Logan Whitehurst
Encyclopedia
Logan Whitehurst was an American
musician
. His career began as the drummer for the band Little Tin Frog from 1995 until 2000, although he is best known as a founding member of California
n indie rock band The Velvet Teen
and as a solo artist performing under the name Logan Whitehurst and the Junior Science Club.
Logan was also an accomplished graphic designer, creating numerous album covers for bands such as his sister's Tsunami Bomb
, in addition to Dynamite Boy
, Little Tin Frog, The Velvet Teen, 20 Minute Loop
, Go Time, Shut Up Donny, Santiago
, and labels such as Fearless Records
, Restitution Records, Silent Records and Entertainment, and Double Helix Records. He also contributed illustrations and comics such as "Jonathan Quimby, the Boy with No Brain" to Section M Magazine.
began secretly writing somber, serious songs. This side project came to be known as The Secret Band. Some time after the split of Little Tin Frog, The Secret Band reshaped itself and took on the name of Nagler's electronica-influenced solo project, The Velvet Teen. Adding bassist Josh Staples, the band's catalogue included several re-recorded Secret Band tracks, such as "A Reverie to Chanticleer" and "Mother of Love." The band signed with Slowdance Records
.
In 2001, the band released +-=, an EP
of both older songs co-written by Whitehurst and new recordings. In early 2002, the band released their first full-length album, Out Of The Fierce Parade
. The album was produced and mixed by Death Cab for Cutie
guitarist Chris Walla
. The album's first track, "A Special Gift to You" was written solely by Logan Whitehurst. He also co-wrote all the other tracks on the album. Out of the Fierce Parade also featured Whitehurst's engravings as the cover and inside the CD booklet.
Touring in support of Out of the Fierce Parade
took Whitehurst across the country, as far east and south as Orlando, Florida
, as well as out of the country with dates in Japan.
The band received airplay on MTV2
, which played their videos for "Radiapathy" and "The Prize Fighter." MTV also included portions of "The Prize Fighter" in its pseudo-reality series Sorority Life
. The independent film Lurking in Suburbia
also featured original music from the group.
Released in 2004, The Velvet Teen's next album, Elysium
, was Whitehurst's last with the band. Shortly after recording the album, he left the band in order to undergo treatment for brain cancer. He was never able to tour in support of the album.
In 1997, Whitehurst began uploading songs he had created on a four-track to Mp3.com
, which served not only as a storage space, but an advertising and publishing firm. Mp3.com allowed Logan's music to be downloaded as well as purchased. Logan was one of Mp3.com's early success stories, gaining national popularity in the "Comic Song" category. He released his first five albums through Mp3.com.
Logan played not only the drums in his solo work, but also keyboards, guitar, accordion, concertina, and piano. He also provided almost all of his backup vocals through multitracking
. His music has often been compared to Flight of the Conchords
and They Might Be Giants
for its goofy, geeky subject matter as well as its underlying musicality.
In 2003, having signed with Pandacide Records, Logan released his sixth album, Goodbye, My 4-Track. The album featured guest appearances by members of The Velvet Teen, Death Cab for Cutie, Pedro the Lion
, and many other bands. Logan was never able to tour nationally in support of the album due to his involvement with the Velvet Teen and, later, his illness. However, he still did local shows, going as far away as Portland, OR.
His quirky brand of music quickly garnered a cult following from coast to coast. He became one of the most frequently requested and played artists on the nationally syndicated Dr. Demento
radio show. Dr. Demento dedicated two full shows to his music and interviews.
In 2004, Logan completed all of the score and incidental music for Replica, an independent film by Raymond Daigle that illustrates the trials, tribulations and mayhem of working in a copy shop. As of July 2007, Replica is still unreleased with the exception of independent and private screenings.
In 2006, after his cancer had been declared in remission, Logan took suggestions for an enormous number of short-subject songs from his friends and fans to get himself back into musical shape. Ranging from 30 to 90 seconds, the 81 songs were recorded over the span of two months. Shortly after designing the album art and layout for the Very Tiny Songs Project, Logan's brain cancer returned. The album was released posthumously on December 26, 2006.
A plastic Christmas lawn ornament (Pictured at top), Vanilla came to be something of a mascot for the Science Club. He had a ridiculously oversized ego and was constantly claiming that he did every cool thing in history and says Logan took all of Vanilla's work and said it was his own. Although he never really talked in any performances, he did have a blog he would post quite regularly. The subjects of his blog would often be random thoughts on his mind, but occasionally commenting on current events. His sentences came out comically garbled because he claimed he was typing with mittens on so he could not hit the keys well.
