The Microphones

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The Microphones
The Microphones (band).jpg
The Microphones performing live in 2011
Background information
Origin Olympia, Washington, U.S.
Genres
Years active
  • 1996–2003
  • 2007
  • 2019–2022
LabelsP.W. Elverum & Sun
KNW-YR-OWN
Elsinor Records
K Records
Yoyo Records
Past members Phil Elverum
Mirah Zeitlyn
Anna Oxygen
Khaela Maricich
Calvin Johnson
Karl Blau
Jason Anderson
Adam Forkner
Kyle Field
Justyn Pogue
Dennis Driscoll
Jenn Kliese
Bronwyn Holm

The Microphones were an American indie folk, indie rock, and experimental project from Olympia, Washington. The project was founded in 1996 and ended in 2003, with a short reunion following in 2007 and revivals in 2019 and 2020. Across every iteration of the Microphones, it has been fronted by Phil Elverum. Elverum is the principal songwriter and producer behind the band's albums, but he has also collaborated with other local musicians on his other recordings and tours. Many of Elverum's recordings from the project's initial period were released by the label K Records.

Contents

Since 2003, Elverum has recorded and performed primarily under the name Mount Eerie. He played a one-off concert in Anacortes, WA under the name the Microphones in June 2019 [1] and announced the release of the fifth and final Microphones album, Microphones in 2020 , in August 2020. [2]

History

Early years

Phil Elverum became involved in the Washington music scene while working at the Business, a record store in his home town of Anacortes, in the mid-1990s. Elverum began experimenting with recording equipment in the back of the store, which led to the store's owner Bret Lunsford releasing two cassettes (Microphone and Wires and Cords) on his label, KNW-YR-OWN. [3] Elverum also played drums in Lunsford's band, D+, [4] : 228  before moving to Olympia in 1997 to attend Evergreen State College. [5]

While in Olympia, Elverum caught the attention of K Records owner and musician Calvin Johnson. After recording for some time at the Dub Narcotic studios, Elverum was able to complete his first full-length album, a CD entitled Tests, which was released in 1998 on Elsinor Records. [6] Tests combined songs from his earlier cassette releases and the recently recorded Dub Narcotic recordings. [6] At the same time, Elverum released his first 7" single, "Bass Drum Dream" on Up Records. [6]

K Records years

Elverum slowly gained recognition as a talented producer and recording engineer in the studio. While helping, often anonymously, with many of the area's artists, he began work on his second full-length, Don't Wake Me Up , released on K Records in 1999. Elverum toured for a few months following the release with fellow K Records artist Mirah, and, showcasing his talents on the road, was able to build a small but loyal fanbase and gain appreciation in the indie music scene. While performing in another K Records band, Old Time Relijun, Elverum began recording It Was Hot, We Stayed in the Water . Released on K Records in 2000, the album was Elverum's most ambitious yet, featuring layers of harmonic guitars, noise, and Beach Boys-esque harmonies.

Elverum's next release, The Glow Pt. 2 , was released by K Records in 2001. It was noted by critics for its production and songwriting. Probably his best-known album, it explored intensely personal themes, recalling lost loves and childhood memories. Sometimes sad, simple, and gentle ("I Felt Your Shape"), other times intense and layered with noise, guitars, and drums ("The Moon"). Pitchfork Media named The Glow Pt. 2 as the top album of 2001, [7] and #73 on their 200 Top Albums of the 2000s. [8] Tiny Mix Tapes named it the 5th best album of the 2000s. [9]

After a lengthy tour of Europe and North America (known as the "Paper Opera Tour") [6] [10] , Elverum returned to Dub Narcotic to begin work on his follow-up to The Glow Pt.2. Released by K Records in 2003, Mount Eerie was named after the mountain on Fidalgo Island where Elverum spent much of his childhood. Containing five long songs, the album features a narrative arc, in which Elverum dies, is eaten by vultures, and discovers the face of the Universe. It represents a turning point and a realization period in Elverum's life. Like its predecessor, Mount Eerie was also praised by critics for its ambitious and imaginative production. [11]

Dissolution

Elverum toured North America and Europe again in 2002, playing mostly solo shows (billed as the "I Will Move Away Forever and Never Come Back Ever" tour) before settling in Finnkonevika, Kjerringøy, Norway, where he spent the winter living in a log cabin. [12] In February 2003, he toured Japan with Calvin Johnson, Kyle Field, and the Tokyo band Moools, which resulted in the album Live in Japan. Live In Japan was released by K Records in early 2004, by which time Elverum had already begun to perform shows under the name Mount Eerie.

