The Microphones
Encyclopedia
The Microphones was a lo-fi
band based in Olympia
, Washington, and fronted by Phil Elvrum
. Elvrum is the principal member of the band, but he has collaborated with many other musicians on his records.
In 2004, Elvrum announced that he had changed the name of his band to Mount Eerie
, and has since put out many releases as Mount Eerie, including three full-length albums. In January 2007, Elvrum released a new single under the Microphones moniker, titled Two Songs by the Microphones, the only Microphones release since the name change. He has since continued to release music as Mount Eerie.
in the mid-1990s. Elvrum began experimenting with some recording equipment in the back of the record store, eventually drawing the attention of the store's owner, Bret Lunsford
. Lunsford helped Elvrum release two cassettes (Microphone and Wires and Cords) on his label, KNW-YR-OWN
. These early cassettes were filled with simple, archaic songs and some strange sound collages, all, however, finely produced considering Elvrum's lack of experience and outdated recording equipment. Elvrum played drums in Lunsford's band, D+, for some time until he moved to Olympia.
While in Olympia, he caught the attention of K Records
owner and musician Calvin Johnson. After recording for some time at the Dub Narcotic studios, Elvrum was able to complete his first full-length album, Tests, which was released in 1998 on Elsinor Records. Tests combined songs from his earlier cassette releases and the recently-recorded Dub Narcotic recordings. At the same time, Elvrum released his first single
, "Bass Drum Dream".
Elvrum slowly gained recognition as a strong talent in the studio. While helping, often anonymously, with many of the area's artists, he began work on his second full-length, Don't Wake Me Up, released on K Records in 1999. Elvrum toured for a few months following the release with fellow K Records artist Mirah
, and, showcasing his talents on the road, he was able to build a small but loyal fanbase and gain appreciation in the indie music scene. While performing in another K Records band, Old Time Relijun
, Elvrum began recording It Was Hot, We Stayed in the Water
. Released on K Records in 2000, the album was Elvrum's most ambitious yet. During the recording of the album, Elvrum would have other musicians, K Records employees, and friends help with playing instruments or singing. The collaborative nature of the album did not, however, detract from Elvrum's precise, almost obsessive songwriting and production. The album was layered with harmonic guitars, noise, and Beach Boys
-esque harmonies. Elvrum was noted for his gentle, boyish voice and imaginative lyrics. It was widely appreciated by critics.
Elvrum's next release, The Glow Pt. 2
, was even more ambitious than It was Hot.... Released by K Records in 2001, The Glow Pt. 2 was noted by critics for its exceptional production and equally impressive songwriting. Probably his best-known album, it explored intensely personal themes, recalling lost loves and childhood memories. Sometimes sad, simple, and gentle ("I Felt Your Shape"), other times intense and layered with noise, guitars, and drums ("The Glow Pt. 2"), the album was immediately a favorite in the underground indie rock scene.
Elvrum's next release was a compilation of singles, b-sides, and early releases, entitled Song Islands. While lacking the consistent theme of It was Hot..., the album offered listeners a glimpse at the versatility of Elvrum's songwriting; the album's collection of songs ranged from folk
sing-alongs ("I Can't Believe You Actually Died") to fuzz-pop ("Weird Storm").
Elvrum, after taking a long tour of Europe and North America, began work on his next album Mount Eerie. Released by K Records in 2003, the album was named after the mountain on Fidalgo Island
where Elvrum spent much of his childhood. Containing five long songs, the album picked up from where The Glow Pt. 2 left off. In the story, Elvrum dies, is eaten by vultures, and discovers the face of the Universe
. It represents a turning point and a realization period in Elvrum's life. Although not as highly regarded by critics as The Glow Pt. 2, Mount Eerie was noted, once again, for its stellar production and imaginative songwriting.
Following the release of the Mount Eerie album, Elvrum announced that he would dissolve the Microphones moniker, opting instead to record under the name "Mount Eerie". Elvrum, in an interview with discorder (September 2003), gives his reasons for this change: "Mount Eerie is a new project. The Microphones was completed, or at least at a good stopping point. I did it because I am ready for new things. I am new."
