A couple weeks ago Of Montreal posted a "new" song, "A Cloud Crashes," at their MySpace site. (You can still download it there.) As Harnk, Squirrellevel, vacantmoon, and Freek have noted at the Townhall and OA, this song is actually "Chopsticks" and is, according to Freek, "an interpretation of the Japanese song of the same name by the band Toastgirl. It appears on their Chopsticks Best CD from 2003, only released in Japan." (You can view the CD at this Japanese page.) The song also circulated on an OM disc that featured an "Ah Me Kitten" demo (aka "Keep Sending Me Black Fireworks") and a few other rare songs.

The odd thing about "A Cloud Crashes" at the MySpace page is that it appears with a small piece of David Barnes art and the album title A Freaked Descension/1111 GOP Eunuchs. And this started speculation that the album was a new "singles and songles" album, in the manner of previous "singles and songles" albums The Horse and Elephant Eatery (No Elephants Allowed) and If He is Protecting Our Nation, Then Who Will Protect Big Oil, Our Children? Of Montreal have been so prolific recently--astoundingly so--that a new compilation is certainly called for to help sort out all the obscure releases.

Kevin Barnes has now confirmed the rumor. He writes Optical Atlas, "Yeah it will be a sort of singles and songles type of comp. It probably won't come out for awhile but it does look like the remix album will come out pretty soon."

The remix album to which he refers will feature artists such as !!!, Supersystem, Broken Spindles, Grizzly Bear, IQU, Mixel Pixel, Trash UK, DJ Dave Pianka, and I Am the World Trade Center all remixing tracks from the last two OM albums.

As more information comes, we'll keep you posted.

Just got back from vacation, and here are a few things I caught fluttering about in the wind.

An interview with Andrew Rieger of Elf Power--exclusively concerning Jeff Mangum--is up at New York Press. And, yes, it's a joke. Thanks to Brian Heater for letting OA know.

Kim Cooper writes that the latest issue of Scram! Magazine includes a feature on her excellent book on Neutral Milk Hotel's In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, with previously unpublished interview excerpts with Robert Schneider, Laura Carter, Scott Spillane, and Julian Koster, and some live photos of a 1996 show. It's Scram! #22, out now.

And clouds-chan noticed this interview with Miles Kurosky of Beulah, apparently from a few months ago, that was linked on the Beulah webpage. I hadn't seen this before, and it's a very revealing read.

Andrew has announced at Elf Power's official page that this Thursday they'll be taping an appearance on Pancake Mountain, a children's cable-access show in Washington D.C. This odd piece of children's entertainment has featured appearances by Vic Chesnutt, Arcade Fire, Ted Leo, The Go! Team, Shonen Knife, and The Fiery Furnaces. The band performs, the children dance. This should be really interesting.

Andrew also writes, "European tour dates should be finalized this week. In addition to the shows in the UK and Netherlands, that are already confirmed, we hope to confirm shows for Sweden, Belgium, Germany, Slovenia, Croatia, Spain, Denmark and Iceland. Check back soon!"

As already mentioned, their album Back to the Web comes out today, and they're hitting the road with The Instruments immediately. To celebrate the new era of Elf Power chic, here are two old and rare MP3s by the band, alternate versions of songs they released on their first two albums.

The first is "It's Been a Million Years," from Treble Revolution Vol. 2 (1996), only the third release by the then-newborn Kindercore Records. Now, this isn't the version that appeared at the end of Elf Power's sophomore album, but a completely different, earlier take.

The second is "Temporary Arm (Country Version)", and as the title implies, it's different from the "Temporary Arm" that appears on the band's first album. This one's from the Arena Rock F.U.E.L. compilation (1997).

It's Been a Million Years (Treble Revolution version)

Temporary Arm (country version)

No more updates for a week, see you next Monday or Tuesday.

Elf Power's latest album, Back to the Web, is released today. My review will probably have to wait a week or so--I'm off to the Roger Ebert Overlooked Film Festival tomorrow, and I just don't think I'll be THAT productive tonight, what with all the packing and planning. I will try to get some rare Elf Power MP3s on the site tonight in celebration of the album release. In the meantime, here are some reviews to peruse.




Pop Matters
TripWire
Hardest Walk

Elf Power was also recently featured on NPR's All Songs Considered.

Heather McIntosh of The Instruments has now posted some new music from their forthcoming album, Cast a Half Shadow, at the band's MySpace webpage. In addition to the Instruments music, there's also one of Heather's electronic pieces which you can download as an MP3.

Cast a Half Shadow is released on May 9 on Orange Twin, but Heather has confirmed with Optical Atlas that advance copies will be on sale at the merch desk as they tour with Elf Power.

Updated tour dates are below - the tour begins tomorrow!

The Instruments/Elf Power
Upcoming Shows

April 25, 2006 - Charleston, SC - Map Room
April 26, 2006 - Chapel Hill , NC - Local 506
April 27, 2006 - Arlington, VA - Iota
April 28, 2006 - Brooklyn, NY - North Six
April 29, 2006 - Clinton, NY - Hamilton College
April 30, 2006 - Boston, MA - PA's Lounge
May 1, 2006 - Rochester, NY - Bug Jar
May 2, 2006 - Waterloo, ON - Starlight
May 3, 2006 - Toronto, ON - Horseshoe Tavern
May 4, 2006 - Detroit, MI - Lager House
May 5, 2006 - Chicago, IL - Subterranean
May 6, 2006 - Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry
May 7, 2006 - Rapid City, SD - Venue 8
May 8, 2006 - Missoula, MT - The Raven
May 9, 2006 - Seattle, WA - Crocodile Cafe
May 10, 2006 - Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge
May 12, 2006 - San Francisco, CA - Café Du Nord
May 13, 2006 - Los Angeles, CA - Spaceland
May 14, 2006 - Tucson, AZ - Solar Culture Gallery
May 16, 2006 - Dallas , TX - The Cavern
May 17, 2006 - Austin, TX - Emo's Jr

An excellent little interview with Chris Ziter of the Essex Green has been posted over at You Ain't No Picasso. Some nice revelations in there, including the origin of the song "Sin City." Well worth reading.

The Essex Green's new song "Don't Know Why (You Stay)" was also heard briefly on last week's Gilmore Girls. For what it's worth.

Andrew Rieger, lead singer/songwriter of Elf Power, has delivered "Songs I've Been Rocking On" at Discollective. It's an interesting playlist, beginning with Sibylle Baier (whose album has recently been rereleased on Orange Twin), and including Smog, Skip Spence (yes!), and Olivia Tremor Control. Discollective has nicely provided iTunes links for most of the tracks.

