Built to Spill
Encyclopedia
Built to Spill is an American
indie rock
band
based in Boise, Idaho
. The band has released seven full-length albums. Their most recent album, There Is No Enemy
, was released on October 6, 2009.
guitarist/vocalist Doug Martsch
formed Built to Spill in 1992 with Brett Netson and Ralf Youtz
as the band's original members. In an interview with Spin magazine, Martsch stated that he intended to change the band's lineup for every album, himself being the only permanent member. After the band's first album, Ultimate Alternative Wavers
was released in 1993, Netson and Youtz were replaced by Brett Nelson
(not Netson) and Andy Capps for 1994's There's Nothing Wrong with Love. A compilation album
called The Normal Years
followed, which included recordings by both line-ups. Built to Spill Caustic Resin
, a split EP with Caustic Resin
, was released in 1996. Between recording albums in 1995, the band gained exposure by playing on the Lollapalooza
tour. Also in 1995, the band collaborated on the song "Still Flat" for the AIDS
benefit album Red Hot + Bothered
produced by the Red Hot Organization
.
Martsch signed Built to Spill to Warner Bros. Records
in 1995. Unlike many artists signed to major labels, the deal the band brokered with Warner Bros. allowed it to retain a large degree of creative control over future albums. Built to Spill produced its first major label release in 1997 with Perfect from Now On
. By this time, the band consisted of Martsch, Nelson, Netson, and Scott Plouf. Perfect from Now On met with critical success and caused Built to Spill to become one of the United States' most recognizable indie rock bands. Before releasing another album, Martsch made Nelson and Plouf permanent members of the band. In 1999, the band released Keep It Like a Secret
to continued critical success, and for the first time, significant commercial success. Live
was released in 2000, and the band's fifth studio album, Ancient Melodies of the Future
, was released in 2001.
In 2002, Martsch released Now You Know, a solo album with both blues
and folk
elements. He performed numerous solo concerts in support of the album. Built to Spill was on hiatus for most of this period.
Warner Bros. Records optioned the band for another album. From 2003 to 2005, Built to Spill toured extensively, performing over 150 dates. The shows included new songs as early as 2004. Their sixth studio album, You in Reverse
, was recorded in Portland
in 2004, but was not released until April 11, 2006. The band's official lineup for the album was Martsch, Nelson, Plouf, and Jim Roth
, who was formerly only a touring guitarist. Brett Netson provided guitar work on several songs and later rejoined the band as a full-time member.
After the release of You in Reverse, Built to Spill continued touring almost non-stop. In March 2006, Martsch suffered a detached retina
which required surgery. This forced the band to miss an appearance at the South by Southwest
music festival and postpone several dates of the tour. More bad news came when former drummer Andy Capps was found dead in his home on May 18, 2006.
The band resumed touring on June 3, 2006, a show that included four new songs. This show and many on the tour included the dedication of the song "Car" to Capps, who had played on the track when it was recorded.
Warner Bros. Records stated that Built to Spill had been recording for their follow-up to You in Reverse on and off during the 2006 tour, but nothing appeared until the July 10, 2007 release of a 12" single, "They Got Away"/"Re-Arrange." "They Got Away" was a heavily reggae
-influenced original song, while "Re-Arrange" is a cover of a song by the reggae band The Gladiators
.
The U.S. tour was scheduled through October 2007, after which the band toured Australia. Martsch stated in a September 2007 interview that he didn't want to tour in the United States again until the band records; however, the band then announced a one-month U.S. national tour for spring of 2008.
In a March 2008 interview with Playback:stl, Doug Martsch stated that a side project of his has been new Halo Benders material, but "we started that about a year ago, we have not even got anything off the ground." Later in the interview, Martsch gave his perspective on the future of Built to Spill past the current material; "I do think that Built to Spill could be something better than ever just because our lineup is better than ever ... I think there is potential for the five of us to collaborate on something that is just way better than anything that I have ever come up with by myself or that we have done in the past." Martsch also interjects that "This coming record we're not doing that--it's mostly going to be songs that I have been working on."
The band extended its 2008 tour in the United States and Europe, performing the album Perfect From Now On
in its entirety.
The tracklist and album art for There Is No Enemy
were revealed on August 17, 2009, and on September 8, the first single, "Hindsight," was released.
Built to Spill played the 2009 Pitchfork Music Festival
in Chicago, along with Yo La Tengo
, Tortoise
and The Jesus Lizard
, as part of the "Write the Night" series, which allowed fans to choose which songs the bands play.
The band's website reported the start of an extensive United States tour with the Flaming Lips on August 20, 2009.
Built to Spill released its seventh LP, titled There Is No Enemy
, on October 6, 2009.
