Optical Atlas

As intimated in a recent interview with Eric Harris, there will be an Elephant 6 Night at the Movies presented by Orange Twin Records at the Athens Cine next week.  Now that it’s official, we can tell you that featured will be the Major Organ and the Adding Machine film, plus never-before-seen short films and music videos by the likes of The Olivia Tremor Control, Neutral Milk Hotel, Elf Power, Dixie Blood Moustache, The Apples in Stereo, The Sunshine Fix, Circulatory System, The Music Tapes, A Hawk and a Hacksaw, and more.  You have three chances to catch the program: Tuesday June 23rd, Thursday June 25th, and Saturday June 27th, all at 10pm at the Athens Cine (234 West Hancock Avenue, Athens, GA 30601).  Thanks to Eric for the head’s-up.

Pitchfork has announced the much-anticipated, Music Tapes-led Elephant 6 “Holiday Surprise” tour that we’ve all been waiting for.  While ostensibly celebrating the release of two Music Tapes albums–Music Tapes for Clouds and Tornadoes (released August 19th on Merge) and The Singing Saw at Christmastime (October 7th on Merge)–Music Tapes frontman Julian Koster will be joined by a big crowd of E6 veterans to celebrate “the music of Olivia Tremor Control, Circulatory System, the Music Tapes, Elf Power, the Gerbils, Scott Spillane, Nana Grizol, Nesey Gallons, and more.”  Confirmed to be on the tour, in addition to Koster, are W. Cullen Hart, Spillane, Laura Carter, Eric Harris, and the reclusive Mr. Gallons.  And that’s not all.  They’ll also be debuting the new Major Organ and the Adding Machine film on the tour, in tandem with submitting it to music festivals.  (The expanded CD/DVD set is now planned for release in fall 2009.)  You can read the Pitchfork piece here.  See you in Chicago!

The Music Tapes & Friends – Elephant 6 Holiday Surprise Tour
10-09 Chapel Hill, NC – Local 506
10-11 New York, NY – Knitting Factory
10-12 Boston, MA – The Church
10-14 Portland, ME – Space Gallery
10-15 New Haven, CT – The Space
10-16 Purchase, NY – SUNY Purchase
10-17 Rochester, NY- The Bug Jar
10-18 Pittsburgh, PA – Brillobox
10-19 Columbus, OH – Wexner Center
10-20 Pontiac, MI – Crofoot Pike Room
10-21 Chicago, IL – Bottom Lounge
10-22 Bloomington, IN – Cinemat
10-23 Lexington, KY – University of Kentucky
10-25 New York, NY – Mercury Lounge (CMJ)

Just a reminder that the AUX 2 experimental music festival is this weekend in Athens, featuring Black Swan Network, Lorkakar, Dixie Blood Moustache, Dark Meat, Howling Jelly (Andrew Rieger from Elf Power and Mark Tissenbaum), Eyes and Arms of Smoke (members of Von Hemmling, Ulysses, and Hair Police), and more. The event will be held on Saturday, February 23rd, across three venues: Cine, Little Kings, and Flicker.