For the trademark Logan Whitehurst "Farkle" commercials, he would provide the voice of an unnamed Farkle announcer who appeared to have brainwashed or bribed most of the "supporters" of the product or would even tamper with their testimony. He would always say stereotyped, but comical, advertisement jargon (Such as:"Wait there's more!" and "Nothing says love like the gift of Farkle."). He would always cut to Jon-Jon the Leprechaun, the official spokesperson for Farkle whould either end up screaming some nonsensical Irish warrior cry or injured in some way and damaging his "wee little hat". These commercials almost always ended with some extremely fast, hard to hear, nonsense which was defined as the fine print.
A raspy voiced club singer from the 40's, Sid Sheinberg is often asking for money to fund his "experimenting" with booze and fast women. He seems to possess the quality of an old member of a form of the Rat Pack but with a little more independent recognition. To support this he is always singing a song he and his cousin Bernie wrote in '47. He has actually died quite a number of times due to his lifestyle but has always survived by making various deals with the devil every time he gets sent to hell. Once the devil cut him off from immortality and was about to take his soul, but Sid took the devil's soul instead.
With these characters Logan provided the voices of both a 10-year-old boy and his cheerfully controlling father who displayed many hang-ups. These characters were never officially named. It begins when "Son" finds a monkey and brings him home in his backpack. His father tells him he cannot and decides it is time for "The Talk", which in this case is a 5-minute-long piano song called "Monkeys are Bad People". It ranges in references from Planet of the Apes to King Kong
and involves a harmonica solo. These roles were later reprised when "Son" was about 13 and asked for a banana. His father informs him that it is strictly "monkey-food" and does not belong in their "well lit, sanitized and bacteria-free home". This explanation launches Daddy into the song again. This version tells that "Daddy" gave "Son" a perm. In this version he blackmails his son into playing a solo instead, by threatening his allowance. In the end there was no monkey, but a tiger in his room instead.
Nigel is a British radio interviewer for a show that echoes the style of James Lipton and Masterpiece Theater. He appears to be a huge fan of Vanilla, going as far as sending him fruit baskets and very personal letters about certain subjects. He was astonished to find out the Vanilla had only a fictional personality. This character was only used once in a "self-interview" by Logan in order to promote the Very Tiny Songs Project.
From many donations, the fledgling Remember Logan Foundation was founded. Created by his fans, its mission is to provide funding for brain cancer research and treatment.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
. His career began as the drummer for the band Little Tin Frog from 1995 until 2000, although he is best known as a founding member of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
n indie rock band The Velvet Teen
The Velvet Teen
-History:The Velvet Teen was founded by Judah Nagler and Logan Whitehurst as a side project from their other bands, Tin Circus and Little Tin Frog. Judah and Logan recorded the EP Comasynthesis, which had a prominent electronic sound, in 2000...
and as a solo artist performing under the name Logan Whitehurst and the Junior Science Club.
Logan was also an accomplished graphic designer, creating numerous album covers for bands such as his sister's Tsunami Bomb
Tsunami Bomb
Tsunami Bomb was a punk rock band from Petaluma, California that was active between 1998 and October 2005 and released 2 studio albums and 4 EPs. They were founded by Dominic David who left in 2003...
, in addition to Dynamite Boy
Dynamite Boy
Dynamite Boy was a pop punk band from Austin, Texas. They comprised Sean Neil, Dusty Kohn, Adrian Munoz and Sam Rich. Allegedly, they disbanded in 2005 after a ten-year career, however due to recent posts on the band's MySpace this is unsure...
, Little Tin Frog, The Velvet Teen, 20 Minute Loop
20 Minute Loop
20 Minute Loop was a San Francisco-based band notable for its self-proclaimed "freak-pop" sound which exhibited hook-heavy tunes and complex vocal harmonies....
, Go Time, Shut Up Donny, Santiago
Santiago (band)
Santiago is an indie/punk band from Santa Rosa, California that formed in 2002 and has released three full-length albums. Though generally more sophisticated musically, the band claims a staunch punk rock aesthetic to their approach.- Biography :...
, and labels such as Fearless Records
Fearless Records
Fearless Records is an alternative rock-oriented record label that has been signing artists since 1994. Fearless is based in Westminster, California and are best known for their early pop-punk moments captured in the Fearless Flush Sampler and Punk Bites releases, as well as additional releases by...