In January 2010 it was announced that British based label ATP Recordings
have signed the band in Europe to release There Is No Enemy
. It was also announced that the band was chosen by Matt Groening
to perform at the edition of the All Tomorrow's Parties
festival curated in May 2010 in Minehead, England.
In July 2010 Doug Martsch (vocals) and Brett Nelson (synths/drums) re-recorded seven songs as synth-pop tunes, one from each BTS record, using anagrams of their original titles. The songs were released on the E.P. The Electronic Anthology Project
; it received a moderately favorable review in Pitchfork, even though "it was obviously released as a goof," and the "good moments almost make you wish Martsch had taken this concept more seriously."
In August 2010, the band announced the start of a tour in support of There Is No Enemy, to start August 27.
' style of heavy, catchy guitar hooks as an influence on what has come to be Built to Spill's call sign. The band has also cited Neil Young
, Pavement
and Camper Van Beethoven
as influences. Built to Spill has been cited as an important influence for fellow rockers Chat Logs, The Ataris
, Modest Mouse
, The Strokes
, Brand New
, and Death Cab for Cutie
; Isaac Brock
and Ben Gibbard
have both cited Built to Spill and Treepeople as major influences, and all three bands have had a lengthy association with the indie rock movement known as the Northwest sound. Additionally, Built to Spill is connected with other Northwest bands including Brett Netson's band Caustic Resin
and The Halo Benders
, a collaboration between Martsch, Calvin Johnson, Steve Fisk
, Wayne Flower, and one-time Built to Spill drummer Ralph Youtz. Across musical genres, rapper Cage in his "Ballad of the Worms" directly sampled Built to Spill's "I Would Hurt a Fly."
Many of Built to Spill's influences can be found in their choice of cover songs. The band has performed live covers by Elliott Smith
, David Bowie
, Camper Van Beethoven
, The Cure
, Captain Beefheart
, Caustic Resin
, Cheap Trick
, The Clash
, Brian Eno
, Vince Guaraldi
, The Gladiators
, M.I.A.
, Macy Gray
, Elton John
, George Harrison
, Skip James
, Daniel Johnston
, John Lennon
, Love as Laughter
, Lynyrd Skynyrd
, Heavenly
, Steve Miller
, Grateful Dead
, Cat Stevens
, Modest Mouse
, Ozzy Osbourne
, The Smiths
, The Strokes
, Talking Heads
, The Velvet Underground
, and Neil Young
. Martsch also played several other covers on his solo tour.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
based in Boise, Idaho
Boise, Idaho
Boise is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho, as well as the county seat of Ada County. Located on the Boise River, it anchors the Boise City-Nampa metropolitan area and is the largest city between Salt Lake City, Utah and Portland, Oregon.As of the 2010 Census Bureau,...
. The band has released seven full-length albums. Their most recent album, There Is No Enemy
There Is No Enemy
There Is No Enemy is the seventh full-length studio album by indie rock band Built to Spill . The album was released on October 6, 2009...
, was released on October 6, 2009.
History
Former TreepeopleTreepeople
Treepeople was an alternative rock band from Boise, Idaho, although it spent most of its time and was officially based in Seattle, Washington. The band was composed of Pat Brown , Wayne Rhino Flower, Doug Martsch, and Scott Schmaljohn. It also included drummer Eric Akre on the critically acclaimed...
guitarist/vocalist Doug Martsch
Doug Martsch
Doug Martsch is an American musician. Martsch, a native of Boise, Idaho, is best known for his distinctive vocals and guitar style in the band Built to Spill. He has also worked with Calvin Johnson of Beat Happening in The Halo Benders. Martsch's first band was Farm Days, with Andy Capps and Brett...
formed Built to Spill in 1992 with Brett Netson and Ralf Youtz
Ralf Youtz
Ralf Youtz is an American musician. Youtz was the original drummer in the Boise, Idaho-based indie rock band Built to Spill. He appeared on their 1993 debut album, Ultimate Alternative Wavers. Youtz was replaced by Andy Capps after the album's release, although he would work with Marstch again...
as the band's original members. In an interview with Spin magazine, Martsch stated that he intended to change the band's lineup for every album, himself being the only permanent member. After the band's first album, Ultimate Alternative Wavers
Ultimate Alternative Wavers
Ultimate Alternative Wavers was the first full-length album released by indie rock band Built to Spill. The line-up consisted of Doug Martsch on guitar and vocals, Brett Netson on guitar and bass, and Ralf Youtz on drums, although there was some variation in instrumentation on a few tracks...
was released in 1993, Netson and Youtz were replaced by Brett Nelson
Brett Nelson
Brett Nelson is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter best known as the bassist for the indie rock band Built to Spill....