Shortly after this announcement, Live in Japan, recorded during three days during Elvrum's tour in Japan
in 2003, was released by K Records. Despite the fact that the album contained all new material, the album was credited to The Microphones. It is widely believed to be the last official Microphones release.
Since the name change, a few of Elvrum's singles have been produced in limited numbers and sold only at his live shows.
Lo-fi music
Lo-fi is lower quality of sound recordings than the usual standard for music. The qualities of lo-fi are usually achieved by either degrading the quality of the recorded audio, or using certain equipment. Recent uses of the phrase have led to it becoming a genre, although it still remains as an...
band based in Olympia
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...
, Washington, and fronted by Phil Elvrum
Phil Elvrum
Phil Elverum is the sole permanent member of the Anacortes, Washington-based indie rock bands The Microphones and Mount Eerie.Phil Elverum manipulates analog recording devices in his work...
. Elvrum is the principal member of the band, but he has collaborated with many other musicians on his records.
In 2004, Elvrum announced that he had changed the name of his band to Mount Eerie
Mount Eerie
Mount Eerie is an Anacortes, Washington-based band fronted by Phil Elverum. Elverum is the principal member of the band, but he has collaborated with many other musicians on his records.-History:...
, and has since put out many releases as Mount Eerie, including three full-length albums. In January 2007, Elvrum released a new single under the Microphones moniker, titled Two Songs by the Microphones, the only Microphones release since the name change. He has since continued to release music as Mount Eerie.
History
Phil Elvrum became involved in the Washington music scene while working at a record store in his home town of AnacortesAnacortes, Washington
Anacortes is a city in Skagit County, Washington, United States. The name "Anacortes" is a consolidation of the name Anna Curtis, who was the wife of early Fidalgo Island settler Amos Bowman. Anacortes' population was 15,778 at the time of the 2010 census...
in the mid-1990s. Elvrum began experimenting with some recording equipment in the back of the record store, eventually drawing the attention of the store's owner, Bret Lunsford
Bret Lunsford
Bret Lunsford is a vocalist, songwriter, guitarist, and founding member of the influential bands Beat Happening and D+...
. Lunsford helped Elvrum release two cassettes (Microphone and Wires and Cords) on his label, KNW-YR-OWN
Knw-Yr-Own
Knw-Yr-Own Records is a small record label operating out of Anacortes, Washington, home to releases from such notoriously independent Northwest bands as D+, Karl Blau, and Little Wings...
. These early cassettes were filled with simple, archaic songs and some strange sound collages, all, however, finely produced considering Elvrum's lack of experience and outdated recording equipment. Elvrum played drums in Lunsford's band, D+, for some time until he moved to Olympia.
While in Olympia, he caught the attention of K Records
K Records
K Records is an independent record label in Olympia, Washington, co-founded, owned, and operated by Calvin Johnson, formerly of the bands Cool Rays, Beat Happening, The Go Team, The Halo Benders and presently in the bands Dub Narcotic Sound System and The Hive Dwellers...
owner and musician Calvin Johnson. After recording for some time at the Dub Narcotic studios, Elvrum was able to complete his first full-length album, Tests, which was released in 1998 on Elsinor Records. Tests combined songs from his earlier cassette releases and the recently-recorded Dub Narcotic recordings. At the same time, Elvrum released his first single
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...
, "Bass Drum Dream".
Elvrum slowly gained recognition as a strong talent in the studio. While helping, often anonymously, with many of the area's artists, he began work on his second full-length, Don't Wake Me Up, released on K Records in 1999. Elvrum toured for a few months following the release with fellow K Records artist Mirah
Mirah
Mirah Yom Tov Zeitlyn , is an American musician based in San Francisco California. She has released five albums under the K Records label.- Background :...
, and, showcasing his talents on the road, he was able to build a small but loyal fanbase and gain appreciation in the indie music scene. While performing in another K Records band, Old Time Relijun
Old Time Relijun
Old Time Relijun is a band founded in Olympia, Washington, United States and a longtime member of K Records. Current members are Germaine Baca on drums, Aaron Hartman on upright bass, Ben Hartman on saxophones, and Arrington de Dionyso on electric guitar, vocals and bass clarinet...
