Self (band)
Encyclopedia
Self is an American alternative pop/rock band from Murfreesboro, Tennessee
and largely the brainchild of writer, singer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Matt Mahaffey
.
The band currently consists of Chris James (keyboards, piano, samplers, guitar, backing vocals), Mac Burrus (bass guitar, keyboards, horns, backing vocals), and Jason Rawlings (Drums). Past members include Matt's brother, Mike Mahaffey
(lead guitar, keyboards, vocals) and Timm Nobles (bass guitar).
Matt Mahaffey is proficient in almost all of the instruments that Self uses and plays most of the instruments on the albums; the other members contribute occasional parts on albums and participate in live performances.
, was released in 1995 on the Spongebath Records
, a label the Mahaffeys helped found. During this early period, the band featured Matt on vocals/guitar, his brother Mike on lead guitar, bassist Tim Nobles, keyboardist Chris James, and drummer Jason Rawlings. The album was followed by The Half-Baked Serenade
in 1996 and an album released for free via the Internet in 1997 called Feels Like Breakin' Shit
. By now, bassist Timm Nobles was replaced by Mac Burrus (formerly of Murfreesboro rock band The Plain
). Nobles, along with local songwriter Rick Perry and electronic producer Otis Brown, would start Rigger, a prominent electronic side project. An Self EP
titled Brunch
(1998) and the album Breakfast with Girls
(1999) were co-released by the Spongebath and DreamWorks
labels. Back at Spongebath, Self released Gizmodgery
in 2000, an album created entirely with children's toy instruments. That same year, Self released two more free Internet-only albums, Self Goes Shopping
and Selfafornia
.
In 2005, Self again released an album for free on the Internet. Porno, Mint & Grime consists of demos
recorded during the 2001-2004 sessions for the album Ornament and Crime which has not yet been released, and for all intents and purposes is considered a dead project.
Self also recorded a cover
of "Ana Ng
," for the They Might Be Giants
tribute album Hello Radio: The Songs of They Might Be Giants, released July 2006.
acquired DreamWorks Records
, the band's label at the time, the album was shelved indefinitely. A few songs from Ornament and Crime have been featured on the band's MySpace
, but there is still no projected release date.
A DVD has also been completed, but due to legal reasons, remains unreleased. The performance includes a cover of AC/DC
's hit song "Back in Black
," which has not yet been approved. Several videos of songs from the DVD, including the "Back in Black" cover, have been posted online on Mahaffey's MySpace and YouTube
profiles.
Members of the band have been working on other projects. Jason has been drumming for the band Suburban Tragedy, and Matt has formed a new band, Wired All Wrong
, with God Lives Underwater
member Jeff Turzo
. Wired All Wrong released their first album, Break Out The Battle Tapes
on September 12, 2006.
On January 13, 2007 Matt announced on his MySpace blog that a new Self album, tentatively titled Super Fake Nice, was in the works. In late 2008, several new tracks appeared on Matt's MySpace. On May 19, 2010, Self released the single "Could You Love Me Now?" for digital download. As of July 2011, the new studio is almost complete and Matt is considering Kickstarter.com as a way to fund a new album.
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Murfreesboro is a city in and the county seat of Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 108,755 according to the United States Census Bureau's 2010 U.S. Census, up from 68,816 residents certified during the 2000 census. The center of population of Tennessee is located in...
and largely the brainchild of writer, singer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Matt Mahaffey
Matt Mahaffey
Matt Mahaffey is an American multi-instrumentalist, record producer, and recording engineer best known for his band Self.-Personal:Matt grew up in Kingsport, Tennessee and was involved with music from a young age...
.
The band currently consists of Chris James (keyboards, piano, samplers, guitar, backing vocals), Mac Burrus (bass guitar, keyboards, horns, backing vocals), and Jason Rawlings (Drums). Past members include Matt's brother, Mike Mahaffey
Mike Mahaffey
Mike Mahaffey was a founding member of the power-pop band Self. Founded with his brother, Matt Mahaffey, in the early 1990s, Self released two major-label albums and various independent and Internet-only albums. A multi-talented performer, Mike played lead guitar, keyboards, and bass for the...
(lead guitar, keyboards, vocals) and Timm Nobles (bass guitar).
Matt Mahaffey is proficient in almost all of the instruments that Self uses and plays most of the instruments on the albums; the other members contribute occasional parts on albums and participate in live performances.