Subsequent Microphones releases and performances

In January 2007, a one-off 7" single was released under the Microphones moniker, titled Two Songs by the Microphones. In 2008, The Glow Pt. 2 was reissued by K Records with an additional disc of outtakes and rarities. In March 2011, Elv(e)rum re-recorded the Microphones' song "I Lost My Wind" for the compilation Collaborate With a 1940s Wire Recorder. [13] In 2013, the Microphones' four studio albums (in addition to the singles compilation Song Islands ) were remastered and reissued on Elverum's own label, P.W. Elverum & Sun, Ltd. [14] In 2016, a compilation of the Microphones' early cassette releases was released as Early Tapes: 1996–1998. [15]

Elverum played a one-off concert in Anacortes, WA under the name the Microphones in June 2019, performing alongside D+, Black Belt Eagle Scout, and Little Wings. [16]

On August 7, 2020, Elverum released a new Microphones album: Microphones in 2020 . The album is a 44:44 single song about Elverum's own life and search of meaning. [17]

On January 13, 2022, Elverum announced a comprehensive retrospective box set, Completely Everything, 1996–2021 which contains the entire Microphones discography; Elverum also stated that it would be the final release from the Microphones. [18]

Style

According to Kyle Cochrun of PopMatters "The band shirked traditional song structures, buried melodies under dissonance, added or abandoned the rhythm section at unexpected moments, caked guitar distortion on soft-spoken campfire jingles, relished in a decidedly scattershot soundscape, and dismantled any forward momentum they worked to build". [19]

Discography

Studio albums

Extended Plays

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Eerie</span> American indie rock/folk band

Mount Eerie is the musical project of American songwriter and producer Phil Elverum. Elverum is the principal member of the band, but has collaborated with many other musicians on his records and in live performances. Most of Mount Eerie's releases have been issued on Elverum's label P.W. Elverum & Sun, Ltd., and feature highly detailed packaging with his own artwork.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phil Elverum</span> American musician (born 1978)

Philip Whitman Elverum is an American musician, songwriter, record producer and visual artist, best known for his musical projects the Microphones and Mount Eerie. Based in Anacortes, Washington, in the mid-2000s he began to spell his surname Elvrum as "Elverum".

<i>The Glow Pt. 2</i> 2001 studio album by the Microphones

The Glow Pt. 2 is the third studio album by American indie folk and indie rock project the Microphones. It was released on September 11, 2001, through K Records and later through P.W. Elverum & Sun, Ltd. Recording was done on analog equipment at Dub Narcotic, Olympia, Washington, from May 2000 to March 2001. The album takes influences from numerous music genres such as black metal, ambient and avant-garde, as well as non-musical sources like the American drama television show Twin Peaks and primary member Phil Elverum's relationship to Khaela Maricich. Elverum was responsible for the album's production in its entirety.

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<i>"No Flashlight": Songs of the Fulfilled Night</i> 2005 studio album by Mount Eerie

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<i>It Was Hot, We Stayed in the Water</i> 2000 studio album by the Microphones

It Was Hot, We Stayed in the Water, sometimes shortened to It Was Hot, is the second studio album by American indie folk and indie rock band the Microphones. It was released by K Records on September 26, 2000. After gaining a small following with 1999's Don't Wake Me Up, frontman Phil Elverum recorded It Was Hot at Dub Narcotic Studio in Olympia, Washington, between September 1999 and March 2000. The album was recorded on analogue tape, and Elverum embraced the medium's technical imperfections. Critics described the album as indie rock, lo-fi, and indie pop. As a whole, the album centers on the theme of water, while its lyricism is heavily themed on nature. The 11-minute track "The Glow" acts as the album's climax and introduces the concept of the "glow", which was explored in more depth on 2001's The Glow Pt. 2.

