β€˜Dust Lane' Leads to San Diego

You may not recognize the name Yann Tiersen, but if you've ever seen "AmΓ©lie," you probably love his music.

The Paris-based composer is best known in the U.S. for scoring the five-time Oscar-nominated film, but his talents have been well utilized in France for years. Since the 1990s, Tiersen has released six solo albums and scored more than a dozen French films, documentaries and TV shows. On March 10, he'll bring his considerable body of work to the Belly Up.


Win Tickets to Yann TIersen's Belly Up Show on OwlandBear.com


Tiersen's latest solo effort is 2010's Dust Lane, which finds him embracing an entirely new sound. With Dust Lane, Tiersen puts away his signature instruments -- piano, violin and accordion -- and picks up the synth and electric guitar. Despite this exploration of uncharted territory, the album is distinctively Yann Tiersen. It's also exactly where he wants to be; when asked about his new direction, Tiersen said in an interview with the the anti- records website), "I took some distance and decided to deconstruct most of the songs as I was quite tired with the traditional structure of chorus, bridge, etc."

Tiersen is also known for putting on intricate live shows, sometimes switching from one instrument to another without batting an eye. To get an idea of what his Belly Up performance might be like, check out this live video of his song "Palestine."

Indie folk Breathe Owl Breathe will open the show. Their blend of quirky storytelling, expert musicianship and energy made their latest album, Magic Central, one of Owl and Bear's favorites of 2010. For a sample of their music, check out the songs "Own Stunts" and "Across the Loch." If their show last year at the Casbah is any indication, their opening set will not disappoint -- so get there early.

Yann Tiersen and Breathe Owl Breathe play the Belly Up on March 10. Get your tickets here.

T. Loper is a writer and photographer for the San Diego music blog Owl and Bear.

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