Hella (band)
Encyclopedia
Hella is an American
band from Sacramento, California
. They play a technical blend of math rock
, noise rock
, and experimental rock
. The primary members of the band are Spencer Seim
on electric guitar
and Zach Hill
on drums
. In 2005, the band expanded their live band by adding Dan Elkan on vocals, rhythm guitar, sampler and synthesizer and Jonathan Hischke on synth bass guitar for their Church Gone Wild/Chirpin' Hard tour. In 2006 they reformed as a five-piece line-up including Seim, Hill, Carson McWhirter (of The Advantage
), Aaron Ross & Josh Hill. In 2009, the band was reduced back to core members Hill and Seim.
and Zach Hill
were both members of the NorCal
band Legs on Earth along with Josh Hill on guitar and Julian Imsdahl on bass and vocals. The band achieved some moderate local success, becoming renowned for their wild live shows, young age, and Primus
-esque sound. The band sounded similar to Primus, especially the vocals and bass but Zach Hill described it in an interview as "Devo
, Talking Heads
kind of thing". They released one CD in 2001 called Lasers & Saviors on local record label Para-Sight Records, now out of print. In 2001 they went on hiatus and later broke up. Imsdahl is currently in the band Grandstream (formerly known as Little California), and was previously in the band Eraserhead. Hill and Seim decided they wanted to continue playing together and pursue a less mainstream sound. According to Hill, they didn't always intend to remain a duo, though: "[We] had intentions to start a band that was like… kinda like what we were doing with just the two of us, but with more people. But, we couldn't find the other people so we decided to do it just with the two of us." Their name is simply a reference to the slang
word "hella" that is common throughout Northern California and has no deeper meaning.
Hella's earliest recording was the self-released Leather Diamond
EP, hand-assembled in a nondescript cardboard sleeve and sold at some of their first shows.
On March 19, 2002, they debuted proper with the full-length Hold Your Horse Is
LP on 5 Rue Christine
(a subsidiary of Olympia, Washington
-based Kill Rock Stars
). The Falam Dynasty 7" was also released that year.
EP (originally a vinyl only release) featured many firsts for the band. An earlier recorded (Leather Diamond) version of a song from their first LP, "Republic of Rough And Ready", became their first widely released song to feature vocals (provided by friend of the band Dan Elkan). A version of "1-800-Ghost-Dance" with vocals by Elkan was available as a downloadable mp3 on the band's website in late 2002. The Bitches EP also found Hella using bass guitar
, synthesizer
, and drum machine
for the first time. Total Bugs Bunny on Wild Bass
, also an EP, was released on August 26 and featured the use of synth, sampler
, and drum machine and an apparent influence from 8-bit video game music, first hinted at on the opening track of Hold Your Horse Is, "The D. Elkan". Hella rounded out the year with a split live double CD with San Francisco, California-based band Dilute.
Hella released their second full-length LP in 2004, The Devil Isn't Red
. Other releases for the year included a split 7" (with Four Tet
) and a limited edition
, Japan-only release of the three-song Acoustics EP.
For their 2005 release, Hella again experimented with their sound in the studio. Church Gone Wild/Chirpin Hard, released through Suicide Squeeze Records
, is a double-solo album, with Zach Hill and Seim each recording a whole disc's worth of material independent of each other. Hill's disc, Church Gone Wild, is a 56-minute noise piece which featured Zach doing all the vocals and instruments, save for a few guest appearances; while Seim's disc, Chirpin Hard, again experiments with the fusion of 8-bit Nintendo music with punk
and math rock
. Hella also expanded their live band to a quartet in 2005, adding Dan Elkan on vocals, rhythm guitar
, and synthesizer, and Jonathan Hischke on bass guitar in order to play songs from Total Bugs Bunny on Wild Bass and Church Gone Wild/Chirpin Hard live, in most cases for the first time. This line-up toured the US in support of Out Hud
in Spring, System of a Down
, The Mars Volta
, Les Claypool
, and Dillinger Escape Plan in the fall as well as numerous headlining dates in the U.S. as well as visits to Japan, Spain and the UK.
A DVD
/CD EP release titled Concentration Face/Homeboy
was released on November 8, 2005 on 5RC Records.
