (biljka) fi:Koivut sv:Björksläktet tl:Betula tr:Huş udm:Кызьпу uk:Береза vec:Bredoła vi:Chi Bạch dương wa:Beyôle zh:桦木属

Coordinates	35°0′41.69″N135°46′5.47″N
name	Diane Birch
background	solo_singer
birth date	January 24, 1983
origin	Michigan
instrument	Piano/Rhodes/Wurlitzer/Vocal
genre	Soul, blues
years active	2009—
label	S-Curve
website	}}

Diane Birch (born January 24, 1983) is an American singer-songwriter.

Early life

Birch was born in Michigan and her father was a Seventh-day Adventist preacher whose work took him to several countries. As a child Birch lived with her family in Zimbabwe, South Africa and Sydney, Australia. When she was ten, her family returned to the United States of America, and settled in Portland, Oregon. Diane attended Portland Adventist Elementary School and later, Portland Adventist Academy.

Birch began studying piano using the Suzuki method at the age of seven and she listened to opera, classical and church music while growing up.

Career

Birch moved to Los Angeles to compose music for films and instead played piano at the Beverly Hotel and L'Orangerie. Prince heard her perform at the Polo Lounge in 2006 and invited her to join him at his home for a music session with his band. Birch moved to London, signed a publishing contract and wrote most of the songs that appeared on her debut album.

In 2007, she moved to New York after signing with Steve Greenberg's S-Curve Records.

Birch's debut album, ''Bible Belt'', was released in 2009 on S-Curve Records and received supportive reviews in Rolling Stone, Paper Magazine and the Huffington Post.

In 2009 Birch appeared on the ''Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson'', ''Late Show with David Letterman'', the Carson Daly Show, Jimmy Kimmel, ''The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien'', ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' and the webcast, ''Live from Daryl's House''

Her song ''Rise Up'' was the Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week in October 2009 and her song ''Valentino'' appeared in the movie Valentine's Day (film)'.

In 2010 Birch was the opening act for Stevie Wonder at the "Hard Rock Calling Festival" in Hyde Park and Nîmes, France and Nick Jonas and the Administration. Birch performed shows in Osaka and Tokyo. In September, Birch released the single track "Gee Whiz It's Christmas" on Amazon and iTunes. Birch also co-wrote and sang the song "Too Soon to End" by Alain Clark.In December Birch released a digital only EP called "The Velveteen Age".

In addition to keyboards Birch also plays guitar.

Discography

Studio albums

Year	Album details	Peak chart positions				! style="width:30px;"	! style="width:30px;"
		2009	style="text-align:left;"				* First studio album	* Release date: May 19, 2009	S-Curve">Music recording sales certification
! style="width:30px;"	! style="width:30px;"	! style="width:30px;"
2009	style="text-align:left;"			* First studio album	* Release date: May 19, 2009	S-Curve	87	77	26
2010				* with The Phenomenal Hand Clap Band	* Covers album	* Release date: December 7, 2010	S-Curve Records>S-Curve

Other appearances

! Year	! Song	! Album
	"Valentino"
"Too Soon to End" (with Alain Clark)	"ColourBlind"

Singles

Year	Single	Peak positions		Album
		! style="width:35px;"	! style="width:35px;"
2009		—	—
2010		—	—	The Velveteen Age
2011		—	—	Wind Up Bird Song (Single)

Music videos

! Year	! Title	! Director
2009		Moh Azima
		Dennis Liu
	Gavin Elder

References

External links

Diane Birch youtube channel

Diane Birch: The 'Bible Belt,' In Eclectic Song from National Public Radio

Diane Birch live in concert from NPR station WXPN

Diane Birch performs Rewind as part of Guardian How I wrote series

Category:1983 births Category:Living people Category:American expatriates in Australia Category:American expatriates in South Africa Category:American expatriates in Zimbabwe Category:American female singers Category:American singer-songwriters Category:American pianists Category:American soul singers Category:Songwriters from Michigan

da:Diane Birch de:Diane Birch ko:다이앤 버치 ja:ダイアン・バーチ pt:Diane Birch sv:Diane Birch

Coordinates	35°0′41.69″N135°46′5.47″N
name	Joanna Newsom
partner	Andy Samberg (2010-present)
background	solo_singer
born	Joanna Caroline Newsom January 18, 1982 in Nevada City, California, United States
instrument	VoiceHarpPiano Harpsichord
genre	Indie folk
label	Drag City
notable instruments	}}

Joanna Newsom (born January 18, 1982) is an American harpist, pianist and singer-songwriter from Nevada City, California.

Early life

Newsom grew up in the small town of Nevada City, California. As a child, Newsom was not allowed to watch television or listen to the radio because she was raised by doctors who were "kind of idealists when it came to hoping they could protect us from bad influences, like violent movies, or stupid stuff". She was exposed to music from a young age. Her father played the guitar and her mother was a classically trained pianist who played the hammered dulcimer, the autoharp and conga drums. She attended a Waldorf school where she studied theater and learned to memorize and recite long poems. This skill helps her to remember lyrics while on tour.