, Restitution Records, Silent Records and Entertainment, and Double Helix Records. He also contributed illustrations and comics such as "Jonathan Quimby, the Boy with No Brain" to Section M Magazine.
The Velvet Teen
During their stint together playing in Little Tin Frog, Logan and guitarist Judah NaglerJudah Nagler
Judah Nagler is the singer for The Velvet Teen, an Indie/Baroque Pop band from Santa Rosa in Northern California. He was born on June 19, 1980.- Tin Circus :...
began secretly writing somber, serious songs. This side project came to be known as The Secret Band. Some time after the split of Little Tin Frog, The Secret Band reshaped itself and took on the name of Nagler's electronica-influenced solo project, The Velvet Teen. Adding bassist Josh Staples, the band's catalogue included several re-recorded Secret Band tracks, such as "A Reverie to Chanticleer" and "Mother of Love." The band signed with Slowdance Records
Slowdance Records
Slowdance Records was an independent record label based in Portland, Oregon.-Bands:* The '89 Cubs* * The Evening Episode* * The Intima* * The New Trust* * Rescue* The Roots of Orchis* The Velvet Teen* Logan Whitehurst-External links:* *...
.
In 2001, the band released +-=, an EP
Extended 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...
of both older songs co-written by Whitehurst and new recordings. In early 2002, the band released their first full-length album, Out Of The Fierce Parade
Out of the Fierce Parade
Out of the Fierce Parade is the full-length debut album from The Velvet Teen. It was released in the US on March 19, 2002 and on June 4, 2003 in Japan. The album's artwork was designed by Logan Whitehurst, and the album was co-produced by the band with Christopher Walla of Death Cab for Cutie...
. The album was produced and mixed by 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 ....
guitarist Chris Walla
Chris Walla
Christopher Walla is an American musician and music producer, most notable for being the guitarist for the band Death Cab for Cutie. He is also a former DJ of KCWU, 88.1 The Burg...
. The album's first track, "A Special Gift to You" was written solely by Logan Whitehurst. He also co-wrote all the other tracks on the album. Out of the Fierce Parade also featured Whitehurst's engravings as the cover and inside the CD booklet.
Touring in support of Out of the Fierce Parade
Out of the Fierce Parade
Out of the Fierce Parade is the full-length debut album from The Velvet Teen. It was released in the US on March 19, 2002 and on June 4, 2003 in Japan. The album's artwork was designed by Logan Whitehurst, and the album was co-produced by the band with Christopher Walla of Death Cab for Cutie...
took Whitehurst across the country, as far east and south as Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
, as well as out of the country with dates in Japan.
The band received airplay on MTV2
MTV2
MTV2 is a cable network that is widely available in the United States on digital cable and satellite television, and is progressively being added to analogue cable lineups across the nation...
, which played their videos for "Radiapathy" and "The Prize Fighter." MTV also included portions of "The Prize Fighter" in its pseudo-reality series Sorority Life
Sorority Life
Sorority Life is a reality television show on MTV that aired from June 24, 2002 to 2004. The show consisted of girls pledging to become part of a sorority.-First season:The first season occurred at University of California, Davis...
. The independent film Lurking in Suburbia
Lurking in Suburbia
Lurking in Suburbia is a comedy motion picture about a writer living in his suburban hometown with his high school pals and trying to come to terms with his biggest fear… Growing up! It was discovered by Sundance Film Festival programmer Trevor Groth and went on to become a film festival favorite...
also featured original music from the group.
Released in 2004, The Velvet Teen's next album, Elysium
Elysium (The Velvet Teen album)
Elysium is the second studio album from The Velvet Teen. It was first released in Japan on May 22, 2004, and in the US on July 20, 2004. A special edition version of the album was released in Japan only with a bonus DVD. The album was also pressed on double 10" vinyl and released through Pandacide...
, was Whitehurst's last with the band. Shortly after recording the album, he left the band in order to undergo treatment for brain cancer. He was never able to tour in support of the album.
Albums featuring Whitehurst
- Comasynthesis/The Great Beast February (2000, drums, vocals)
- +-= (2001, drums, vocals, keyboards)
- Immortality (2001, drums, vocals)
- Out of the Fierce ParadeOut of the Fierce ParadeOut of the Fierce Parade is the full-length debut album from The Velvet Teen. It was released in the US on March 19, 2002 and on June 4, 2003 in Japan. The album's artwork was designed by Logan Whitehurst, and the album was co-produced by the band with Christopher Walla of Death Cab for Cutie...