And if you haven't looked at it already, Tammy Ealom of Dressy Bessy provided her own ideal mixtape for Discollective. Dig around and the feature continues with contributions by members of The Clientele and The Flaming Lips.

Thanks to Mr. Ben Crum for dropping a line about this.

Elf Power's Back to the Web comes out on Tuesday, and if you want to pre-order it, you have a couple of appealing options.

If you order from Ampcamp.com, you get an autographed CD and a set of 3 Elf Power pins. That sounds appealing.

If you order from Insound, you get a free bonus 7" single of "An Old Familiar Scene," which features an exclusive B-side, "Face in the Sand." That's appealing too.

Either way you decide to go, you can't go wrong running off to your local club to see Elf Power play live with The Instruments. Here's the spring tour schedule.

Upcoming Shows

April 25, 2006 - Charleston, SC - Map Room
April 26, 2006 - Chapel Hill , NC - Local 506
April 27, 2006 - Arlington, VA - Iota
April 28, 2006 - Brooklyn, NY - North Six
April 29, 2006 - Clinton, NY - Hamilton College
April 30, 2006 - Boston, MA - PA's Lounge
May 1, 2006 - Rochester, NY - Bug Jar
May 3, 2006 - Toronto, ON - Horseshoe Tavern
May 4, 2006 - Detroit, MI - Lager House
May 5, 2006 - Chicago, IL - Subterranean
May 6, 2006 - Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry
May 9, 2006 - Seattle, WA - Crocodile Cafe
May 10, 2006 - Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge
May 12, 2006 - San Francisco, CA - Café Du Nord
May 13, 2006 - Los Angeles, CA - Spaceland
May 14, 2006 - Tucson, AZ - Solar Culture Gallery
May 17, 2006 - Austin, TX - Emo's Jr

Nothing much to blog about today, so I will put this out there...the Elephant 6 Townhall has been down for several days. If someone knows what's going on or when it will be back up, please let me know so I can help spread the word about what's going on.

If you're anchorless and looking for something to do, go into MySpace and befriend Circulatory System, which (thanks to Derek Almstead) now finally has an official MySpace page. (Their second album should be out later this year.)

And hey, Pipes You See, Pipes You Don't now suddenly has a page. I wonder if Mr. Almstead has something to do with that, as well.

Later tonight, go over to the Instruments MySpace page to hear some new tracks from their upcoming album Cast a Half Shadow; Heather McIntosh, of said band, has also indicated she will be posting a recent electronic composition on that page sometime tonight.

(Of course, be sure to check out the Optical Atlas MySpace page, make friends and say hello.)

MisterBotibol has posted on YouTube the Dressy Bessy Conan O'Brien appearance mentioned in yesterday's interview with Tammy Ealom. Here you go. Thanks to MisterBotibol for letting us know!

Tammy Ealom is the lead singer/songwriter of Dressy Bessy, the Denver-based band that's been rocking indie pop fans since their debut EP in 1997. Four albums later, the band's received considerable exposure and wide critical acclaim. The band's most recent album is Electrified, released on Transdreamer Records.

1) What's next for Dressy Bessy? Is a new album in the works, or anything else on the horizon?

Yeah, I've been demoing new songs for the past eight months or so. We're looking at possibly releasing an EP in the fall, new album 2007! Until then, on and off touring...we head to the U.K. and Sweden next week, can't wait!

2) What was it like to play Late Night with Conan O'Brien, versus playing any other venue? Anything interesting happen?

Playing Conan was awesome...very different than playing a club. (1) You show up at the studio around 9am...wait around a bit...sound check...wait around a bit more and then boom one shot and you're done. (2) It's not everyday that you play a song six feet away from Max Weinberg and his band. :)

3) When looking back at the history of the band, has the approach to the music or the focus of the band ever shifted? In other words, do you see the band as having gone through any significant changes that affected the music?

Only that we've become a better BAND over the years; it takes time for a group to really get to know what makes each other tick and to respect/accept each person's role in the band...we've had our ups and downs over the past eight or so years, but I can truly say we are better than ever, musically & personally! :) True love always ~ long live DB!

4) You've provided some amazing artwork for the albums; have you had any training and have you always been interested in art?

Yeah, I often say I'm more into crafts and that the main reason I began writing songs was so I could start a band and make band-related stuff...paper, scissors, glue...Photoshop has been a blessing for my busybody ways as well. I always HAVE to be doing/making something whether it be writing/recording music, cutting pasting paper, sewing a new trim onto a new dress, crocheting or transforming photographs. I blame my mother for this, she'd always involve me in her crafts as a kid...yay, mom! (I became interested in photography some fourteen years ago and made a living shooting fashion for eleven...I still shoot tons for the band.)

5) I understand you make and sell your own clothing, correct? Can you explain what it is you do?

I collect/wear vintage 60's/70's clothing and have for years. Due to lack of space and constantly buying things that don't quite fit, I decided to start an eBay shop...I'll take a longish thrift store granny dress, cut it off into a spunky mini and use the remaining fabric for a matching hat, belt etc. I haven't had much time for this sort of thing lately, but hope to get back into it soon.

6) What was the inspiration for the "Electrified" music video?

We just wanted something simple, colorful and fun shot within John and my living room. It was a blast!




Dressy Bessy's most recent album, Electrified, is for sale at Transdreamer Records. You can check out Tammy's eBay store of vintage clothing here. Also be sure to read the tracklisting of Tammy's ideal mix tape at Discollective. And if you just want to hear some more music by the band, including an exclusive song, head over to their MySpace page.

UPDATE: MisterBotibol has provided a YouTube video of the Dressy Bessy performance of "Electrified" on Conan O'Brien. Many thanks for that.

John Hill splits his time as guitarist for Dressy Bessy and The Apples in Stereo, but apparently that hasn't kept him busy enough. Every Tuesday night at Sputnik in Denver, Colorado, John plays host to the "Hi-Fi Listening Party."

"I wanted to DJ and thought it would be cool to bring in a bunch of old hi-fi gear," John writes. "Initially I was running two vintage receivers through two pairs of speakers and it sounded great. The club later added a subwoofer, so now I use their system mixed with mine. I call it the 'Hi-Fi Listening Party' because of the gear and it's on Tuesday night, so it's a different kind of party atmosphere than the weekend. People dance, but it's more like we're having a party in the living room."

Dressy Bessy and Apples fans in the Denver area should check it out, to gain insight on John Hill's influences and inspirations...or just to find out what he digs. He also has an upcoming European tour with Dressy Bessy to keep him occupied (dates below). But is he still finding time to record with the Apples in Stereo?

"Yes," John replies. "Apples in Stereo have been recording since last fall and we hope to be mixing by the end of May. We've got a great new full-length on the way, but the release date is TBA. Possibly mid-late fall."