(not Netson) and Andy Capps for 1994's There's Nothing Wrong with Love. A compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
called The Normal Years
The Normal Years
The Normal Years is a compilation album of singles, live songs, songs on other compilations, and previously unreleased recordings by indie rock band Built to Spill. The album consists of songs that were recorded between 1993 and 1995 by various incarnations of the band, although most feature the...
followed, which included recordings by both line-ups. Built to Spill Caustic Resin
Built to Spill Caustic Resin
Built to Spill Caustic Resin was an EP released by indie rock bands Built to Spill and Caustic Resin. The EP was less a split release by both bands and more a collaboration between the collective members of both bands. The liner notes list the line up as follows: James Dillion - Drums ; Doug...
, a split EP with Caustic Resin
Caustic Resin
Caustic Resin is an indie rock band from Boise, Idaho, who have released several albums for Up Records, Alias Records, and C/Z Records. The band is Brett Netson on guitar and vocals, Tom Romich, Jr. on bass guitar, and either James Dillion or Pat Perkins on drums...
, was released in 1996. Between recording albums in 1995, the band gained exposure by playing on the Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza is an annual music festival featuring popular alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock and hip hop bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths. It has also provided a platform for non-profit and political groups. The music festival hosts more than 160,000 people over a...
tour. Also in 1995, the band collaborated on the song "Still Flat" for the AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
benefit album Red Hot + Bothered
Red Hot + Bothered
Red Hot + Bothered is an anthology of the indie rock scene from the 1990s produced by Paul Heck. It was released as part of the Red Hot AIDS Benefit Series....
produced by the Red Hot Organization
Red Hot Organization
Red Hot Organization is a not-for-profit, 501 3, international organization dedicated to fighting AIDS through pop culture.Since its inception in 1989, over 400 artists, producers and directors have contributed to over 15 compilation albums, related television programs and media events to raise...
.
Martsch signed Built to Spill to Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
in 1995. Unlike many artists signed to major labels, the deal the band brokered with Warner Bros. allowed it to retain a large degree of creative control over future albums. Built to Spill produced its first major label release in 1997 with Perfect from Now On
Perfect from Now On
Perfect from Now On is the third full-length album released by Built to Spill, and the band's first major label release. The line-up for the album was singer/guitarist Doug Martsch, bassist Brett Nelson, and drummer Scott Plouf. It was recorded at the Avast! Recording Company in Seattle,...
. By this time, the band consisted of Martsch, Nelson, Netson, and Scott Plouf. Perfect from Now On met with critical success and caused Built to Spill to become one of the United States' most recognizable indie rock bands. Before releasing another album, Martsch made Nelson and Plouf permanent members of the band. In 1999, the band released Keep It Like a Secret
Keep It Like a Secret
Keep It Like a Secret was the fourth full-length album released by indie rock band Built to Spill, and their second for Warner Bros. The core line-up of the band had not changed since Perfect from Now On: singer/guitarist Doug Martsch, bassist Brett Nelson, and drummer Scott Plouf...
to continued critical success, and for the first time, significant commercial success. Live
Built to Spill Live
Live is an album of live recordings made by indie rock band Built to Spill on the band's Keep It Like a Secret tour in 1999. Tracks 1, 2, 3, and 9 were recorded in New York City in connection with the band's appearance on the HBO series Reverb, tracks 4-7 were recorded in Seattle, and track 8 was...
was released in 2000, and the band's fifth studio album, Ancient Melodies of the Future
Ancient Melodies of the Future
Ancient Melodies of the Future is the fifth full-length album released by indie rock band Built to Spill. The core line-up of the band remained as it had for the previous two albums, with singer/guitarist Doug Martsch, bassist Brett Nelson, and drummer Scott Plouf. The album was recorded at Bear...
, was released in 2001.
In 2002, Martsch released Now You Know, a solo album with both blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
and folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
elements. He performed numerous solo concerts in support of the album. Built to Spill was on hiatus for most of this period.
You in Reverse
You in Reverse is the sixth full-length album released by indie rock band Built to Spill. The band added one new member for this album, making Built to Spill a quartet for the first time. It was also first album since Ultimate Alternative Wavers not recorded or produced by Phil Ek. The lineup...
, was recorded in Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
in 2004, but was not released until April 11, 2006. The band's official lineup for the album was Martsch, Nelson, Plouf, and Jim Roth
Jim Roth (musician)
Jim Roth is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. He has played with several indie bands including The Delusions, Voodoo Gearshift, and The Hollowmen. He also has released a solo album called Anti-Rad. Roth also plays guitar in Built to Spill...
, who was formerly only a touring guitarist. Brett Netson provided guitar work on several songs and later rejoined the band as a full-time member.