At the age of 5, Newsom asked her parents if she could play the harp. Her parents eventually agreed to sign her up for harp lessons, but the local harp teacher did not want to take on such a young student and suggested she learn to play the piano first. Starting at the age of four, she began playing the piano and later the harp, which she "loved from the first lesson onward." From her instructor, Joanna learned composition and improvisation. She learned to play on smaller Celtic harps until her parents bought her a full-size pedal harp in the seventh grade. During her teens, she and the instrument became inseparable, and she describes her relationship with the harp as similar to "an artificial limb or a wheelchair. It’s almost part of me, but more to the point, it serves a purpose, and if it wasn’t there I would wonder what was supposed to fit in its place."

She studied composition and creative writing at Mills College in Oakland, California. While at Mills, she played keyboards in The Pleased. She dropped out of the school in order to focus on her music.

Career

In 2002 and 2003, Newsom recorded two EPs, ''Walnut Whales'' and ''Yarn and Glue''. These homemade recordings were intended to serve as a document of her early work; she recorded them on a Fisher-Price tape recorder. These EPs were not intended for public distribution. At the suggestion of Noah Georgeson, her boyfriend at the time and the EPs' recorder, she burned several copies to sell at her early shows. John Fellman, co-producer of Mission Creek Music and Arts Festival, claims to be the first to have booked a show for her.

A friend of Newsom's passed one of these CDs on to Will Oldham at a show in Nevada City. Oldham was impressed with Newsom's music and asked her to tour with him. He also gave a copy of the CD to the owner of Drag City, his record label. Drag City signed Newsom and released her debut album ''The Milk-Eyed Mender'' in 2004. Shortly thereafter, Newsom toured with Devendra Banhart and Vetiver and made an early UK appearance at the Green Man Festival in Wales, returning to headline in 2005, 2007 and 2010.

Newsom's work has become prominent on the indie scene. Her profile has risen, in part, due to a number of live shows and appearances on shows like ''Jimmy Kimmel Live'' on ABC.

Her second album ''Ys'' was released in November 2006. The album features orchestrations and arrangements by Van Dyke Parks, engineering from Steve Albini and mixing by Drag City label-mate Jim O'Rourke. On a road trip, Bill Callahan recommended she listen to the album ''Song Cycle'' by Parks, which led to his being chosen to arrange her work on ''Ys''.

Joanna is known to debut songs impromptu at her concerts. On March 28, 2009, she performed over two hours of new material at a 'secret' concert in Big Sur, California with fellow Nevada City singer-songwriter Mariee Sioux under the pseudonym 'The Beatles's'. Those in attendance reported that about one-third of her new material was played primarily on piano, with a backing arrangement of banjo, violin, guitar and drums.

Since late 2006, Joanna has performed a solo harp version of the Robert Burns poem "Ca the Yowes Tae the Knowes".

Several of the songs on ''The Milk-Eyed Mender'' have been covered by her peers. "Bridges and Balloons" was covered by The Decemberists on their 2005 EP ''Picaresqueties''. "Sprout and the Bean" has been covered by The Moscow Coup Attempt and Sholi. "Peach, Plum, Pear" has been covered by Final Fantasy (Owen Pallett) on the 2006 EP ''Young Canadian Mothers'', as well as by Straylight Run. M Ward has played "Sadie" at some of his live shows.

In 2009, she appeared in the music video for the song "Kids" by the group MGMT.

On January 12, 2010, an entry cryptically entitled "@!?*(%$#!!" was posted on the Drag City website. It contained a link which led to a short comic strip titled "Joanna Newsom 'Have One on Me'" with a date of February 23, 2010. Later that day, it was confirmed by Spunk, Newsom's Australian label, that the title and date represented the title of Newsom's upcoming album and its release date. P-Vine Records in Japan announced that ''Have One on Me'', which was recorded in Tokyo in 2009, would be released in Japan on March 3, 2010, as a 3-disc CD set, with a total of approximately three hours of new recordings. Newsom was chosen by Matt Groening to perform at the edition of the All Tomorrow's Parties festival he curated in May 2010 in Minehead, England.

On February 11, 2010, Pitchfork Media reported that Newsom would be the subject of a tribute book titled ''Visions of Joanna Newsom'' which has now been published by Roan Press. She toured throughout Europe and America in 2010 to promote her latest record, supported by a five-man band. In December 2010, a tribute album of Newsom covers was released as a digital download. Artists involved include M. Ward, Billy Bragg and Owen Pallett, with all proceeds going to Oxfam America's Pakistan Flood Relief Efforts.

On July 19, 2011, Newsom's second single, ''What We Have Known'', was be released on 12" vinyl. The single was originally the b-side to her first single, ''Sprout and the Bean''. In June 2011, she filmed her second music video (for the song "Good Intentions Paving Company") with directors Karni & Saul.

Style

Newsom's earlier work was strongly influenced by polyrhythms. Her harp teacher, Diana Stork, taught her the basic pattern of four beats against three which creates an interlocking, shifting pattern that can be heard on ''Ys'', particularly in the middle section of "Sawdust & Diamonds." After ''Ys'', Newsom said she had lost interest in polyrhythms. They "stopped being fascinating to me and started feeling wanky."