In the meantime, the latest DJ John Hill Hi-Fi Listening Party is tonight at Sputnik, 10PM sharp. Thanks to John for answering our questions.

Dressy Bessy - Upcoming Shows

Apr 22 2006 - Boulder, CO @ Boulder Theater~ALL AGES!
Apr 27 2006 - Manchester, UK @ King's Arms
Apr 28 2006 - Cardiff, UK @ University of Wales Student Union
Apr 29 2006 - Nottingham, UK @ Bunker's Hill
Apr 30 2006 - London, UK @ Barfly ~ Monarch (Track & Field Pow! to the People all-dayer)
May 3 2006 - Stockholm, Sweden @ Debaser
May 4 2006 - Uppsala, Sweden @ Kalmar Nation
May 5 2006 - Lund, Sweden @ Blekingska Nationen

The full story is this: in late 1999, on their last tour as a stable unit, Olivia Tremor Control came to the Crocodile Cafe with The Minders in tow. The audience was a mix of what was then a typical Elephant 6 fan--black-rimmed glasses, staring fixedly at the band without moving or smiling or anything--and the other sort that would fill out any venue playing live music in downtown Seattle on a given night--screaming at the band, groping their girlfriend, attempting to high-five the OTC fans who were only glaring back at them. I had brought a couple of things for the Olivias to sign, but realized how uncool that was when I arrived, and didn't say anything to them. It was a good show. Don't get me wrong. The 8 Track Gorilla was there, temporarily leaving the merch desk to interrupt the Olivias midway through the performance; "Hey, look everyone, it's the 8 Track Gorilla," Will deadpanned while the man in the gorilla suit jumped around onstage before an audience that was split straight down the middle: the Elephant 6 fans staring up bewilderedly, somewhat annoyed; the drunken frat boys screaming out, "Woooo! Ape-track gorilla! Woooo!" There were a few moments when the band needed to stall for time while Bill replaced a string or an impromptu sound check was performed, so Scott would lead everyone in a group meditation that involved pretending to be a tree. And at a few points they merged tracks with a little bit of avant-garde noise, or allowed a song to build deliberately slowly--for example, into "Grass Canons," which would begin properly whenever they damn well pleased. But then that second contingent in the audience got a little antsy, and even some of the Elephant 6 fans began to chat with each other, and someone very drunk screamed in my ear, "Play songs!" Scott looked terrified but smiled at the other guys onstage and said, "Okay!" And then the Olivias started jumping fences again.

There's another divide within the Elephant 6 community: those who like the pop and those who like the experimentation. But the Olivia Tremor Control always straddled that fence, most noticeably in the album they were promoting on that tour, Black Foliage, which would sway from Brian Wilson harmonies to John Cage sonic hiccupping in the space of a second. I was in grad school at the time and one of my fellow classmates, who was also a temporary member of Unbunny, was there; in the intermission he said, "These guys are good, but I wish they'd stick to the songs. Everything else, it's like--Sonic Youth has already been there, you know?"

That's the first thing I think of when I think of experimental music. The other thing is a long argument on the E6 Townhall a couple of years ago when Everything Is was re-released and "Aunt Eggma Blowtorch" became a hot topic again. There were Neutral Milk Hotel fans who just couldn't stand to listen to it, and thought it was shit. I tried to make the argument that "Aunt Eggma Blowtorch" was brilliant because it created a real alternate universe, a place you could live, an expansive space. Or something. I also just thought it was fun. But some folks just really wanted Jeff Mangum to stick with the tunes (by footnote, "Aunt Eggma Blowtorch" actually pre-dates most everything else Neutral Milk Hotel). Major Organ and the Adding Machine is a good litmus test for the NMH fans, as well.

I'm keeping this on an Elephant 6 track because this is what the website's about, but I should also note the obvious: AUX: Experimental Sound from Athens, GA is not an Elephant 6 compilation. It limits itself to Athens musicians, but look who's here: W. Cullen Hart (of Olivia Tremor Control and Circulatory System), Korena Pang (Jefferson), Heather McIntosh (of The Instruments), Hannah Jones (of Circulatory System), and Chronicle Ape and the New Sound (if I'm not mistaken, of direct simian relation to the 8 Track Gorilla). The other names, such as Pelican City and Noisettes, should be familiar to those who've been following Athens music for a while.

I listened to this CD a couple of times this morning, and the tracks mesh with one another so well that I was astonished it was an experimental compilation. Usually the listening experience is a bit more (deliberately) jarring on these kinds of CDs. The biggest blip comes from Korena Pang's "excerpt from Dogbirthed Brother in Eggsack Delicious," which is a 2:22 collection of belches, snoring, and someone with an English accent describing a wizard (I can only think of Harry Potter, try as I might to transport myself). I like it, but if you're new to this kind of thing, it's the most trying track on the record. I like Will Cullen Hart's "Dimensional Snail and Friend" a lot better (it actually succeeds in presenting the subterranean feeling which I never got from Hart's Silver CD, which actually was recorded underground), and the thing is, it's seamlessly sequenced right after the Korena Pang track. The whole CD is seamless, from the liftoff one feels after Paul Thomas' "Hope" and Chronicle Ape's "Antique #1" all the way through the settling descent of "The Breathing Table" by Manipulated Sound Source.

It's a compilation, so by definition it's hit and miss, but I found this a much more pleasing listen than Athfest 10, the other Athens compilation released last week. That, a more typical comp, scrambles in a dozen different directions at once, satisfying no one. This tunnels its way in a singular direction, as all the artists are interested in discovering new sounds, juxtapositions, and experiences. Some succeed more than others. I particularly liked Hannah Jones' "Bells for Electronic Owl," the title of which seems apt, and Sarah Black's "Music Box," which begins like a broken version of its namesake before departing through another dimension.

At $30, it's pricey, and when you get it, you become apprehensive that it will fall apart within the week. (The cardboard CD cases were assembled by hand, which is why there's only 200 being printed, and why it's $30.) But it fulfills my pretentious-sounding requirement for satisfying experimental music: it creates a space for you to explore, and it engages you. If you know what side of the fence you fall on, you know whether or not you need this CD.

You can buy one now, before they're all gone.

Dottie from Of Montreal has posted a link on her MySpace blog to this strange, strange...strange slideshow of a trip to Japan (set to some very relaxing jazz music) made by the aunt of their soundman Dan Korn. Dottie writes, "Betcha didn't know that Robyn Hitchcock and the members of Numbers have joined Of Montreal." I suggest watching this and the Little Fyodor YouTube video back-to-back while enjoying your favorite prescription of choice.

