Elysian Fields (band)
Encyclopedia
Elysian Fields is a Brooklyn
, New York
based band founded in 1995 by co-composers Jennifer Charles
(vocals, instruments) and Oren Bloedow
(guitar
). Their music has been sometimes described as "noir rock
", due to its sultry, dark and mysterious inflections, be it sonically or lyrically. The band uses mainly acoustic instruments, predominantly guitar, piano, bass and drums, with the occasional appearance of eastern instruments, classical strings, and subtle electronics, the focal point being the voice of Charles in the forefront.
Based in New York City
, Elysian Fields have found underground success in the United States
but are more popular in Europe
. Author of The Dark Stuff, Nick Kent
says of their music, "Maybe we have their out-of-the-mainstreamness to thank for a sound that is still unique -- as sensual as a sleepwalker's wet dream." Through the plus-twelve years the band has been active, they have won quite a devoted cult following, largely by word of mouth. Besides their well received albums, the band is also noted for its strong live performances. The rest of the band has included many of New York's strongest players: all the members of Jeff Buckley
's band, members of Medeski Martin and Wood, Ed Pastorini, Ben Perowsky
, James Genus
, Thomas Bartlett, Jamie Saft
and members of Ollabelle
have all played in Elysian Fields
at various times.
in 1995 on Radioactive/Universal Records
with cameos from John Lurie
and Marc Ribot
, which was followed up with the critically acclaimed full length, Bleed Your Cedar. The band then recorded their second full length with Steve Albini
which was never released due to artistic differences between the band and the record company. Despite their record company's urgings, Charles and Bloedow did not want to give the recording a more commercial feel, prompting a split with Radioactive/Universal, who retain the recording. Charles states, "We made our second full length with Steve Albini. It wasn't at all what the label was looking for, or wanted. The label wanted us to redo things, go in with more commercial people, and give them songs that they could sell. I didn't want to mess with what we made with Steve. It was what it was. In the end we agreed to disagree, I asked to be released from my contract, and we parted ways. For now it sits in some vault gathering dust, I suppose.
In 2000 the band did a one-off for Jetset records for whom they recorded "Queen of the Meadow" which the band toured extensively in Europe, and which reached to number 5 on the CMJ charts in the States. Robert Wilson
went on to use one of the songs "Rope of Weeds", in one of his plays. June 2003 saw the band releasing Dreams That Breathe Your Name in France
and Benelux
on PIAS and Bang Records respectively, followed by an American release in 2004 on their own label Diluvian. The "Dreams" record was called "Close to noir-rock perfection" by TimeoutNY music editor Mike Wolf.
Elysian Fields album, Bum Raps and Love Taps, was released in Europe in late 2005/early 2006 on the label Naive and which saw the band touring in Europe for much of 2005 and 2006. The album is dedicated to Jennifer's Grandmother, about whom the title track was written. Another song Duel with Cudgels, eight minutes and thirty seconds long, takes its title from a Goya painting. Their music is lush and melancholy, with poetic and sometimes surreal lyrics. In the Fall of 2006, video artist Vincent Moon
filmed two live videos of Elysian Fields for La Blogotheque (also seen on YouTube
), one of which is for the song "We're in Love", the duo acoustic final track on the "Bum Raps" album. The "Bum Raps" album was finally released in the States in late 2008 on the bands Diluvian imprint.
In addition to contributing to many of John Zorn's produced compilation records, including one of Marc Bolan
and the first track on the Serge Gainsbourg tribute
, Charles and Bloedow also released two complete albums of Sephardic songs on John Zorn
's Tzadik label, the first one being titled "La Mar Enfortuna" and the most recent called "Convivencia". They give ancient Moorish melodies a revamp with their signature Elysian Fields sound. Charles sings in Ladino as well as in Arabic
, Aramaic, Spanish
, and Greek
on these albums. Elysian Fields have also performed in several tribute concerts produced by impresario Hal Willner
, including one of Randy Newman
's songs in Los Angeles, where Oren was a Musical Director, and another for Edgar Allan Poe
. Elysian Fields performed at Carnegie Hall on April 5, 2007, in Michael Dorf
's produced all star tribute to Bruce Springsteen, Oren was once again musical director, backing up several artists including Badly Drawn Boy
, and Bruce Springsteen
himself for the rousing finale of "Rosalita". Elysian Fields rendition of "Streets of Fire" was noted in both Billboard
and Rolling Stone
as being one of the show's highlights, calling it "sensual" and "passionate". In February 2009, Elysian Fields performed in Paris in a sold out show at the Salle Pleyel, as part of John Zorn's Serge Gainsbourg tribute concert alongside Marc Ribot
and Sean Lennon
.