In 2006, Hella consisted of Spencer Seim, Zach Hill, Hill's cousin Josh (who also played in Legs on Earth), Seims's Advantage bandmate Carson McWhirter, and Aaron Ross. The first release from this line-up, entitled There's No 666 in Outer Space
, was released on January 30, 2007 on Ipecac Recordings
. This album was released in 2008 as a double 180g vinyl on Black Diamond Records with new artwork by Mayka Finkelstein-Amrami.
As of August 2008, In an interview with Exclaim Magazine regarding his solo effort, Zach stated that "Hella is a real grey area in general right now". The future of the band seemed to be up in the air.
On Thursday, March 12, 2009, a blog post on Hella's MySpace page revealed that Hella once again consisted of only core members Hill and Seim, and that the band was working on writing and recording a new album, due to be finished later that year. It also revealed that an international tour may have been in the works.
On September 4, 2010 10:21 pm, Hella announced they had 8 tracks ready for their new album.
As of 2011, Hella is signed to Sargent House
, who released their most recent album, Tripper
, on August 30th, 2011.
Seim plays drums in NES
theme music
cover band
called The Advantage
(a reference to the NES Advantage
controller), notable for using only guitar, bass guitar, and drums to replicate the 8-bit programmed music of the games. Seim has also released a solo album under the moniker sBACH
.
Hill has recorded albums with Marnie Stern
, Tough Guy Fantasy/Arctic Boys, Flössin, Crime in Choir
, Nervous Cop (with drummer Greg Saunier of Deerhoof
and harpist Joanna Newsom
), Damsel (with guitarist Nels Cline), Friend/Enemy (with Tim Kinsella, Sam Zurick, Todd Mattei, Jim Becker, Graeme Gibson, Caryn Culp, Emma Grace Lansangan, Nick Marci, Chris Powell, Azita Youssefi), Zach Hill and the Holy Smokes (whose first release was accompanied by a 138-page book written and illustrated by Hill), as well as playing drums for Chino Moreno
's band Team Sleep
, The Ladies, Kenseth Thibideau and Marty Anderson's band Howard Hello and Jeordie White
and Chris Goss
's band Goon Moon
. More recently, Hill has teamed up with Mick Barr
from Octis and Orthrelm
and together have released the LPs Shred Earthship on 5 Rue Christine
and Volume 2 on the Austrian label Rock Is Hell. Volume 2 consists of the two longest tracks from the Shred Earthship sessions.
Both Hill and Hischke are members of El Grupo Nuevo de Omar Rodriguez-Lopez with Juan Alderete
, Cedric Bixler-Zavala
and of course Omar Rodríguez-López
, the first of three records produced by the group is Cryptomnesia
, which was released on May 5, 2009.
In 2008, Hischke formed the band Dot Hacker
along with Josh Klinghoffer
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
band from Sacramento, California
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
. They play a technical blend of math rock
Math rock
Math rock is a rhythmically complex guitar-based style of experimental rock that emerged in the 1980s and that was very influenced by progressive rock like King Crimson, Frank Zappa, Henry Cow - and 20th century composers such as Steve Reich and John Cage...
, noise rock
Noise rock
Noise rock describes a style of post-punk rock music that became prominent in the 1980s. Noise rock makes use of the traditional instrumentation and iconography of rock, but incorporates atonality and especially dissonance, and also frequently discards usual songwriting conventions.-Style:Noise...
, and experimental rock
Experimental rock
Experimental rock or avant-garde rock is a type of music based on rock which experiments with the basic elements of the genre, or which pushes the boundaries of common composition and performance technique....
. The primary members of the band are Spencer Seim
Spencer Seim
Spencer Seim is best known as the guitarist in the band Hella. He is also the drummer in the Nintendo music cover band called The Advantage. His composition style is mode heavy. He has been practicing on and off with Zach Hill since they both started playing music and both have been influencing...
on electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
and Zach Hill
Zach Hill
Zach Hill is a musician residing in Sacramento, California. Primarily known for his drumming, he performs/has performed in numerous Pacific Coast based groups, including his primary group, Hella, as well as Holy Smokes, Nervous Cop, and a diverse range of others including El Grupo Nuevo de Omar...
on drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
. In 2005, the band expanded their live band by adding Dan Elkan on vocals, rhythm guitar, sampler and synthesizer and Jonathan Hischke on synth bass guitar for their Church Gone Wild/Chirpin' Hard tour. In 2006 they reformed as a five-piece line-up including Seim, Hill, Carson McWhirter (of The Advantage
The Advantage
The Advantage is an American rock band from Sacramento, California that formed in 1998 and specializes in doing covers of music from old NES games...