Derek Almstead of Elf Power has posted a MySpace bulletin indicating that in tonight's record release party at the 40 Watt, Elf Power will be performing the entirety of their new album Back to the Web in sequence! For this historic occasion, they will be joined by Still, Small Voice and The Joyful Noise, beginning at 10PM. Back to the Web is officially released April 25 on Rykodisc.

For more tour dates, see the related post:

Elf Power to Tour with The Instruments

"The hell is this?" you must be asking.

Little Fyodor and Babushka is a Denver-based underground punk/garage band that's been around for decades, and briefly flirted with Elephant 6 when their album Dance of the Salted Slug was released on the actual honest-to-god Elephant 6 label. (The original Elephant 6 catalogue, featuring many titles that were never released, is reprinted below.) Little Fyodor began his musical career in the early 80's with Walls of Genius, debuting with Raw Sewage Vol. 1 in 1983; his first solo album was Slither/Sloth in 1985. But Dance of the Salted Slug (featuring such classic hits as "Oh God I Feel Like Shit") was Little Fyodor's first and only product from the young, semi-fictional label started by the very young refugees from Ruston, Louisiana who were making their own innovative psychedelic garage rock. That year, 1994, would also see the release of the first Olivia Tremor Control single, California Demise, on the same Elephant 6 label. Very quickly thereafter the kids went their own way and pursued their projects as The Apples in Stereo, Neutral Milk Hotel, and the Olivias, although anyone who plays music in Denver seems to have some kind of connection to Little Fyodor, who has acted as DJ for an underground rock show called "Under the Floorboards" since 1982.

Now you can check out a video featuring Little Fyodor performing the Dance of the Salted Slug, courtesy his MySpace page. There's nothing more to say, I think.





Little Fyodor and Babushka perform tonight in Denver at Benders Tavern, 9PM, with The Voodoo Organist and The Sleepers.

Order Dance of the Salted Slug at Little Fyodor's website
Review of Dance of the Salted Slug

Upcoming Shows

04/14/2006 09:30 PM - Denver, CO @ Bender's Tavern, with Voodoo Organist and the Sleepers
04/28/2006 09:00 PM - Denver, CO @ Rhinoceropolis, with Boogdish and Vice Reversa
07/01/2006 09:00 PM - Laramie, WY (venue TBA)
07/12/2006 09:00 PM - Los Angeles, CA @ Il Corral, with The Haters and Guy In The Middle
07/13/2006 08:00 PM - Las Vegas, NV @ The Double Down Saloon, with Guy In The Middle
07/14/2006 10:00 PM - Flagstaff, AZ @ Monte Vista Cocktail Lounge, with Guy In The Middle


The Original Elephant 6 Catalogue

E6-001 The Apples In Stereo Tidal Wave 7" 1993
EL6-901 Little Fyodor & Babushka Dance Of The Salted Slug CD 1994
E6-002 The Olivia Tremor Control California Demise 7" 1994
E6-003 Secret Square Secret Square 7" 1995
E6-004 The Minders Come On & Hear 7" 1995
E6-005 Secret Square Secret Square 12"/CD 1996
E6-006 The Minders Paper Plane 7" 1996
E6-007 The Apples In Stereo Science Faire LP/CD 1996
E6-008 Marbles Pyramid Landing (and other favourites) LP/CD 1997
E6-009 Marbles I Love The Summer Days 7" 1998
E6-010 The Music Tapes Please Hear Mr. Flight Control 7" 1997
E6-011 Von Hemmling 7" 1997
E6-012 Beulah A Small Cattle Drive In A Snow Storm 7" 1997
E6-013 Clay Bears DLP (never released)
E6-014 Beulah Handsome Western States LP/CD 1998
E6-014 Beulah Handsome Western States (re-release with different artwork) CD 1999
E6-015 The Music Tapes The Television Tells Us 7" 1998
E6-016 Beulah When Your Heartstrings Break LP/CD 1999
E6-017 Admiral (never released)
E6-018 Vince Mole & His Calcium Orchestra (never released on E6; eventually released on HHBTM Records)
E6-019 The Essex Green 12"/CD 2000
E6-020 The Apples In Stereo Her Wallpaper Reverie CD 1999
E6-021 The Minders Cul-de-sacs And Dead Ends CD 1999

Here's some more reviews of the Essex Green's new album Cannibal Sea. Also, the band has just completed the European leg of the tour, and is heading back to America, so I'm posting some tour dates below. UPDATE: Some great photos of their performance at London 93 Feet East have been posted here; thanks to bobunderexposed at the Townhall for that.

Big Yawn
CDReviews.com
Chicago Innerview
Dusted Magazine
Not Lame
Rockbeatstone
Urban Pollution
Vital Source

Related Posts:

The Optical Atlas Review
Pitchfork Review/Sasha Bell Interview
Essex Green Interview and Reviews
The Week of Cannibal Sea (Some Reviews)

Upcoming Shows:

04.27.2006 * Lexington, KY @ The Dame w/High Water Marks & The Melody Function
04.28.2006 * Chicago , IL @ Subterranean w/ Tapes N Tapes & Brighton PA
04.29.2006 * St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club
05.02.2006 * Seattle, WA @ Crocodile Cafe
05.03.2006 * Portland , OR @ Towne Lounge w/ Irving
05.04.2006 * Redding, CA @ The Dip w/ Irving
05.05.2006 * Santa Cruz, CA @ The Attic
05.06.2006 * San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop
05.07.2006 * Los Angeles, CA @ Spaceland
05.08.2006 * Tucson, AZ @ Solar Culture Gallery
05.10.2006 * Austin, TX @ The Parrish
05.11.2006 * Houston, TX @ Walter's
05.12.2006 * Dallas, TX @ The Cavern
05.13.2006 * Jackson, MS @ Martin's
05.14.2006 * Chattanooga, TN @ Lamar's
05.15.2006 * Raleigh, NC, King's
05.16.2006 * Washington, DC @ Black Cat Backstage
05.17.2006 * Philadelphia, PA @ The Khyber
05.18.2006 * New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge

Last week we posted a live Music Tapes performance from the Japanese U.S. Pop Life series; this week we'll continue the theme with a rare Late B.P. Helium track, "Chant for the Birth of a Rising Sun," from Border Music...Flicker of a Smile: U.S. Pop Life Vol. 10 Athens Experimental. I guess I'm posting this to celebrate the release of AUX, another collection of experimental Athens recordings. Border Music is one of the more interesting U.S. Pop Life compilations, featuring Bablicon, Marta Tennae (Jeremy Barnes), Dixie Blood Mustache, and the Visitations, among many others. But it's rare to hear an "experimental" track from the otherwise firmly pop-fixated B.P. Helium, so I thought I'd share it--there are certainly enough B.P. fans who would want to hear it, I think. (Note: John Fernandes is credited with "African Water Drum.")

