M Coast
Encyclopedia
M Coast is an indie pop
band associated with the Elephant Six Collective
.
in 1996 with a self-released cassette, which featured contributions from Joel Richardson of The Minders
. After a split single release, Gonzales met up with old friend and Neutral Milk Hotel
member Julian Koster
to record Timesquare. While it was recorded in 1997, it did not get released until 2000 due to various label disputes.
Gonzales, after releasing some more singles, dropped the Marshmallow Coast project temporarily to tour with Music Tapes, Koster's side project, and relocate to Athens, GA in 1997. In Athens, Gonzales met with Kevin Barnes
and Derek Almstead
, singer/songwriter and bassist/ engineer, respectively, of the relatively new Of Montreal
. With Barnes, Gonzales recorded Marshmallow Coast's second album, 1999's Seniors & Juniors, and became a member of Of Montreal
himself. The other members of the band became his backing band for a couple singles including the split with Of Montreal
and with My First Keyboard
.
2000 brought the Derek Almstead
produced Marshmallow Coasting, and a tour with Of Montreal
. Gonzales then began a website-based project where he recorded songs for paying customers and gave them sole ownership. Derek and Andy's second collaboration Ride the Lightning was released in 2001 with another Of Montreal tour. Antistar released in 2003 without Derek or any other Of Montrealers and with the addition of Sara Kirkpatrick on flute, was produced by Jason NeSmith
of Casper & the Cookies
.
In late 2005, Gonzales announced that the project would show some changes, songwriting duties now being shared between Gonzales and Almstead. With the additions of Emily Growden on keys/vocal and Carlton Owens on drums, a full band was formed and the name changed to M Coast. A new album entitled Say It in Slang was released on Happy Happy Birthday To Me Records in October 2006.
In November 2007 it was announced that M Coast had parted ways. Andy has reverted to the name Marshmallow Coast again, while Derek, Emily, and Carlton are working on a new band called Faster Circuits.
, Sara Kirkpatrick, Carlton Owens, and Emily Growden
Indie pop
Indie pop is a genre of alternative rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the mid 1980s, with its roots in the Scottish post-punk bands on the Postcard Records label in the early '80s, such as Orange Juice, Josef K and Aztec Camera, and the dominant UK independent band of the mid...
band associated with the Elephant Six Collective
The Elephant Six Collective
The Elephant 6 Recording Company is a collective of American musicians who spawned many notable independent bands of the 1990s, including The Apples in Stereo, The Olivia Tremor Control, Neutral Milk Hotel, Beulah, Elf Power, Of Montreal, and Circulatory System.-Foundation:The collective was...
.
Background
The band began as a solo recording project of singer/songwriter Andy Gonzales, who first recorded as Marshmallow CoastMarshmallow Coast
Marshmallow Coast is an indie pop band associated with the Elephant Six Collective.-Background:The band began as a solo recording project of singer/songwriter Andy Gonzales, who first recorded as Marshmallow Coast in 1996 with a self-released cassette, which featured contributions from Joel...
in 1996 with a self-released cassette, which featured contributions from Joel Richardson of The Minders
The Minders
The Minders is a band closely associated with The Elephant Six Collective. Started by Martyn Leaper in Denver, Colorado in 1996, the band's original members included Leaper on guitars and vocals, Rebecca Cole on drums, Jeff Almond on guitar, and Marc Willhite on bass.Leaper formed the Minders in...
. After a split single release, Gonzales met up with old friend and Neutral Milk Hotel
Neutral Milk Hotel
Neutral Milk Hotel was an American indie rock band formed by singer, guitarist and songwriter Jeff Mangum in the early 1990s. The band was noted for its experimental sound, obscure lyrics and eclectic instrumentation....
member Julian Koster
Julian Koster
Julian Koster is an American underground musician and storyteller. A member of the Elephant 6 Collective, he is the leader of The Music Tapes, and a former member of Neutral Milk Hotel and Chocolate USA. He is also an influential and long time performer on the singing or Musical Saw...
to record Timesquare. While it was recorded in 1997, it did not get released until 2000 due to various label disputes.
