12 27 05
Autumn de Wilde's photos from Knitting Factory/LA
------
12 16 05
Now this is interesting...
And these are a few of my favorite things 1 2 3 4
------
12 8 05
John Vanderslice/Photographs: Live at the Independent
22 hi-res mp3s
------
11 30 05 | Amsterdam, NL
A perfect last day in Europe. After a koffie verkeerd at Koffie Salon, I rode the canal bus for three hours, listening to Coltrane's Atlantic years on repeat as we made our way through Amsterdam's endless grid of waterways.
Getting off the tram near my hotel, I found myself in front of the Concertgebouw at 8pm. On a lark I asked about discount tickets at the window. "We'll we're not sold out, tickets are 65 euros... Or 7.50 if you're under 27." "Ma'am I'm 24, but I left my passport in my hotel." False. False.
The bells were ringing, I ran to my seat in the Grote Zaal.
So we present:
Munchner Philharmoniker
Richard Strauss, Metamorphosen
Bruckner, 7th Symphony
Unreal! The Concertgebouw is a Dutch classicist masterpiece. It's the most visited concert hall in the world. It's also a wonderful sounding room: so soft on the top and even in the mid-range. (The mids are especially tough to deal with in concert halls, strings can kill you in the 1-2k range) There are no treatments, just a brilliant design using the right material and proportions. How sad I felt for the SF Symphony. Although they have a great conductor (MT Thomas), Davies is an extremely harsh sounding room.
I walked back to the Hotel van Kasteelen, ate some Stroopwafles, and watched BBC1. I have 10 hours on the plane tomorrow.
--
I played my last show of the year yesterday. I am grateful that people care about what I do and allow me to commit my life to music. We are working on a US and European tour for the Spring, a live to 2-track version of Pixel Revolt, and a Pixel remix record. We should be recording a new full-length by the summer.
--
My last name is Dutch. It should probably be van der Sluis. Sluis having to do with the water gates that regulate the canals of the Netherlands and allowed them to create land where there should be water. I'd like to think I share the supposed Dutch national traits: thriftiness, a strong liberal/libertarian political philosophy, a love of trading and business, and a Calvinist/Protestant sobriety and levelheadedness. I'm probably no more Dutch than I am Canadian, but strolling through Vondelpark on my way to Rijksmuseum on a clear fall day, I wished I was.
Love from Holland...
------
11 26 05 | Rotterdam, NL
Dave and I are off the Nada Surf tour, and I feel weak from not being around the crew: Ira, Damien, Steve, Mick, Aurel, Magalie, Giles, Daniel, Howie, and Matthew. I'm not sure if I've ever made a stronger emotional connection with musicians than I did with the Surf.
--
Dave left Berlin yesterday and made it all the way home without his passport. So much for homeland security. I'm alone in the Netherlands, knee deep in pot cafes and sex clubs. Send for help.
------
11 18 05 | Angouleme, FR
France continues to be mind-blowing. Pixel Revolt is coming out in UK/EU in February so if all goes well we'll be back here in the spring. Also, look for a US tour in early 2006, some SXSW shows, and Noisepop. We're in Strasbourg tomorrow and then into the Black Forest.
--
Daniel from Nada Surf is playing bass with Dave and I for "Time Travel" and Matthew is singing harmonies on "White Plains." NS couldn't be nicer to us. We are forever changed...
11 15 05
We have the day off in Paris. The tour supporting Nada Surf has been fantastic, they are huge here (duh), and every show has been sold out. Daniel Lorca and I going to Montmartre in a few minutes, my Leica in tow.
--
Dave Douglas and I did an interview/performance on BBC radio 3 last week. I'll post a link once it plays.
------
11 7 05
Paxil Revolt by Michael Alan Goldberg
--
I (unironically) embrace myspace.
--
Dave Douglas and I are playing shows in Europe with Nada Surf, please check the shows page for info...
------
11 4 05
SF Gate Interview
------
11 3 05
This Saturday's San Francisco show at the Independent is going to be really special. We'll have Matt Cunitz playing Orchestron and Celeste, Nedelle singing on New Zealand Pines, and Terri Olson will be dragged on stage to play tambourine on Pale Horse. That'll be worth the price of admission alone...
------
10 31 05
Greetings from Lubbock, Texas. We’re staying at a completely abandoned Holiday Inn. It’s a 1970s atrium design with trees, fountains, and fake foliage...an old school dinosaur. Just my style. We Pricelined the shit out of it. When we were swimming laps, Lockwood said: “Imagine all the hopes and dreams that were sunk into this place.” I can imagine...
We’re having a blast, Dave is watching Monday Night Football, Lockwood is in the sauna, Dan’s on wireless near the pool and Broecker’s swimming.
It’s Halloween night in Lubbock and we’re playing in a few hours at Winchester Slaughter House. How could it not be good? On the wall behind the stage “JV-SLICE!” is smeared in fake blood. I hope it stays there forever.
We’ll be home in a week. Then Dave and I have two days to get ready for a tour in Europe opening for Nada Surf.
They’ll be tons of news about the spring posted soon.
LoveLoveLove, JV
------
10 14 05
Popmatters Interview
------
10 13 05
New Show:
Novemeber 26 | Rotterdam, NL
Rotown | Solo show
------
10 8 05
New Shows:
November 27 | Haarlem, Netherlands
Patronaat | Solo show
October 13 | Hamilton, NY
Colgate University - Class of 1934 House
49 Broad St., Hamilton | all ages | free for all!
------
10 3 05
Holy batwings, this tour is kicking ass. I've never been happier on the road.
------
9 29 05
We are on tour. Please come and see us! All baked goods will be greeted with intense glee followed by Homer Simpson-esque gorging. Yes we are playing R Kelly's TP3 Reloaded after every show. We do not fuck around.
------
9 22 05
Front page photo: New JV Merch Box by Alex Myers
------
9 21 05
Photos from Julia Henderson:
Mercury Lounge/CMJ with Erik Friedlander
Brooklyn Grilled Corn, Mushroom and Jicama Exposition '05
------
9 18 05
Save for XM radio and WGBT, Georgetown's college radio station, this fantastic month of solo touring is over. I am recovering at my mom's house in Rockville, MD, eating homemade blueberry cobbler. This place is like god's idea of a B&B. Why did I ever leave?
--
Amoeba LA instore, photos by Autumn de Wilde.
------
9 12 05
I'm in NYC, walking the city all hours of the night, living large in Matthew Caws's upper east side digs.
--
Live on WNYC's Soundcheck
September 12, 2005 w/ Erik Friedlander
9 6 05
European Tour Dates with Nada Surf are up Five Years, a JV compilation comes out October 17 in UK/EU. Pixel Revolt will follow in early 2006.
New show:
September 9 | Boston, MA
Lorem Ipsum Bookstore, w/ Chris Brokaw | 8pm | all ages | free
------
9 5 05
So many new shows up, including:
September 17 | New York, NY
"2005 Brooklyn Grilled Corn, Mushroom and Jicama Exposition"
(No affiliation with the CMJ festival)
Bring veggies to grill and beverages. Open to everyone. Free!