After the release of You in Reverse, Built to Spill continued touring almost non-stop. In March 2006, Martsch suffered a detached retina
Retina
The vertebrate retina is a light-sensitive tissue lining the inner surface of the eye. The optics of the eye create an image of the visual world on the retina, which serves much the same function as the film in a camera. Light striking the retina initiates a cascade of chemical and electrical...
which required surgery. This forced the band to miss an appearance at the South by Southwest
South by Southwest
South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...
music festival and postpone several dates of the tour. More bad news came when former drummer Andy Capps was found dead in his home on May 18, 2006.
The band resumed touring on June 3, 2006, a show that included four new songs. This show and many on the tour included the dedication of the song "Car" to Capps, who had played on the track when it was recorded.
Warner Bros. Records stated that Built to Spill had been recording for their follow-up to You in Reverse on and off during the 2006 tour, but nothing appeared until the July 10, 2007 release of a 12" single, "They Got Away"/"Re-Arrange." "They Got Away" was a heavily reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
-influenced original song, while "Re-Arrange" is a cover of a song by the reggae band The Gladiators
The Gladiators (band)
The Gladiators are a Jamaican roots reggae band, most popular during the 1970s. The core was Albert Griffiths , Clinton Fearon and Dallimore Sutherland bass guitar and singer. The two most famous albums are Trenchtown Mix Up and Proverbial Reggae with songs as "Hearsay", "Jah Works", "Dreadlocks...
.
The U.S. tour was scheduled through October 2007, after which the band toured Australia. Martsch stated in a September 2007 interview that he didn't want to tour in the United States again until the band records; however, the band then announced a one-month U.S. national tour for spring of 2008.
In a March 2008 interview with Playback:stl, Doug Martsch stated that a side project of his has been new Halo Benders material, but "we started that about a year ago, we have not even got anything off the ground." Later in the interview, Martsch gave his perspective on the future of Built to Spill past the current material; "I do think that Built to Spill could be something better than ever just because our lineup is better than ever ... I think there is potential for the five of us to collaborate on something that is just way better than anything that I have ever come up with by myself or that we have done in the past." Martsch also interjects that "This coming record we're not doing that--it's mostly going to be songs that I have been working on."
The band extended its 2008 tour in the United States and Europe, performing the album Perfect From Now On
Perfect from Now On
Perfect from Now On is the third full-length album released by Built to Spill, and the band's first major label release. The line-up for the album was singer/guitarist Doug Martsch, bassist Brett Nelson, and drummer Scott Plouf. It was recorded at the Avast! Recording Company in Seattle,...
in its entirety.
The tracklist and album art for There Is No Enemy
There Is No Enemy
There Is No Enemy is the seventh full-length studio album by indie rock band Built to Spill . The album was released on October 6, 2009...
were revealed on August 17, 2009, and on September 8, the first single, "Hindsight," was released.
Built to Spill played the 2009 Pitchfork Music Festival
Pitchfork Music Festival
The Pitchfork Music Festival is an annual summer music festival organized by Pitchfork Media and held in Union Park in Chicago, IL. The festival, which is normally held over three days in July, focuses primarily on artists and bands from alternative rock, rap & hip-hop, electronica, and dance...
in Chicago, along with Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo, sometimes abbreviated as YLT, is an American alternative rock band formed in Hoboken, New Jersey in 1984. Since 1992, the lineup has consisted of Ira Kaplan , Georgia Hubley , and James McNew .Despite achieving limited mainstream success, Yo La Tengo has been called "the quintessential...
, Tortoise
Tortoise (band)
Tortoise is an American post-rock band formed in Chicago, Illinois, in 1990.-Music:Tortoise's almost entirely instrumental music defies easy categorization, and the group gained significant attention from their early career. The members have roots in Chicago's fertile music scene, playing in...
and The Jesus Lizard
The Jesus Lizard
The Jesus Lizard was an American alternative rock and noise rock band formed in 1987 in Austin, Texas. They were "a leading noise rock band in the American independent underground…[who] turned out a series of independent records filled with scathing, disembowelling, guitar-driven pseudo-industrial...
, as part of the "Write the Night" series, which allowed fans to choose which songs the bands play.
The band's website reported the start of an extensive United States tour with the Flaming Lips on August 20, 2009.
Built to Spill released its seventh LP, titled There Is No Enemy
There Is No Enemy
There Is No Enemy is the seventh full-length studio album by indie rock band Built to Spill . The album was released on October 6, 2009...
, on October 6, 2009.
