Rachel Blumberg


Rachel Chaiya Blumberg is an American musician, artist, and filmmaker, most notable for her tenure as the drummer for the indie rock band the Decemberists.
𝕏 rachelblumberg

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 and M. Ward's backing band.
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. In 2007 and early 2008, she recorded new records with Norfolk & Western, M. Ward, and Jolie Holland.
Blumberg has recorded with Providence, Rhode Island, 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.
In addition to drums and singing, she plays ukulele, banjo, accordion, piano, and other various stringed, electronic and percussion instruments.
Blumberg has taught for many years at Portland, Oregon's Rock and Roll Camp for Girls and its Girls Rock! Rhode Island offshoot.

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 " by Gillian Welch, and "Jules and Jim" by Nada Surf; others include songs by Musee Mechanique, Dramady, and Tom Hagerman. Blumberg says her animation style was influenced by the work of the Brothers Quay and Jan Svankmajer.
As a visual artist, she 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 Winter Farewell Dusk in Cold Parlours If [You Were Born Overseas]

Otterpop a.k.a. Bunny Summer

Pollen Count Slaughter on 13th Street

Sissyface

A Night at the x-Ray Damn Everything but the Circus 4X4 [Monster Truck Series] Can't Stand the Smell Muscle Car With a Shower of Sparks Tiger Stripes Forever King Lighter Stealer

Boycrazy

Last Thursday +2
  • ''Foreign Words''

The Decemberists

Castaways and Cutouts Her Majesty the Decemberists The Tain Billy Liar Picaresque 16 Military Wives

M Ward

Transistor Radio

Robert Deeble

Douglas Shepherd

Corrina Repp

She and Him

Jolie Holland