Details on the shows page.
------
9 1 05
I'll be in Seattle and Portland this weekend doing free shows and hanging out with Barsuk, INC. And Adam and Broecker (who'll be singing with me at KEXP and Easystreet). Can't wait.
--
Have you seen our band submission list? I asked for a name for my band, as in JV and the [...] and the people have responded.
--
New show:
September 8 | Salem, MA
Share An Umbrella Art Gallery, w/ Elijah Wyman, all ages, free
--
PS Bowling in Los Angeles was f-ing fantastic.
------
8 31 05
Street teamers rule!
------
8 27 05
Boston solo tour dates are posted. We are looking for a living room/gallery show on Sept 8 or 9 in Boston. It has to be open to anyone, all ages and free. Washington DC dates coming soon.
------
8 26 05
The end is near part 2.
------
8 25 05
Thanks to the nice girl who baked us blackberry pie for the Amoeba in-store. I lost your initial email asking me what kind of berries I like (is there an unlikeable berry? maybe Nightshade?) so I couldn't write you.
Simply put, your pie was the bomb. It was eaten with great enthusiasm by Dave Douglas, Miles Kurosky, Samantha Witt, Terri Olson, Jennifer Marrero, and me.
--
ps. I'll be on playing live on KZSU/Stanford at 8am PST this morning.
------
8 24 05
The end is near.
------
8 23 05
Pixel Revolt User's Guide
------
8 22 05
New shows posted
September 15 | New York, NY
Soundfix, 7pm, solo
October 7, Minneapolis, MN
7th Street Entry, w/ The Double
November 2 | Tucson, AZ
Club Congress
November 3 | Phoenix, AZ
Modified
------
8 10 05
Barsuk is taking pre-orders Pixel Revolt, which comes out in less than two weeks. Damn! Seems like I've been in a holding pattern the entire summer...(JV, you've been cleared for landing) Yes, I talk to myself, quite often.
NB: The vinyl will sell out very fast. They've only given me 80, so I'll be selling 40 on the fall tour and 40 in the spring. Try to buy one on the Barsuk site as they're only asking 20 bucks for it. (It's a double 180 gram gatefold pressing, I think the unit cost is north of $13) The vinyl sounds fantastic and sonically it's as good as the 1/2" tapes.
Here's another high res mp3 from Pixel Revolt, Exodus Damage
------
8 9 05
New interview on The Red Alert
------
8 1 05
New shows posted!
------
7 26 05
Okay, I almost died on the United flight home: turbulence SO bad that even veterans of the trans-Pacific trek were screaming for their lives. So, like Ismael after surviving his near-drowning, everything is gravy from here on out.
------
7 22 05
I'm in my 9th floor hotel room in Tokyo, watching the humming office workers in the Trans Cosmos building next door. It's 1am. Tokyo is so intense, so inscrutable to me I can barely stand it. The second I leave, I'm filled with regret and sorrow. Yukkuri hanashi te kudasai!
------
7 15 05
An open letter to DC Berman.
Re: Tanglewood Numbers
Dear David:
You've made a fantastic record. It's another stake in the ground, another mast on the sail... In other words, your records are incredibly important to me; they make me more sane. I'm sure recording it wasn't easy, but please, god, please keep making records. I have it early because I'm a slouch who downloads illegal music. I'll make it up to you by making this year a Tanglewood Numbers Christmas ("Andre was a young black Santa Claus!").
Love,
John
7 14 05
Some of the Fall tour dates are up. The middle leg is with Portastatic. This makes me very happy. More dates soon!!
------
7 11 05
I added one more show in Tokyo for next week. I'll also be at Team Clermont's Prom in Athens, GA at the beginning of August, playing a solo show and lovingly cueing Pixel Revolt on a cd player for a listening party at Go Bar.
------
7 7 05
Deep apologies for disappearing now and again. Things are moving quickly over here, I promise major touring announcements soon (including adding a new continent to the tour schedule). There are a few in-stores posted for the "my aim is only true when I'm aiming at you" solo tour this fall.
------
6 9 05
Okay, I have shored up a f-ing great band for the fall tour (Sep 30-Nov 5).
Ian Bjornstad: Wurlitzer, Moog Source
Dave Douglas: Drums, Keyboards
David Broecker: Bass, Keyboards
Dan Brennan: Live Sound, Samples
Ian played in Denton, TX bands (The Dooms UK) and roomed with Matt Pence. Dave D. you know and love from many JV tours. We stole Mr. Broecker form the Prom, a lovely band on Barsuk. Dan has toured extensively with Cursive and Good Life. I am very excited about this line-up. We're already in rehearsals and hope to play a good bit of Pixel Revolt in October. Dates coming soon!
PS. We're trying to get Ian to change his name to Daniel.
PPS. I'll be at Tape Op over the weekend, if you're there please say hello.
------
5 19 05
Bad News/Noise McCartney is putting out Pixel Revolt in Japan on August 3. It'll have a bonus track, The Kingdom.
------
5 17 05
Why don't I have more money? 1 2 3 4
And why is the new Xiu Xiu record, La Foret, so good?
------
5 16 05
Well, I've gotten so many nice emails from people looking out for my gear, a part of me thinks it was all worth it. You know, maybe in some perverse way? Typical from a self-obsessed musician type... So SFPD came to my apartment yesterday to issue a report, and who doesn't think of unsnapping the cop's holster and wildly drawing out that black, beautiful Beretta? The key is to not act on these impulses (they tell me).
------
5 11 05
Some fuckwad broke into my apartment this morning and stole my 1969 Tele Thinline, '68 Vox amp, and Larrivee acoustic. Those pieces of gear were key to all the records I've made so far. Thank god I'm with my mom in Rockville, MD eating homemade banana bread. Of course, he may be back right now, picking through the remainders. C'est la vie. Don't cry for me Argentina. So not another word of this do we need speak...but PLEASE get f***ing renter's insurance!
I'm having intense MG withdrawals. Had an absolute blast in NYC with Erik Friedlander, Matt Torrey and Spoon.
------
5 6 05
I'm currently on tour, playing guitar with the Mountain Goats. We've played for Linda Wertheimer on NPR, hung with my mom and brother in Chapel Hill and rocked the bells in NYC.
------
4 14 05
A few of my favorite things 1 2 3 4
------
4 7 05
It's done. I submit to you:
Pixel Revolt
1 letter to the east coast
2 plymouth rock
3 exodus damage
4 peacocks in the video rain
5 trance manual
6 new zealand pines
7 radiant with terror
8 continuation
9 dear sarah shu
10 farewell transmission
11 angela
12 dead slate pacific
13 the golden gate
14 crc7173, affectionately
55 minutes
CD/double gatefold 180 gram vinyl
It's my day off, mostly. I'm going to Amoeba to score some vinyl. Hopefully this and this. Btw, Grundman mastered both.
------
3 22 05
I am working on tour dates for a solo promo tour in September. I'll be playing in-stores at indies around the US and some college radio on-airs. Mixing will be done on April 6. Joe Williams is doing FANTASTIC art for the record.