), Aaron Ross & Josh Hill. In 2009, the band was reduced back to core members Hill and Seim.
Formation and early years
As high school students Spencer SeimSpencer Seim
Spencer Seim is best known as the guitarist in the band Hella. He is also the drummer in the Nintendo music cover band called The Advantage. His composition style is mode heavy. He has been practicing on and off with Zach Hill since they both started playing music and both have been influencing...
and Zach Hill
Zach Hill
Zach Hill is a musician residing in Sacramento, California. Primarily known for his drumming, he performs/has performed in numerous Pacific Coast based groups, including his primary group, Hella, as well as Holy Smokes, Nervous Cop, and a diverse range of others including El Grupo Nuevo de Omar...
were both members of the NorCal
Northern California
Northern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The San Francisco Bay Area , and Sacramento as well as its metropolitan area are the main population centers...
band Legs on Earth along with Josh Hill on guitar and Julian Imsdahl on bass and vocals. The band achieved some moderate local success, becoming renowned for their wild live shows, young age, and Primus
Primus (band)
Primus is an American rock band based in San Francisco, California, currently composed of bassist/vocalist Les Claypool, guitarist Larry "Ler" LaLonde and drummer Jay Lane. Primus originally formed in 1984 with Claypool and guitarist Todd Huth, later joined by Lane, though the latter two departed...
-esque sound. The band sounded similar to Primus, especially the vocals and bass but Zach Hill described it in an interview as "Devo
Devo
Devo is an American band formed in 1973 consisting of members from Kent and Akron, Ohio. The classic line-up of the band includes two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs and the Casales . The band had a #14 Billboard chart hit in 1980 with the single "Whip It", and has maintained a cult...
, Talking Heads
Talking Heads
Talking Heads were an American New Wave and avant-garde band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991. The band comprised David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth and Jerry Harrison...
kind of thing". They released one CD in 2001 called Lasers & Saviors on local record label Para-Sight Records, now out of print. In 2001 they went on hiatus and later broke up. Imsdahl is currently in the band Grandstream (formerly known as Little California), and was previously in the band Eraserhead. Hill and Seim decided they wanted to continue playing together and pursue a less mainstream sound. According to Hill, they didn't always intend to remain a duo, though: "[We] had intentions to start a band that was like… kinda like what we were doing with just the two of us, but with more people. But, we couldn't find the other people so we decided to do it just with the two of us." Their name is simply a reference to the slang
Slang
Slang is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's language or dialect but are considered more acceptable when used socially. Slang is often to be found in areas of the lexicon that refer to things considered taboo...
word "hella" that is common throughout Northern California and has no deeper meaning.
Hella's earliest recording was the self-released Leather Diamond
Leather Diamond
Leather Diamond is a self released demo by the avant-garde rock band Hella.-Track listing:# "Republic of Rough and Ready" – 3:37# "Biblical Violence" – 3:27# "City Folk Sitting, Sitting" – 6:02...
EP, hand-assembled in a nondescript cardboard sleeve and sold at some of their first shows.
On March 19, 2002, they debuted proper with the full-length Hold Your Horse Is
Hold Your Horse Is
This article is about the album by Hella . For the UK post-hardcore band, see Hold Your Horse Is .Hold Your Horse Is is the first LP by the avant-garde rock band Hella.-Track listing:# "The D...
LP on 5 Rue Christine
5 Rue Christine
5 Rue Christine is a semi-defunct Olympia, Washington based independent record label, formed as a spin-off from the Kill Rock Stars label in 1997...
(a subsidiary of Olympia, Washington
Olympia, Washington
Olympia is the capital city of the U.S. state of Washington and the county seat of Thurston County. It was incorporated on January 28, 1859. The population was 46,478 at the 2010 census...