(2002, drums, piano, vocals) - ElysiumElysium (The Velvet Teen album)Elysium is the second studio album from The Velvet Teen. It was first released in Japan on May 22, 2004, and in the US on July 20, 2004. A special edition version of the album was released in Japan only with a bonus DVD. The album was also pressed on double 10" vinyl and released through Pandacide...
(2004, drums, piano, vocals)
Solo career
In addition to drumming for The Velvet Teen, he had a successful solo career as Logan Whitehurst and the Junior Science Club.In 1997, Whitehurst began uploading songs he had created on a four-track to Mp3.com
MP3.com
MP3.com is a web site operated by CNET Networks providing information about digital music and artists, songs, services, community, and technologies. It is probably better known for its original incarnation, as a legal, free music-sharing service, popular with independent musicians for promoting...
, which served not only as a storage space, but an advertising and publishing firm. Mp3.com allowed Logan's music to be downloaded as well as purchased. Logan was one of Mp3.com's early success stories, gaining national popularity in the "Comic Song" category. He released his first five albums through Mp3.com.
Logan played not only the drums in his solo work, but also keyboards, guitar, accordion, concertina, and piano. He also provided almost all of his backup vocals through multitracking
Multitrack recording
Multitrack recording is a method of sound recording that allows for the separate recording of multiple sound sources to create a cohesive whole...
. His music has often been compared to Flight of the Conchords
Flight of the Conchords
Flight of the Conchords are a New Zealand-based comedy duo composed of Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement. The duo's comedy and music became the basis of a BBC radio series and then an American television series, which premiered in 2007 on HBO, also called Flight of the Conchords.They were named...
and They Might Be Giants
They Might Be Giants
They Might Be Giants is an American alternative rock band formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. During TMBG's early years Flansburgh and Linnell were frequently accompanied by a drum machine. In the early 1990s, TMBG became a full band. Currently, the members of TMBG are...
for its goofy, geeky subject matter as well as its underlying musicality.
In 2003, having signed with Pandacide Records, Logan released his sixth album, Goodbye, My 4-Track. The album featured guest appearances by members of The Velvet Teen, Death Cab for Cutie, Pedro the Lion
Pedro the Lion
Pedro the Lion was an indie rock band from Seattle, Washington. Singer-songwriter David Bazan formed the band in 1995 and represented its main creative force, backed by a varying rotation of collaborating musicians. T. W. Walsh is considered to be the sole official band member besides Bazan. In...
, and many other bands. Logan was never able to tour nationally in support of the album due to his involvement with the Velvet Teen and, later, his illness. However, he still did local shows, going as far away as Portland, OR.
His quirky brand of music quickly garnered a cult following from coast to coast. He became one of the most frequently requested and played artists on the nationally syndicated Dr. Demento
Dr. Demento
Barret Eugene Hansen , better known as Dr. Demento, is a radio broadcaster and record collector specializing in novelty songs, comedy, and strange or unusual recordings dating from the early days of phonograph records to the present....
radio show. Dr. Demento dedicated two full shows to his music and interviews.
In 2004, Logan completed all of the score and incidental music for Replica, an independent film by Raymond Daigle that illustrates the trials, tribulations and mayhem of working in a copy shop. As of July 2007, Replica is still unreleased with the exception of independent and private screenings.
In 2006, after his cancer had been declared in remission, Logan took suggestions for an enormous number of short-subject songs from his friends and fans to get himself back into musical shape. Ranging from 30 to 90 seconds, the 81 songs were recorded over the span of two months. Shortly after designing the album art and layout for the Very Tiny Songs Project, Logan's brain cancer returned. The album was released posthumously on December 26, 2006.
"Junior Science Club" characters
Logan voiced a variety of identities created for the sake of his music and comedy.- Vanilla The Plastic Snowman
A plastic Christmas lawn ornament (Pictured at top), Vanilla came to be something of a mascot for the Science Club. He had a ridiculously oversized ego and was constantly claiming that he did every cool thing in history and says Logan took all of Vanilla's work and said it was his own. Although he never really talked in any performances, he did have a blog he would post quite regularly. The subjects of his blog would often be random thoughts on his mind, but occasionally commenting on current events. His sentences came out comically garbled because he claimed he was typing with mittens on so he could not hit the keys well.