------
3 14 05
I'll be at SXSW this weekend. I'm not playing, but I am spinning a set of hip hop at Emo's for the Team Clermont party on Thursday the 17th at 2:30pm.
------
2 15 05
Sorry it's been so long to update, most stuff is happening on the recording diary. Two new things...
Mix Magazine: Radical Recording
SF Chronicle: Vanderslice Goes with the Flow
------
12 13 04
Jonathan Purvis is a very good photographer. Shots from Atlanta.
------
12 7 04
Immortal Technique! Start with Revolutionary #2...
Scott and I are recording vocals this week on three new songs. If I get my act together I'll start a recording diary. Speaking of, my hard drive is recovered and my tour diary should be posted by the end of the week.
------
11 25 04
From Fivetools.com (Home of the wonderful Peter Hughes):
Photo Diary of Mountain Goats Recording Session
JV/Mountain Goats Fall Tour
------
11 22 04
Interesting links:
Cryptome
Globalsecurity.org
Detailed satellite image of Fullujah (12MB)
------
11 16 04
It is all about MF Doom right now. Night and day. 1 2 3 Start with Vaudeville Villain.
We are home from the Mountain Goats session; this album will kill, I promise. It'll be out next year on 4AD.
Other news: my old drummer, Christopher McGuire, is coming back to the States after leaving Quruli on good terms. He is available for touring and recording. He is a total bad ass. Email him. Also, my hard drive is in a clean room somewhere in Northern California.
A few of my favorite things: 1 2 3 4
11 4 04
My iBook's hard drive crashed so I lost a LOT of stuff. Bummer. Please re-email me if you've signed up for the email list within the past 6 weeks. Or if you think I may not have your address. The tour diary is gone too, for now. 7,000 words.
We're in Cotati working with MG. It is fantastic up here...plenty of nice microphones, a beautiful Hammond B3, and a grand piano. Franklin Bruno came in late last night, we're all camping out together in a guest house surrounded by chickens and the Sonoma hills.
------
11 1 04
We're home! A tour diary will be posted soon. It will not be boring! It's very good to be home but we're leaving on Thursday to record the next Mountain Goats record. More on that later. Film is in development. So am I.
------
9 21 04
We are on tour. Well not quite yet, I'm listening to Lamb Lies Down on Broadway and packing like a fiend. But soon! So come and see us; this is a fantastic band and we are going to disappear a bit after this to finish the new album. (Barsuk Records, August 2005!) Love, JV.
-------
9 15 04
I'll be on Live 105 (San Francisco) today from 4-5pm playing some records.
------
9 5 04
Joshua Zarbo left this morning after a 4-day crash course on the new JV set. I am already having withdrawals; he is, as Master Shake would say, my main man.
We'll be adding Promising Actress, Radiant with Terror (new!) and Little Boy Lost for the fall tour. Dave Douglas will be playing vibraphone in addition to slaying his new Gretsch drum set.
Heavy Rotation! 1 2 3 4
------
8 28 04
These are a few of my favorite things 1 2 3 4
------
8 27 04
Tiny Telebration! The Tiny Telephone 7th Anniversary Show is confirmed and tickets are up. Britt Daniel of Spoon and JV (me) will be headlining the two shows; six more bands will be announced soon. There are a small number of joint tickets for sale that will get you into both shows. It all unfolds in San Francisco, CA on October 29.
------
8 26 04
Sorry, I'm over my bandwith limit; my server won't stream MGM Endings and Iowa City mp3s right now. I should have it sorted out tomorrow. I looked at my webalizer (some nerdy web stat app) and I could not believe how many songs this site is moving: 93,256 so far this month. No wonder the cops showed up.
------
8 24 04
My beloved van is for sale: 1994 Ford Extended Clubwagon, 193k, tinted windows...it is a touring machine. 2 grand. I really want this to go to a band. Email me if you're interested.
------
7 25 04
Fall tour dates are up! More dates coming...The lineup this time is pretty amazing. We've stolen Joshua Zarbo from Spoon to play bass, everyone else you've come to know and love from the Pedro tour is back.
Fall Lineup:
Dave Douglas: Drums, Vibraphone
Jared Hankins: Sound, Samples
Scott Solter: Wurlitzer, Guitar
JV: Vocals, Guitar
Joshua Zarbo: Bass, Vocals
Tour Management: Megan Wilson
I'm off to Rehoboth Beach with my mom. And then to Chapel Hill to see my brother.
PS My email response time is going south and for that I deeply apologize. I will get better...
------
7 24 04
These are a few of my favorite things 1 2 3 4
------
7 18 04
We are home! It was a very inspiring tour, thanks to my crew and Pedro the Lion. Photos coming soon. Maybe we'll post a live set as well? Tour dates for the fall (including three weeks with the Mountain Goats) will up soon. Scott Solter and I are hard at work on the next record.
------
6 18 04
It is very late. We're watching Carrie at the Hilton in Lancaster, PA. Both Pedro and the JV crew are staying here and we're all sprawled out, crisscrossing the hallway, barging into each others rooms. This is a good tour. (Carrie is covered in blood and using telekinesis to kill her classmates.) I've been doing a high harmony for a song during the Pedro set ("Slow and Steady Wins the Race"); it is amazing to sing with Dave and be on stage with Ken and TW. Playing with them every night has made us a better band. (Carrie is back home, in the shower, washing off the blood.)
------
6 11 04
I'm in Dallas at my hotel, looking out of the 9th floor window at Dealey Plaza and the Texas Book Depository. My bandmates were nice enough to let me duck out of Tree's before load-out so I could crash early. It matters deeply who you tour with and play with and I am very lucky on both counts.
I promise to post one of these shows up after the tour, please bug me if I forget. I'll also link a solo set and interview I did on KUT's fantastic Eklektikos when it's up.
------
6 3 04
It has begun. Nick brought the ATHF, Alex brought a spare K1000 light meter battery and dozens of chocolate chip cookies. Pedro the Lion played beautifully. XTC and the Zombies records were spun between sets. Yes, there was no hip hop, but that will change.
------
5 31 04
Holy scheisse, who thought a recording conference could be that amazing? Well I just got back from Tape Op, held in New Orleans this year, and it was truly fantastic.
Okay, we are seriously close to tour. I better get my act together. Yes, we are all hopelessly addicted to sugar, so please cook your asses off and bring BAKED GOODS, we will bring down the hammer of rock and roll in repayment. And please please please, can anyone grab Aqua Teen Hunger Force and Sealab 2021 off of Tivo or some fancy digital recorder so we can hold onto the few strands of sanity we have left.
------
5 25 04
JV Spring 2004 Tour Slide Show
What can the all-seeing eye of the Pentax K1000 show us? About baby alligators, book depositories, and fused fetuses?
------
5 21 04
Please welcome Carson McWhirter on bass guitar! He's a bad ass. He's on loan from The Advantage.
Here's the final lineup...