Band history
Self got their start with founders Matt and Mike Mahaffey recording songs in their home. The band's debut album, Subliminal Plastic MotivesSubliminal Plastic Motives
Subliminal Plastic Motives is the debut album from alternative pop/rock band Self, and is perhaps their most well-known release.The album was recorded entirely by Matt and his brother, Mike. The album found some modest success with MTV and flagship radio stations like KROQ-FM...
, was released in 1995 on the Spongebath Records
Spongebath Records
Spongebath Records was an independent record label based in Murfreesboro, Tennessee during the mid-nineties. During its heyday, Spongebath was often viewed as the vibrant epicenter of Murfreesboro/Nashville's music scene with a robust artist roster of critically acclaimed bands, singers, and...
, a label the Mahaffeys helped found. During this early period, the band featured Matt on vocals/guitar, his brother Mike on lead guitar, bassist Tim Nobles, keyboardist Chris James, and drummer Jason Rawlings. The album was followed by The Half-Baked Serenade
The Half-Baked Serenade
The Half-Baked Serenade is the second album by alternative pop/rock band Self.Initially designed only as an EP and released only though a mail-order catalog, it's become very rare and is considered the "Holy Grail" among Self releases...
in 1996 and an album released for free via the Internet in 1997 called Feels Like Breakin' Shit
Feels Like Breakin' Shit
Feels Like Breakin' Shit is the third album by alternative pop/rock band Self, which was released for free via the internet.Its 17 previously unreleased tracks include covers of Prince's "Let's Pretend We're Married", Suzanne Vega's "Fat Man and Dancing Girl", and Tommy Roe's "Dizzy"...
. By now, bassist Timm Nobles was replaced by Mac Burrus (formerly of Murfreesboro rock band The Plain
The Plain (band)
-History:The band formed in the early 90's, sharing a mutual love of bluesy artists like The Black Crowes, The Allman Brothers, and Led Zeppelin. Swan Burrus , Mac Burrus , and Justin Meyer had gigged around Nashville for years as "The Southern Delta Swans", playing at dive bars and pizzerias,...
). Nobles, along with local songwriter Rick Perry and electronic producer Otis Brown, would start Rigger, a prominent electronic side project. An Self 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...
titled Brunch
Brunch (album)
Brunch is an EP by alternative pop/rock band Self released in 1998.The songs were originally intended to be on Self's album, Breakfast with Girls, but as that album was delayed, Brunch was released to tide fans over, and was available by pre-ordering Breakfast with Girls...
(1998) and the album Breakfast with Girls
Breakfast with Girls
Breakfast with Girls is the fourth album by alternative pop/rock band Self, released in 1999. The album was highly anticipated, being the first Self album released on a major label since their debut album, Subliminal Plastic Motives.-Production:...
(1999) were co-released by the Spongebath and DreamWorks
DreamWorks Records
DreamWorks Records was an American record label. Founded in 1996 by David Geffen, Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg as a subsidiary of DreamWorks SKG, the label operated until 2005 when it was shut down...
labels. Back at Spongebath, Self released Gizmodgery
Gizmodgery
Gizmodgery is the fifth album by alternative pop/rock band Self, released in 2000 by Spongebath Records. The LP was recorded entirely with children's toy instruments....
in 2000, an album created entirely with children's toy instruments. That same year, Self released two more free Internet-only albums, Self Goes Shopping
Self Goes Shopping
Self Goes Shopping is the sixth album, second released for free, by alternative pop/rock band Self. The album is a remix album featuring various previously released Self songs played electronically in often humorous styles....
and Selfafornia
Selfafornia
Selfafornia is the seventh album, third released for free, by alternative pop/rock band Self.The album contains the original toy version of the song "Suzie Q Sailaway" that was written on toy instruments for the album Gizmodgery. A non-toy version of the track was instead released on Breakfast with...
.
In 2005, Self again released an album for free on the Internet. Porno, Mint & Grime consists of demos
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
recorded during the 2001-2004 sessions for the album Ornament and Crime which has not yet been released, and for all intents and purposes is considered a dead project.
Self also recorded a cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of "Ana Ng
Ana Ng
"Ana Ng" is a song by alternative rock band They Might Be Giants. It was released as the lead single from the band's 1988 album Lincoln. Although the song was their first US chart appearance, hitting #11 on the US Modern Rock chart, the single was never officially released in the US...
," for the 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...
tribute album Hello Radio: The Songs of They Might Be Giants, released July 2006.