2009 saw the band's release of The Afterlife on Vicious Circle records, which was received with high critical praise. European tours followed,
along with sold out concerts in all the major cities.
Elysian Fields music has appeared in both American and Foreign films as well as many Television shows including Damages
, Conviction
, Smallville
, Charmed
, One Tree Hill
, Extra
, The Crow
and Lipstick Jungle
. "Black acres" from "Queen of the meadow" has appeared in 2011 Lavazza
ad.
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
based band founded in 1995 by co-composers Jennifer Charles
Jennifer Charles
Jennifer Charles is an American singer, musician, composer, and poet. Along with Oren Bloedow, she co-founded the New York band Elysian Fields.-Biography:...
(vocals, instruments) and Oren Bloedow
Oren Bloedow
Oren Bloedow is an American singer, guitarist, and composer. He founded the band Elysian Fields in 1995 with Jennifer Charles.His father, Jerry Bloedow, b...
(guitar
Guitar
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...
). Their music has been sometimes described as "noir rock
Rock noir
Rock noir is a term used to identify a sub-genre of rock characterized by dramatic performances of theatrically rendered lyrical storytelling. It was originated by Italian band Belladonna, whose debut album Metaphysical Attraction is the first full-length Rock noir album ever released...
", due to its sultry, dark and mysterious inflections, be it sonically or lyrically. The band uses mainly acoustic instruments, predominantly guitar, piano, bass and drums, with the occasional appearance of eastern instruments, classical strings, and subtle electronics, the focal point being the voice of Charles in the forefront.
Based in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Elysian Fields have found underground success in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
but are more popular in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Author of The Dark Stuff, Nick Kent
Nick Kent
Nick Kent is a British rock critic and musician.-Career:Along with writers including Paul Morley, Charles Shaar Murray and Danny Baker, Nick Kent is seen as one of the most important and influential UK music journalists of the 1970s. He wrote for the British music publication New Musical Express,...
says of their music, "Maybe we have their out-of-the-mainstreamness to thank for a sound that is still unique -- as sensual as a sleepwalker's wet dream." Through the plus-twelve years the band has been active, they have won quite a devoted cult following, largely by word of mouth. Besides their well received albums, the band is also noted for its strong live performances. The rest of the band has included many of New York's strongest players: all the members of Jeff Buckley
Jeff Buckley
Jeffrey Scott "Jeff" Buckley , raised as Scotty Moorhead, was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He was the son of Tim Buckley, also a musician...
's band, members of Medeski Martin and Wood, Ed Pastorini, Ben Perowsky
Ben Perowsky
Ben Perowsky is a New York City based drummer, percussionist, composer, arranger and record producer.-Biography:Exposed early on to jazz from his parents, Frank and Ginger Perowsky, and teacher Bobby Thomas, as well as rock and roll from his older brother Ricky, Ben watched the great musicians...
, James Genus
James Genus
James Genus is an American jazz bassist. He plays both electric bass guitar and upright bass and currently plays in the Saturday Night Live Band. Genus has performed as a session musician and sideman throughout his career, with an impressive list of artists with whom he has worked.Genus was born...
, Thomas Bartlett, Jamie Saft
Jamie Saft
Jamie Saft is a keyboardist and multi-instrumentalist, composer, sound engineer and producer living in upstate NY. Saft was born in Flushing Queens, New York in 1971 and is a graduate of both Tufts University and the New England Conservatory of Music. He has performed and recorded with John Zorn,...
and members of Ollabelle
Ollabelle
Ollabelle is a New York based folk music group named after the influential Appalachian songwriter Ola Belle Reed. The group is composed of five singing multi-instrumentalists hailing from disparate parts of the United States, Canada and Australia.-History:...
have all played in Elysian Fields
Elysian Fields
-General use:* Elysium, in Greek mythology, the final resting places of the souls of the heroic and the virtuous- Places :* Elysian Fields, Hoboken, New Jersey, site of the first organized baseball game* Elysian Fields Avenue, New Orleans* Elysian Fields, Texas...
at various times.
History
Elysian Fields first released an EPExtended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
in 1995 on Radioactive/Universal Records
Universal Records
Universal Records was a record label owned by Universal Music Group, and it is now owned by Manny Patino and Michael Jackson, and operated as part of the Universal Motown Republic Group.-History:...
with cameos from John Lurie
John Lurie
John Lurie is an American actor, musician, painter and producer. He is co-founder of The Lounge Lizards, a jazz ensemble. Lurie has acted in 19 films including Stranger than Paradise and Down by Law, composed and performed music for 20 television and film works, and he produced and starred in...
and Marc Ribot
Marc Ribot
Marc Ribot born May 21, 1954) is an American guitarist and composer.His own work has touched on many styles, including no wave, free jazz, and Cuban music. Ribot is also known for collaborating with other musicians, most notably Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, and composer John Zorn.-Biography:Ribot was...