Dave Douglas: Drums
Jared Hankins: Sound, Samples
Carson McWhirter: Bass Guitar
Scott Solter: Wurlitzer, Guitar
JV: Vocals, Guitar
Megan Wilson: Tour Management
We're rehearsing like mad. We've added a few more Cellar Door songs to the set list: "Up Above the Sea," "Wild Strawberries," and "June July."
We'll have a new Riflescope shirt on the Pedro tour, designed by the genius I call Joe Williams.
------
5 16 04
Just Posted:
Beulah/JV Tour 2003 Slide Show
Have you seen the ominous children with flashlights? The Canadian omens, the Montana sky?
The 2004 Spring tour photos will be up before the Pedro tour...
------
5 15 04
Okay! The next record is in full swing, we have about 5 songs in varying degrees of presentability. We're shooting for fall of 2005. Yes, I am a planner.
------
4 24 04
Just Posted:
Live set on KEXP (March 5, 2004)
Kyoto Pond.mp3
This is a vinyl-only track on the Sea Level pressing of Fourtracker.
Advancing Army Clip.mp3
From the Mountain Goats/JV 7" on Ben Gibbard's Bedside Recordings imprint.
------
4 18 04
We are home. That tour was the best one ever... but seriously, I need to rest! And sleep (please mail your surplus Ambien to 1050 b Dolores...). Shout outs to three records that made the landing a little softer:
Destroyer: Your Blues
Of Montreal: Satanic Panic in the Attic
Xiu Xiu: Fabulous Muscles
Please buy that Destroyer record if you can, it's fantastic..."I'd been working on some open-ended shit..."
Oh yes, and Kanye West and Madvillain...
Here are the dates for the "Pedro the Lion/John Vanderslice Summer Tour, sponsored by Hilton Properties and Adult Swim." I wish...
------
3 11 04
Hello! Hey the tour is kicking ass. Check me out, I am updating the site from the road. Thanks for the iBook mom! By the way, that note right below was drenched in sarcasm, so please do bring us cookies and baked goods. I am seriously addicted to sugar. We're covered on 9volts, Solter bought a brick of 500 from Costco. I'm checking emails daily; please forgive me for being slower than usual in getting back to you.
------
2 24 04
We're off, please say hello to us out there!
Things we don't want you to bring us: cookies, mix tapes/cds, cakes and/or fruit pies, socks, 9V batteries, knitwear.
------
2 16 04
MGM Endings is up on Barsuk.com, 10 bucks post-paid. I'll have some on tour also. These pups are numbered and look really nice, thanks to Joe Williams. This is a limited edition pressing of 2000 that won't be in stores...I will have them on tour.
------
2 7 04
I'm back from Japan. Holy shit. More intense than the first tour. Tons of thanks to Bad News/Noise McCartney, Quruli, and Christopher McGuire for kindness shown and help given.
I'll be playing 2 songs acoustic on Live105 tomorrow night at 9pm, Sunday Feb 8. Maybe Pale Horse and White Plains?
------
1 14 04
MacRock and SXSW shows are posted. Lyrics and Musician Credits for Cellar door are up, I should have recording notes and Beulah tour photos up soon.
------
1 13 04
Out of beta, ready for prime time, please say hello to the
Heated Pool and Bar: The Official JV Forum
oh and...
Cellar Door preorders are up. First 100 orders gets a signed, one-of-a-kind photo taken by me. As opposed to a photo of me, which would be a little weird...
------
1 12 04
Confusion Boats, as interpreted by Jennifer of David Barton Elementary, Boonville, MO. Thanks Sarah...
------
1 10 04
Spoon Recording Session Slide Show
Gather round as Spoon & Co. battle a mysterious alien with undetermined powers
------
12 30 03
Just Posted: Intro to a DIW interview with Thom Yorke
I'll Never Take It Personally, My Love Affair With Radiohead
------
12 28 03
mp3: Pale Horse
Some dates are up on the shows page, more to come.
------
12 8 03
mp3: They Won't Let Me Run
The first mp3 from Cellar Door.
------
11 27 03
Okay, so many people commented how crazy that last post was so I thought I'd type normal. The routing for the spring tour is almost printable, I should have dates and cites up soon on the shows page. Please send Adam ideas on support bands, I can't field any of those requests (I'm sorry!).
------
I have an insanely good band for the spring tours, I can't believe how lucky I got.
Dave Douglas: Drums
"Teenage" Rob Douglas: Bass, Vocals
Scott Solter: Wurlitzer, Samples, Guitar
Hopefully Brandon will be back on sound and samples, we're still waiting to see if his schedule is free. Scott is the genius behind 4trkr and Cellar Door. We just started rehearsals; this is the first time in three years I've had a band that all lives in San Francisco. (Duh.)
------
Japanese fan site!
Emiko rules.
------
Beulah tour photos are in development, I'll post them as soon as I can.
------
We Shall All Be Healed, the new Mountain Goats record, will be out on 4AD Feb 3rd. Solter and I were lucky enough to work on the record. It is mind-blowing. Scott and I begin work on the new Spoon record in December.
------
11 20 03
back from tour...stop. still recovering...stop. thanks for saying hello and other phrases more complicated and nuanced...stop. thanks for the kindness manifested into baked goods...stop. miss beulah very much...stop. miss my shipmates very much...stop. obliterating cellar door for tour only EP...stop. trying hard to fulfill obligations...stop. will try harder...stop.
how many nights of talking in hotel rooms can you take?
how many nights of limping round on pagan holidays?
-------
9 12 03
Christopher McGuire, my brilliant drummer and right hand man for 2.5 years, can not join us on the Beulah tour. He is now a permanent member of Quruli and will be living in Japan. Quruli is a *great* band and I'm glad they are working together. Please send me any email and I'll pass it on to Christopher.
One of Mac's best friends, Peter Anderson, will be playing with me. Mr. Anderson has toured and played with Mark Mallman, Polara, Golden Smog, and Iffy. I am thoroughly excited to have him.
-------
9 11 03
Please pretend (as I do) that different colors and new index pages = site redesign.
ps. 50 Cent! Thanks Graham...
-------
9 10 03
New shows posted:
October 26 | Ames, IA
M-Shop | with Frankenixon
-------
November 4 | Portland, OR
Lewis and Clark | Rusty Nail | all ages | free
Two more Pacific NW will be posted soon.
-------
9 3 03
Wow, a track list. And it's final and everything. That must mean the record's done:
Cellar Door
(January 20th, 2004)
1 Pale Horse
2 Up Above the Sea
3 Wild Strawberries
4 They Won't Let Me Run
5 Heated Pool and Bar
6 My Family Tree
7 White Plains
8 Promising Actress
9 Coming and Going on Easy Terms
10 Lunar Landscapes
11 When It Hits My Blood
12 June July
We'll follow that up with a monsterf*ck tour starting Feb 24 in LA. We'll tour up to Noisepop, through the wondrous NW, over to SXSW and clear out to the East coast, and in between we'll be taking our sweet time with the Midwest.
