The Elephant 6 Recording Company is a loosely defined musical collective from the United States. Notable bands associated with the collective include the Apples in Stereo, Beulah, Circulatory System, Elf Power, the Minders, Neutral Milk Hotel, of Montreal, and the Olivia Tremor Control. Although bands in Elephant 6 explore many different genres, they have a shared interest in psychedelic pop of the 1960s, with particular influence from bands such as the Beach Boys, the Beatles, and the Zombies. Their music sometimes features intentionally low fidelity production and experimental recording techniques.
His Name Is Alive is an American experimental rock band/project from Livonia, Michigan. After several self-released cassettes, they debuted on 4AD Records in 1990, starting a long run at the label. Throughout the band's long history, leader Warren Defever has been the only constant member, with a variety of musicians and singers contributing over the years.
Jeffrey Nye Mangum is an American singer, songwriter, and musician who gained prominence as the founder, songwriter, vocalist and guitarist of Neutral Milk Hotel, as well for his co-founding of The Elephant 6 Recording Company. Mangum is characterized for his complex, lyrically dense songwriting, exemplified on the critically lauded album In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, as well as for his public image as a recluse associated with his extended periods of musical inactivity and minimal press interaction. An article published in Slate described Mangum as the "Salinger of Indie Rock." In 2023 Jeff Mangum received a Grammy award nomination for "Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package".
The Apples in Stereo are an American indie rock band associated with Elephant 6 Collective, a group of bands also including Neutral Milk Hotel, the Olivia Tremor Control, Elf Power, Of Montreal, and Circulatory System. The band is largely a product of lead vocalist/guitarist/producer Robert Schneider, who writes the majority of the band's music and lyrics. Currently, The Apples in Stereo also includes longstanding members John Hill and Eric Allen (bass), as well as more recent members John Dufilho (drums), John Ferguson (keyboards), and Ben Phelan (keyboards/guitar/trumpet).
Beulah was an American indie rock band from San Francisco, California, often associated with The Elephant 6 Recording Company. The band would go on to gain ample critical acclaim from many well respected publishing companies including Rolling Stone, and The Guardian.
The Olivia Tremor Control is an American psychedelic band from Athens, Georgia. The band's main line-up consists of Will Cullen Hart, Bill Doss, Eric Harris, John Fernandes, and Peter Erchick. The Olivia Tremor Control's music combines indie rock and neo-psychedelia, taking influence from psychedelic pop bands of the 1960s, such as the Beach Boys and the Beatles.
Fun Trick Noisemaker is the debut studio album by The Apples in Stereo. It was recorded in a house in Los Angeles, in Robert Schneider's portable Pet Sounds Studio. It was released in 1995 via SpinART.
Robert Peter Schneider is an American musician and mathematician. He is the lead singer, songwriter, guitarist and producer of rock/pop band the Apples in Stereo and has produced and performed on albums by Neutral Milk Hotel, the Olivia Tremor Control and a number of other psychedelic and indie rock bands. Schneider co-founded The Elephant 6 Recording Company in 1992. He received a PhD in mathematics from Emory University in 2018. As of September 2022, he is an Assistant Professor of Mathematical Sciences at Michigan Technological University.
Tone Soul Evolution is the second album from The Apples in Stereo. It was recorded from February to June and released in September 1997.
Bill Doss was an American rock musician. He co-founded The Elephant 6 Recording Company in Athens, Georgia and was a key member of The Olivia Tremor Control. Following the band's breakup, he led The Sunshine Fix and later became a member of The Apples in Stereo. Doss was married to freelance photographer Amy Hairston Doss, whom he met while both were attending Louisiana Tech University.
The Minders are an American band closely associated with The Elephant Six Collective. Started by Martyn Leaper in Denver, Colorado in 1996, the band's original members included Leaper on guitars and vocals, Rebecca Cole, on drums, Jeff Almond on guitar, and Marc Willhite on bass.
The Sunshine Fix was an American indie rock group that released three albums from 1993 to 2004. Their main singer and songwriter was Bill Doss, known from The Olivia Tremor Control. The name predated the Olivia Tremor Control and remained in use until Doss's 2012 death.
Pyramid Landing (and Other Favorites) is the debut album from Robert Schneider's solo project, Marbles, containing songs written and performed, usually in their entirety, by Schneider on his 4-track recorder. The songs date from a period before the concrete formation of The Apples in Stereo in the early 1990s, while Schneider was sharing an apartment with Will Cullen Hart and Hilarie Sidney, a period that also saw the recordings of the first Apples releases, and Sidney's material as Secret Square. It was eventually released in 1997 on SpinArt.
Expo is the second album from the Robert Schneider solo project Marbles and is the follow-up to the 1997 release Pyramid Landing . Whereas Pyramid Landing was a showcase of experimental pop songs, Expo focuses more sharply on electronic pop music, similar to that of Gary Numan, one of Schneider's influences on the Expo. Other influences include Electric Light Orchestra, Brian Eno, Phoenix and The Cars. The liner notes for the album state a dedication to "Marci and Max". The album was released in 2005.
Science Faire is a compilation album by indie pop Elephant 6 group The Apples in Stereo. The album consists of two EPs and various singles that were released from 1993 to 1995, leading up to the production of Fun Trick Noisemaker. All of the selections were recorded the summers of 1993 and 1994 and appear on the compilation in the order they were recorded.
New Magnetic Wonder is the sixth studio album from The Apples in Stereo. The album was produced by Robert Schneider with additional production and mixing by Bryce Goggin and was recorded in four separate states. The album was released on February 6, 2007 via a co-venture between the actor Elijah Wood's Simian Records, Yep Roc Records and Elephant 6.
The Ideal Free Distribution (IFD) were an indie rock band formed in Benton, Kentucky in 1997 and based in both Benton and Lexington, Kentucky. Heavily influenced by 1960s pop music and promoted by Robert Schneider, the band is indirectly associated with Elephant 6 Recording Company groups such as The Minders, Neutral Milk Hotel, The Olivia Tremor Control, and The Apples in Stereo.
Tidal Wave 7" is the debut release by The Apples. The EP, released in 1993, was the first official release under the Elephant 6 Recording Co. label.
Hypnotic Suggestion EP is the second EP by The Apples in Stereo. The record was released in 1994.
Electronic Projects for Musicians is a b-sides and rarities compilation album by the indie rock band The Apples in Stereo. It was released April 1, 2008 under the Simian Records, Yep Roc Records, and Elephant 6 labels. It can be seen as a companion to Science Faire, a 1996 compilation that collects recordings from the band released prior to their first album.