<i>Mount Eerie</i> (album) 2003 folk album by the Microphones

Mount Eerie is the fourth studio album by American indie folk and indie rock band the Microphones, released by K Records on January 21, 2003. The album is named after the mountain Mount Erie near Anacortes, Washington, which is the hometown of Phil Elverum, the band's frontman. The album received generally positive reviews from critics, including accolades such as Pitchfork's "Best New Music" title and inclusion on Treblezine's list of "essential" psychedelic folk albums.

<i>Dont Wake Me Up</i> (album) 1999 studio album by the Microphones

Don't Wake Me Up is the debut studio album by American musical project the Microphones. It was released by K Records on August 24, 1999, and reissued on vinyl via P.W. Elverum & Sun on April 16, 2013. The album was recorded between April 25, 1998, and March 1, 1999, in studios in Olympia and Anacortes, Washington.

<i>Seven New Songs of "Mount Eerie"</i> 2004 EP by Mount Eerie

Seven New Songs of "Mount Eerie" is the debut EP by Mount Eerie, released on June 1, 2004.

<i>Lost Wisdom</i> 2008 studio album by Mount Eerie

Lost Wisdom is the second studio album by Mount Eerie, with Canadian musicians Julie Doiron and Frederick Squire. It was released on October 7, 2008 on P. W. Elverum & Sun, less than a month before Elverum's next album under the Mount Eerie name, Dawn, was released, which featured songs from this album. A follow-up album, Lost Wisdom pt. 2, was released in 2019, without Frederick Squire.

<i>Black Wooden Ceiling Opening</i> 2008 EP by Mount Eerie

Black Wooden Ceiling Opening is an EP released by Mount Eerie. It was released on March 4, 2008. The EP was described by singer Phil Elverum as "black metal using natural materials".

<i>Winds Poem</i> 2009 studio album by Mount Eerie

Wind's Poem is the fourth full-length album by Mount Eerie, released on July 14, 2009. Several of the tracks are inspired by black metal, and showcases Phil Elverum's "relatively newfound affinity for Xasthur and other lynchpins of the unholy genre."

<i>Clear Moon</i> 2012 studio album by Mount Eerie

Clear Moon is the fifth studio album by Mount Eerie, a solo project by American musician Phil Elverum. It was released May 22, 2012 on Elverum's own label P.W. Elverum & Sun. The album was written and produced entirely by Elverum, who recorded it at his studio the Unknown.

<i>Sauna</i> (Mount Eerie album)

Sauna is the seventh full-length album by Mount Eerie. It was released on February 3, 2015.

<i>A Crow Looked at Me</i> 2017 studio album by Mount Eerie

A Crow Looked at Me is the eighth studio album by Mount Eerie, a solo project of the American musician Phil Elverum. Released in 2017, it was composed in the aftermath of his 35-year-old wife Geneviève Castrée's diagnosis with pancreatic cancer in 2015, and her death in July 2016. Elverum wrote and recorded the songs over a six-week period in the room where she died, mostly using her instruments. His sparse lyrics and minimalistic musical accompaniment drew influence from a broad range of artists, including the poet Gary Snyder, author Karl Ove Knausgård and songwriter Julie Doiron.

<i>Now Only</i> 9th Mount Eerie Album

Now Only is the ninth studio album by Mount Eerie, the solo project of American musician Phil Elverum. It was released on March 16, 2018, on Elverum's record label P.W. Elverum & Sun. Like the preceding Mount Eerie album A Crow Looked at Me, Now Only is a concept album in the aftermath of the death of Elverum's wife, the cartoonist and musician Geneviève Castrée; Elverum described it as the second part of that album. The album was entirely written and produced by Elverum, and recorded in the room in which Castrée died.

<i>Lost Wisdom pt. 2</i> 2019 studio album by Mount Eerie and Julie Doiron

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<i>Song Islands vol. 2</i> 2010 compilation album by Mount Eerie

Song Islands vol. 2 is a compilation album by Mount Eerie. It was released on October 19, 2010. It is a sequel to the Microphones album Song Islands.

