Hey! She & Him has a brand new music video directed by Jeremy Konner and choreographed by Sophie Olson:

Indie folk-pop duo She & Him wrapped its 2010 tour at the Orpheum on Sunday night, and did it ever do it in style.

M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel wasted no time proving why their pairing just a few years ago has become one that makes a whole lot of sense: Ward’s deft musical handling of Deschanel’s quirky, pop throwback songwriting makes for some pretty gorgeous tunes, which the duo has released on its two spellbinding records, Volume One and Volume Two. (Will there be a Volume Three? Apparently, yes.)

There was a bit of magic in the air at the Orpheum Sunday, beginning with a mesmerizing performance by folk duo the Chapin Sisters, who also happen to be the two female backup singers for She & Him’s full-band incarnation. And as a full band (complete with bass, drums, backup keys and guitars, chimes and more), She & Him delivered. Ward and Deschanel quickly hit some of their high points, including Black Hole and Don’t Look Back, which had Deschanel, dressed in a sleeveless black dress, jumping up and down, slamming and shaking her tambourine.

Ward spent most of the evening providing textures, his fuzzy guitar tones oozing off the stage, his dry vocals complementing Deschanel’s otherworldly, retro voice on Lingering Still and, later, on a stripped down You Really Got A Hold On Me. Ward even got the opportunity to have a star turn of his own with Magic Trick (from his fantastic 2006 solo album Post War), Deschanel strumming along on the ukulele and the whole band joining in for the jam. What a treat.

Ultimately (and not surprisingly), Deschanel was the centre of attention, and fans peppered her trying to address the crowd for a recap of the tour that ended in Vancouver on Sunday night with more than a few “I love you Zooey!!” which she seemed to brush aside with a sigh. If the novelty of having one of Hollywood’s quirkiest acting figures/models singing her own songs in her own band has long worn off, there is still a strange aura surrounding her. Sometimes, it felt as if Deschanel stayed slightly detached from the proceedings, whether finding shelter behind her Fender Rhodes piano (which she played with gusto, by the way), asking the crowd to stop clapping along during a cover of the Beach Boys’ Wouldn’t It Be Nice (which was a bit weird), or backing away from the front of the stage after requesting people to stand up and dance before In The Sun and a cover of Chuck Berry’s Roll Over Beethoven (which probably had to do with not wanting to be grabbed at).

Style over substance? Certainly not. She & Him boasts some incredible material, which is proof of both Ward and Deschanel’s skills and chemistry as a duo. As for Deschanel as a singer, just check out her show-stopping performance of Nina Simone’s I Put A Spell On You, which ended the evening. The girl’s got some serious pipes.

Source: Francois Marchand

She & Him have an upcoming concert in Seattle on October 23rd. If you’re in Seattle, this is your chance to see them! Go HERE for all the information.

Thanks to Maria, I have added scans of Zooey in Complex – December 2008 and BlackBook – March 2010.

She & Him‘s “Volume Two” was only released four months ago, but for being a relatively new album, it’s one that feels steeped in nostalgia. The light orchestrations bring a genial upbeat touch to even the most heartbreaking of lyrics, and over the course of two albums California natives M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel have gradually brought a sunny, decidedly West Coast-feel to delicately symphonic retro-pop tunes.

“Volume Two” comes with its own love letter to California in “Home,” a piano stroll accentuated with handclaps, swooning background vocals, crisp guitar notes and keyboard lushness. It arrives near the end of an album that’s full of sweetly nuanced arrangements built around Deschanel’s conversationally cheery vocals. A take on NRBQ‘s forgotten “Ridin’ in My Car” is built for a windows-down cruise, and “In the Sun” is a three-minute call-and-response keyboard frolic that wouldn’t sound of out place on Disneyland’s Main Street.

“My earliest music memories were driving around and being in the back seat of my parents’ car and listening to music,” Deschanel said. “I feel like I associate music with California and the sun and a particular sort of feeling. It’s something that’s important to me to express when I write music. When we record, California is definitely on our minds.”

[READ THE REST HERE]

HQ pictures of Zooey at the 2010 Nateva Music & Camping Festival have been added to the gallery.

New York was hit with a heat wave during She and Him’s Tuesday night set at Terminal 5, but you couldn’t tell from the bright-eyed duo’s performance. M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel displayed effortless cool while playing their brand of retro love songs to the packed crowd.

Decked in a below-the-knee, ’50s-style lilac dress, Deschanel spent much of the evening bouncing gleefully with her background singers while hitting a tambourine. Her powerful voice, which usually sounds daintier on record, filled up the entire sold-out venue. A cast of back-up musicians helped the indie pair create a more full-bodied sound, but left at various times throughout the set so that She and Him could play alone.

There were a few hiccups during the night, when the group had to restart three of its songs. “Is there a Wurlitzer tuner in the house?” deadpanned the frontwoman at one point. The first half of the show favored tunes from the group’s 2008 debut, ‘Volume 1,’ including ‘Change Is Hard,’ ‘Sweet Darlin” and ‘I Was Made for You.’ The band also included several ‘Volume 2′ tracks and M. Ward’s solo in ‘Ridin’ In My Car’ elicited many screams from the audience. She and Him even played a cover of Ward’s own ‘Magic Trick’ and closed with a wailing rendition of Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’ ‘I Put a Spell on You.’

Deschanel also took the opportunity to school the audience on concert photography. “Do you know how to turn the flashes off your camera?” she asked the crowd. “I don’t meant to be bossy, but it ruins the vibe.” With that issue settled, She and Him delivered an acoustic version of ‘You Really Got a Hold on Me,’ undisturbed by flashes and illuminated only by floor-level stage lights. [SOURCE]

Zooey Deschanel’s filmography is almost a tease for her growing discography.

Deschanel played older sis to Patrick Fugit’s underage rock journalist in “Almost Famous.” She crooned “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” in “Elf.” She led weirdly wonderful performance art rockers Munchhausen By Proxy in “Yes Man.”

Then, in 2008, the actress’ music flirtations became a torrid affair. She found a musical bond with singer/songwriter M. Ward during the filming of the 2007 indie flick “The Go-Getter,” which Ward scored. The resulting duo, She & Him, play the House of Blues on Thursday and Maine’s Nateva Festival on Saturday.

She & Him’s sound mirrors Deschanel’s honey-bunch, sweetie-pie, queen-of-quirky persona. Both their 2008 and 2010 records recall ’70s AM radio, ’60s girl group harmonies and ’50s pop. They also prove that not all actors make for embarrassing musicians. But Deschanel’s never feared the actor flop. (more…)