Optical Atlas

Over the last couple of years, perhaps the only E6 parlor game more popular than “when will that second Circulatory System album come out?” (followed rapidly by “when will that Circulatory System bonus LP come out?”) is “when will the Major Organ and the Adding Machine DVD/Expanded CD come out?”  But, honestly, the great thing about Elephant 6 is that they usually make it worth the long wait (and those gaps are filled with so many of Montreal and Robert Schneider-related releases that the wait doesn’t really matter all that much).  Anyway, at long last the Major Organ and the Adding Machine re-release has been announced, but first a history: the 2001 album was one of the flagship releases of the Athens-based Orange Twin Records label, draped in the E6 logo and featuring an all-star cast from the E6-East universe, though none of them were named on the album.  (Nonetheless, it was pretty easy to recognize that prominent members of Neutral Milk Hotel, The Olivia Tremor Control, The Music Tapes, of Montreal, and Elf Power were contributing.)  The CD drifted out of print, though the LP remained generally available.  Although initial reviews of the concept album – a harrowing mix of avant-garde sound collages and psych-rock – were mixed, with some being very harsh, over the past nine years it has deservedly developed wider admiration and the requisite cult following.  For the 2008 Elephant 6 Holiday Surprise tour, Eric Harris  (OTC, Elf Power)  would begin each evening’s program with a screening of the Major Organ and the Adding Machine short film, which he co-directed with Joey Foreman: a years-in-the-works cross between music video and experimental children’s fantasy, telling the story of Madam Truffle, a bunch of people with beards, a giant lobster, and, um, other things that happen.  (It’s all great fun.)  A DVD was announced and then postponed, and postponed, and postponed again.

Now Pitchfork has announced the real deal: on September 14, Orange Twin Records will release the deluxe Major Organ and the Adding Machine reissue, which will feature the complete album plus seven bonus tracks, bundled with a DVD of the film and bonus features such as music videos, live footage, and other E6-related projects, perhaps some of which were featured in the Eric Harris-curated E6 film program which screened last year in Athens.

Conclusion: Viva Francisco! (Thanks to Kathy with a K for the head’s-up.)

The Elephant 6 Townhall has assembled an album of covers of E6 songs, from of Montreal through Major Organ and the Adding Machine, Elf Power, Neutral Milk Hotel, Olivia Tremor Control, and more.  You can download Elephant 6 Fanfare through this thread.  Thanks to lenn9o9n for assembling the project, and everyone who contributed.

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.

Still catching up on old news from our break: You Ain’t No Picasso last week posted an interview with Eric Harris, co-director (with Joey Foreman) of the Major Organ and the Adding Machine film.  You might also know him from The Olivia Tremor Control, Elf Power, Ham1, and many others.  The interview features scads of valuable information, too much to summarize here: head on over and check it out.

Wow, I’ve been stingy with the updates lately.  You’d think being down with the swine flu (or something similar) would mean lots of time to update your website, but instead, for me at least, it seems to mean indulging in reading 80’s New Mutants comics and having Russ Meyer movie marathons (Beyond the Valley of the Dolls soundtrack…ordered).  BUT there is lots of great Elephant 6 news in the pipeline, some of which I’m not allowed to blab about yet, so keep checking back.  In the meantime, You Ain’t No Picasso has posted a zipped bootleg of last year’s Lexington stop on the Elephant 6 Holiday Surprise Tour.  Good memories.

And in case you’re wondering what happened to that Major Organ and the Adding Machine Expanded CD+DVD, I’m happy to inform you that Orange Twin has confirmed it’s OFFICIAL and is still on track for a fall release. Just a few more months.

Casper & the Cookies have made available the fourth and final MP3 in a series previewing their upcoming album Modern Silence.  You can listen to the last free track, “You Love Me,” at the estimable Athens blog Cable & Tweed.  (Previous tracks can be found at Three Imaginary Girls, Optical Atlas, and You Ain’t No Picasso.)  It’s shaping up to be a fantastic album.

Kelly Ruberto–she of elephant6.com and Orange Twin Records–has published a photo diary of the Holiday Surprise tour in Flagpole, the Athens weekly.  (Maybe you met her: she was the friendly one at the merch table.)  You can see all the pictures here.  Will gets attacked by a bear!  Will gets attacked by a bear!  And more.

As promised, NPR has posted the (almost, but not quite) complete performance from last Tuesday’s Holiday Surprise stop at Chicago’s Bottom Lounge.  Omitted, at the request of the artists, are the Neutral Milk Hotel track “Engine” and some of the Music Tapes songs, which is unfortunate, but you can stream the concert now as well as listen to an interview with Julian Koster right here.  Later it will be available as part of the All Songs Considered podcast.  (Also check out You Ain’t No Picasso’s coverage of the Lexington show, the last stop in the tour.)

Speaking of podcasts, here’s some more for you to listen to: the Athcast has been updated with two more episodes, including songs by Elf Power, Ham1, Madeline, and more.  And Just Off the Radar spotlighted Elephant 6 in their October 25th show, with a shout-out to Optical Atlas.  You can listen here when it’s been updated with the latest installment.

Finally, Casper & the Cookies have posted their third brand new song from their upcoming album Modern Silence, this being the first C&TC song to feature lead vocals by Jim Hix (who also wrote the song).  You Ain’t No Picasso has the track, “Song Across the Sea.”  Next week Cable & Tweed will have the final song in the blog-exclusive series.  (Previous tracks were hosted by Optical Atlas as well as Three Imaginary Girls.)

Tonight is the final show of the tour, in Robert Schneider’s hometown of Lexington (so there’s about a 100% chance of him showing up).  Thanks to You Ain’t No Picasso for the show poster at left.   The entertainment is free, so you better get there early if you want to get in.  It’s at the Red Mile Round Barn (1200 Red Mile Road); doors at 7:30, show at 8:30.  And it’s all ages!  Expect some crazy fun.

Some of you might be interested in a larger (not quite hi-res, but bigger) version of the Holiday Surprise promo photo, so here it is.  Thanks to Suzanne from 63 Crayons for sending this along a few weeks back.  Wallpaper it!