Optical Atlas

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.

It has now been officially announced (via Wilson at Merge Records) that Jeff Mangum has contributed a track to the U.S. version of the Chris Knox tribute album Stroke.  The song, “Sign the Dotted Line,” is a cover of the Tall Dwarfs track.   In addition, Bill Doss & Neil Cleary form Red & Zeke for the cover of the Tall Dwarfs‘  ”Bodies.”  You can read Bill Doss’ thoughts on the Tall Dwarfs here.

You can preorder the double-CD set which will ship on or around February 23 by visiting this page at Merge Records.  Preorders receive an immediate digital download of the album.  You can also purchase the MP3s a la carte or as a bundle.  The New Zealand version of the album, which is available now at Chris Knox’s website, does not feature the Jeff Mangum track.

In June, Chris Knox of the Tall Dwarfs suffered a stroke in Grey Lynn, New Zealand.  The Tall Dwarfs have had a tremendous influence on Elephant 6, and it was Chris Knox who invited Jeff Mangum to give a performance in 2001 in New Zealand.  The Tall Dwarfs also toured with Olivia Tremor Control on the 2005 reunion tour. The Stroke benefit album also features contributions from Yo La Tengo, Jay Reatard, Stephin Merritt, Bill Callahan, Will Oldham, and many more.

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.

There’s bad news and great news coming out of Happy Happy Birthday to Me Records.

Their ongoing singles club was scheduled to feature Circulatory System and Sound Houses (aka The New Sound of Numbers) on a split 7″.  Unfortunately Sound Houses dropped out, and the Circulatory System material is already featured on the forthcoming full-length Signal Morning, so HHBTM’s Mike Turner has announced the single will be replaced by a 7″ featuring rare early tracks from Elephant 6 Recording Company projects The Sunshine Fix and Always Red Society.  Imagine, if you will, getting an early-90’s Olivia Tremor Control single, because that’s basically what this is: Bill Doss on one side, Will Cullen Hart on the other, both recording right before they joined forces.  In other singles club news, High Water Marks has replaced Tender Forever on a split with The Love Letter Band.  Also soon to be released are splits featuring of Montreal & James Husband, The Apples in Stereo & Patience Please, and All Girl Summer Fun Band & Cars Can Be Blue.  Subscribers can expect their singles to ship round late June.  If you’re a latecomer who wants to join the club, I’d recommend heading over to HHBTM’s website and sending a message to check availability.

This week has gotten away from me, so I apologize for the lack of posts. I’ll be back in just a little bit with a brand new installment of The Elephant 6 Show. But in the meantime, here’s the full lineup for this weekend’s AUX 3 experimental music and art festival, to be held in Athens, GA, courtesy curator Heather McIntosh.

AUX 3 – Saturday, Feb. 21st, @ Little Kings and Ciné

3:00 Little Kings Dark Meat
3:30 Ciné Youth Movement Workshop
4:00 Little Kings GLASSPACKS
4:30 Ciné Killick
5:00 Little Kings A Horse is a Sphere
5:30 Ciné The Rectanglers
6:00 Little Kings Howling Jelly
6:00 Cine Video Program I
6:30 Ciné Our New Silence
7:00 Little Kings Dream Scene
7:30 Ciné Some Meat Out of the Eater
8:00 Little Kings Mercer Street
8:30 Ciné Lisa Yaconelli
Denise Posnak and Page Campbell
Julie Rothschild and Shawn Copeland
9:00 Ciné Video Program II
9:30 Ciné Maps and Transit
10:00 Little Kings Bill Doss presents the Flashcard Orchestra
10:30 Little Kings Brave New Citizen
11:00 Little Kings Spirit of the Falcon-XL
11:30 Ciné Medaglia d’Oro
12:30 Little Kings Icy Demons

Video

Ash Sechler
Daniel Osborne
Eddie Whelan
Javier Morales
John Michael Boling
John Crowe
Micki Davis
Robert Peterson
Seth Stephens
Winston Parker

Artist Market

Gypsies Tramps & Thieves
Laurel Hill
Rhys May
IPullPrints
Gilannie Jewelry Studios
Cherry Matador Jewelry & Soaps
CAP MAN (if he can bring his truck)
Melin Pieces Hats
Christy Wooke
Daisycakes Soaps
Genevieve Swinford
The Orchard Jewelry
Kenneth Kase
Matt Blanks
Hannah Jones
Kristen Bach
Organic Twist

I could have posted about this yesterday, but hey, I already had 2 posts up, and I gotta space out these things.  Mike Turner at Happy Happy Birthday to Me Records has provided an update on the ongoing HHBTM Singles Club Volume 2.  So far the series has featured split singles by Fishboy, Baby Calendar, Marbles, Casper & the Cookies, Bunnygrunt, Phil Wilson, Boyracer, The Faintest Ideas, Tullycraft, The Smittens, Velcro Stars, Keith John Adams, Andy from Denver, Red Pony Clock, Ideal Free Distribution, and Poison Control Center.  Now Mike has updated his blog and the usual message boards noting the following:

The Of Montreal / James Husband single is being mastered shortly. The Circulatory System single will be split with the Sunshine Fix, and the Love Letter Band single will be backed with High Water Marks. I’m going to put up scans of the All Girl Summer Fun Band / Cars Can Be Blue single and the Apples in Stereo / Patience Please single next week. The club should be ready to ship no later than May 2009. Sad to say but that will be officially two years after the club started WTF I know, I know…

Hey, I’m patient (please).  Mainly because I keep forgetting about it.  But each time I hear an update, my enthusiasm goes through the roof.  (Only to vaporize as I gradually forget about it once more – it sounds like someone should perform some kind of science fair project on me.)  It’s big news that The Sunshine Fix will be sharing a 7″ with Circulatory System.  That almost makes it an Olivia Tremor Control reunion, joining, as it were, Bill Doss’ solo project with Will Cullen Hart’s (and I’ve a feeling the other Olivias play on the record, as most are currently in Circulatory System).  The James Husband appearance is significant as his material has been strictly underground for several years.  He has an album which should be coming out this year (expect an announcement on that soon).  Although they put out a great (and underrated) album a couple years ago, new High Water Marks material has been few and far between.  And of course we’ll always be excited about new material from of Montreal and The Apples in Stereo.  So yes, good things are coming for subscribers to the HHBTM singles club.  To pick up a subscription, go to their website.  You can also get info on picking up leftover individual pressings of different singles from the series in Mike’s full blog post, where he also dishes on Athens PopFest news (August 11th-16th this year) and more.

At the E6 Townhall, animalsanimals is offering tour photo prints for sale from the Elephant 6 Holiday Surprise Tour’s NYC show.  These were the photo sets recently posted at Pitchfork.  You can see all the photos in this Flickr archive.

Check this thread for details.

Pitchfork has posted some great photos from the New York stop of the Elephant 6 Holiday Surprise Tour.  Good God it looks like that was a blast.  Check it out here.

P.S. I just read at You Ain’t No Picasso that there’s a rumor of Jeff Mangum coming to Chicago, which makes my last post kind of amusing in retrospect…