, which was followed up with the critically acclaimed full length, Bleed Your Cedar. The band then recorded their second full length with Steve Albini
Steve Albini
Steven Frank Albini is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, audio engineer and music journalist. He was a member of Big Black, Rapeman, and Flour, and is currently a member of Shellac...
which was never released due to artistic differences between the band and the record company. Despite their record company's urgings, Charles and Bloedow did not want to give the recording a more commercial feel, prompting a split with Radioactive/Universal, who retain the recording. Charles states, "We made our second full length with Steve Albini. It wasn't at all what the label was looking for, or wanted. The label wanted us to redo things, go in with more commercial people, and give them songs that they could sell. I didn't want to mess with what we made with Steve. It was what it was. In the end we agreed to disagree, I asked to be released from my contract, and we parted ways. For now it sits in some vault gathering dust, I suppose.
In 2000 the band did a one-off for Jetset records for whom they recorded "Queen of the Meadow" which the band toured extensively in Europe, and which reached to number 5 on the CMJ charts in the States. Robert Wilson
Robert Wilson (director)
Robert Wilson is an American avant-garde stage director and playwright who has been called "[America]'s — or even the world's — foremost vanguard 'theater artist'". Over the course of his wide-ranging career, he has also worked as a choreographer, performer, painter, sculptor, video...
went on to use one of the songs "Rope of Weeds", in one of his plays. June 2003 saw the band releasing Dreams That Breathe Your Name in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Benelux
Benelux
The Benelux is an economic union in Western Europe comprising three neighbouring countries, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. These countries are located in northwestern Europe between France and Germany...
on PIAS and Bang Records respectively, followed by an American release in 2004 on their own label Diluvian. The "Dreams" record was called "Close to noir-rock perfection" by TimeoutNY music editor Mike Wolf.
Elysian Fields album, Bum Raps and Love Taps, was released in Europe in late 2005/early 2006 on the label Naive and which saw the band touring in Europe for much of 2005 and 2006. The album is dedicated to Jennifer's Grandmother, about whom the title track was written. Another song Duel with Cudgels, eight minutes and thirty seconds long, takes its title from a Goya painting. Their music is lush and melancholy, with poetic and sometimes surreal lyrics. In the Fall of 2006, video artist Vincent Moon
Vincent Moon
Vincent Moon is an independent filmmaker from Paris mainly known for his field work music videos of indie rock related musicians as well as some notable mainstream artists like Tom Jones, R.E.M. or Arcade Fire. Besides making music videos he also makes experimental films and documentaries...
filmed two live videos of Elysian Fields for La Blogotheque (also seen on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
), one of which is for the song "We're in Love", the duo acoustic final track on the "Bum Raps" album. The "Bum Raps" album was finally released in the States in late 2008 on the bands Diluvian imprint.
In addition to contributing to many of John Zorn's produced compilation records, including one of Marc Bolan
Marc Bolan
Marc Bolan was an English singer-songwriter, guitarist and poet. He is best known as the founder, frontman, lead singer & guitarist for T. Rex, but also a successful solo artist...
and the first track on the Serge Gainsbourg tribute
Great Jewish Music: Serge Gainsbourg
Great Jewish Music: Serge Gainsbourg is a tribute album featuring the music of French singer/songwriter Serge Gainsbourg. Executive-produced by John Zorn, it was released on Tzadik Records in 1997 as part of their series on "Radical Jewish Culture"....
, Charles and Bloedow also released two complete albums of Sephardic songs on John Zorn
John Zorn
John Zorn is an American avant-garde composer, arranger, record producer, saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist. Zorn is a prolific artist: he has hundreds of album credits as performer, composer, or producer...
's Tzadik label, the first one being titled "La Mar Enfortuna" and the most recent called "Convivencia". They give ancient Moorish melodies a revamp with their signature Elysian Fields sound. Charles sings in Ladino as well as in Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
, Aramaic, Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, and Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
on these albums. Elysian Fields have also performed in several tribute concerts produced by impresario Hal Willner
Hal Willner
Hal Willner is an American music producer working in recording, films, TV and live events. He is best known for assembling tribute albums and events featuring a wide variety of artists and musical styles...
