Aleka's Attic
Encyclopedia
Aleka's Attic were an alternative folk/rock band from Gainesville
, Florida
formed by River Phoenix
and his sister Rain
.
; his younger sister Rain sang, but, contrary to many incorrect reports, did not play keyboards
in the band (although she did play various percussion, such as tambourine
); Josh McKay was the bass player
; Josh Greenbaum, a friend of River’s from Florida, was the drummer.
River had a two year development deal with Island Records
to develop the band and record a marketable album
, which was not accomplished in the time allotted due to River's ongoing film work schedule. So Island, retaining the option to continue or not, opted out of the deal based on the non-marketability of River's newer material. River then decided to record an album independently for the band.
The group disbanded due to River Phoenix
's death on October 31, 1993 from a drug overdose.
-members, Tim Hankins and Sasa Raphael. Josh Greenbaum and Josh Mckay had readily signed a release form allowing their tracks to be used, hence the early enthusiasm about the potential release of the record
. A quote from Greenbaum, "The reason River signed with Island in the first place was because he obviously wanted to get his music out to the world. I just want to see that happen, even if I never see a penny from it. That would make the investment of five years of my life worth it."
In 1997, Phoenix's friend, Michael Stipe
of R.E.M.
, bought over the rights to all of Aleka's Attic's material from Island Records
.
The album and many other songs by the band can be found on various sites throughout the internet.
In the film Sneakers, the character played by Dan Aykroyd
wears an Aleka's Attic t-shirt in one scene.
Zero (aka neveroddoreven)
Others
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
formed by River Phoenix
River Phoenix
River Jude Phoenix was an American film actor, musician, and teen icon. He was the oldest brother of fellow actors Rain, Joaquin, Liberty, and Summer Phoenix.Phoenix began acting at age 10 in television commercials...
and his sister Rain
Rain Phoenix
Rain Phoenix is an American actress, musician, and singer. Phoenix has four siblings: two brothers, actors Joaquin and the late River Phoenix, and two sisters, Summer and Liberty.-Early life:...
.
History
The original line up of Aleka's Attic included River as lead singer and played guitarGuitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
; his younger sister Rain sang, but, contrary to many incorrect reports, did not play keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
in the band (although she did play various percussion, such as tambourine
Tambourine
The tambourine or marine is a musical instrument of the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called "zils". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, though some variants may not have a head at all....
); Josh McKay was the bass player
Bass Player
Bass player can refer to:*Bass Player , an album by Rhombus*Bass Player , a magazine for bassists*Bassist, or bass player, a musician who plays the bass guitar...
; Josh Greenbaum, a friend of River’s from Florida, was the drummer.
River had a two year development deal with Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
to develop the band and record a marketable album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, which was not accomplished in the time allotted due to River's ongoing film work schedule. So Island, retaining the option to continue or not, opted out of the deal based on the non-marketability of River's newer material. River then decided to record an album independently for the band.
The group disbanded due to River Phoenix
River Phoenix
River Jude Phoenix was an American film actor, musician, and teen icon. He was the oldest brother of fellow actors Rain, Joaquin, Liberty, and Summer Phoenix.Phoenix began acting at age 10 in television commercials...
's death on October 31, 1993 from a drug overdose.
The unreleased album
The release of the album, with the proposed titles "Never Odd Or Even" and "Zero" was postponed due to River's death. Though Rain spent two years weeding through unfinished tracks and mixing what was a slew of performances, the album got "shelved". The reason is that there has been communication problems between the Phoenix family and formerFormer
thumb|right|150px|Interior of an F-16B with the engine removed showing frames or formers.A former is a structural member of an aircraft fuselage, of which a typical fuselage has a series from the nose to the empennage, typically perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft...
-members, Tim Hankins and Sasa Raphael. Josh Greenbaum and Josh Mckay had readily signed a release form allowing their tracks to be used, hence the early enthusiasm about the potential release of the record
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
. A quote from Greenbaum, "The reason River signed with Island in the first place was because he obviously wanted to get his music out to the world. I just want to see that happen, even if I never see a penny from it. That would make the investment of five years of my life worth it."
In 1997, Phoenix's friend, Michael Stipe
Michael Stipe
John Michael Stipe is an American singer and lyricist. He was the lead vocalist of the alternative rock band R.E.M.Stipe is noted and occasionally parodied for the "mumbling" style of his early career as well as his social and political activism. He was in charge of R.E.M.'s visual image; often...
of R.E.M.
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
, bought over the rights to all of Aleka's Attic's material from Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
.
The album and many other songs by the band can be found on various sites throughout the internet.
In the film Sneakers, the character played by Dan Aykroyd
Dan Aykroyd
Daniel Edward "Dan" Aykroyd, CM is a Canadian comedian, actor, screenwriter, musician, winemaker and ufologist. He was an original cast member of Saturday Night Live, an originator of The Blues Brothers and Ghostbusters and has had a long career as a film actor and screenwriter.-Early...
wears an Aleka's Attic t-shirt in one scene.
Released tracks
- The group sold tapes between 1989 and 1990 with the songs "Goldmine", "Too Many Colors", "Across The Way" and "Blue Period".
- "Across The Way", which was written by River and Josh McKay, was included on the 1989 PETA benefit album - 'Tame YourselfTame YourselfTame Yourself was an album released by Rhino records on April 30, 1991 to benefit PETA.-Track listing:#"Don't Be Part of It" - Howard Jones#"Tame Yourself" - Raw Youth#"I'll Give You My Skin" - Indigo Girls and Michael Stipe#"Damned Old Dog" - K. D...
.' - "Note To A Friend", featuring River's friend Michael "Flea" Balzary of the Red Hot Chili PeppersRed Hot Chili PeppersRed Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
on bass, was released on the 1996 compilation 'In Defense Of Animals: Volume II' - The song "Too Many Colors", was featured on the un-released soundtrack of "My Own Private IdahoMy Own Private IdahoMy Own Private Idaho is a 1991 independent drama film written and directed by Gus Van Sant, loosely based on Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part 1, Henry IV, Part 2, and Henry V, and starring River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves...
", a 1991 film starring River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves, directed by Gus Van Sant.
Songs
(Included here to increase awareness and prevent the circulation of fakes.)Zero (aka neveroddoreven)
- Alone We Elope
- Below Beloved
- Bliss Is...
- Dog God
- Get Anything
- Note To a Friend
- Safety Pins and Army Boots
- Scales and Fishnails
- Senile Felines
- You're So Ostentacious
Others
- Goldmine
- In The Corner Dunce
- Blue Period
- Popular Thinks
- Too Many Colors
- Where I'd Gone
- Across The Way