-based Kill Rock Stars
Kill Rock Stars
Kill Rock Stars is an independent record label founded in 1991 by Slim Moon and based in both Olympia, Washington and Portland, Oregon. The label has released a variety of work in different genres, making it difficult to pigeonhole as having any one artistic mission...
). The Falam Dynasty 7" was also released that year.
2003—present
After the release of Hold Your Horse Is, 2003 saw Hella begin to deviate from the basic framework in the studio, although their live sound remained largely unchanged. Released on June 17 of that year, Hella's Bitches Ain't Shit But Good PeopleBitches Ain't Shit but Good People
Bitches Ain't Shit But Good People is an EP by Hella.-Track listing:# "Ho's in the House" – 1:26# "Bitches Aint Shit But Good People" – 7:13# "Rich Kid" – 4:39# "D. Elkan Sings Republic of R + R" – 3:46-Personnel:...
EP (originally a vinyl only release) featured many firsts for the band. An earlier recorded (Leather Diamond) version of a song from their first LP, "Republic of Rough And Ready", became their first widely released song to feature vocals (provided by friend of the band Dan Elkan). A version of "1-800-Ghost-Dance" with vocals by Elkan was available as a downloadable mp3 on the band's website in late 2002. The Bitches EP also found Hella using bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
, and drum machine
Drum machine
A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums or other percussion instruments. They are used in a variety of musical genres, not just purely electronic music...
for the first time. Total Bugs Bunny on Wild Bass
Total Bugs Bunny on Wild Bass
-Track listing:# "Your DJ Children" – 2:36# "Magixburg" – 2:36# "In The Meantime, In Between Time" – 1:52# "Koko B. Ware" – 2:50# "Electric Guitar" – 3:25# "Post-Ivy League Depression" – 2:21# "Who Ray" – 4:05...
, also an EP, was released on August 26 and featured the use of synth, sampler
Sampler (musical instrument)
A sampler is an electronic musical instrument similar in some respects to a synthesizer but, instead of generating sounds, it uses recordings of sounds that are loaded or recorded into it by the user and then played back by means of a keyboard, sequencer or other triggering device to perform or...
, and drum machine and an apparent influence from 8-bit video game music, first hinted at on the opening track of Hold Your Horse Is, "The D. Elkan". Hella rounded out the year with a split live double CD with San Francisco, California-based band Dilute.
Hella released their second full-length LP in 2004, The Devil Isn't Red
The Devil Isn't Red
-Track listing:# "Hello Great Architect of the Universe" – 2:50# "Big Time and The Kid" – 1:00# "The Mother Could Be You" – 3:31# "Top Twenty Notes" – 2:49# "Brown Medal 2003" – 2:10# "Suistyle" – 3:54# "The Devil Isn't Red" – 5:06# "You DJ Parents" – 1:31...
. Other releases for the year included a split 7" (with Four Tet
Four Tet
Kieran Hebden is a post-rock and electronic musician. Hebden first came to prominence as a member of the band Fridge before establishing himself as a solo artist under the moniker of Four Tet....
) and a limited edition
Special edition
The terms special edition, limited edition and variants such as deluxe edition, collector's edition and others, are used as a marketing incentive for various kinds of products, originally published products related to the arts, such as books, prints or recorded music and films, but now including...
, Japan-only release of the three-song Acoustics EP.
For their 2005 release, Hella again experimented with their sound in the studio. Church Gone Wild/Chirpin Hard, released through Suicide Squeeze Records
Suicide Squeeze Records
Suicide Squeeze Records is a Seattle, WA - based independent record label that presses a significant number of 7" vinyl singles in addition to the more prevalent compact discs. The label was started in August 1996 with the release of a 7" single from 764-Hero. The label quickly grew from owner...
, is a double-solo album, with Zach Hill and Seim each recording a whole disc's worth of material independent of each other. Hill's disc, Church Gone Wild, is a 56-minute noise piece which featured Zach doing all the vocals and instruments, save for a few guest appearances; while Seim's disc, Chirpin Hard, again experiments with the fusion of 8-bit Nintendo music with punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
and math rock
Math rock
Math rock is a rhythmically complex guitar-based style of experimental rock that emerged in the 1980s and that was very influenced by progressive rock like King Crimson, Frank Zappa, Henry Cow - and 20th century composers such as Steve Reich and John Cage...