-------
9 2 03
Back from Japan. Holy shit, what ever you have to do to get over there, do it
How to express the gratitude I have for Quruli, Dismemberment Plan, and our label Noise McCartney / Bad News? Well, first you send a shitload of emails, each one more sugary than the next, but you mean every word because you've never been treated like that before, damn it. Then you follow it up with a fedexed box of See's candy (Japan has this fantastic chocolate called Crunky, so I thought I'd represent for the US).
Japan has a tradition of playing host, taking care of guests. America is sink or swim, which is fine too, really. But it's nice to be looked out for...
Tons of photos coming soon: Mountain Goats Recording Session, Jets To Brazil Tour, and Japan Tour. I just got a really good scanner and I've been tweaking and obsessing over settings.
8 14 03
Off to Japan. Please check the shows page if you just happen to be visiting, say, Osaka on the 27th. You'll also find all the confirmed Beulah shows.
I mastered the new record last week at Bernie Grundman in Hollywood, Ca. It was (for an audio nerd like myself) an amazing experience, and would have been well worth it even if we were just talking and drinking coffee...but alas, there was work to do. The record clocks in at 42:41, a grand epic in the scheme of my records. Grundman cut the vinyl master on his Scully lathe. Sealevel Records will release a 180 gram RTI pressing in January.
8 12 03
Shows added on fall tour:
October 22 | Cleveland, OH
Beachland Ballroom
Our Japanese tour dates with Quruli and Dismemberment Plan are posted.
7 24 03
Just Posted:
Mountain Goats Recording Session Photos by Peter Hughes
Digital Club Network Archived Live Streams
Features live sets from the Met Cafe (Providence, RI), Cat's Cradle (Chapel Hill, NC), and Bluebird Theater (Denver, CO).
7 17 03
Just Posted:
San Francisco Bay Guardian: GAMH Show Review
Independent Musician: Interview
7 14 03
Beulah dates will be posted soon; we'll be touring the US together in October. Tickets are now available for the Oct 25th show in Chicago at the Abbey.
6 29 03
We are home from the Jets tour. It was very nice to see all of you out there, very nice indeed. It was also nice to spend quality time with JTB's new drummer, Matt Torrey, who played with me for five years in MK Ultra.
Scott Solter and I are adding two more songs to Pale Horse, so we're busy tracking this week.
Hey I made the Jenville Show. Watch me talk about pasta...
5 20 03
Ben Gibbard's Bedside Recordings has just released a Mountain Goats/JV split 7".
Song list:
MG: Soft Targets
JV: Advancing Army Clip
It's a limited edition, one-time pressing of 500.
5 19 03
I just got back from Bear Creek in Seattle where I worked on the new Mountain Goats record with Scott Solter. I am damn proud of that record! John Darnielle and Peter Hughes did most of the heavy lifting; they brought in the best batch of Mountain Goats songs ever (not easy to do). John's lyrics are on such an elevated level on this record, it's really astounding. Scott engineered, I monitored the NBA playoffs and alcohol blood content.
I've listened to it 15 or so times since I've been back. I can't wait for it to come out.
"Shooting the sequel, before the treatment's even finished..."
5 6 03
New show added:
June 1, St Augustine, FL
Cafe Eleven
4 26 03
We'll be touring Japan in late August for two weeks with Quruli and Dismemberment Plan.
More dates with Jets to Brazil posted on shows page.
4 5 03
Summer tour! We'll touring with Jets to Brazil in June. Starting in my home state of Florida, the tour takes care of business in most of the bottom half of the US, hits the West Coast, and ends in the Mountain States. June 2nd-21st, dates and clubs posted soon. We'll be adding a few shows on the way out...
Scott Solter and I have been hard at work on the record, still overdubbing but we've also nailed a few final mixes this month. Chris Walla is coming in tomorrow to play backwards guitar on a few songs. Almost everyone who played on Fourtracker is back again.
Updated song list:
01 Cellar Door
02 Up Above The Sea
03 When It Hits My Blood
04 Heated Pool and Bar
06 Lunar Landscapes
06 They Won't Let Me Run
07 My Family Tree
08 Wild Strawberries
09 A Bomb In Reverse
10 June July
Aesthetic Apparatus is doing the cover art.
I'll be producing the next Mountain Goats record in May at Bear Creek Studios in Seattle. Darnielle's new songs are devastatingly good, I cannot wait for this session.
4 4 03
Just Posted:
Local Planet: War and Music
Excellent article by Jeremy Hadley
Neumu: Noisepop Diary
3 5 03
Just Posted: Pitchfork News: New LP and Tour Dates
3 3 03
We've added one more show at SXSW: Waterloo Records in-store (Saturday, March 15, 5pm)
Check the shows page for the rest of the spring schedule.
Noisepop was a blast. Paul Hoaglin, who played his first show with me yesterday, was god-like. Mac was in his kung-fu get-up so you know it was swinging on his end. I really love this lineup.
3 2 03
Just Posted: Fall 2002 Photo Slide Show
Life and Death of an American Fourtracker was just released in Japan on Quruli's Noise McCartney Records.
2 13 03
This old website is getting a facelift. Or maybe it's a complete teardown! Joe Williams, resident genius behind BiFi, will be taking over. It is going very nice indeed, I'm thrilled at the early mock-ups. Joe did the front page, too.
I'll be posting info about some free shows well be playing at SXSW very soon.
1 10 03
Spring shows posted. We'll be at Noisepop and SXSW and a few points in between.
12 31 02
I've been working very hard on the record this month. We all know how long these things take me to finish! I have 11 days booked in January at Tiny Telephone; I'll be having a lot of friends coming by to record.
Some songs are finished, about 8 more are somewhere in the middle. They'll be trumpets, pianos, timpani drums, vibraphones, strings and tons of synthesizers. Scott Solter is engineering (yeah!).
Some songs are almost done:
Family Tree
When It Hits My Blood
Mulholland Drive
Windless Snow
They Won't Let Me Run
Confusion, TN
12 30 02
Photos Posted:
Aural Fixation (Blackbird / Portland, OR)
Dan Cohen (Met Cafe / Providence, RI)
Jennifer Bahling (Abbey / Chicago)
10 17 02
I'll be guest DJing on KUSF 90.3 San Francisco on Tuesday, Oct 22nd at noon.
Dates for Mountain Goats / Baptist Generals Tour are confirmed.
10 16 02
Do you desire nothing more than work the JV merch table? If so email me. I will bribe you with a guest list slot +1.
10 15 02
Just Posted:
All 7 songs on the Insound Tour Support EP
More mp3s coming.
10 12 02
Just Posted:
Chicago Reader: Welcome to the Machine
10 11 02
Holy shit, that was the best tour yet. I adore my bandmates: Mac on drums, Danno on bass and Byrd rocking the samples and live sound. We spent quality time with three bands I really respect and love: Spoon, Dismemberment Plan, and Quruli. Hell, I bought Spoon's Telephono when it came out, so those shows alone justified my time on this planet.
I prefer being on tour with D-Plan to not being on tour with D-Plan.
Quruli rules. It might be true love with that band. I ask the good lord to make me one with Quruli. With any luck we will be playing more shows with this exceptional rock outfit.
9 6 02
We're off ! Please check tour dates and we'll see you out there.