In January 2010 it was announced that British based label ATP Recordings
ATP Recordings
ATP Recordings is a record label that was started in 2001 by London concert promoter Barry Hogan of Foundation/All Tomorrow's Parties. It was originally created to bring out a compilation cd after the Tortoise-curated All Tomorrow's Parties event...
have signed the band in Europe to release There Is No Enemy
There Is No Enemy
There Is No Enemy is the seventh full-length studio album by indie rock band Built to Spill . The album was released on October 6, 2009...
. It was also announced that the band was chosen by Matt Groening
Matt Groening
Matthew Abram "Matt" Groening is an American cartoonist, screenwriter, and producer. He is the creator of the comic strip Life in Hell as well as two successful television series, The Simpsons and Futurama....
to perform at the edition of the All Tomorrow's Parties
All Tomorrow's Parties (music festival)
All Tomorrow's Parties is a music festival which takes place at Camber Sands holiday camp in East Sussex and Butlin's holiday camp in Minehead, Somerset, England....
festival curated in May 2010 in Minehead, England.
In July 2010 Doug Martsch (vocals) and Brett Nelson (synths/drums) re-recorded seven songs as synth-pop tunes, one from each BTS record, using anagrams of their original titles. The songs were released on the E.P. The Electronic Anthology Project
The electronic anthology project
The Electronic Anthology Project began as the idea of Built To Spill bassist Brett Nelson. Always having loved and been greatly influenced by 80's New Wave music he wondered what a guitar driven band like Built To Spill would sound like if made a little more New Wave circa 1982.He entered his home...
; it received a moderately favorable review in Pitchfork, even though "it was obviously released as a goof," and the "good moments almost make you wish Martsch had taken this concept more seriously."
In August 2010, the band announced the start of a tour in support of There Is No Enemy, to start August 27.
Influences and comparisons
Martsch has cited Dinosaur Jr.'s J MascisJ Mascis
J Mascis is an American musician, best known as the singer, guitarist and songwriter for Dinosaur Jr.. In 2011, he was ranked in Rolling Stone's list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time.- Biography :...
' style of heavy, catchy guitar hooks as an influence on what has come to be Built to Spill's call sign. The band has also cited Neil Young
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
, Pavement
Pavement (band)
Pavement is an American alternative rock band that formed in Stockton, California in 1989. In their career, they achieved a significant cult following, and they were called the best band of the 1990s by prominent music critics Robert Christgau and Stephen Thomas Erlewine...
and Camper Van Beethoven
Camper Van Beethoven
Camper Van Beethoven is an American alternative rock group formed in Redlands, California in 1983.An eclectic band, Camper Van Beethoven mixes elements of pop, ska, punk rock, folk and alternative country, as well as various types of world music. Their aggressive musical pluralism created a...
as influences. Built to Spill has been cited as an important influence for fellow rockers Chat Logs, The Ataris
The Ataris
The Ataris are a rock band from Anderson, Indiana. They have released five studio albums, and their most recent E.P. was released on November 25, 2010 on the Gainesville, Florida based label, Paper + Plastick. It contained the brand new tracks "All Souls' Day" and "The Graveyard of The Atlantic"...
, Modest Mouse
Modest Mouse
Modest Mouse is an American indie rock band formed in 1993 in Issaquah, Washington, by singer/lyricist/guitarist Isaac Brock, drummer Jeremiah Green, and bassist Eric Judy. They are based in Portland, Oregon. Since their 1996 debut album, This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think...
, The Strokes
The Strokes
The Strokes are an American indie rock band formed in 1999 in New York City. Consisting of Julian Casablancas , Nick Valensi , Albert Hammond, Jr. , Nikolai Fraiture and Fabrizio Moretti ....
, Brand New
Brand New
Brand New is an American rock band from Long Island, New York. Formed in 2000, the band currently consists of vocalist/guitarist/lyricist Jesse Lacey, guitarist/vocalist/lyricist Vincent Accardi, bassist Garrett Tierney, drummer Brian Lane, and guitarist/keyboardist Derrick Sherman.In the late...
, and Death Cab for Cutie
Death Cab for Cutie
Death Cab for Cutie is an American alternative rock band formed in Bellingham, Washington in 1997. The band consists of Ben Gibbard , Chris Walla , Nick Harmer and Jason McGerr ....