- Farkle Announcer and Jon-Jon the Leprechaun
For the trademark Logan Whitehurst "Farkle" commercials, he would provide the voice of an unnamed Farkle announcer who appeared to have brainwashed or bribed most of the "supporters" of the product or would even tamper with their testimony. He would always say stereotyped, but comical, advertisement jargon (Such as:"Wait there's more!" and "Nothing says love like the gift of Farkle."). He would always cut to Jon-Jon the Leprechaun, the official spokesperson for Farkle whould either end up screaming some nonsensical Irish warrior cry or injured in some way and damaging his "wee little hat". These commercials almost always ended with some extremely fast, hard to hear, nonsense which was defined as the fine print.
- Sid Sheinberg
A raspy voiced club singer from the 40's, Sid Sheinberg is often asking for money to fund his "experimenting" with booze and fast women. He seems to possess the quality of an old member of a form of the Rat Pack but with a little more independent recognition. To support this he is always singing a song he and his cousin Bernie wrote in '47. He has actually died quite a number of times due to his lifestyle but has always survived by making various deals with the devil every time he gets sent to hell. Once the devil cut him off from immortality and was about to take his soul, but Sid took the devil's soul instead.
- Daddy and Son
With these characters Logan provided the voices of both a 10-year-old boy and his cheerfully controlling father who displayed many hang-ups. These characters were never officially named. It begins when "Son" finds a monkey and brings him home in his backpack. His father tells him he cannot and decides it is time for "The Talk", which in this case is a 5-minute-long piano song called "Monkeys are Bad People". It ranges in references from Planet of the Apes to King Kong
King Kong
King Kong is a fictional character, a giant movie monster resembling a gorilla, that has appeared in several movies since 1933. These include the groundbreaking 1933 movie, the film remakes of 1976 and 2005, as well as various sequels of the first two films...
and involves a harmonica solo. These roles were later reprised when "Son" was about 13 and asked for a banana. His father informs him that it is strictly "monkey-food" and does not belong in their "well lit, sanitized and bacteria-free home". This explanation launches Daddy into the song again. This version tells that "Daddy" gave "Son" a perm. In this version he blackmails his son into playing a solo instead, by threatening his allowance. In the end there was no monkey, but a tiger in his room instead.
- Nigel Pettijohn Stinkwell
Nigel is a British radio interviewer for a show that echoes the style of James Lipton and Masterpiece Theater. He appears to be a huge fan of Vanilla, going as far as sending him fruit baskets and very personal letters about certain subjects. He was astonished to find out the Vanilla had only a fictional personality. This character was only used once in a "self-interview" by Logan in order to promote the Very Tiny Songs Project.
Studio Albums
- Outsmartin' the Popos (1997)
- I Would Be A Biggest Octopus (1998)
- How Does An Electrostatic Motor Work? (1999)
- Earth Is Big (2000)
- Goodbye, My 4-Track (2003)
- Very Tiny Songs (2006)
Illness and Death
From November 2003 onward Logan battled fatigue, headaches, dizziness, and stomach illness. In May, 2004 it was discovered that the ailments he was suffering were due to a cancerous brain tumor. Deciding to focus on his recovery, he left The Velvet Teen and put his solo career on hiatus. He spent the better part of a year and a half in treatments for the recurring brain cancer. On December 3, 2006, Logan Whitehurst succumbed to his illness at his home in Los Banos, California.From many donations, the fledgling Remember Logan Foundation was founded. Created by his fans, its mission is to provide funding for brain cancer research and treatment.
Other Bands and Collaborations
- The End Is Near (HeadboardHeadboardHeadboard may refer to:* Headboard * Headboard , a board attached to the front of trains, especially named trains* a plastic or wooden reinforcement for the head of a sail, providing the halyard cringle...
, 1996, keyboards) - Warning: Do Not Open This Box (Little Tin Frog, 1996, drums)
- This Is It! Proof... (Little Tin Frog, 1996, drums)
- The Pain and Pleasure Machine (Little Tin Frog, 1997, drums)
- Brilliant Ideas (Little Tin Frog, 1998, drums, vocals)
- Enetophobia (Little Tin Frog, 1999, drums, vocals)
- Special Little Devil (The Secret Band, 1999, drums, keyboards, concertina, vocals)
- Future is Turning (Luckie Strike, 2000, Assistant Engineer/Producer, backing vocals)
- The Mercury Project (Luckie Strike, 2000, Assistant Engineer/Producer, backing vocals)