Andrew Bird

A virtuosic violinist, singer, songwriter, composer, and expert whistler, Andrew Bird's career has undergone a variety of stylistic shifts since his early days playing jazz and swing music. He combined these and other styles, including elements of traditional folk, on his solo debut, 1996's Music of Hair. After three releases as leader of Bowl of Fire, his third solo album, 2005's Andrew Bird & the Mysterious Production of Eggs, signaled his transformation into savvy pop sophisticate and instrumental looping pioneer. When Armchair Apocrypha followed in 2007, it marked his first appearance on the Billboard 200. In the 2010s, Bird broke into film scoring and made his Top Ten debut with his sixth solo effort, 2012's Break It Yourself. ~ Timothy Monger