Gonzales, after releasing some more singles, dropped the Marshmallow Coast project temporarily to tour with Music Tapes, Koster's side project, and relocate to Athens, GA in 1997. In Athens, Gonzales met with Kevin Barnes
Kevin Barnes
Kevin L. Barnes is the singer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter for the indie rock group Of Montreal, part of the Elephant 6 Collective. Barnes started the band on his own and, although providing several stories as to the origin of the name, is said to have named it after a failed romance...
and Derek Almstead
Derek Almstead
Derek Griffin Almstead is an American musician/engineer closely tied to the Elephant 6 Collective.-Background:Born in Lexington, Virginia, he spent his childhood in Tishomingo, Oklahoma, and later Manassas, Virginia. In 1995 he moved to Athens, Georgia, where he became involved with Elephant 6...
, singer/songwriter and bassist/ engineer, respectively, of the relatively new Of Montreal
Of Montreal
Of Montreal is an American rock band from Athens, Georgia. It was founded by frontman Kevin Barnes in 1996, named after a failed romance with a woman "of Montreal." The band is one of the bands of the Elephant 6 collective...
. With Barnes, Gonzales recorded Marshmallow Coast's second album, 1999's Seniors & Juniors, and became a member of Of Montreal
Of Montreal
Of Montreal is an American rock band from Athens, Georgia. It was founded by frontman Kevin Barnes in 1996, named after a failed romance with a woman "of Montreal." The band is one of the bands of the Elephant 6 collective...
himself. The other members of the band became his backing band for a couple singles including the split with Of Montreal
Of Montreal
Of Montreal is an American rock band from Athens, Georgia. It was founded by frontman Kevin Barnes in 1996, named after a failed romance with a woman "of Montreal." The band is one of the bands of the Elephant 6 collective...
and with My First Keyboard
My First Keyboard
My First Keyboard is the solo project of Dottie Alexander, keyboardist for of Montreal. The project has been defunct since 2000, and there are only three known recordings to date. The first, "Christmas is Only Good if You are a Girl ," appeared on the Kindercore Records compilation "Christmas in...
.
2000 brought the Derek Almstead
Derek Almstead
Derek Griffin Almstead is an American musician/engineer closely tied to the Elephant 6 Collective.-Background:Born in Lexington, Virginia, he spent his childhood in Tishomingo, Oklahoma, and later Manassas, Virginia. In 1995 he moved to Athens, Georgia, where he became involved with Elephant 6...
produced Marshmallow Coasting, and a tour with Of Montreal
Of Montreal
Of Montreal is an American rock band from Athens, Georgia. It was founded by frontman Kevin Barnes in 1996, named after a failed romance with a woman "of Montreal." The band is one of the bands of the Elephant 6 collective...
. Gonzales then began a website-based project where he recorded songs for paying customers and gave them sole ownership. Derek and Andy's second collaboration Ride the Lightning was released in 2001 with another Of Montreal tour. Antistar released in 2003 without Derek or any other Of Montrealers and with the addition of Sara Kirkpatrick on flute, was produced by Jason NeSmith
Jason Nesmith
Jason Nesmith may refer to:* Jason NeSmith , musician leading band Casper & the Cookies* Jason Nesmith , fictional character in Galaxy Quest film...
of Casper & the Cookies
Casper & the Cookies
- History :Multi-instrumentalist and singer Jason NeSmith , began using the pseudonym Casper Fandango in 1996 as a moniker for his solo four-track recordings....
.
In late 2005, Gonzales announced that the project would show some changes, songwriting duties now being shared between Gonzales and Almstead. With the additions of Emily Growden on keys/vocal and Carlton Owens on drums, a full band was formed and the name changed to M Coast. A new album entitled Say It in Slang was released on Happy Happy Birthday To Me Records in October 2006.
In November 2007 it was announced that M Coast had parted ways. Andy has reverted to the name Marshmallow Coast again, while Derek, Emily, and Carlton are working on a new band called Faster Circuits.
Members
Andy Gonzales, Derek AlmsteadDerek Almstead
Derek Griffin Almstead is an American musician/engineer closely tied to the Elephant 6 Collective.-Background:Born in Lexington, Virginia, he spent his childhood in Tishomingo, Oklahoma, and later Manassas, Virginia. In 1995 he moved to Athens, Georgia, where he became involved with Elephant 6...