Unreleased Music
An album entitled Ornament and Crime was completed in 2004 and was set to become the band's fifth commercial release. When Universal Music GroupUniversal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
acquired DreamWorks Records
DreamWorks Records
DreamWorks Records was an American record label. Founded in 1996 by David Geffen, Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg as a subsidiary of DreamWorks SKG, the label operated until 2005 when it was shut down...
, the band's label at the time, the album was shelved indefinitely. A few songs from Ornament and Crime have been featured on the band's MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
, but there is still no projected release date.
A DVD has also been completed, but due to legal reasons, remains unreleased. The performance includes a cover of AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
's hit song "Back in Black
Back in Black (song)
"Back in Black" is a song by AC/DC, appearing as the first track on side two of their 1980 album, Back in Black. Known for its opening guitar riff, the song was AC/DC's tribute to their former singer Bon Scott...
," which has not yet been approved. Several videos of songs from the DVD, including the "Back in Black" cover, have been posted online on Mahaffey's MySpace and 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....
profiles.
Recent Activity (2005-present)
Due to the difficulty getting music released and lack of interest from labels and the public, the future of Self is uncertain. Lead guitarist Mike died in May 2005, and his role in the band has yet to be filled, though the remaining members played a show in his honor on October 9, 2005. They have performed since as a full band and Matt has appeared in solo performances.Members of the band have been working on other projects. Jason has been drumming for the band Suburban Tragedy, and Matt has formed a new band, Wired All Wrong
Wired All Wrong
Wired All Wrong is an electronic rock band formed by musician/producers Matt Mahaffey of Self and Jeff Turzo previously of God Lives Underwater. The two have been longtime friends since a mix-up of their bands on MTV. Partly due to the unfortunate deaths of David Reilly from GLU and Mike Mahaffey...
, with God Lives Underwater
God Lives Underwater
God Lives Underwater was an industrial rock band from rural Perkiomenville, Pennsylvania , formed in 1993 by band members David Reilly and Jeff Turzo. God Lives Underwater was originally signed to American Recordings after being discovered by Rick Rubin, who subsequently produced the band's first...
member Jeff Turzo
Jeff Turzo
Jeff Turzo, as singer/programming and songwriting/production partner in the electro-rock band God Lives Underwater , spent the better part of the 1990s as a producer and touring artist, first signed by Rick Rubin to American Recordings in 1993....
. Wired All Wrong released their first album, Break Out The Battle Tapes
Break Out The Battle Tapes
-Personnel:*Mixing - Sean Beaven , Jeff Turzo , Matt Mahaffey , Dave Way *Mastering - Tom Baker*Percussion - Scott Garrett *Additional Engineer - Tom Davidson...
on September 12, 2006.
On January 13, 2007 Matt announced on his MySpace blog that a new Self album, tentatively titled Super Fake Nice, was in the works. In late 2008, several new tracks appeared on Matt's MySpace. On May 19, 2010, Self released the single "Could You Love Me Now?" for digital download. As of July 2011, the new studio is almost complete and Matt is considering Kickstarter.com as a way to fund a new album.
Albums
| Year | Album | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Subliminal Plastic Motives Subliminal Plastic Motives Subliminal Plastic Motives is the debut album from alternative pop/rock band Self, and is perhaps their most well-known release.The album was recorded entirely by Matt and his brother, Mike. The album found some modest success with MTV and flagship radio stations like KROQ-FM...