Chant for the Birth of a Rising Sun (The Late B.P. Helium)

I was supposed to get up my Hooray for Tuesday MP3 this morning, but I kind of forgot. Now I'll have to think of something before the day ends. So come back for that and see what I hastily dig up and post.

If you're looking for something to read about The Essex Green's Cannibal Sea, well, there's a good review at Urban Pollution that's worth your time. Chicago Innerview has said some nice things as well.

And the Great Lakes have just announced they'll be touring "in early July, with shows in Bergen, Kristiansand, Egersund, Oslo, Gothenburg, Stockholm, and London." They'll also be touring with the Ladybug Transistor. Dates forthcoming. (Great Lakes will also be playing the Tonic in New York on April 15.)

While I'm in the business of cleaning house, I should mention that Samantha and Craig from the Ideal Free Distribution have provided a flaw-free MP3 of The American Revolution performing "Subscriptions to Magazines." If you'll recall in my earlier post about TAR, I mentioned the MP3 available in the Lexington compilation Know Your Own Vol. 2 featured some strange noise in the middle fo the song. Well, thanks to Samantha and Craig, you can now hear it without it. Download it here. (And while you're at it, check out their band Ideal Free Distribution, which also makes some fine sounds.)

Athens Exchange has just posted an in-depth (and somewhat personal) interview with Of Montreal, focusing largely on their growing fame. It's essential reading. Kevin, Dottie, and Brian do most of the talking. Humorously, they also comment on that mtvU interview I linked to a while back. By the way, if I ever interview the band, expect it to be just as embarrassing for all concerned. But this is a good one and worth your time.

Thanks to Cable and Tweed for the tip.

Dressy Bessy have shared the following video for "Electrified" on their MySpace blog. Prepare to don your mod clothing and rock out.



And after you're done enjoying that, hop over to Discollective to read "A Few of My Favorite Songs" by Tammy Ealom. The tattooed leader of Dressy Bessy shares her ideal mixtape, which includes Essex Green and Neutral Milk Hotel, but also the Pretenders, Sly and the Family Stone, Joy Division, and Cheap Trick.

Dressy Bessy - Upcoming Shows

April 8 2006 10:00PM - Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater ~ ALL AGES!
Apr 22 2006 - Boulder, CO @ Boulder Theater~ALL AGES!
Apr 27 2006 - Manchester, UK @ King's Arms
Apr 28 2006 - Cardiff, UK @ University of Wales Student Union
Apr 29 2006 - Nottingham, UK @ Bunker's Hill
Apr 30 2006 - London, UK @ Barfly ~ Monarch (Track & Field Pow! to the People all-dayer)
May 3 2006 - Stockholm, Sweden @ Debaser
May 4 2006 - Uppsala, Sweden @ Kalmar Nation
May 5 2006 - Lund, Sweden @ Blekingska Nationen

Kelly Ruberto has announced at the Townhall a new compilation of Athens experimental works featuring contributions by W. Cullen Hart, Heather McIntosh, Korena Pang, Chronicle Ape, Hannah Jones, the Noisettes, and much more. It's priced at $30, twice the amount you'd expect, but if you consider that quantities are limited to 200 and each is hand-printed "using archival materials" by graduate students in the Lamar Dodd School of Art, and that each, as you can see in the picture, is really amazingly cool, it seems a bit more understandable. Now, these are experimental recordings, so if you've heard such other Elephant 6-related experimental compilations, such as Sounds to Soothe a Nervous Robot or U.S. Pop Life Vol. 10: Athens Experimental, you probably have a good idea of what to expect. Some people just hate this stuff. I have a very vivid memory of seeing the Olivia Tremor Control in Seattle on their first farewell tour, and when they started making some avant-garde sounds between songs, some frat boy in the back screamed, "Play songs!" Scott Spillane said, "Okay" with raised eyebrows, and they quickly went into a song. So frat boys won't like this, is what I'm saying.

AUX: Experimental Sound from Athens, GA is available now.

Tracklist

1. Paul Thomas - Hope
2. Chronicle Ape and the New Sound - Antique #1
3. Javier - somewhere in the someone is the something
4. Sarah Black - Music Box
5. Korena Pang - excerpt from Dogbirthed Brother in Eggsack Delicious
6. W. Cullen Hart - Dimensional Snail and Friend
7. Noisettes - The October Situation
8. Heather McIntosh - Next it Becomes Winter
9. Make Out Music for Insects - First Things First
10. Blake Helton and Colin Bragg - Cars on Fire
11. Desk Pussy - Pi for Psychotics
12. Mark Fisher - Saros
13. Hannah Jones - Bells for Electronic Owl
14. Matt Williams - Newchile
15. The QRM - Boetheus
16. The Leapyear - Waiting for the Dawn to Break
17. Pelican City - Weston Street Rose
18. Manipulated Sound Source - The Breathing Table

Thanks to Elf Power's MySpace page we have some more Back to the Web spring tour dates for you, and now through an announcement on Derek Almstead's MySpace we know they'll be touring with The Instruments, whose Cast a Half Shadow will be released in May. Elf Power writes on their MySpace blog, "More shows have been confirmed and there are still a few more to go! We wanted to try and get across the whole country before we leave for Europe on May 19, so we realize that we are skipping over many cities that we would love to play. We are planning to do a much more thorough tour in late summer/early fall." As it is, here's how things stand now:

Elf Power with The Instruments

April 25, 2006 - Charleston, SC - Map Room
April 26, 2006 - Chapel Hill , NC - Local 506
April 27, 2006 - Arlington, VA - Iota
April 28, 2006 - Brooklyn, NY - North Six
April 29, 2006 - Clinton, NY - Hamilton College
April 30, 2006 - Boston, MA - PA's Lounge
May 1, 2006 - Rochester, NY - Bug Jar
May 3, 2006 - Toronto, ON - Horseshoe Tavern
May 4, 2006 - Detroit, MI - Lager House
May 5, 2006 - Chicago, IL - Subterranean
May 6, 2006 - Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry
May 9, 2006 - Seattle, WA - Crocodile Cafe
May 10, 2006 - Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge
May 12, 2006 - San Francisco, CA - Café Du Nord
May 13, 2006 - Los Angeles, CA - Spaceland
May 14, 2006 - Tucson, AZ - Solar Culture Gallery
May 17, 2006 - Austin, TX - Emo's Jr

Back to the Web comes out from Rykodisc April 25, but if you pre-order at Insound now, you receive a bonus 7" single with an exclusive track.

Cast a Half Shadow, by The Instruments, is released May 9 on Orange Twin Records.

