State Songs

Last updated
State Songs
John Linnell State Songs(cover).png
Studio album by
John Linnell
ReleasedOctober 26, 1999 [1]
Recorded1994, 1999
Genre Pop rock, avant-pop [2]
Length45:11
Label Rounder / Zoë
Producer John Linnell
John Linnell chronology
House of Mayors
(1996)		State Songs
(1999)

State Songs is a concept album released by John Linnell (of They Might Be Giants) in 1999. It was Linnell's third solo project and first full solo album. It consists of tracks that are named after, and are at least partially inspired by, 15 of the 50 U.S. states. The album is surrealist in nature, suggesting that there is another West Virginia inside of the state, that one can drive a house to Idaho, that Montana is a leg, Iowa is a witch, Oregon chases after people, and Arkansas has sunken and is to be replaced by a ship of its exact shape and size. [3]

Contents

"Montana" was released as the single for the album. Rather than a standard 7" or 12" vinyl record, the disc was green and die-cut into the shape of the 48 contiguous states. It was pressed by Erika Records. [4] The single also featured the non-album track "Louisiana" as the B-side. Originally, "South Carolina" was the album's single, but the track was too long for the grooves to fit in the small area between the labels and the edges of the United States. [3] The labels were marked with no text, instead only showing silhouettes of their respective states.

Recording

State Songs originally existed as a short EP that John Linnell released through the Hello Recording Club. [5] The album is notable for its use of the carousel organ, featured in four tracks. Linnell has stated that the organ was used to add variety among the standard human musicians. Two different band organs are featured on the album. [6] The paper rolls for the organ were cut by Bob Stuhmer [7] and adjusted by Linnell.

Linnell used a Gretsch accordion in recording the album. [8]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Robert Christgau Five Pointed Star Solid.svg Five Pointed Star Solid.svg [9]

State Songs received positive reviews from critics. Matthew Springer, writing for Allmusic, praised the album's surrealism and eclecticism. [1] Music critic Robert Christgau cited "The Songs of the 50 States" and "New Hampshire" as highlights from the album. [9]

The album spent four weeks on the CMJ 200 chart, peaking at #18. [10]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Illinois"1:23
2."The Songs of the 50 States"2:24
3."West Virginia"3:32
4."South Carolina"3:46
5."Idaho"2:38
6."Montana"3:14
7."Pennsylvania"1:02
8."Utah"2:34
9."Arkansas"3:27
10."Iowa"2:54
11."Mississippi"2:16
12."Maine"2:07
13."Oregon"1:49
14."Michigan"1:14
15."New Hampshire"2:50
16."Nevada"7:58 [lower-alpha 1]
  1. ↑ The actual song "Nevada" is only 34 seconds long; the rest of the track is a recording of an increasingly distant marching band.

Personnel

The Statesmen
Additional musicians
Production

Related Research Articles

<i>They Might Be Giants</i> (album) 1986 studio album by They Might Be Giants

They Might Be Giants, sometimes called The Pink Album, is the debut studio album from Brooklyn-based band They Might Be Giants. It was released by Bar/None in 1986. The album generated two singles, "Don't Let's Start" and "(She Was A) Hotel Detective". It is included on Then: The Earlier Years, a compilation of the band's early material, in its entirety, with the exception of "Don't Let's Start", which is replaced with the single mix for the compilation.

<i>Lincoln</i> (album) 1988 studio album by They Might Be Giants

Lincoln is the second studio album by the band They Might Be Giants. It was released by Bar/None in 1988. The album is named after John Linnell and John Flansburgh's boyhood home of Lincoln, Massachusetts. The album produced three singles—"Ana Ng", "They'll Need a Crane", and "Purple Toupee". It is included on Then: The Earlier Years, a compilation of the band's early material, in its entirety.

<i>Factory Showroom</i> 1996 studio album by They Might Be Giants

Factory Showroom is the sixth studio album by the band They Might Be Giants. It was released in 1996 by Elektra Records.

<i>Long Tall Weekend</i> 1999 studio album by They Might Be Giants

Long Tall Weekend is the seventh studio album by American alternative rock duo They Might Be Giants, released in 1999. It was released exclusively online through the digital music service eMusic. The album was the band's first since their departure from the major label Elektra. Long Tall Weekend was also the first full-length album released exclusively on the Internet by an established major label band. Although the album's primary release was digital, CDs of the album were issued promotionally. Following the success of the album's release through eMusic, TMBG went on to issue a digital series of rarities collections — TMBG Unlimited — through their website.

(She Was A) Hotel Detective 1988 single by They Might Be Giants

"(She Was A) Hotel Detective" is a song and single by alternative rock band They Might Be Giants. It was released as a single two years after the release of They Might Be Giants, the album on which it originally appeared. The "Hotel Detective" title has become a somewhat recurring theme for the band.

<i>Back in 72</i> 1973 studio album by Bob Seger

Back in '72 is the sixth studio album by American rock singer-songwriter Bob Seger, released in 1973. It was the first new album on Seger's manager Punch Andrews' label, Palladium Records, to be released under their distribution deal with the Reprise division of Warner Bros. Records and one of several early Seger albums that has never been reissued on CD.

<i>Stranger in Town</i> (album) 1978 studio album by Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band

Stranger in Town is the tenth studio album by American rock singer Bob Seger and his second with the Silver Bullet Band, released by Capitol Records in May 1978. Like its predecessor, the Silver Bullet Band backed Seger on about half of the songs and the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section backed Seger on the other half.

<i>Something/Anything?</i> 1972 studio album by Todd Rundgren

Something/Anything? is the third album by American musician Todd Rundgren, released in February 1972. It was his first double album, and was recorded in late 1971 in Los Angeles, New York City and Bearsville Studios, Woodstock. Three quarters of the album was recorded in the studio with Rundgren playing all instruments and singing all vocals, as well as being the producer. The final quarter contained a number of tracks recorded live in the studio without any overdubs, save for a short snippet of archive recordings from the 1960s.