. Hella also expanded their live band to a quartet in 2005, adding Dan Elkan on vocals, rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
, and synthesizer, and Jonathan Hischke on bass guitar in order to play songs from Total Bugs Bunny on Wild Bass and Church Gone Wild/Chirpin Hard live, in most cases for the first time. This line-up toured the US in support of Out Hud
Out Hud
Out Hud was an electronic band formed in 1996 in the Bay Area of California and later based in New York City. The band consisted of guitarist Nic Offer, bassist Tyler Pope, cellist Molly Schnick, vocalist/drummer Phyllis Forbes and mixer Justin Van Der Volgen. Pope, Offer, and Van Der Volgen are...
in Spring, System of a Down
System of a Down
System of a Down, also known by the acronym SOAD and often shortened to System, is a rock band from Southern California. The band was formed in 1994. It consists of Serj Tankian , Daron Malakian , Shavo Odadjian and John Dolmayan...
, The Mars Volta
The Mars Volta
The Mars Volta is a Grammy award winning American progressive rock band from El Paso, Texas. Founded in 2001 by guitarist Omar Rodríguez-López and vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala, the band incorporates various influences including progressive rock, krautrock, jazz fusion, Latin American music, and...
, Les Claypool
Les Claypool
Leslie Edward "Les" Claypool is an American musician and writer, best known as the lead vocalist and bassist in the band Primus. Claypool's playing style on the electric bass mixes tapping, flamenco-like strumming, whammy bar bends and slapping.Claypool has also self produced and engineered his...
, and Dillinger Escape Plan in the fall as well as numerous headlining dates in the U.S. as well as visits to Japan, Spain and the UK.
A DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
/CD EP release titled Concentration Face/Homeboy
Concentration Face/Homeboy
Concentration Face/Homeboy is a DVD/EP by Hella. Concentration Face features live performances filmed while on tour in Japan, while Homeboy is a four track EP.-Concentration Face :#"Part I" - 60:26##Tokyo 5/3##Osaka 5/4##Kyoto 5/5...
was released on November 8, 2005 on 5RC Records.
In 2006, Hella consisted of Spencer Seim, Zach Hill, Hill's cousin Josh (who also played in Legs on Earth), Seims's Advantage bandmate Carson McWhirter, and Aaron Ross. The first release from this line-up, entitled There's No 666 in Outer Space
There's No 666 in Outer Space
There's No 666 in Outer Space is the fourth full-length album by math rock band Hella. It is the follow-up to Church Gone Wild/Chirpin' Hard and was released by Ipecac Recordings on January 30, 2007...
, was released on January 30, 2007 on Ipecac Recordings
Ipecac Recordings
Ipecac Recordings is an independent record label based in California. It was founded on April 1, 1999 by Greg Werckman and Mike Patton Ipecac Recordings is an independent record label based in California. It was founded on April 1, 1999 by Greg Werckman (ex-label manager of Alternative Tentacles,...
. This album was released in 2008 as a double 180g vinyl on Black Diamond Records with new artwork by Mayka Finkelstein-Amrami.
As of August 2008, In an interview with Exclaim Magazine regarding his solo effort, Zach stated that "Hella is a real grey area in general right now". The future of the band seemed to be up in the air.
On Thursday, March 12, 2009, a blog post on Hella's MySpace page revealed that Hella once again consisted of only core members Hill and Seim, and that the band was working on writing and recording a new album, due to be finished later that year. It also revealed that an international tour may have been in the works.
On September 4, 2010 10:21 pm, Hella announced they had 8 tracks ready for their new album.
As of 2011, Hella is signed to Sargent House
Sargent House
Sargent House is a Los Angeles based management company and record label. It was founded in June 2006 by Cathy Pellow, who is a music video commissioner for Atlantic Records and who also owns a music video production company called Refused TV. Pellow began managing the rock outfit RX Bandits in 2006...
, who released their most recent album, Tripper
Tripper (Hella album)
Tripper is the fifth full-length album by math rock band Hella and their first release on Sargent House. The album was released on August 30, 2011 and marks the band's reduction back to core members Zach Hill and Spencer Seim, after having expended to a five-piece for their 2007 release There's No...