The media have sometimes labeled her as one of the most prominent members of the modern psych folk movement. Joanna, however, makes no ties to any particular music scene. Her songwriting incorporates elements of Appalachian music and avant-garde modernism.

Newsom's vocal style (in the November 2006 issue of ''The Wire'' she described her voice as "untrainable") has shadings of folk and Appalachian shaped-note timbres. Newsom has, however, expressed disappointment at comments that her singing is "child-like."

Critics noticed a change in Newsom's voice on her latest album. In the spring of 2009, Newsom developed vocal cord nodules and could not speak or sing for two months. The recovery from the nodules and further "vocal modifications" changed her voice.

Collaborations

In addition to her solo work, Newsom has played on records by Smog, Vetiver, Nervous Cop, The Year Zero, Vashti Bunyan, Moore Brothers, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Golden Shoulders and The Roots and played keyboards for The Pleased.

Personal life

Newsom's family includes her brother Pete, a fellow musician, and sister Emily, who inspired her song "Emily" (and contributed backing vocals). She is the second cousin, twice removed, of Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom of California. She has dated Noah Georgeson, Bill Callahan and is dating Andy Samberg.

Discography

;Albums

''The Milk-Eyed Mender'' (Drag City, 2004)

''Ys'' (Drag City, 2006) US #134, UK #41

''Have One on Me'' (Drag City, 2010) US #75, UK #28

;Early unofficial recordings

''Walnut Whales'' (self-released, 2002)

''Yarn and Glue'' (self-released, 2003)

;EPs ''Joanna Newsom and the Ys Street Band'' (Drag City, 2007) UK #135

;Singles

"Sprout and the Bean" (Drag City, 2004)

"What We Have Known" (Drag City, 2011)

Licensing of songs

In 2004, "Peach, Plum, Pear" played over the credits of the animated short ''City Paradise''.

In 2004, "This Side of the Blue" was used on a British television commercial for Orange SA.

In 2006, "Sprout and the Bean" was used in a tourism ad for Melbourne, Australia.

In 2007, "Clam, Crab, Cockle, Cowrie" was used in the PBS documentary ''Following Sean''.

In 2007, "Clam, Crab, Cockle, Cowrie" was sung by an aspiring musician in the film ''Great World of Sound''.

In 2008, "Sprout and the Bean" was featured in the film ''The Strangers''.

In 2008, "Clam, Crab, Cockle, Cowrie" was used in a television commercial for HSBC.

In 2008, "The Book of Right-On" was used in an MTV ad for sexual care and education.

In 2009, "The Book of Right-On" was licensed for the end credits of the Mexican/Italian film The Best of Feelings

In 2009, "Sprout and the Bean" was used in a Victoria's Secret Bra commercial.

In 2009, the harp intro of "Cosmia" was used in the Louis Theroux documentary "A Place for Paedophiles."

In 2009, "Sprout and the Bean" was used again in a tourism ad for Melbourne, Australia.

In 2009, a shorter edit of "Inflammatory Writ" was used in ads for the Spanish TV channel La Sexta In 2010, "Bridges & Balloons" was used in an LG commercial.

References

Interviews

Tiny Mix Tapes (September 2004)

KCRW (February 2005)

The Guardian (October 15, 2006)

The Wire (November 2006)

Pitchfork (November 20, 2006)

The Times (February 20, 2010)

External links

Drag City

Category:American harpists Category:American pianists Category:American female singers Category:American singer-songwriters Category:American folk singers Category:Harpists Category:Psych folk musicians Category:Musicians from California Category:Drag City artists Category:New Weird America Category:Mills College alumni Category:People from San Francisco, California Category:People from Nevada City, California Category:1982 births Category:Living people

da:Joanna Newsom de:Joanna Newsom es:Joanna Newsom fr:Joanna Newsom it:Joanna Newsom he:ג'ואנה ניוסום la:Ioanna Newsom nl:Joanna Newsom ja:ジョアンナ・ニューサム pl:Joanna Newsom pt:Joanna Newsom ru:Ньюсом, Джоанна simple:Joanna Newsom sk:Joanna Newsomová fi:Joanna Newsom sv:Joanna Newsom

Gaylord G. Birch (March 10, 1946 – April 14, 1996) was a drummer for the bands Santana, Cold Blood, Pointer Sisters & Herbie Hancock.

Birch was the drummer for the Pointer Sisters during 1974 and performed many live performances with the group. Birch also appeared in the band Santana during 1976 and again in 1991 as well as playing the drums for a number of Herbie Hancock performances. He was also briefly a member of the Jerry Garcia Band. Birch also played drums briefly with Cold Blood, and is on the recording "Cold Blood Live at the Record Plant Sausalito".

In 1986 Birch married Mary Irene McCrea. In 1991 they gave birth to a daughter, Irene Audrey, and, in 1994, a son Edward Anderson. Birch died on April 14, 1996 of cancer at age 50.

Notes

Category:1946 births Category:1996 deaths