; Isaac Brock
Isaac Brock (musician)
Isaac Brock is the lead singer, guitarist, banjoist, and songwriter for the American indie rock band Modest Mouse, as well as his side project band, Ugly Casanova...
and Ben Gibbard
Ben Gibbard
Benjamin "Ben" Gibbard is an American musician known as a member of several successful indie rock bands. He is the lead singer of Death Cab for Cutie and The Postal Service, and is also known for his project ¡All-Time Quarterback! and his first band, Pinwheel.-Personal life and career:Gibbard was...
have both cited Built to Spill and Treepeople as major influences, and all three bands have had a lengthy association with the indie rock movement known as the Northwest sound. Additionally, Built to Spill is connected with other Northwest bands including Brett Netson's band Caustic Resin
Caustic Resin
Caustic Resin is an indie rock band from Boise, Idaho, who have released several albums for Up Records, Alias Records, and C/Z Records. The band is Brett Netson on guitar and vocals, Tom Romich, Jr. on bass guitar, and either James Dillion or Pat Perkins on drums...
and The Halo Benders
The Halo Benders
The Halo Benders was a band formed in 1994 as a side project by Calvin Johnson of Beat Happening and Doug Martsch of Built to Spill. They released their first album, called God Don't Make No Junk, in 1994...
, a collaboration between Martsch, Calvin Johnson, Steve Fisk
Steve Fisk
Steve Fisk is a Washington-based audio engineer, record producer and musician.Fisk joined the instrumental rock band Pell Mell in 1982. With vocalist Shawn Smith, he formed Pigeonhed, which released its first album in 1993....
, Wayne Flower, and one-time Built to Spill drummer Ralph Youtz. Across musical genres, rapper Cage in his "Ballad of the Worms" directly sampled Built to Spill's "I Would Hurt a Fly."
Many of Built to Spill's influences can be found in their choice of cover songs. The band has performed live covers by Elliott Smith
Elliott Smith
Steven Paul "Elliott" Smith was an American singer-songwriter and musician. Smith was born in Omaha, Nebraska, raised primarily in Texas, and resided for a significant portion of his life in Portland, Oregon, where he first gained popularity...
, David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, Camper Van Beethoven
Camper Van Beethoven
Camper Van Beethoven is an American alternative rock group formed in Redlands, California in 1983.An eclectic band, Camper Van Beethoven mixes elements of pop, ska, punk rock, folk and alternative country, as well as various types of world music. Their aggressive musical pluralism created a...
, The Cure
The Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...
, Captain Beefheart
Captain Beefheart
Don Van Vliet January 15, 1941 December 17, 2010) was an American musician, singer-songwriter and artist best known by the stage name Captain Beefheart. His musical work was conducted with a rotating ensemble of musicians called The Magic Band, active between 1965 and 1982, with whom he recorded 12...
, Caustic Resin
Caustic Resin
Caustic Resin is an indie rock band from Boise, Idaho, who have released several albums for Up Records, Alias Records, and C/Z Records. The band is Brett Netson on guitar and vocals, Tom Romich, Jr. on bass guitar, and either James Dillion or Pat Perkins on drums...
, Cheap Trick
Cheap Trick
Cheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973. The band consists of members Robin Zander , Rick Nielsen , Tom Petersson , and Bun E...
, The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
, Brian Eno
Brian Eno
Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno , commonly known as Brian Eno or simply as Eno , is an English musician, composer, record producer, singer and visual artist, known as one of the principal innovators of ambient music.Eno studied at Colchester Institute art school in Essex,...
, Vince Guaraldi
Vince Guaraldi
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, The Gladiators
The Gladiators (band)
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, M.I.A.
M.I.A. (artist)
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, Macy Gray
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, Elton John
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, George Harrison
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, Skip James
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, Daniel Johnston
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, John Lennon
John Lennon
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, Love as Laughter
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, Lynyrd Skynyrd
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, Heavenly
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, Steve Miller
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, Grateful Dead
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, Cat Stevens
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, Modest Mouse
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, Ozzy Osbourne
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, The Smiths
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, The Strokes
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, Talking Heads
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, The Velvet Underground
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, and Neil Young
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. Martsch also played several other covers on his solo tour.
Studio albums
- Ultimate Alternative WaversUltimate Alternative WaversUltimate Alternative Wavers was the first full-length album released by indie rock band Built to Spill. The line-up consisted of Doug Martsch on guitar and vocals, Brett Netson on guitar and bass, and Ralf Youtz on drums, although there was some variation in instrumentation on a few tracks...
(1993, C/Z RecordsC/Z RecordsC/Z Records is a Seattle-based record label that was established in early 1985 by Chris Hanzsek and Tina Casale with the release of the now-legendary, Deep Six LP, which collected the earliest recordings of the real pro-genitors of what later came to be known as grunge...
) - There's Nothing Wrong with Love (1994, Up RecordsUp RecordsUp Records is a Seattle based independent record label founded in 1994 by Chris Takino and Rich Jensen.Some of the label's best known artists are 764-Hero, Built to Spill, Modest Mouse, Quasi and Tad.Chris Takino died of leukemia in 2000...