, on August 30th, 2011.
Side projects
In addition to their work in Hella, Seim and Zach Hill have also recorded with a number of side projects.Seim plays drums in NES
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
theme music
Theme music
Theme music is a piece that is often written specifically for a radio program, television program, video game or movie, and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits...
cover band
Cover band
A cover band , is a band that plays mostly or exclusively cover songs. New or unknown bands often find the cover band format marketable for smaller gigs, and these bands may be known as a wedding band, party band and function band. A band whose covers consist mainly of songs that were chart hits is...
called The Advantage
The Advantage
The Advantage is an American rock band from Sacramento, California that formed in 1998 and specializes in doing covers of music from old NES games...
(a reference to the NES Advantage
NES Advantage
The NES Advantage is an arcade style controller released by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1987. The device is meant to rest on a flat surface at a comfortable level, such as a tabletop or the floor, with the player seated behind it...
controller), notable for using only guitar, bass guitar, and drums to replicate the 8-bit programmed music of the games. Seim has also released a solo album under the moniker sBACH
SBACH
sBACH is an American band from Nevada City, California, led by Spencer Seim of the band Hella and drummer of The Advantage. Although Seim plays all instruments on recorded material, he plays drums live, and has a live band which includes Ben Milner , Justin Hunt, and Keith Dailey all playing guitar...
.
Hill has recorded albums with Marnie Stern
Marnie Stern
Marnie Stern is an American musician, songwriter, and guitarist. She has garnered acclaim for her technical skill and tapping style of guitar play.- Musical career :...
, Tough Guy Fantasy/Arctic Boys, Flössin, Crime in Choir
Crime in Choir
San Francisco quintet Crime In Choir are an instrumental progressive rock band, comparable to Faust, Goblin, Magma, Soft Machine, etc. Founded in 2000, Crime In Choir released their previous full-length releases on Frenetic Records and Omnibus , respectively...
, Nervous Cop (with drummer Greg Saunier of Deerhoof
Deerhoof
Deerhoof is a musical group consisting of Satomi Matsuzaki, John Dieterich, Ed Rodriguez and Greg Saunier.-Origins:In 1992, Greg Saunier, having recently graduated with a degree in music composition from Oberlin Conservatory of Music, joined a short-lived San Francisco quartet called Nitre Pit, on...
and harpist Joanna Newsom
Joanna Newsom
Joanna Newsom is an American harpist, pianist and singer-songwriter from Nevada City, California.- Early life :Newsom grew up in the small town of Nevada City, California...
), Damsel (with guitarist Nels Cline), Friend/Enemy (with Tim Kinsella, Sam Zurick, Todd Mattei, Jim Becker, Graeme Gibson, Caryn Culp, Emma Grace Lansangan, Nick Marci, Chris Powell, Azita Youssefi), Zach Hill and the Holy Smokes (whose first release was accompanied by a 138-page book written and illustrated by Hill), as well as playing drums for Chino Moreno
Chino Moreno
Chino Moreno is an American musician. He is best known as the lead singer and contributing guitarist of Deftones. He is also a member of the side-project bands Team Sleep and Crosses....
's band Team Sleep
Team Sleep
Team Sleep is an American experimental alternative rock group led by singer/guitarist Chino Moreno, better known for fronting the Sacramento-based band Deftones....
, The Ladies, Kenseth Thibideau and Marty Anderson's band Howard Hello and Jeordie White
Jeordie White
Jeordie Osbourne White , better known by his pseudonym Twiggy Ramirez , is an American musician, who is best known for being the bassist and guitarist for Marilyn Manson. He was also the bassist for A Perfect Circle, and Nine Inch Nails...
and Chris Goss
Chris Goss (U.S.)
Christopher Ryan Goss, born August 17, 1958, is an American record producer and musician.-Selected discography:Throughout his career Goss has worked with a wide range of musicians in various genres.* 1988 - Masters of Reality by Masters of Reality...
's band Goon Moon
Goon Moon
Goon Moon is an American rock band composed of Jeordie White and Chris Goss. The band released a mini-LP called I Got a Brand New Egg-Layin' Machine and have since recorded a full-length album Licker's Last Leg, which was released on May 8, 2007...