9 5 02
Just posted:
Pitchfork: Louder Than a Bomb, 10 Rap Moments
9 2 02
Just posted:
Last Plane To Jakarta: "Letting Go"
A piece about MK Ultra from John Darnielle's brilliant Zine
8 21 02
Just posted:
Live Set on KEXP, Seattle, WA
Five songs and an interview are up in Real Audio and Windows Media. Chris Zabriskie has them in high-res mp3. Thanks Chris!
Hybrid Magazine Interview
8 15 02
Fall dates with Spoon, Dismemberment Plan, and Mountain Goats are now posted.
On a special note, Dan Carr will join the band on bass and vocals for these tours. Dan and I played in MK Ultra for four years. Dan rules. McGuire and Byrd are re-enlisting...
If anyone is interested in putting up posters in your 'hood, please email me.
8 4 02
Just posted:
Spring Tour 2002 Photos
West Coast Performer interview
7 3 02
Just posted:
East Bay Express Review
6 17 02
Just Posted:
Lalitree Darnielle's photos of the Des Moines, IA show with Mountain Goats.
The Captian's photos of the Grog Shop show.
Delusions of Adequacy
Splendid Review
Neumu Feature
6 6 02
Just Posted:
All Things Considered Fourtracker Review (Real Audio)
Babysue Interview
Basement Life Review
Neumu Review
6 4 02
We're back from tour. It was the best yet, filled with love, laughter and sunshine. All is well back in San Francisco (other than the crippling post-tour depression) and we're hard at work recording the next one. Chris Walla is conveniently in town so we are tapping his otherworldly session powers. Wish me luck.
4 20 02
Just posted:
Detailed recording notes for Fourtracker
We also added a great show:
Friday, May 3 at Sea Level Records in LA
7pm, all-ages
4 18 02
Just Posted:
Winter 2002 Tour Slide Show
4 13 02
Just posted:
Lyrics, credits, and background (1 2) for Fourtracker.
Kyoto Pond Instrumental.mp3
4 11 02
Just posted mp3s:
Me and My 424
The Mansion
Amitriptyline
4 9 02
Sea Level Records is releasing a limited edition RTI vinyl pressing of Fourtracker with an unreleased song: "Kyoto Pond." I'll have Fourtracker and Time Travel vinyl with me on the May tour. Sea Level kicks ass.
Fourtracker artwork was done (brilliantly) by Andy Myers and Eric Fisher; check out the front page of the site to get a preview.
4 8 02
Just posted:
Lalitree Darnielle's photos of the Ames, IA show with Mountain Goats.
Popmatters review of SF show
Daily Iowan: Coming Out Of Left Field
SXSW photos from Naughty Secretary Club
4 6 02
Ahh. We are back from tour. And turning right back again at the beginning of May. Here are the tentative
Thu May 2, San Francisco, CA, Bottom of the Hill, all ages
*CD Release show w/ Microphones, 20-Minute Loop and 31 Knots
Fri May 3, Los Angeles, Sea Level Records, 7pm, all ages
Fri May 3, Los Angeles, CA, Spaceland, 21+ w/ Virgil Shaw
Sat May 4, Phoenix, AZ, Modified, all ages
Sun May 5, Tucson, AZ, Hotel Congress
Tue May 7, Austin, TX, Mercury, 18+ w/ Britt Daniel, Will Johnson (Centro-Matic)
Wed May 8, Denton, TX, Rubber Gloves, all ages w/ Will Johnson
Fri May 10, Atlanta, GA, EARL, 21+
Sat May 11, Nashville, TN, The End, 18+
Sun May 12, Raleigh, NC, King's, all ages
Mon May 13, Wilmington, NC, 3rd Floor, all ages
Tue May 14, Washington, DC, Black Cat, all ages
Thu May 16, Brooklyn, NY, Lillie's, 21+
Fri May 17, New York, NY, Brownie's, 21+
Sat May 18, Cleveland, OH, Grog Shop, 18+
Sun May 19, Chicago, IL, The Abbey, 18+ w/ The Constantines, Pinebender
Mon May 20, Des Moines, IA, Botanical Center, all ages w/ Mountain Goats
Tue May 21, St Louis, MO, Rocket Bar, 18+
Wed May 22, Lawrence, KS, Bottleneck, all ages
Thu May 23, Omaha, NB, The Junction
Fri May 24, Denver, CO, Lion's Lair, 21+
Sat May 25, SLC, UT, Kilby Court, all ages
1 23 02
Winter tour dates have been added to the shows page. We're lucky to be sharing the stage with Mountain Goats, Britt Daniel, Knife In The Water, Mendoza Line and oh so many more.
1 18 02
Just added to the shows page:
NW shows with Beulah...
Friday, February 8, Portland at Berbati's Pan
Saturday, February 9, Seattle at Crocodile Cafe
The Winter Tour dates (Feb 19th - March 23rd) will be posted soon...
1 17 02
The record is done and should be out in late April or early May. I am so ready to get this thing off my head! I'll post lyrics and some mp3s soon.
11 29 01
We are close to mixing the new record...
It'll be out on Barsuk the first week of May.
Here's a song list:
life and death of an american four-tracker (1981-2000)
1 fiend in a cloud
2 me and my 424
3 underneath the leaves
4 interlude #4
5 the mansion
6 nikki oh nikki
7 amitriptyline
8 greyhound
9 interlude #5
10 cool purple mist
11 from out here
12 fiend in a cloud, pt 2
PS. I love the new Microphones record, "The Glow, Pt. 2."
11 7 01
We just got added to a Death Cab / Prom show:Friday, November 16
El Rey Theater, Los Angeles
w/ Death Cab For Cutie and The Prom
We're lucky to be on this fantastic bill. This will be my first show with Ben Barnett, the genius behind Kind Of Like Spitting. Ben will be joining me on the Winter tour as well, playing guitar and singing tons of harmonies. YES! I'll also have Scott Solter (an amazing engineer from Tiny Tele) on bass and a brilliant drummer, Mark Bernfield.
10 7 01
We are back from tour. The experience is so compressed and intense that one week into it you feel like you're halfway up the Nung river looking for Kurtz. Speaking of, one of our many tour catch phrases was lifted from Apocalypse Now...
WILLARD: "Hey, soldier. Do you know who's in command here?"
SOLDIER: Completely stoned, "Yeah....?"
I'm planning a winter tour (Feb 15-March 22) that will circle the US counterclockwise, hover in Austin for four days at SXSW and tour back to the NW. We'll post dates as soon as we get them. Please email us with any show ideas.
8 16 01
Our SXSW pod-performance of "Keep the Dream Alive" has just been posted on Spin.com. Or bypass with these oh-so-handy deep links: Real Audio 28.8 or DSL/T1
8 13 01
The September tour is booked, I'll post confirmed clubs and dates by the end of the week. We'll be playing shows with Burning Airlines, Pedro the Lion, Oranges Band, Silver Scooter, Kid Dakota, Ken Stringfellow, New End Original, and oh so many more. As usual, I will be going out with a full band: Scott Solter on bass, TX Heyman on pedal steel and guitar, and Jonathan Curtis on drums.