) - Perfect from Now OnPerfect from Now OnPerfect from Now On is the third full-length album released by Built to Spill, and the band's first major label release. The line-up for the album was singer/guitarist Doug Martsch, bassist Brett Nelson, and drummer Scott Plouf. It was recorded at the Avast! Recording Company in Seattle,...
(1997, Warner Bros. RecordsWarner Bros. RecordsWarner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
) - Keep It Like a SecretKeep It Like a SecretKeep It Like a Secret was the fourth full-length album released by indie rock band Built to Spill, and their second for Warner Bros. The core line-up of the band had not changed since Perfect from Now On: singer/guitarist Doug Martsch, bassist Brett Nelson, and drummer Scott Plouf...
(1999, Warner Bros. Records) #120 US - Ancient Melodies of the FutureAncient Melodies of the FutureAncient Melodies of the Future is the fifth full-length album released by indie rock band Built to Spill. The core line-up of the band remained as it had for the previous two albums, with singer/guitarist Doug Martsch, bassist Brett Nelson, and drummer Scott Plouf. The album was recorded at Bear...
(2001, Warner Bros. Records) #94 US - You in ReverseYou in ReverseYou in Reverse is the sixth full-length album released by indie rock band Built to Spill. The band added one new member for this album, making Built to Spill a quartet for the first time. It was also first album since Ultimate Alternative Wavers not recorded or produced by Phil Ek. The lineup...
(2006, Warner Bros. Records.) #63 US - There Is No EnemyThere Is No EnemyThere Is No Enemy is the seventh full-length studio album by indie rock band Built to Spill . The album was released on October 6, 2009...
(2009, Warner Bros. Records & ATP Recordings) #50 US
Compilations and live albums
- The Normal YearsThe Normal YearsThe Normal Years is a compilation album of singles, live songs, songs on other compilations, and previously unreleased recordings by indie rock band Built to Spill. The album consists of songs that were recorded between 1993 and 1995 by various incarnations of the band, although most feature the...
(K RecordsK RecordsK Records is an independent record label in Olympia, Washington, co-founded, owned, and operated by Calvin Johnson, formerly of the bands Cool Rays, Beat Happening, The Go Team, The Halo Benders and presently in the bands Dub Narcotic Sound System and The Hive Dwellers...
, 1996) - LiveBuilt to Spill LiveLive is an album of live recordings made by indie rock band Built to Spill on the band's Keep It Like a Secret tour in 1999. Tracks 1, 2, 3, and 9 were recorded in New York City in connection with the band's appearance on the HBO series Reverb, tracks 4-7 were recorded in Seattle, and track 8 was...
(Warner Bros., 2000) - Time Trap: 1994-2006 (Warner Bros., 2006) - promoPromotional recordingA promotional recording, or promo, is an audio or video recording distributed for free, usually in order to promote a recording that is or soon will be commercially available...
only
EPs
- Built to Spill Caustic ResinBuilt to Spill Caustic ResinBuilt to Spill Caustic Resin was an EP released by indie rock bands Built to Spill and Caustic Resin. The EP was less a split release by both bands and more a collaboration between the collective members of both bands. The liner notes list the line up as follows: James Dillion - Drums ; Doug...
(Up Records, 1995) - Carry the Zero (Warner Bros., 1999)
- Center of the UniverseCenter of the Universe EPCenter of the Universe is an EP by Built to Spill released by City Slang records in Germany. The EP includes two studio recordings: one off Keep It Like a Secret and one previously unreleased, and two live acoustic tracks. The two live tracks are the same as those on the Carry the Zero EP...
(City Slang Records, 1999) - Sabonis TracksSabonis Tracks-Track listing:# "Strange"# "The Weather"# "What Goes On" # "Linus and Lucy"...
(Warner Bros., 2001) - promo only - The Electronic Anthology ProjectThe electronic anthology projectThe Electronic Anthology Project began as the idea of Built To Spill bassist Brett Nelson. Always having loved and been greatly influenced by 80's New Wave music he wondered what a guitar driven band like Built To Spill would sound like if made a little more New Wave circa 1982.He entered his home...
(self released,2010)
Singles
- "Car" / "Girl" 7" (Atlas Records, 1994)
- "Distopian Dream GirlDistopian Dream Girl"Distopian Dream Girl" is a single by Built to Spill....
" / "Scarin'" 7" (UP015, Up RecordsUp RecordsUp Records is a Seattle based independent record label founded in 1994 by Chris Takino and Rich Jensen.Some of the label's best known artists are 764-Hero, Built to Spill, Modest Mouse, Quasi and Tad.Chris Takino died of leukemia in 2000...
