History
The Book of Knots was formed in 2003 by three core band members Joel Hamilton, Matthias Bossi and Tony Maimone at Hamilton and Maimone’s Brooklyn–based Studio G. Members of Book of Knots have played or worked with various acts previously, including Skeleton Key, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, Shiner, Battle of Mice, Sparklehorse, Elvis Costello, Unsane, Pere Ubu, Frank Black, They Might Be Giants, and more. Carla Kihlstedt (of Tin Hat Trio, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, and 2 Foot Yard, among others) joined later in 2003 to solidify what would become the group's core quartet.
Together, the Book of Knots decided to release three conceptual records: their first was an ode to rotting seaside towns — a self-titled debut which appeared on Arclight Records in 2004. The second was a tribute to the American rust belt, titled Traineater; the group had signed to Anti- in November 2006, and the album's release followed in April 2007. It featured guest performances from musicians such as Tom Waits, Mike Watt, Jon Langford and David Thomas. The third album, with an aeronautical theme, was named Garden of Fainting Stars; the title track was written and performed by Elyas Khan of Nervous Cabaret. It was released on Ipecac Recordings June 14, 2011 and featured Mike Patton, Blixa Bargeld and more.
Tony Maimone is a bassist, producer, and recording engineer, who lives in Brooklyn, New York.
Carla Kihlstedt is an American composer, violinist, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist, originally from Lancaster, Pennsylvania and currently working from a home studio on Cape Cod.
Ipecac Recordings is an independent record label based in California. It was founded on April 1, 1999 by Greg Werckman and Mike Patton in Alameda, California.
Idiot Flesh was an American experimental rock band formed in Oakland, California, in 1985, initially working under the name Acid Rain. Their work was characterized by its "rock against rock" slogan, and defied classification with its incorporation of marching band routines, puppet shows, and the playing of household items as tuned instruments.
Ipecac Recordings is an American independent record label founded in 1999 by Greg Werckman and Mike Patton. The label was established to release Patton's band Fantômas' self-titled début, allowing retention of "all the creative control". Its creation also provided the Melvins – friends of Werckman and Patton's – with a label.
Skeleton Key is an American rock band based in New York City, United States. The band was conceived in 1994 by bassist and singer Erik Sanko, the only constant member of the band. His intent was to create a sound "luxurious, yet affordable," using antique microphones, primitive guitars, and unconventional percussion.
Charming Hostess is a band that grew out of the avant-rock scene of Oakland, California, in the mid-1990s.
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum was an American experimental rock band, formed in 1999 in Oakland, California. The band fused classical, industrial, and art-rock themes throughout their music. They were known to perform elaborate routines on stage and discuss possibly fictitious stories of dada artists and mathematicians.
Jewlia Eisenberg was an American singer, composer, bassist, educator, and cantor. As founder and bandleader of Charming Hostess she coined the term "Nerdy-Sexy-Commie-Girly" to describe her genre of music which spans an eclectic range of styles.
Stolen Babies are an American experimental rock band consisting of vocalist/accordionist Dominique Lenore Persi, bassist/guitarist Rani Sharone, and drummer Gil Sharone.
Grand Opening and Closing is the debut album by the American avant-garde metal group Sleepytime Gorilla Museum. It was recorded at Polymorph Recording, Oakland, CA, and was recorded, mixed, mastered by bassist Dan Rathbun. The album was produced by Dan Rathbun and Sleepytime Gorilla Museum.
Of Natural History is the second studio album by avant-rock/metal group Sleepytime Gorilla Museum. It was recorded and mixed at Polymorph Recording in Oakland, California during the years 2003 and 2004. Whereas on the first album, Grand Opening and Closing, Dan Rathbun handled the mastering, on Of Natural History the mastering duties are handled by Justin Weis, who mastered the album at Trakworx, San Francisco.
Battle of Mice was an American post-metal supergroup consisting of Julie Christmas, Josh Graham, Joel Hamilton, Tony Maimone, and Joe Tomino.
In Glorious Times is the third studio album by avant-rock/metal band Sleepytime Gorilla Museum. The album was released on May 29, 2007.
A Day of Nights is the first studio album by American post-metal band Battle of Mice. It was released on October 6, 2006 through Neurot Recordings label.
Cosa Brava is an experimental rock and free improvisation group formed in March 2008 in Oakland, California by multi-instrumentalist and composer Fred Frith. The band comprises Frith on guitar, Zeena Parkins on keyboards and accordion, Carla Kihlstedt on violin, Matthias Bossi on drums, and The Norman Conquest on sound manipulation. All About Jazz described their music as "somewhere between folk, Celtic, modern chamber, Latin, funk, Eastern, and prog-rock".
The Letter is a studio album by Fred Frith's United States experimental rock group Cosa Brava. It was recorded in France in June 2010 and Oakland, California in August 2011, and was released by Intakt Records in Switzerland on March 21, 2012.
Romantic Warriors II: A Progressive Music Saga About Rock in Opposition is a 2012 feature-length documentary film about the Rock in Opposition movement of the late 1970s, the music genre it spawned, and the influence it has on experimental groups across the world. The film was written and directed by Adele Schmidt and José Zegarra Holder, and was released in the United States by Zeitgeist Media. It premiered in Washington, D.C. on September 28, 2012. The film was generally well received by critics, with a reviewer at AllMusic saying that it "covers all the points an aficionado could possibly want".
Got RIO? Romantic Warriors II: Special Features DVD is a 2013 documentary film and an addendum to the 2012 feature-length documentary Romantic Warriors II: A Progressive Music Saga About Rock in Opposition. The film was written and directed by Adele Schmidt and José Zegarra Holder, and was released in the United States by Zeitgeist Media. It was generally well received by critics, with a reviewer at AllMusic saying that it "is a showcase for tremendous musicianship and a must-have for existing [Rock in Opposition] fans".