The Summer Hymns have debuted a new track from their forthcoming album on their MySpace page. "14 Inches of Snow" is a rough mix, not yet mastered, but it's gorgeous, and I encourage you to head over and check it out immediately. They promise to put up more tracks in the coming months leading up to their new album and EP. Meanwhile, another new Summer Hymns track, "What Kind of Bird," appears on the Athfest 10 compilation due out May 1st, although there's strong hints that if you pre-order now, you'll receive it sooner than that. (The compilation also features Elf Power, Japancakes, the Whigs, and some little Athens band called R.E.M.)

Upcoming Shows

04/08/2006 10:00 PM - Lennys Bar
307 Memorial Drive SE, Atlanta, GA 30312 - $5
with Venice is Sinking, Ginger Envelope, Geoff Reacher

04/21/2006 08:30 PM - Flicker Bar
Athens, GA 30601
with Wayne Robbins & the Hellsayers

04/22/2006 10:00 PM - The Grey Eagle
185 Clingman Ave., Asheville, NC 28801
with Wayne Robbins & the Hellsayers

Chris, a good friend of this site, has sent along this really cool photo of a framed piece of David Barnes art he recently obtained from Happy Happy Birthday to Me Records. It's the original artwork used for an insert in the Of Montreal HHBTM single "A Celebration of H. Hare" (the one with the infamous "Hitler" track). If you have one of these singles, you probably just got a black-and-white photocopy of the art folded to fit into the sleeve. The original is a bit more spectacular (the frame and the cloud-matting is by Mike of HHBTM). Thanks to Chris for sharing this, and you can all be jealous of him now.

Click on the thumbnail for a close-up. The names of the tracks are: (1) A Celebration of H. Hare; (2) The Self-Centered Stepmother Forces Her Husband to Tell His Son to Stop Working with Power Tools in the Basement; (3) Hitler, Being Punished for Obvious Reasons, is Forced to Spend Eternity Plagued by an Intense Unrelenting Physical and Emotional Fatigue That is Further Compounded by an Innumerable Multitude of Obnoxious Grandchildren Who are Constantly Present and Who Irritate Him to Such an Extreme That Not the Slightest Degree of Rest is Attainable. You can download the last 2 tracks as 1 MP3 here.

The Late B.P. Helium at the Townhall has announced some Of Montreal shows for their late summer tour. They will be touring with none other than The Minders, who have a new album due out in July! Some of the details are still to be finalized, but on the other hand, some of the tickets are on sale now (if you're near Madison, I'll see you at the Barrymore Theatre).

We also have some new dates for The Essex Green courtesy of their MySpace page, so I'm providing an updated list for their tour, as well.

Of Montreal Summer Tour 2006
AA=All Ages
* w/ The Minders

08.06.2006 - Chicago, IL @ Lollapalooza Festival AA
08.07.2006 - Madison, WI @ The Barrymore * AA
08.08.2006 - TBA
08.09.2006 - Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue * AA
08.10.2006 - TBA
08.11.2006 - Lincoln, NE @ Knickerbockers * 18+
08.14.2006 - St. Louis, MO @ Mississippi Nights * AA
08.15.2006 - Louisville, KY @ Headliners * AA
08.16.2006 - TBA
08.17.2006 - Norfolk, VA @ The NorVA * AA
08.18.2006 - Greenville, SC @ The Handlebar * 18+
08.25.2006 - Chattanooga, TN @ Miller Plaza (free outdoor show) AA

The Essex Green Tour

04.05.2006 * Bremen, @ Lagerhaus w/ Shout Out Louds
04.06.2006 * Hannover, @ Musikzentrum w/ Shout Out Louds
04.07.2006 * Erlangen, @ E-Werk w/ Shout Out Louds
04.08.2006 * Heidelberg, @ Karlstorbahnof w/ Shout Out Louds
04.09.2006 * Koln, @ Kulturbunker Mulheim
04.10.2006 * Munster, @ Gleis 22 w/ Shout Out Louds
04.11.2006 * London, @ Cargo (SOLD OUT)
04.12.2006 * London, @ 93 Feet east
04.27.2006 * Lexington, KY @ The Dame w/High Water Marks & The Melody Function
04.28.2006 * Chicago , IL @ Subterranean w/ Tapes N Tapes & Brighton PA
04.29.2006 * St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club
05.02.2006 * Seattle, WA @ Crocodile Cafe
05.03.2006 * Portland , OR @ Towne Lounge w/ Irving
05.04.2006 * Redding, CA @ The Dip w/ Irving
05.05.2006 * Santa Cruz, CA @ The Attic
05.06.2006 * San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop
05.07.2006 * Los Angeles, CA @ Spaceland
05.08.2006 * Tucson, AZ @ Solar Culture Gallery
05.10.2006 * Austin, TX @ The Parrish
05.11.2006 * Houston, TX @ Walter's
05.12.2006 * Dallas, TX @ The Cavern
05.13.2006 * Jackson, MS @ Martin's
05.14.2006 * Chattanooga, TN @ Lamar's
05.15.2006 * Raleigh, NC, King's
05.16.2006 * Washington, DC @ Black Cat Backstage
05.17.2006 * Philadelphia, PA @ The Khyber
05.18.2006 * New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge

Gary Olson is the lead singer (and formidable trumpeter) of The Ladybug Transistor, the Brooklyn-based band that first introduced the Marlborough Farms collective to the indie pop world. The Ladybug Transistor's first two albums, Marlborough Farms (1995) and Beverly Atonale (1997) contained, as Gary wrote in the debut album's reissue, "very mid-90's indie sounds," but they also had a warmth that became synonymous with the band's music. The third album, 1999's The Albemarle Sound, is generally considered the breakthrough. Having enlisted Jeff and Jennifer Baron for his previous album, he now brought along San Fadyl, as well as Sasha Bell and Mike Barrett of The Essex Green. The band's sound was transformed with lush, pastoral melodies and richly-layered arrangements of strings, trumpet, and guitar. Meanwhile, the songwriting duties were dispersed, democratically, throughout the band. Sasha, who only sang on one song on Albemarle Sound, took more prominent vocal duties in their next two albums, Argyle Heir (2001) and The Ladybug Transistor (2003). The latter took their sound at a slightly new angle; recorded in Tucson, Arizona, the flavor and swagger of the American Southwest is distinctive on the record. This year, hopes are high for the imminent return of the Ladybugs. Gary Olson was kind enough to take the time to answer 6 questions for Optical Atlas about the band's history and their near future.