, 1994) - "Joyride" / "Sick and Wrong" 7" (K Records, 1994)
- "So and So So and So from Wherever Wherever" / "Terrible/Perfect" 7" (Saturnine Records, 1995)
- "Car" / "Scarin" (City Slang Records, 1995)
- "By the Way" split 7"Split albumA split album is a music album which includes tracks by two or more separate artists. There have been singles and EPs released in the same nature, which can be referred to as split singles and split EPs respectively...
(K Records, 1999) - cover of a song by pre-Marine ResearchMarine ResearchMarine Research was an indie rock/twee pop band, based in Oxford/London , formed in 1997 by four of the five members of Heavenly , following the suicide of Heavenly drummer Mathew Fletcher...
band, HeavenlyHeavenly (British band)Heavenly were a 1990s twee pop band, originally forming in Oxford, England in 1989. Amelia Fletcher , Mathew Fletcher , Peter Momtchiloff and Robert Pursey had all been members of Talulah Gosh, a key member of the C86 scene.-History:Heavenly debuted with the 7" single "I Fell in Love Last...
. Marine Research covers Built to Spill's "Sick and Wrong" on the flip side - "Carry The Zero" radio promo (Warner Bros., 1999)
- "Strange" / "Instrumental #2" (Warner Bros., 2001)
- "FreebirdFree Bird"Free Bird" is a song by the American southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd...
" (Warner Bros., 2002) - one-track promo CD, recorded live at House of Blues, Los AngelesLos Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
on November 7, 2001 - "Conventional Wisdom" 7" (Warner Bros., 2006) - Song split on two sides
- "They Got AwayThey Got Away/Re-Arrange"They Got Away" is an EP released on July 10th, 2007 by Built to Spill. "They Got Away" and "Re-Arrange" are reggae-inspired studio tracks recorded while the band toured in 2006. The second track is a cover of a song by The Gladiators.-Track listing:...
" / "Re-ArrangeThey Got Away/Re-Arrange"They Got Away" is an EP released on July 10th, 2007 by Built to Spill. "They Got Away" and "Re-Arrange" are reggae-inspired studio tracks recorded while the band toured in 2006. The second track is a cover of a song by The Gladiators.-Track listing:...
" (Warner Bros., 2007) - "Don't Try (Live in Seattle)" / "The Source (Live in Seattle)" 7" (Warner Bros, 2008)
- "Water Sleepers" / "Linus & Lucy (Live)" 7" (Warner Bros., 2010) - Record Store DayRecord Store DayRecord Store Day is an internationally celebrated day observed the third Saturday of April each year. Its purpose, as conceived by independent record store employee Chris Brown, is to celebrate the art of music...
Release - "Ripple" 7" Grateful Dead Cover (Warner Bros., 2011) - Record Store DayRecord Store DayRecord Store Day is an internationally celebrated day observed the third Saturday of April each year. Its purpose, as conceived by independent record store employee Chris Brown, is to celebrate the art of music...
Release
Appearances on other compilations
- Rotating Tongues (Screemin' Fez Records, 1994) - Song: "Short Cut"
- Northwest Post-GrungeNorthwest Post-GrungeNorthwest Post-Grunge is a 1994 Elemental Records compilation.-Track listing:#"Wake Up Call" - Artis the Spoonman#"Sea Song" - Hitting Birth#"Godgun " - Floater#"Oh Well" - Running With Scissors#"I've Always Wanted..." - Dirt Fishermen...
(Elemental Records, 1994) - Song: "Terrible/Perfect" - Bite Back: Live at the Crocodile Cafe (PopLlama RecordsPopLlama RecordsPopLlama Records is an independent record label founded by record producer Conrad Uno in Seattle, Washington, in 1984. After making several of his own demos in his basement studio, Uno would produce the Young Fresh Fellows' debut album The Fabulous Sounds of the Pacific Northwest at the bands request...
, 1996) - Song: "Allen the Cowboy" (later retitled "Big Dipper") - Spunk Magazine Issue 6 - Song: "Just a Habit"
- Yoyo a Go Go: Another Live Compilation (Yoyo Records, 1998) - Song: "Stop the Show"
- Here: A Fort Hazel Magic Compilation (Fort Hazel, 1999) - Song: "The Last Long Song"
- Keep Left, Vol. 1: A Benefit for David Barsamian and Alternative Radio (Ace Fu Records, 2000) - Song: "This Is What I Believe"
- Idaho Greentracks: A Party Sampler (2004) - Song: "Mr. Crowley"
- Awesome Record, Great Songs! Volume OneTim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! is an American sketch comedy television series, created by and starring Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim, which premiered February 11, 2007 on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim comedy block and ran until May 2010...
(Williams Street Music Label, LLC, 2008) - Song: "Come Over (feat. Built to Spill)"