, including one of Randy Newman
Randy Newman
Randall Stuart "Randy" Newman is an American singer-songwriter, arranger, composer, and pianist who is known for his mordant pop songs and for film scores....
's songs in Los Angeles, where Oren was a Musical Director, and another for Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective...
. Elysian Fields performed at Carnegie Hall on April 5, 2007, in Michael Dorf
Michael Dorf
Michael Dorf is the name of:* Michael C. Dorf, American law professor* Michael Dorf , American entrepreneur...
's produced all star tribute to Bruce Springsteen, Oren was once again musical director, backing up several artists including Badly Drawn Boy
Badly Drawn Boy
Damon Gough is an English alternative music singer/songwriter. He was born on 2 October 1969, in Dunstable, Bedfordshire. He grew up in the Breightmet area of Bolton, Lancashire, England....
, and Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
himself for the rousing finale of "Rosalita". Elysian Fields rendition of "Streets of Fire" was noted in both Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
and Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
as being one of the show's highlights, calling it "sensual" and "passionate". In February 2009, Elysian Fields performed in Paris in a sold out show at the Salle Pleyel, as part of John Zorn's Serge Gainsbourg tribute concert alongside Marc Ribot
Marc Ribot
Marc Ribot born May 21, 1954) is an American guitarist and composer.His own work has touched on many styles, including no wave, free jazz, and Cuban music. Ribot is also known for collaborating with other musicians, most notably Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, and composer John Zorn.-Biography:Ribot was...
and Sean Lennon
Sean Lennon
is an American singer, songwriter, musician, guitarist and actor. He is the only child of John Lennon and Yoko Ono. His godfather is Sir Elton John.-Early life and education:...
.
2009 saw the band's release of The Afterlife on Vicious Circle records, which was received with high critical praise. European tours followed,
along with sold out concerts in all the major cities.
Elysian Fields music has appeared in both American and Foreign films as well as many Television shows including Damages
Damages
In law, damages is an award, typically of money, to be paid to a person as compensation for loss or injury; grammatically, it is a singular noun, not plural.- Compensatory damages :...
, Conviction
Conviction
In law, a conviction is the verdict that results when a court of law finds a defendant guilty of a crime.The opposite of a conviction is an acquittal . In Scotland and in the Netherlands, there can also be a verdict of "not proven", which counts as an acquittal...
, Smallville
Smallville (TV series)
Smallville is an American television series developed by writers/producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar based on the DC Comics character Superman, originally created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The television series was initially broadcast by The WB Television Network , premiering on October...
, Charmed
Charmed
Charmed is an American television series that originally aired from October 7, 1998, until May 21, 2006, on the now defunct The WB Television Network. The series was created in 1998 by writer Constance M...
, One Tree Hill
One Tree Hill (TV series)
One Tree Hill is an American television drama created by Mark Schwahn, which premiered on September 23, 2003, on The WB Television Network. After its third season, The WB merged with UPN to form The CW Television Network, and, since September 27, 2006, the network has been the official broadcaster...
, Extra
Extra (TV series)
Extra is an American entertainment television news program covering events and celebrities which debuted on September 5, 1994 in syndication. It is produced at Victory Studios in Glendale, California by Telepictures Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television Distribution...
, The Crow
The Crow
The Crow is a comic book series created by James O'Barr. The series was originally written by O'Barr as a means of dealing with the death of his girlfriend at the hands of a drunk driver. It was later published by Caliber Comics in 1989, becoming an underground success, and later adapted into a...
and Lipstick Jungle
Lipstick Jungle (TV series)
Lipstick Jungle is an American comedy-drama television series created by DeAnn Heline and Eileen Heisler for NBC Universal Television Studio . The hour-long series was based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Candace Bushnell, who also served as executive producer alongside...
. "Black acres" from "Queen of the meadow" has appeared in 2011 Lavazza
Lavazza
Luigi Lavazza S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of coffee products. Founded in Turin in 1895 by Luigi Lavazza, it was initially run from a small grocery store at Via San Tommaso 10. The business of Lavazza S.p.A. is currently administered by the third and fourth generation of the Lavazza family.-...
ad.
Discography
- EP - (1995) - Radioactive/Universal
- Bleed Your Cedar - (1996) - Radioactive/Universal
- Queen of the Meadow - (2000)
- Bend Your Mind EP -(2000) - The Flower Shop
- Dreams That Breathe Your Name - (2003)
- Bum Raps and Love Taps - (2005) - Naive records
- The Afterlife - (2009) - Vicious Circle Records
- Last Night on Earth - (2011) - Vicious Circle Records