1. Are you working on a new album, and if so, can you provide any details? Is a tour in sight?

San (Ladybug drummer) just arrived in New York from Zurich where he normally lives. We've all been getting together lately for rehearsals and are working on arrangements for new songs. Along with Julia [Rydholm], San and Jeff Baron, we have Ben Crum and Kyle Forester from Great Lakes helping a lot with these sessions. We'll get a lot of basic tracks done in the coming weeks and build on them throughout the spring. We're planning on a late 2006 album release and an EP earlier in the year. We have some touring pending for this summer. San, Jeff, and I also spent a lot of time last year working with Kevin Ayers on his next record which was done at Wavelab in Tucson and at Marlborough Farms. Heather McIntosh and Joe McGinty also contributed a lot to the album. Kevin is in London now working on finishing vocals. I hear they are planning to have it out this autumn.

2. Describe Marlborough Farms if you can, and how it became a home for so many talented musicians. Is it still in use by the Ladybug Transistor?

Marlborough Farms is a big old house in the Victorian Flatbush area of Brooklyn. Most of Ladybug have lived here at one time or another. It was an ideal place to be at the time the group started coming together...with enough room for all of us to live and record. I'll always call it home and it will always be very much a musical place. Kevin Barker (of Currituck Co.) and Heather McIntosh (of The Instruments) currently reside at the Farm so there is always some interesting happening here. The studio has been busier than ever as I've settled into doing a little more freelance recording work these days. Will Hart, John Fernandes, Derek Almstead and Heather of Circulatory System were here in February doing some overdubs for their next record. It was a great experience to finally get to work with them.

3. The style of your music changed dramatically with The Albemarle Sound in 1999, although there were signs of a new direction with the previous album; can you talk about what prompted the shift?

Well, there was no real band on the first two records. Ladybug began as more of a recording project with me and our original drummer Ed Powers playing most of the instruments. I was experimenting a lot with my new 8 track...going in many directions, I'll confess. We became more of a band once we began to tour properly with the Beverley Atonale album. Around that time Jeff, Jennifer and Sasha became more involved. We suddenly had four songwriters in the group and wanted to make something that reflected the records we loved at the time (Love, Kinks, Jan and Dean, Byrds) and that was The Albemarle Sound. San also came in to take over on drums and all of this helped Ladybug make that leap. With Julia joining the lineup just after Argyle Heir, we had our first dedicated bass player, which truly rounded out the evolution.

4. The songs are always just credited to The Ladybug Transistor; are the songwriting contributions as creatively democratic as they seem?

I'll admit it's a bit vague to credit all of our albums like that. Basically on the last three records, the songwriters (me, Jeff, Sasha and Jennie when she was with us) all contributed the same amount of songs, so I was just listing writing credits as "The Ladybug Transistor." I think it came from an idea I had when we started about wanting the group to be more collective-like and less about egos. Songs definitely originated from different people though and maybe they should be credited individually for that.

5. There seem to be a lot of connections with your bandmates and Sweden. How did this come about, and can you describe the connections as they are today?

Outside of the US, Sweden and Norway were the first places that seemed to have some kind scene for what Ladybug were doing. Olivia Tremor Control and Neutral Milk Hotel had been over the year before and reported back many good things. We visited the first time and played the Emmaboda Festival. I still meet people who were at that show. On that trip we met people and bands who became good friends over the years...and have even performed at one of their weddings. I've been going to Scandinavia every year since then with Ladybug or doing solo shows with friends who live over there, so it's a special place for me. Ole [Johannes Åleskjær] from Loch Ness Mouse plays with me regularly when I'm there, as well as Wyatt Cusick from Aislers Set who has been living in Gothenburg. I met Jens Lekman last year and had a nice time joining him as a touring musician on his US tour last autumn.

6. Is “The Swimmer” based on the Burt Lancaster picture, and was someone in the band a fan of the film? [In the 1968 film, Lancaster plays a man who deals with a crisis by swimming all the way home through his neighbors' suburban swimming pools.]

Yeah, we are big Burt fans. I saw that movie during a really bad heatwave one summer, so it was perfect timing. I really liked the concept of swimming home through a network of backyard pools. It also seemed to fit in well with the water themes of Albemarle Sound--"Oceans in the Hall," "Like a Summer Rain," "Meadowport Arch." Those figures on the front cover came from a painting we found in Venice.

Below are photos Gary has provided from the current recording sessions; click on the thumbnails for larger images. Buy Ladybug Transistor albums at Merge Records, or listen to some of their music at their page at MySpace and on their official homepage.

Pre-Order Elf Power's upcoming album Back to the Web (to be released April 25) at Insound, and you will get a bonus 7" single with two tracks: "An Old Familiar Scene" and "Face in the Sand" (the B-side is an exclusive). You can pre-order now.

Thanks to jml at the Townhall for noticing this.

This week's rare MP3 is from the Japanese "U.S. Pop Life" compilation series, which frequently included Elephant 6 bands. Volume 12, A Tribute to Fort Thunder, features a rare recording of a Music Tapes live performance at the Fort Thunder artists' collective in Providence, Rhode Island on May 21, 2000. These events were somewhat legendary, since Julian Koster would put on a real spectacular in unusual settings and with flickering TV sets (some photos can be found here). On one of their last tours this track was recorded, as the band covers the Sun Ra piece "Enlightenment."

Enlightenment (live)

Jesse over at Jesse's Frank and Earthy Blog has posted an interesting Olivia Tremor Control rarity: the 2000 Kahimie Karie EP Once Upon a Time in which the Japanese singer's backing band is none other than the Olivias, although they act as more than session musicians. For a limited time you can download it at that most excellent blog (and check out Jesse's previous post about Elf Power, while you're at it). Thanks to Jesse for the heads-up, and for posting these gems.

Pitchfork gets around to reviewing Cannibal Sea today and gives it a positive review.

There's also a nice article on the album, with comments from Sasha Bell, at Venuszine.com.

Essex Green - Upcoming Shows

04.05.2006 * Bremen, @ Lagerhaus w/ Shout Out Louds
04.06.2006 * Hannover, @ Musikzentrum w/ Shout Out Louds
04.07.2006 * Erlangen, @ E-Werk w/ Shout Out Louds
04.08.2006 * Heidelberg, @ Karlstorbahnof w/ Shout Out Louds
04.09.2006 * Koln, @ Kulturbunker Mulheim
04.10.2006 * Munster, @ Gleis 22 w/ Shout Out Louds
04.11.2006 * London, @ Cargo (SOLD OUT)
04.12.2006 * London, @ 93 Feet east
04.27.2006 * Lexington, KY @ The Dame w/High Water Marks & The Melody Function
04.28.2006 * Chicago , IL @ Subterranean w/ Tapes N Tapes & Brighton PA
04.29.2006 * St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club
05.02.2006 * Seattle, WA @ Crocodile Cafe
05.03.2006 * Portland , OR @ Towne Lounge w/ Irving
05.04.2006 * Redding, CA @ The Dip w/ Irving
05.05.2006 * Santa Cruz, CA @ The Attic
05.06.2006 * San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop
05.07.2006 * Los Angeles, CA @ Spaceland
05.08.2006 * Tucson, AZ @ Solar Culture Gallery
05.10.2006 * Austin, TX, Venue TBA
05.11.2006 * Dallas, TX, Venue TBA
05.12.2006 * Houston, TX, Venue TBA
05.13.2006 * Jackson, MS, Venue TBA
05.14.2006 * Chattanooga, TN, Venue TBA
05.16.2006 * Washington, DC @ Black Cat Backstage
05.17.2006 * Philadelphia, PA @ The Khyber