8 11 01
My friend Josh just finished a flash video for "Time Travel Is Lonely."
7 14 01
We'll heading out soon to do a short West Coast tour with Spoon. Here are the dates:
Monday, July 23
Casbah, San Diego
Tuesday, July 24
Troubadour, LA
Wednesday, July 25
Great American Music Hall, San Francisco
Friday, July 27
Satyricon, Portland
Saturday, July 28
Crocodile Cafe, Seattle
(we'll play this show with Ben Gibbard from Death Cab on bass)
We'll have the vinyl pressing of Time Travel for sale at the shows.
We're also heading out on a national tour September 1st-30th. I'll post dates and venues soon.
and Death Cab.
6 12 01
Time Travel Is Lonely was released today, hooray! The Mountain Goats have agreed to play our CD release party at Bottom of the Hill on June 23rd. Tickets are here.
5 27 01
I'm the featured on Napster this week. So many songs are filtered now I've been leaning on Mactella: useable, but not the same!
>>New on the press page, early reviews of Time Travel is Lonely: Wall of Sound, Delusions of Adequacy, Audiogalaxy, Babysue, and Anti-Complacency.
5 26 01
Emma Pearl has been worming her way into other peoples dreams.
5 25 01
It looks like we'll be playing some west coast shows with Spoon in late July. I'll post dates soon.
5 24 01
Sea Level just released a 7" JV/Sunset Valley split. Croslin remixed "My Old Flame;" it's a bit more abstract and sparse. Sunset Valley has a nice unreleased song called "Parade on My Rain." It's a limited (i.e., small!) pressing but it'll show up in stores, on line (soon), and on tour.
5 18 01
I'm leaving for Seattle for a few days to record with Death Cab at the Hall of Justice. That is, I'll be adding some b-vox and keyboards to their next opus due out this fall.
We just got picked up by Aero Booking, this is good news and guarantees tours in the summer and beyond.
5 16 01
I just posted lyrics for all three records, detailed track credits for the Insound Tour Support CD, Time Travel, and new shows. We'll be opening for Howe Gelb of Giant Sand at SF's Great American Music Hall on June 6th.
4 20 01
Audiogalaxy just posted a nice review of Time Travel.
4 18 01
Our Insound Tour Support CD is out. It's got a new song ("Amitriptyline"), a Spoon cover of "Time Travel Is Lonely," some live to two-track stuff recorded by Bob Weston, and a remix of "Speed Lab" by Death Cab's Chris Walla. Buy it here.
4 7 01
Jared at Entropy just posted some live photos of the SXSW Emo's party we played with Spoon and Death Cab.
3 31 01
Here's a great story about Mass Suicides, Time Travel, and my hoaxstering past. It's by John La Briola and ran in Westword, the New Times weekly in Denver. This also made the Omaha Reader and, in a condensed version, the Boise Weekly.
3 30 01
Jonathan Andree' Canlas just posted some photos from our Kilby Court (Salt Lake) show with Death Cab here.
3 29 00
We're back from our Death Cab For Cutie/SXSW tour. 6,000 miles and 16 shows later we're all suffering from PTD (post-tour depression.) No matter, we'll be back on the road in no time, we'll be hitting the NW in June and August and out and about the rest of the year.
3 10 01
Gave another deposition to Napster today. Here it is as a word doc. It's time for independent musicians to rally around peer-to-peer and open source alternatives to an RIAA-sanctioned internet. Nuts to that...
3 2 01
I just posted all of the SXSW and Death Cab For Cutie tour dates. We'll be touring back from Austin with them, more or less heading diagonally up towards Seattle. We're playing a Barsuk/Merge party on Friday, March 16 at Emo's (Austin) with Death Cab For Cutie and Spoon. This is an all-ages, no invite, super cheap ($1-$2) if not free bash. We play at 2pm, party goes from noon to 6pm.
1 11 01
I was a featured artist on Napster and it shut down the Barsuk server for two days. Behold the unstoppable force of mp3.
1 10 01
Hip hop continues to produce interesting records: Blackalicious, Talib Kweli, Deltron 3030, Dilated Peoples, Jurassic 5 are all essential for the burnt-out indie listener. I've been obsessing over Prince Paul's remarkable Prince Among Thieves; this record has some of the most inspired writing and storytelling I've heard in ages. From the brutal and sad showdown of "You Got Shot" and "Pain," to Officer O'Maley's eloquent explanation of policing (a natural extension of American capitalism), "The Men In Blue."
12 13 00
Mass Suicide made two top 20 lists at Pitchfork. And Best of 2000 at Pitch Weekly.
12 09 00
The record will be called (I think!) "Time Travel Is Lonely" and we are quickly finishing up artwork. It looks like we'll be recording a live-to-2 track EP in the Spring. I am so burned out right now, my inertia is zen-like (I wish!) I listen to records (Outkast, Kid Dakota, Blackalicious, Badly Drawn Boy), obsessively follow the post-election anarchy, and watch countless movies. Name a movie...I have probably seen it. What am I going to do when I see them all?
12 02 00
I was quoted in an Associated Press wire story today and traffic to Tinytelephone, which was mentioned in the article, went through the roof.
My country grammar and slight crankiness are in full-effect: "We've had meetings with Interscope and a lot of labels. Talk about a waste of time,'' Vanderslice said from his home studio in San Francisco. "Bands work for a multinational corporation to subsidize their art. Unless you're absolutely willing to be malleable you're never ever going to have a positive experience."'
11 20 00
We'll be opening up for Frank Black at Foley's Cellar, SF Wednesday, December 6th. This will probably be our last show until March. Tickets are sold here.
The record is done, thank the good lord. It'll be out early March on Barsuk.
10 14 00
I am obscure.
10 13 00
Jack Saturn is my hero.
10 12 00
Yes, I suck. Sorry I've been so slack about updating...Ohh, before I forget: we'll be at CMJ, playing with Death Cab For Cutie and Sunset Valley at Brownie's on October 20.
The new record is soooo close to being done: all tracking is finished, mixing starts on Nov 4th, post-Neve installation. Look for a March 3rd Barsuk release. We *will* tour this time!
9 16 00
I'll be moderating a panel at CMJ/SF tomorrow on the promises and possibilities of the internet and music. Nikko Hotel, Downtown SF.
9 15 00
We are heading up to Portland and Seattle for NxNw and a few extra shows. We'll be at Satyricon on Friday, September 22 for the Barsuk/Devil in the Woods showcase. I'll be on a CD Production panel earlier that day at 2:30 (Sam Hill Room). Check the shows page for Seattle and on-air dates.
9 14 00
Stephen Jenkins of Third Eye Blind likes "Speed Lab."
8 3 00
Mark Athatakis wrote a very interesting SF Weekly article about the posting of MSOF and mp3 in general.
7 15 00
The record is out and about. If you can't find it locally, you can get it at Barsuk and almost any cd web-seller like Amazon and CDNow. MSOF is distributed by Revolver, NAIL, Southern, and Carrot Top.