<i>Microphones in 2020</i> 2020 studio album by the Microphones

Microphones in 2020 is the fifth and final studio album by American indie folk and indie rock band the Microphones. The album is a concept album consisting of one 44-minute song about frontman Phil Elverum's life and musical career. It is the Microphones' first release in 17 years, following 2003's Mount Eerie. Elverum began the Microphones in 1996, releasing four studio albums before retiring the moniker in 2003. He instead opted to release his music under Mount Eerie as he felt the themes had changed. After performing a show under the Microphones name in 2019, the attention it received motivated Elverum to return to the project. Microphones in 2020 was recorded between May 2019 and May 2020, and released on August 7, 2020, on Elverum's record label P.W. Elverum & Sun. The album was solely written and performed by Elverum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Microphones discography</span>

The Microphones were an American indie folk, indie rock, and experimental band, founded and fronted by Phil Elverum. The band has released 5 studio albums, 13 miscellaneous albums, 3 extended plays, and 8 singles. Elverum began the Microphones initially as a solo project, releasing cassette demos of tests and experiments. Between 1996 and 1998, Elverum released four demos, mostly on Bret Lunsford's label Knw-Yr-Own. The CD Tests, released in June 1998, was a compilation album comprising tracks from previous cassettes. The same year, the band released the 7" single "Bass Drum Dream". The band's first studio album, Don't Wake Me Up, was released on K Records in August 1999 and gave the band a small following. Two more 7-inches were released in 1999: "Feedback " and "Moon Moon".

References

  1. ↑ Blais-Billie, Braudie (June 10, 2019). "Phil Elverum to Perform as the Microphones at Anacortes Concert". Pitchfork. Conde Nast. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
  2. ↑ "Phil Elverum on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
  3. ↑ Ankeny, Jason (n.d.). "The Microphones Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic . Retrieved November 10, 2022.
  4. ↑ Baumgarten, Mark (2012). Love rock revolution : K Records and the rise of independent music. Seattle: Sasquatch Books. ISBN   978-1-57061-822-2. OCLC   755697720.
  5. ↑ "A Conversation with Phil Elverum". freewilliamsburg.com. Archived from the original on June 8, 2019. Retrieved September 30, 2014.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Gormley, Ian (November 5, 2018). "Microphones, Mount Eerie and Melancholy: The Career of Phil Elverum". Exclaim! . Archived from the original on June 8, 2019. Retrieved June 8, 2019.
  7. ↑ "Staff Lists: Top 20 Albums of 2001 | Features". Pitchfork. January 1, 2002. Archived from the original on September 22, 2009. Retrieved February 18, 2012.
  8. ↑ "Staff Lists: The Top 200 Albums of the 2000s: 100-51 | Features". Pitchfork. September 30, 2009. Archived from the original on September 27, 2015. Retrieved February 18, 2012.
  9. ↑ "Favorite 100 Albums of the 2000s". Tiny Mix Tapes . Retrieved February 12, 2010.
  10. ↑ Pompeo, Joseph (April 21, 2005). "Eluding the "Corporate Ogre"". PopMatters. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
  11. ↑ "Reviews for Mount Eerie by The Microphones – Metacritic". Metacritic.
  12. ↑ "Notes and Transcript - the Microphones". Life of the Record. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  13. ↑ "The Microphones and Bishop Allen Release 7" Single Recorded on Ancient Wire Recorder". Pitchfork. March 31, 2011.
  14. ↑ "Mount Eerie's Phil Elverum to Reissue Five Albums From the Microphones". Pitchfork. February 28, 2013.
  15. ↑ "The Microphones Announce New Album of Old Songs, Early Tapes, 1996–1998, Share "Compressor": Listen". Pitchfork. November 20, 2016.
  16. ↑ Blais-Billie, Braudie (June 10, 2019). "Phil Elverum to Perform as the Microphones at Anacortes Concert". Pitchfork. Conde Nast. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
  17. ↑ "Phil Elverum on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
  18. ↑ "Phil Elverum Details Microphones Vinyl Box Set". Pitchfork (website). Retrieved January 13, 2022.
  19. ↑ Cochrun, Kyle (August 14, 2020). "Phil Elverum Sings His Memoir on 'Microphones in 2020'". PopMatters . Retrieved December 27, 2020.
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