Heather McIntosh, she of the Instruments and Circulatory System, is debuting a new piece of experimental electronic sound at the Roger and Phyllis Dancz Center for New Music in Athens this Wednesday night. According to her MySpace blog, "It is a concrete ditty of found sounds on a walking adventure from my home in Brooklyn to the train, to Canal Street, and then to Houston Street. After no sleep last night, I am really starting to like it, even though I do feel like I may be losing my mind. If you are in Athens come on by 8:00 pm at the Black Box in the music school. It is an informal concert, so as the ol' drummer poet says...'no jacket required' (sorry about that Collins reference)."

Heather also has an Instruments album that's only a month away. Coming from Orange Twin on May 9 is Cast a Half Shadow, the highly-anticipated follow-up to 2002's Billions of Phonographs. Her band will also be touring with Elf Power in the days leading up to the album's release.

For more information on all of Heather's efforts, visit heathermcintosh.com.

8:00 PM, Wednesday, April 5, 2004
Roger and Phyllis Dancz Center for New Music
http://noise.uga.edu/

Upcoming Instruments Shows (with Elf Power)

04/26/2006 - Local 506, Chapel Hill, NC
04/27/2006 - Iota, Arlington, VA
04/28/2006 - North Six, Brooklyn, NY
04/29/2006 - Hamilton College, Clinton, NY
04/30/2006 - PA's Lounge, Boston, MA
05/03/2006 - Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto, ON
05/05/2006 - Subterranean, Chicago, IL
05/06/2006 - 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis, MN

Darren at Bicycle Kick My Worries Away is still digging through his box of old tapes. (Recently he gave us the original Coquelicot Asleep in the Poppies demo tape, lots of pre-Cherry Peel demos, and a soundboard recording of a 1997 Neutral Milk Hotel performance.) Now he's uncovered a recording of Of Montreal live at the Middle East in Cambridge, MA in 1999. The interesting thing about this performance is that the band performs not just a Minders cover, but songs like "A Question for Emily Foreman," "Inside a Room Full of Treasures...", and "Jennifer Louise," songs that weren't officially released by the band until 2002. You can download it now in 2 Rapidshare files at Bicycle Kick My Worries Away. Thanks go out to Darren for posting these.

Slinking through the shadows from a misty, musty backstreet comes a mysterious band masterminded by a figure with a hood like an executioner's cap, who keeps in the back alley barking orders like some villain from Scooby-Doo. They are The(e) American Revolution, and Robert Schneider is not the leader, only an underling. Guessing the identity of the true captain is becoming an underground indie-rock parlor game.

"...The(e) American Revolution is a band of whom the mastermind is an older musician, we are just doing his bidding!!" writes Robert. "(I cannot say yet but he is British, is NOT Andy Partridge, and is NOT affiliated with Elephant 6)."

The band has performed live in Lexington, and has released one track so far, "Subscriptions to Magazines," which appears on the online compilation Know Your Own Vol. 2. About that song, Robert wrote in the OA interview: "[It was finished] in no more than thirty minutes from the time we picked up our instruments--we wrote the song, recorded it and mixed it like kids tumbling down a hill! And it rocks in such a raw pure way and is also really catchy, and sloppy and flawed and tossed-off--which of course you can hear in the recording, and is what makes it awesome! We didn't even notice the main riff is a rip-off of 'Smoke on the Water' until after it was mixed!" Listening to the track, all those qualities are readily apparent. It's rougher than anything on the deliberately-rough Apples in Stereo album Velocity of Sound. It's pure Nuggets garage rock, as though Robert and his cohort, brother-in-law Craig Morris from Lexington's the Ideal Free Distribution, are deliberately aiming for something a 16-year old midwestern American kid in 1966 might attempt after listening to the Who on the radio for the first time. To polish ain't the point.

But so far, the only track that's really surfaced is the one song, which--if you download it online--is interrupted by noise caused by an encoding error, as though the band rocked so hard they broke the MP3. (Robert writes that the line between rock and noise is "almost nonexistent anyway, with Th(e) American Revolution.") A better-sounding version is out there, and might be online soon.

UPDATE: Samantha and Craig from the Ideal Free Distribution have provided a flawless version of the song, which you can download here.

There's also a bit of confusion over the spelling of the band's name. Is it "Thee American Revolution," or "The American Revolution?" Both spellings have been tossed around online. There's really no answer, yet. "We have not officially decided between 'thee' and 'the,'" Robert writes Optical Atlas. "Actually it is going to say 'the' on our Buddha Electrostorm EP which will be coming out sometime on Bi-Fi Records so I guess it is only one 'e,' but my guess is we will flip-flop continually on the issue, depending on if we feel more psych or more garage on a given day." Certainly "Thee" hearkens back to the labored Olde-English flavor to which many 60's psych-pop bands strove, if they weren't emulating the Victorian age or the Old West (or Middle Earth, for that matter).

While the guessing game over the band's mastermind (and what role he plays) continues, Robert's written in with a new development--they've launched their official webpage. And so far, it answers no questions whatsoever. Surely it's only a coincidence that their press release for the page was sent out on April Fool's Day. Surely.

Keep checking that website, as well as Bi-Fi records, for updates on their upcoming EP Buddha Electrostorm. And thanks to Robert for helping Optical Atlas piece this puzzle together. Or apart.

Rich, blood-blog-brother at Cable and Tweed, has posted the entire two-discs of the superb Velvet Underground tribute album, Rabid Chords 002. Why is this of interest? Well, Of Montreal, The Olivia Tremor Control, The Music Tapes, and the Ladybug Transistor all contribute covers. You might have heard those tracks before at Elephant6.com, but I'd encourage the full download (he's got it zipped in a Rapidshare file), because it's really, really cool to hear Japanese bands cover Lou Reed. And for other reasons. I've always loved the cover of "I'll Be Your Mirror," as done by Swarm's Arm; it rocks. And I will always maintain that the Ladybug Transistor cover of "I've Found a Reason" is actually superior to the VU version. They get it right. They find the song it should have been (the VU demo of this song is actually closer to the Ladybug's interpretation). It's gorgeous.

Thanks, Rich, for sharing these files.