. More recently, Hill has teamed up with Mick Barr
Mick Barr
Mick Barr is an American avant-garde metal guitarist. Notable for his relentless speed and agility on his instrument, he is most well known for being one half of the band Orthrelm, currently signed to Mike Patton's Ipecac Recordings label....
from Octis and Orthrelm
Orthrelm
- Biography :Orthrelm is a duo with Mick Barr on guitar and Josh Blair on drums, experimenting in many forms of unconventional songwriting styles and musical concepts in general....
and together have released the LPs Shred Earthship on 5 Rue Christine
5 Rue Christine
5 Rue Christine is a semi-defunct Olympia, Washington based independent record label, formed as a spin-off from the Kill Rock Stars label in 1997...
and Volume 2 on the Austrian label Rock Is Hell. Volume 2 consists of the two longest tracks from the Shred Earthship sessions.
Both Hill and Hischke are members of El Grupo Nuevo de Omar Rodriguez-Lopez with Juan Alderete
Juan Alderete
Juan Alderete is an American bassist known for his work with the band The Mars Volta. Prior to his work with that band, he was known for playing in Racer X, where he received credit as John Alderete.-Biography:...
, Cedric Bixler-Zavala
Cedric Bixler-Zavala
Cedric Bixler-Zavala is a Grammy Award-winning Mexican-American musician known for his work as frontman and lyricist of the progressive rock band The Mars Volta, and previously as frontman and occasional guitarist of the post-hardcore punk group At the Drive-In...
and of course Omar Rodríguez-López
Omar Rodriguez-Lopez
Omar Alfredo Rodríguez-López is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, producer, writer, actor and film director who was born in Bayamón, Puerto Rico...
, the first of three records produced by the group is Cryptomnesia
Cryptomnesia (album)
Cryptomnesia is the debut studio album by El Grupo Nuevo de Omar Rodriguez Lopez, released on May 5, 2009. The album is the first of three albums recorded by the band, and is Rodriguez-Lopez' eleventh solo record overall. According to Rodriguez-Lopez, the album was "recorded in the summer of 2006,...
, which was released on May 5, 2009.
In 2008, Hischke formed the band Dot Hacker
Dot Hacker
Dot Hacker is an experimental rock band from California formed in 2008 by Josh Klinghoffer, before joining Red Hot Chili Peppers as guitarist in 2009. Klinghoffer is the band's songwriter, lead singer, guitarist and also plays piano. Members of this band were in the touring incarnation of Gnarls...
along with Josh Klinghoffer
Josh Klinghoffer
Joshua Adam "Josh" Klinghoffer is an American multi-instrumentalist, who is best known as the current guitarist for the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. Klinghoffer replaced his friend and frequent collaborator John Frusciante, who left the band in 2009.Klinghoffer also fronts Dot Hacker, and was...
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Albums
- Hold Your Horse IsHold Your Horse IsThis article is about the album by Hella . For the UK post-hardcore band, see Hold Your Horse Is .Hold Your Horse Is is the first LP by the avant-garde rock band Hella.-Track listing:# "The D...
(2002), 5 Rue Christine5 Rue Christine5 Rue Christine is a semi-defunct Olympia, Washington based independent record label, formed as a spin-off from the Kill Rock Stars label in 1997... - The Devil Isn't RedThe Devil Isn't Red-Track listing:# "Hello Great Architect of the Universe" – 2:50# "Big Time and The Kid" – 1:00# "The Mother Could Be You" – 3:31# "Top Twenty Notes" – 2:49# "Brown Medal 2003" – 2:10# "Suistyle" – 3:54# "The Devil Isn't Red" – 5:06# "You DJ Parents" – 1:31...
(2004), 5 Rue Christine - Church Gone Wild/Chirpin' Hard (2005), Suicide SqueezeSuicide squeezeSuicide squeeze may refer to:* Squeeze play , a play in baseball in which the runner on third starts for home immediately while the batter attempts a bunt.* Suicide Squeeze Records, a record label....