|
Zoo / Spongebath Spongebath Records Spongebath Records was an independent record label based in Murfreesboro, Tennessee during the mid-nineties. During its heyday, Spongebath was often viewed as the vibrant epicenter of Murfreesboro/Nashville's music scene with a robust artist roster of critically acclaimed bands, singers, and... |
| 1996 | The Half-Baked Serenade The Half-Baked Serenade The Half-Baked Serenade is the second album by alternative pop/rock band Self.Initially designed only as an EP and released only though a mail-order catalog, it's become very rare and is considered the "Holy Grail" among Self releases... |
Spongebath |
| 1997 | Feels Like Breakin' Shit Feels Like Breakin' Shit Feels Like Breakin' Shit is the third album by alternative pop/rock band Self, which was released for free via the internet.Its 17 previously unreleased tracks include covers of Prince's "Let's Pretend We're Married", Suzanne Vega's "Fat Man and Dancing Girl", and Tommy Roe's "Dizzy"... |
Spongebath Spongebath Records Spongebath Records was an independent record label based in Murfreesboro, Tennessee during the mid-nineties. During its heyday, Spongebath was often viewed as the vibrant epicenter of Murfreesboro/Nashville's music scene with a robust artist roster of critically acclaimed bands, singers, and... / DreamWorks DreamWorks Records DreamWorks Records was an American record label. Founded in 1996 by David Geffen, Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg as a subsidiary of DreamWorks SKG, the label operated until 2005 when it was shut down... |
| 1999 | Breakfast with Girls Breakfast with Girls Breakfast with Girls is the fourth album by alternative pop/rock band Self, released in 1999. The album was highly anticipated, being the first Self album released on a major label since their debut album, Subliminal Plastic Motives.-Production:... |
DreamWorks DreamWorks Records DreamWorks Records was an American record label. Founded in 1996 by David Geffen, Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg as a subsidiary of DreamWorks SKG, the label operated until 2005 when it was shut down... / Spongebath Spongebath Records Spongebath Records was an independent record label based in Murfreesboro, Tennessee during the mid-nineties. During its heyday, Spongebath was often viewed as the vibrant epicenter of Murfreesboro/Nashville's music scene with a robust artist roster of critically acclaimed bands, singers, and... |
| 2000 | Gizmodgery Gizmodgery Gizmodgery is the fifth album by alternative pop/rock band Self, released in 2000 by Spongebath Records. The LP was recorded entirely with children's toy instruments.... |
Spongebath Spongebath Records Spongebath Records was an independent record label based in Murfreesboro, Tennessee during the mid-nineties. During its heyday, Spongebath was often viewed as the vibrant epicenter of Murfreesboro/Nashville's music scene with a robust artist roster of critically acclaimed bands, singers, and... |
| Self Goes Shopping Self Goes Shopping Self Goes Shopping is the sixth album, second released for free, by alternative pop/rock band Self. The album is a remix album featuring various previously released Self songs played electronically in often humorous styles.... |
Spongebath Spongebath Records Spongebath Records was an independent record label based in Murfreesboro, Tennessee during the mid-nineties. During its heyday, Spongebath was often viewed as the vibrant epicenter of Murfreesboro/Nashville's music scene with a robust artist roster of critically acclaimed bands, singers, and... |
|
| Selfafornia Selfafornia Selfafornia is the seventh album, third released for free, by alternative pop/rock band Self.The album contains the original toy version of the song "Suzie Q Sailaway" that was written on toy instruments for the album Gizmodgery. A non-toy version of the track was instead released on Breakfast with... |
Spongebath Spongebath Records Spongebath Records was an independent record label based in Murfreesboro, Tennessee during the mid-nineties. During its heyday, Spongebath was often viewed as the vibrant epicenter of Murfreesboro/Nashville's music scene with a robust artist roster of critically acclaimed bands, singers, and... |
|
| 2004 | Ornament and Crime
|
DreamWorks DreamWorks Records DreamWorks Records was an American record label. Founded in 1996 by David Geffen, Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg as a subsidiary of DreamWorks SKG, the label operated until 2005 when it was shut down... |
| 2005 | Porno, Mint & Grime
|
Not on label |
Singles
- "CannonCannon (Self song)-Personnel:*Engineer - Jim Faraci*Producer - Matt Mahaffey*Writer - Matt Mahaffey...
" (1995) Spongebath RecordsSpongebath RecordsSpongebath Records was an independent record label based in Murfreesboro, Tennessee during the mid-nineties. During its heyday, Spongebath was often viewed as the vibrant epicenter of Murfreesboro/Nashville's music scene with a robust artist roster of critically acclaimed bands, singers, and... - "So Low" (1996) BMGBMGBertelsmann Music Group, , was a division of Bertelsmann before its completion of sale of the majority of its assets to Japan's Sony Corporation of America on October 1, 2008. It was established in 1987 to combine the music label activities of Bertelsmann...
- "KiDdies"/"Suzie Q Sailaway" (1999) DreamWorks RecordsDreamWorks RecordsDreamWorks Records was an American record label. Founded in 1996 by David Geffen, Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg as a subsidiary of DreamWorks SKG, the label operated until 2005 when it was shut down...
- "Meg Ryan" (1999) DreamWorks RecordsDreamWorks RecordsDreamWorks Records was an American record label. Founded in 1996 by David Geffen, Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg as a subsidiary of DreamWorks SKG, the label operated until 2005 when it was shut down...
- "Could You Love Me Now?" (2010) Self Digital
External links
- Official Website - Self-centered.org Official Website
- [ Allmusic - Self biography]
- Matt Mahaffey / Self MySpace page
- Self's discography at the Discogs database
- Fan community with mp3 collection