R&Z

First of all, if you haven’t done so already, head over to Merge Records and preorder the Chris Knox tribute album Stroke (due out in physical form on Feb. 23).  But somewhat overlooked in all the (deserved) hullabaloo over Jeff Mangum’s contribution to the album is the fact that it also marks the debut of a new project by he of The Olivia Tremor Control and The Sunshine Fix, Bill Doss.  Note that it’s been five years (almost six) since Bill released a record, although he has been recording steadily in the interim, and assisting friends like The Apples in Stereo (of which he’s a member), Circulatory System, Thee American Revolution, and Fabulous Bird, as well as participating in last year’s Elephant 6 Holiday Surprise Tour.  Now he’s back with Red&Zeke, first with the Tall Dwarfs cover “Bodies” on the Stroke album, and soon with a full-length.

Bill writes Optical Atlas, “I have teamed up with my old friend Neil Cleary, a musician currently residing in Boston, who has not only done some damn fine solo work but also played drums in The Essex Green as well as having been in The Sunshine Fix from time to time, to form Red&Zeke.  Neil and I share an affinity for Appalachian music and have been long-jawing for quite some time about making such a record. So, earlier this year, he came to Athens where we recorded a batch of cover tunes, exploring a mix of the modern and traditional, all in the Appalachian style. The bones of the songs were played and sung live and tracked at Bel-Air Studios a la Jason NeSmith, of Casper and the Cookies fame, with minimal overdubs added afterward. By chance, we happened to cover the song ‘Bodies’ by the aforementioned Mr. Knox. We finished with the mixing and mastering, fortunately just in time to make the Stroke LP, and hope to have our record, tentatively titled Old Man From Indie Rock Mountain, released in the Spring of 2010.”

One can assume Bill is “Red.”  (’Burns would have been a good nickname too.)  I’ll give more details as they arrive, but here’s one to look forward to in the new year.