Jackie-O Motherfucker
Encyclopedia
Jackie-O Motherfucker is an American
experimental music
group that formed in Portland
, Oregon
in 1994.
Nester Bucket. The group has had more than forty members drawn from the U.S. experimental
scene. As of 2008, the core of the group is founding member Greenwood.
Jackie-O Motherfucker's music draws from a variety of subgenres including various folk musics of the world (American folk and blues, Native American song, Traditional English folk ballads, etc), drone
, free jazz
, and space-rock, and is heavily improvisational
in its nature. Because they are a collective, rather than a consistent band or group, the sound of their music can change from performance to performance. The group operates its own label of CD-R live recordings, the U-Sound Archive, which features concert recordings from Jackie-O Motherfucker as well as like-minded subterranean artists such as Double Leopards, Sunroof!, Decaer Pinga, and Vibracathedral Orchestra
.
The group's first three albums were limited-run vinyl-only releases on now-defunct Portland label Imp Records. Since then, the group has had recordings released by many different labels from around the world before settling down with the London based label Fire Records
.
The group has been on several international tours, including several performances at All Tomorrow's Parties Festivals
by way of Sonic Youth
. The band played the 2002 and 2004 festivals curated by Sonic Youth and the 2007 festival curated by Thurston Moore
. The band has released their work through the ATP
label and Moore's own Ecstatic Peace! label. Several albums released by the group are from live shows, which stand apart from their other releases due to the improvisational nature.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
experimental music
Experimental music
Experimental music refers, in the English-language literature, to a compositional tradition which arose in the mid-20th century, applied particularly in North America to music composed in such a way that its outcome is unforeseeable. Its most famous and influential exponent was John Cage...
group that formed 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...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
in 1994.
Biography
Jackie-O Motherfucker began as a duo consisting of multi-instrumentalist Tom Greenwood and saxophonistSaxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
Nester Bucket. The group has had more than forty members drawn from the U.S. experimental
Experimental music
Experimental music refers, in the English-language literature, to a compositional tradition which arose in the mid-20th century, applied particularly in North America to music composed in such a way that its outcome is unforeseeable. Its most famous and influential exponent was John Cage...
scene. As of 2008, the core of the group is founding member Greenwood.
Jackie-O Motherfucker's music draws from a variety of subgenres including various folk musics of the world (American folk and blues, Native American song, Traditional English folk ballads, etc), drone
Drone music
Drone music is a minimalist musical style that emphasizes the use of sustained or repeated sounds, notes, or tone-clusters – called drones. It is typically characterized by lengthy audio programs with relatively slight harmonic variations throughout each piece compared to other musics...
, free jazz
Free jazz
Free jazz is an approach to jazz music that was first developed in the 1950s and 1960s. Though the music produced by free jazz pioneers varied widely, the common feature was a dissatisfaction with the limitations of bebop, hard bop, and modal jazz, which had developed in the 1940s and 1950s...
, and space-rock, and is heavily improvisational
Musical improvisation
Musical improvisation is the creative activity of immediate musical composition, which combines performance with communication of emotions and instrumental technique as well as spontaneous response to other musicians...
in its nature. Because they are a collective, rather than a consistent band or group, the sound of their music can change from performance to performance. The group operates its own label of CD-R live recordings, the U-Sound Archive, which features concert recordings from Jackie-O Motherfucker as well as like-minded subterranean artists such as Double Leopards, Sunroof!, Decaer Pinga, and Vibracathedral Orchestra
Vibracathedral Orchestra
Vibracathedral Orchestra is an England-based drone ensemble that has been active since 1998.-Biography:The original group came together when Mick Flower began recording with Neil Campbell and Julian Bradley, who had released a number of homemade cassettes and an LP of their duo work...
.
The group's first three albums were limited-run vinyl-only releases on now-defunct Portland label Imp Records. Since then, the group has had recordings released by many different labels from around the world before settling down with the London based label Fire Records
Fire Records (UK)
Fire Records is an independent record label in London, England. The label was founded by Clive Solomon in 1986 and is currently run by James Nicholls.-Current roster:*Giant Sand*Guided By Voices*Howe Gelb*Josephine Foster*Wooden Wand*Bobby Conn...
