Optical Atlas

Happy Happy Birthday to Me has announced the latest album by the once-thought-defunct Marshmallow Coast: Phreak Phantasy. Andy Gonzales, the mastermind of the Coast, began the project out of Denver, Colorado, in the mid-90’s with Timesquare. The band moved to Athens and to Kindercore Records, and then to Misra Records, while Andy continued to play with his other band, of Montreal (he receives a shout-out in “The Hopeless Opus” on Coquelicot Asleep in the Poppies, and the band also covers his old Timesquare song “In the Army Kid” on The Horse and Elephant Eatery).  Andy was also briefly a member of The Music Tapes, and played with Olivia Tremor Control and other Elephant 6 outfits, but his fruitful tenure with of Montreal stretched from The Bird Who Continues to Eat the Rabbit’s Flower through Aldhils Arboretum, essentially covering the band’s entire Sgt. Pepper-styled period.  Eventually Andy left of Montreal, and Marshmallow Coast (briefly) morphed into M Coast, with singing and songwriting duties shared with Derek Almstead (also ex-of Montreal) and Emily Growden; Sara Kirkpatrick and Carlton Owens filled out the lineup. This configuration released just one album, Say it in Slang, before Andy and Derek went amicably into separate projects: Andy from Denver and Faster Circuits, respectively. Now Marshmallow Coast is back for Andy’s first album under that fully-spelled-out name since 2003’s Antistar. 

“My legend is too small to start all over again, ” says Andy to Optical Atlas, indicating that originally Phreak Phantasy was going to be released under his new solo moniker, before he changed his mind and went back to the old and more familiar name.  “I did release two split seven-inches as Andy from Denver.  Stupidly confusing, I know.”  Once more, Sara Kirkpatrick provides flute, but Will Cullen Hart (Circulatory System) also provides support with “tape manipulations and noises.”

In addition to the new album, Andy “from Denver” (he’s not retiring that name completely) has some other projects lined up: he plays guitar on an upcoming album by The Goons (Joe Rowe, formerly of The Glands), and has been recording with The Lolligags and rap/pop project Simple Teek. 

Phreak Phantasy will be released on May 26th, but a pre-order deal (limited to 50 orders) will bag you the album (in either CD or vinyl) as well as an original Andy Gonzales painting. Note that the vinyl, which will be a limited pressing of 100, has a silkscreen sleeve. You can place your order now at the HHBTM website.

 

In the Aeroplane Over the Sea is included in the Onion AV Club’s “Turn Off the Shuffle” list, described as “25 great albums that work best when listened to from start to finish.”  You can read the article here.  I’m a fan of the site, but it must be said that with their obsession with creating unnecessary pop culture lists, the AV Club is quickly becoming the late-90’s-era VH1 of the internet.  Still, it’s a good read.  Note that most Elephant 6 albums probably work best following the same “turn off the shuffle” rule, in particular those by Olivia Tremor Control and of Montreal; it’s merely a keen awareness of making the album work as a whole (although there are certainly an abundance of E6 “concept albums” too, and the collective is at least partially responsible for the resurrection of the once-loathed genre).

Note that I updated last week’s post about Marc Maron giving a shout-out to the Gerbils on Break Room Live, the Air America podcast.  On Friday’s show (the one featuring Sarah Vowell), he made a correction during the post-show chat indicating he meant to say The Thermals.  Such is life.

And apropos of nothing, a big thanks to anyone reading this blog who turned out for The Ladybug Transistor’s appearance in my city of Madison, Wisconsin, on Saturday night.  Despite the rather startling manifestation of a SPRINGTIME BLIZZARD, there was a large, appreciative, enthusiastic crowd (dancing!).  The band responded in kind with a sprawling but tightly-played setlist, including an unplanned performance of “Choking on Air” which was simply phenomenal.  This band has matured splendidly over the last decade; when they come to your town, don’t turn down a chance to see them.   

Kelly from elephant6.com has posted on the Townhall the details for the upcoming, looong-awaited sophomore album from Circulatory System.  This is now what we know:

It’s coming out on August 4th.
It’s coming out from Cloud Recordings.
It will be on vinyl and CD.
Also on August 4th, Circulatory System’s first album will be released for the first time on double vinyl with a gatefold sleeve.
And…expect Olivia Tremor Control vinyl reissues in September or October.

The March 24th episode of WGSU’s The Elephant 6 Show is now available to download in our E6 Radio page.  Thanks to Becky as usual for sending along another great podcast.

Okay, granted, I’m linking to a half-hour-long show with literally 1 second referencing the Gerbils.  But you know, it came completely out of nowhere, and it was a nice surprise; plus it gives me a chance to promote my current obsession, which is Break Room Live, a daily podcast hosted by Marc Maron and Sam Seder.  (Their official “Break Room Live Coffee,” from Just Coffee, also comes from my hometown of Madison.)  So anyway, about four minutes into this show, Maron says that one of the best bands he saw at SXSW was The Gerbils.  And then that’s it. Check it out here under “3.23.09 Monday’s Full Show.” I’ll embed it when their site stops acting goofy.

Update 3/30/09: On Friday’s post-show chat he corrected himself by stating he meant to say The Thermals, not The Gerbils.  Well, hopefully some accidental publicity was a good thing.

Hey, did I fool everyone into thinking I was at SXSW this week? Cause I’m not!

If you weren’t the lucky winner of the Optical Atlas Apples in Stereo “Stephen, Stephen” picture disc contest, then you’ve got a second chance, because ColbertNation.com is giving away fifteen copies of the same single as part of the Stephen’s Fantasy Namesake Challenge.

What do you have to do?  Suggest something which you believe should be named after Stephen Colbert, and upload a photo of said thing at ColbertNation.com. Thanks to emmi_i for the head’s up.

Dressy Bessy, who toured extensively to promote their new album Holler and Stomp just last fall, will be lining up plenty of spring and summer dates very shortly.  In the meantime, get your DB fix at SXSW:

Dressy Bessy – Upcoming Dates

3.20.09 Austin, TX @ The Jackalope/Mile High Fidelity (SXSW) 5:45pm
3.20.09 Austin, TX @ Iron Gate Lounge/Cash Moneyapolis (SXSW) 3:15-3:45pm
3.21.09 Austin, TX @ Victory Grill (SXSW) 7:00pm
3.21.09 Austin, TX @ Lamberts (SXSW) 1:00am
4.04.09 Fort Collins, CO @ Road 34

The Fox Pop Recording Company, which recently released the Von Hemmling cassette You (Being My Body Whole), has now issued a cassette of the High Water Marks EP Arivar Sullimer, previously only available as a limited edition “handmade” CD-R (which is now out of print).  You can purchase the tape for only $3 (cheap!), with shipping $2 US, $3 international, and the label will also email you MP3s of the tracks upon purchase, if requested.  The three-song EP contains two pop songs and one longer experimental (think: beautiful noise) track, the first time High Water Marks has dabbled in those waters.  And yes, my tape player is still broken.