- There's No 666 in Outer SpaceThere's No 666 in Outer SpaceThere's No 666 in Outer Space is the fourth full-length album by math rock band Hella. It is the follow-up to Church Gone Wild/Chirpin' Hard and was released by Ipecac Recordings on January 30, 2007...
(2007), Ipecac RecordingsIpecac RecordingsIpecac Recordings is an independent record label based in California. It was founded on April 1, 1999 by Greg Werckman and Mike Patton Ipecac Recordings is an independent record label based in California. It was founded on April 1, 1999 by Greg Werckman (ex-label manager of Alternative Tentacles,... - Tripper (2011), Sargent HouseSargent HouseSargent House is a Los Angeles based management company and record label. It was founded in June 2006 by Cathy Pellow, who is a music video commissioner for Atlantic Records and who also owns a music video production company called Refused TV. Pellow began managing the rock outfit RX Bandits in 2006...
EPs
- Leather DiamondLeather DiamondLeather Diamond is a self released demo by the avant-garde rock band Hella.-Track listing:# "Republic of Rough and Ready" – 3:37# "Biblical Violence" – 3:27# "City Folk Sitting, Sitting" – 6:02...
(2001) - Falam DynastyFalam DynastyFalam Dynasty is a 7" by Hella....
(2002), 5 Rue Christine - Bitches Ain't Shit but Good PeopleBitches Ain't Shit but Good PeopleBitches Ain't Shit But Good People is an EP by Hella.-Track listing:# "Ho's in the House" – 1:26# "Bitches Aint Shit But Good People" – 7:13# "Rich Kid" – 4:39# "D. Elkan Sings Republic of R + R" – 3:46-Personnel:...
(2003), Suicide Squeeze - Total Bugs Bunny on Wild BassTotal Bugs Bunny on Wild Bass-Track listing:# "Your DJ Children" – 2:36# "Magixburg" – 2:36# "In The Meantime, In Between Time" – 1:52# "Koko B. Ware" – 2:50# "Electric Guitar" – 3:25# "Post-Ivy League Depression" – 2:21# "Who Ray" – 4:05...
(2003), Narnack RecordsNarnack RecordsNarnack Records is an independent record label founded in 2002. The label developed in NYC & Brooklyn’s underground music scene, quickly becoming known for its ability for developing new artists, but also working with established bands like The Fall and The Slits... - Concentration Face/HomeboyConcentration Face/HomeboyConcentration Face/Homeboy is a DVD/EP by Hella. Concentration Face features live performances filmed while on tour in Japan, while Homeboy is a four track EP.-Concentration Face :#"Part I" - 60:26##Tokyo 5/3##Osaka 5/4##Kyoto 5/5...
(2005), 5 Rue Christine - Acoustics (2006), Toad Records/5 Rue Christine
Split releases
- live splitLive Dilute & Hella SplitLive is a double CD by Dilute and Hella with each band contributing a disc. It was released by Sickroom Records in October 2003.-Disc 2 :# "Republic Of Rough And Ready" - 3:29 # "Better Grab A Broom!" - 4:02# "Cafeteria Bananas" - 3:55...
with Dilute (2003) Sick Room Records, LTDSick Room Records, LTDSick Room Records Ltd. is an independent record label based in Chicago, Illinois. The label was founded in 2001 by Mitch Cheney and Steve Sostak of the band Sweep the Leg Johnny and Ryan Duncan... - splitHella/Four Tet SplitHella / Four Tet is a split single by Hella and Four Tet, released on the Canadian label Ache Records in March 2004. It was the first in the label's "Div/orce" series of 7" split singles, each of which comprises two tracks that are "deliberately different from each other sonically".-Track listing:#...
with Four TetFour TetKieran Hebden is a post-rock and electronic musician. Hebden first came to prominence as a member of the band Fridge before establishing himself as a solo artist under the moniker of Four Tet....
(2004), Ache RecordsAche RecordsAche Records is an independent record label based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It was started by musician Andy Dixon around 1999. Ache releases music for both Canadian and international acts. The first release on Ache Records was Hot Hot Heat's 1999 debut, Hot Hot Heat, a four-song EP...
External links
- Official website
- Band's biography / discography
- Hella on Ipecac Recordings
- 5 Rue Christine
- Hella live recordings at the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
- Zach Hill tribute site