.
The group has been on several international tours, including several performances at All Tomorrow's Parties Festivals
All Tomorrow's Parties Festival lineups
This page lists past lineups for all past UK and US All Tomorrow's Parties music festivals, as well as other festivals the ATP organisation has been involved with such as the Pitchfork Music Festival and Primavera Sound. Unlike most music festivals, ATP lineups are chosen by a curator, usually an...
by way of Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth is an American alternative rock band from New York City, formed in 1981. The current lineup consists of Thurston Moore , Kim Gordon , Lee Ranaldo , Steve Shelley , and Mark Ibold .In their early career, Sonic Youth was associated with the No Wave art and music scene in New York City...
. The band played the 2002 and 2004 festivals curated by Sonic Youth and the 2007 festival curated by Thurston Moore
Thurston Moore
Thurston Joseph Moore is an American musician best known as a singer, songwriter and guitarist of Sonic Youth. He has also participated in many solo and group collaborations outside of Sonic Youth, as well as running the Ecstatic Peace! record label...
. The band has released their work through the ATP
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...
label and Moore's own Ecstatic Peace! label. Several albums released by the group are from live shows, which stand apart from their other releases due to the improvisational nature.
Discography
- Alchemy... Shit To Gold (1995), Imp Records
- Cross Pollinate (1996), Imp Records
- Flat Fixed (1998), Imp Records
- WOW (1999), Fisheye
- Fig. 5 (2000), Road Cone
- The Magick Fire Music (2001), Ecstatic Peace!
- Liberation (2001), Road Cone
- split with Vibracathedral OrchestraVibracathedral OrchestraVibracathedral Orchestra is an England-based drone ensemble that has been active since 1998.-Biography:The original group came together when Mick Flower began recording with Neil Campbell and Julian Bradley, who had released a number of homemade cassettes and an LP of their duo work...
(2001), Textile - Change (2002), Textile
- Europe 2002 live album (2003), Cast Exotic
- From The Earth To The Spheres Vol. 3 with My Cat Is An AlienMy Cat Is an AlienMy Cat Is An Alien is the name of an Italian musical duo consisting of brothers Maurizio and Roberto Opalio from Torino in Italy. They release avant garde /experimental music and are often classified as improv....
(2005), Very Friendly - Flags Of The Sacred Harp (2005), ATP Recordings
- The Grave (2006), DotDotDot
- America Mystica (2006), Very Friendly
- Freaker Pipe (2007), U-Sound
- Valley Of Fire (2007), Textile Records
- Fig. 5 (2007), ATP (reissue of 2000 album)
- The Blood Of Life Live Album (2008), Fire Records
- Ballads of the Revolution (2009) Fire Records
- Earth Sound System (2011) Fire Records
Members
- Tom Greenwood – guitar, turntables, percussion, vocals
- Eva Salens - vocals, keyboards, viola, tapes
- Nick Bindeman – guitar
- Danny Sasaki – drums
- Brian Mumford – guitar, electronics
- Jed Bindeman – drums
Previous members
- Jef Brown – guitar, saxophone
- John Flaming – saxophone
- Nester Bucket – saxophone
- Michael Henrickson - Drums
- Jessie Carrot – drums
- Barry Hampton – drums, percussion
- Adam ForknerAdam ForknerAdam Forkner is a musician from Portland, Oregon who, since 2003, has performed as White Rainbow.-as White Rainbow:*"Humidifier Plaza" digital, self-released via whiterainbowpizza.bandcamp.com 2011...
– guitar - Natalie Mering – vocals, guitar
- Josh Stevenson - bass, keyboards, guitar
- Theo Angell - vocals, guitars, tapes
- Honey Owens – vocals, guitar, keyboards
- Dana Valatka – drums, electronic percussion, vocals
- Brooke Crouser – guitar
- Samara Lubelski - Violin
- Josh DiamondGang Gang DanceGang Gang Dance is an American experimental music band based in Manhattan, New York City. The band is known for its distinctive sound which features synthesized electronics and percussion, plus the varied vocal styles of singer Lizzi Bougatsos...
- Guitar