<i>Mesopotamia</i> (EP) 1982 EP by the B-52s

Mesopotamia is an EP by American new wave band the B-52's, released in 1982. It was produced by David Byrne of Talking Heads and was originally planned to be the band's third studio album. Due to conflicts with Byrne and record label pressure, recording sessions were aborted prematurely and only six of ten songs to be completed were released. The record was distributed as a 12-inch EP by Warner Bros. in the U.S. and by Island Records on vinyl and cassette in the UK and other non-U.S. markets.

<i>Why Does the Sun Shine? (The Sun Is a Mass of Incandescent Gas)</i> 1993 EP by They Might Be Giants

Why Does the Sun Shine? is an EP by alternative rock band They Might Be Giants, released in 1993. The EP is notable for being their first release with a full-band lineup, rather than only the two original members performing. It was also released as a single on 7-inch vinyl.

Purple Toupee

"Purple Toupee" is a 1988 song by alternative rock duo They Might Be Giants from their second album, Lincoln. It was released as a promotional single in 1989. In 1994, a live performance of the song was recorded for the promotional live album, Live!! New York City 10/14/94, which was released by Elektra Records.

<i>Blue River</i> (album) 1972 studio album by Eric Andersen

Blue River is an album by folk rock musician Eric Andersen, released in 1972. The album was reissued in 1999 by Columbia Legacy with two extra tracks.

<i>Live a Little</i> (Big Kenny album) 2005 studio album by Big Kenny

Live a Little is the first solo album by American singer Big Kenny, prior to his joining John Rich in the duo Big & Rich. Recorded in 1999 for Hollywood Records, the album was not released until 2005, after Big & Rich had released their debut album. Its release coincided with the release of Rich's previously-unreleased debut album Underneath the Same Moon, also recorded in 1999 and released in 2006. Unlike Kenny's work within the country music genre with Big & Rich, Live a Little is a mixture between rock and pop. This album was followed by The Quiet Times of a Rock and Roll Farm Boy in 2009 and Big Kenny's Love Everybody Traveling Musical Medicine Show Mix Tape, Vol. 1 in 2010.

<i>New Mother</i> 1999 album

New Mother is the debut studio album by American folk music act Angels of Light. It was released on April 5, 1999 via frontman Michael Gira's own record label Young God Records, immediately after Michael Gira disbanded his previous band, Swans. The album features contributions from various musicians, including violinist Hahn Rowe, Rasputina band cellist Julia Kent, drummer Thor Harris, composer Joe McGinty and ex-Swans members Bill Rieflin, Phil Puleo and Bill Bronson.

<i>Fair & Square</i> 2005 studio album by John Prine

Fair & Square is the 15th studio album by American folk singer-songwriter John Prine, released on Oh Boy Records in 2005. It was rereleased in 2007 as a vinyl double-LP with four more bonus tracks, and in 2008 those four tracks were rereleased as an EP.

<i>Fat City</i> (Shawn Colvin album) 1992 studio album by Shawn Colvin

Fat City is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Shawn Colvin. It was released on October 27, 1992 on Columbia Records.

<i>Everybody</i> (Ingrid Michaelson album) 2009 studio album by Ingrid Michaelson

Everybody is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson. The album was released on August 25, 2009 on Cabin 24 Records. The first single from the album, "Maybe", was released on July 14, 2009.

<i>Nanobots</i> (album) 2013 studio album by They Might Be Giants

Nanobots is the sixteenth studio album from Brooklyn-based alternative rock group They Might Be Giants. Uncharacteristically for the band, the album's title comes from an album track, as the second track shares a title with the album. The album was released on March 5, 2013 on Idlewild Recordings — the band's independent imprint — with Megaforce Records in the US. The album was also separately released on March 8 in Australia through Breakaway Records and on March 11 in Europe, through Lojinx. One week before its physical release, Nanobots was released digitally for streaming in its entirety through the band's SoundCloud, announced by Rolling Stone. Prior to this, "Call You Mom", "Black Ops" and "Lost My Mind" were released through the advance digital Nanobots EP in January 2013. The EP, released through Amazon.com and iTunes, was met with fairly positive responses.

<i>Start Packing</i> 1996 studio album by Run On

Start Packing is the debut album by Run On, released in 1996 through Matador Records.

Wacoworld is an album by the Chicago-based cowpunk band the Waco Brothers, released in 1999.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Matthew, Springer. "State Songs - John Linnell". Allmusic . Retrieved 2013-06-18.
  2. ↑ Cury, James Oliver (December 1999). "Reviews". CMJ New Music Monthly. 79 (7): 26. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
  3. 1 2 Linnell, John (1999-10-12). "State Songs". All Things Considered (Interview). Interviewed by Noah Adams. NPR.
  4. ↑ Gallery of Shaped Vinyl. Erika Records. Retrieved 2012-11-22.
  5. ↑ Atwood, Brett (13 August 1994). "No Joke". Billboard.
  6. ↑ Hay, Carly (13 November 1999). "Popular Uprisings". Billboard.
  7. ↑ State Songs (album notes). John Linnell. Rounder Records. 1999.
  8. ↑ Rapa, Patricia (July 2000). "Squeeze Play". CMJ New Music Monthly.
  9. 1 2 Christgau, Robert. "State Songs". Robert Christgau . Retrieved 2012-11-22.
  10. ↑ CMJ Network, Inc. (22 November 1999). CMJ New Music Report. CMJ Network, Inc. p. 13. ISSN   0890-0795 . Retrieved 14 March 2013.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.