7 14 00
Josh Bloom and I, hoaxsters in arms, got a little write-up in Indieshite. I've been spotted recently in Saturn.org, Monosyllabic, Westernhomes, and Apathy. This makes me very happy.
6 3 00
The same week I give Napster's lawyers a formal "Declaration of John Vanderslice In Opposition To Plaintiffs Preliminary Injunction" they get a new "label friendly" CEO, 15 million in VC money, and they start trading in the dreaded Windows Media format. Forget about Napster, they're another co-opted startup whoring for $$$. FreeNet and Gnutella are so much more promising. Now where's the Mac version? John Barlow has an amazing article about the future of digital media on the Electronic Frontier Foundation homepage.
5 29 00
Death Cab For Cutie just confirmed for our CD release party. It's at Bottom of the Hill, SF on July 7. Mates Of State will be on hand as well to send off their excellent, Tiny Telephone-recorded new album.
5 14 00
New songs finished or on the way: You Were My Fiji, Keep The Dream Alive, Off The Grid, Everything Changed, My Old Flame, Time Travel Is Lonely. We have many days booked in July with John Croslin.
5 13 00
See, I told you I was gonna redo it. Since I'm a hack who has to rely on my brother Ray for hourly tech help, this took longer than I expected. Just bought a Moog Prodigy. an ESI 2000 Emu sampler, and a Mellotron and Chamberlin CDr.
4 23 00
I'm going to redo this site VERY soon, I promise. The street date of my record is now July 11. The reason for the delay is a happy one, the excellent Seattle label Barsuk is going to put it out and we need a bit more time to ramp it up (wheeee!).
Here's my top five, right at this very moment, no order, implied or otherwise, not responsible for out-of-stock items, AMMV (actual mileage may vary):
Bright Eyes
Of Montreal
Spoon
Neutral Milk Hotel
Silver Jews
Once I listed all of the records I was listening to on the MK Ultra site.
4 21 00
My four-track (Tascam 424 MK III) arrived bright and early this morning, so new, so virginal...I sold my last one in 1991 and bought an ADAT...that's the second most stupid thing I've ever done. (Can you say LSD + pot + pabst + hiking up a mountain in Yosemite = #1?) So many great recordings have been done on cassettes, forget about studios and use what you have.
4 19 00
I was quoted in Sonicnet today regarding a Death Cab For Cutie show at the Bottom of the Hill. Nevermind that the interviewer was my editor at DIW Magazine, the dashing and wonderful Marc Hawthorne, forget that the editor at Sonicnet is one of my best friends, Tim Scanlin, and put out of your mind that my record is coming out on Death Cab's label, Barsuk. Without conflict of interest where would the music industry be? The show was fab, btw, if I still have any credibility left.
3 24 00
Just recorded and mp3ed a new song, My Old Flame, today at Tiny Telephone. I'll add drums, moog and other wacked sounds, but the basic acoustic and vocal takes will probably remain. The lyrics are taken/adapted from an amazing Robert Lowell poem of the same name. In the interest of scanning and meter, I've modernized and simplified the language, and in the process I've probably diminished the poem's power a bit. BTW, the original text does not say "videos and records," nor does Lowell mention Ikea!
3 17 00
Just got back from playing a SxSW solo show this year at the Listen.com blowout. I opened up a stellar bill that included Beulah, Convoy, Polara, and Saltine. SxSW was remarkably fun this year, and Austin was in fine form. My top shows, in order of appearance: X-ecutioners, Calexico, At the Drive In, Bright Eyes, and Spoon. I took three rolls of film, I'll post photos and text very soon.
3 11 00
People laugh at me when I tell them the internet is the best thing that's ever happened to postindustrial humankind. But I really believe it. Proof.
3 10 00
I'm very excited to go to SxSW this year, I get to meet many of the people I've been emailing and corresponding through the web, and I also get to hang out with a lot of great musician friends who I don't see enough. Dan and Matt, ex-MK Ultra drum and bass, will be there, as will Spoon, Creeper Lagoon, and For Stars. I'm on a panel (that's two in two weeks! sorry...) that deals with band websites. Here's my advice: post up your catalog on your site, hold on to your digital rights, and never give up your band URL. I know, easier said than done.
2 26 00
I have a band. Wow, that was fast...We're playing Noisepop, opening up for Bob Mould at Bimbo's in San Francisco, March 3rd. Go here to buy tickets. Logan Hedin plays guitars and effects, Gavin Foster (ex-Hugh) deconstructs the drums, and Peter Straus sings and plays bass. Scot Stafford, from the excellent Applesaucer, will play keyboards at Bimbo's, hopefully longer. Look for us at Make-Out Room (April 10) and Bottom of the Hill (May 1st and May 27th (CD Release)).
2 18 00
My life is circumscribed entirely by the SF Weekly Riff Raff column. Proof: my seventh appearance right here. More fallout from the Microsoft Case (we just call it "the case" around here). Media Technology Services, a CD manufacturer, refused to print my new record because of its reference to Mr Gates. Here's the letter. I've had more illustrious moments in the Weekly, but I'll take it nonetheless. Am I working toward something? Do you get a feature after 10? I have a new photo page.
"All the drugs that I don't have the guts to take to soothe my mind, so always sober, always heading for mass suicide occult figurines."
Neutral Milk Hotel
I used to play in MK Ultra and now I run Tiny Telephone Recording and play solo. My new partner John Croslin (Spoon, GBV, Pavement) is a badass and this SF Weekly article, heavily footnoted and painfully (ouch!) researched, will convert even the most media-saturated cynic to our cause.
12 12 99
As you may know, Microsoft Corporation has issued a cease and desist against me for my song "Bill Gates Must Die." Wow, he's sensitive! CDNow's Allstarnews.com and ZDTV have both picked it up. The San Francisco Chronicle wrote about it here. My NT server has been crashing daily, and my five phone lines have either been tapped or disrupted. I've been recording the mysterious calls I get from the 425 area code (Redmond, WA); I've posted those mp3s, along with other evidence of Microsoft's subterfuge, including Microsoft's letter to me. Let's go to the Microsoft Files.
My life seems to have been taken over by the internet in the past few months. What with running three web sites, obsessing on mp3s, trying to get a webcam in the recording studio, listening to my Mactuner (Dutch radio rules...), and otherwise spending an ungodly amount of time creeping into the stranger corners of the www. Soon I'll be vying for a listing on the Boys Of Yahoo Chat and hanging out on ICQ. Oh well.
I just finished a new record, Mass Suicide Occult Figurines, that'll be out in the early Spring. Four high resolution mp3s are posted here. Recently a nice article was posted on Pitchforkmedia.com about my forthcoming solo record. I don't have any plans to play live yet; I'll probably finish another record in the next couple of months. To stay informed and entertained (ha!) join our mailing list.
So, what to do next...? I'm really thinking about starting a label called (what else?) Tiny Telephone. One day soon it'll be easy to stream cd-quality music and maybe then owning a label will be, if not profitable, at least more fun. Mkultra.com streamed 7,000 mp3s last month, this site streamed 14,000. This is insane...Let the revolution begin!