, Sara Kirkpatrick, Carlton Owens, and Emily Growden
Discography
Marshmallow Coast has released a number of albums and singles on a variety of labels. Dates refer to release dates, not recording dates.Albums
- Seniors & Juniors (CD) - Kindercore RecordsKindercore RecordsKindercore Records is an independent record label based in Athens, Georgia, which was founded in 1996 by Ryan Lewis and Daniel Geller to document the emerging music scene in Athens, Georgia....
- 1999 - Timesquare (CD) - Spare Me RecordsSpare Me RecordsSpare Me Records was an independent record label based in Williamsburg, New York, active between 1996 and 2002. It specialized in supporting and internationally releasing albums by local talent, but released work by non-locals, as well....
- 2000 - Seniors & Juniors (CD/LP) - Pickled Egg RecordsPickled Egg RecordsPickled Egg Records is a UK independent record label founded in Leicester in 1998 by Nigel Turner. It has dedicated itself to redressing the world’s musical balance in favour of quirky genius, bent tunefulness, noisy playfulness, jazz turmoil and inventive retro-futurism...
- 2000 - Marshmallow Coasting (CD) - Kindercore Records - 2000
- Ride the LightningRide the Lightning (Marshmallow Coast album)This article is for the album by Elephant Six band Marshmallow Coast's 2001 album. For the Metallica album of the same name, see Ride the Lightning. Ride the Lightning is the fourth album by Elephant Six band Marshmallow Coast...
(CD) - QuattroQuattroquattro is the name used by Audi AG to indicate that four-wheel drive technologies or systems are used on specific models of the Audi automobiles....
/Misra RecordsMisra RecordsMisra Records is an independent record label run out of Durham, North Carolina with branch offices in Washington D.C., Seattle, Washington, and Los Angeles, California....
/Pickled Egg Records - 2001 - Antistar (CD) - Misra Records - 2003
- Say It in Slang (CD) - Happy Happy Birthday to MeHappy Happy Birthday To Me RecordsHappy Happy Birthday To Me Records is an American independent record label based in Athens, Georgia, whose catalogue is rather heavily weighted towards twee indie pop music, with several of its bands being related to or influenced by The Elephant 6 Recording Company...
- 2006 - Phreak Phantasy (CD) - Happy Happy Birthday to MeHappy Happy Birthday To Me RecordsHappy Happy Birthday To Me Records is an American independent record label based in Athens, Georgia, whose catalogue is rather heavily weighted towards twee indie pop music, with several of its bands being related to or influenced by The Elephant 6 Recording Company...
- 2009 - Seniors and Juniors Strikes Back (CD) - Happy Happy Birthday to MeHappy Happy Birthday To Me RecordsHappy Happy Birthday To Me Records is an American independent record label based in Athens, Georgia, whose catalogue is rather heavily weighted towards twee indie pop music, with several of its bands being related to or influenced by The Elephant 6 Recording Company...
- 2011
Singles and EPs
- Marshmallow Coast (cassette) - Fuzzy Aloof - 1996
- "I'm a Big Kid Now" (split single w/Midget and HairsMidget and HairsMidget and Hairs is the experimental pop recording project of Paige Dearman, a musician associated with the Elephant Six Collective.Dearman was born in Monroe, Louisiana, and later was introduced to members of the Elephant Six Collective in Ruston, Louisiana...
) (7") - Fuzzy Aloof - 1996 - "Scent of Credibility" (7") Spare Me Records/Fuzzy Aloof - 1997
- Happy Happy Birthday to Me singles club: October (7") - HHBTM - 1999
- Kindercore singles club: January (split single w/My First Keyboard) (7") Kindercore Records - 2000
- "Archibald Of The Balding Sparrows" (split w/Of Montreal) (7") Kindercore Records - 2000
Midget and Hairs
Former member Paige Dearman has released music under the moniker Midget and Hairs.- "Cactus Screwballs" (7") - Den Mother Records - 1996
- "I'm a Big Kid Now" (split single w/Marshmallow Coast) - 1996