, Elvrum began recording It Was Hot, We Stayed in the Water
It Was Hot, We Stayed in the Water
It Was Hot, We Stayed in the Water is the sixth studio album by The Microphones. First pressings of the album as an LP came in a gatefold sleeve with a pop-up, alternative front cover, and an insert with lyrics and a poster...
. Released on K Records in 2000, the album was Elvrum's most ambitious yet. During the recording of the album, Elvrum would have other musicians, K Records employees, and friends help with playing instruments or singing. The collaborative nature of the album did not, however, detract from Elvrum's precise, almost obsessive songwriting and production. The album was layered with harmonic guitars, noise, and Beach Boys
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...
-esque harmonies. Elvrum was noted for his gentle, boyish voice and imaginative lyrics. It was widely appreciated by critics.
Elvrum's next release, The Glow Pt. 2
The Glow Pt. 2
The Glow Pt. 2 is The Microphones' seventh studio album, released in September 2001 through K Records. It is considered by many to be The Microphones' definitive work. The Glow [Pt. 1] was the title of the fourth track on his previous album It Was Hot, We Stayed in the Water...
, was even more ambitious than It was Hot.... Released by K Records in 2001, The Glow Pt. 2 was noted by critics for its exceptional production and equally impressive songwriting. Probably his best-known album, it explored intensely personal themes, recalling lost loves and childhood memories. Sometimes sad, simple, and gentle ("I Felt Your Shape"), other times intense and layered with noise, guitars, and drums ("The Glow Pt. 2"), the album was immediately a favorite in the underground indie rock scene.
Elvrum's next release was a compilation of singles, b-sides, and early releases, entitled Song Islands. While lacking the consistent theme of It was Hot..., the album offered listeners a glimpse at the versatility of Elvrum's songwriting; the album's collection of songs ranged from folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
sing-alongs ("I Can't Believe You Actually Died") to fuzz-pop ("Weird Storm").
Elvrum, after taking a long tour of Europe and North America, began work on his next album Mount Eerie. Released by K Records in 2003, the album was named after the mountain on Fidalgo Island
Fidalgo Island
Fidalgo Island is an island in Skagit County, Washington, located about north of Seattle. To the east, it is separated from the mainland by the Swinomish Channel, and from Whidbey Island to the south by Deception Pass...
where Elvrum spent much of his childhood. Containing five long songs, the album picked up from where The Glow Pt. 2 left off. In the story, Elvrum dies, is eaten by vultures, and discovers the face of the Universe
Universe
The Universe is commonly defined as the totality of everything that exists, including all matter and energy, the planets, stars, galaxies, and the contents of intergalactic space. Definitions and usage vary and similar terms include the cosmos, the world and nature...
. It represents a turning point and a realization period in Elvrum's life. Although not as highly regarded by critics as The Glow Pt. 2, Mount Eerie was noted, once again, for its stellar production and imaginative songwriting.
Mount Eerie
Shortly after this announcement, Live in Japan, recorded during three days during Elvrum's tour in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in 2003, was released by K Records. Despite the fact that the album contained all new material, the album was credited to The Microphones. It is widely believed to be the last official Microphones release.
Since the name change, a few of Elvrum's singles have been produced in limited numbers and sold only at his live shows.
Return to the Microphones?
In January 2007, Elvrum released a new 7", "Don't Smoke" / "Get Off the Internet," credited to the Microphones, prompting rumors of a possible return to the moniker. Lyrically, the two songs are firmly rooted in themes associated with Mount Eerie but the recordings utilize Microphones-associated choral arrangements, differing from than the more solitary Mount Eerie material.Studio albums
- TestsTests (album)Tests is an album by The Microphones. It was first released as a cassette tape on Knw-Yr-Own in 1998. A CD release by Elsinor followed in the same year, but the track listing was a mixture of The Microphones's three previous albums: Microphone, Wires and Cords, and the Tests cassette.Tests was...
(1998) - Don't Wake Me UpDon't Wake Me UpDon't Wake Me Up is an album by the band The Microphones. It was released on K Records in 1999. The vinyl and CD versions had different cover art...
(1999) - WindowWindow (album)Window is an early release by the band The Microphones. Tracks 7 to 23 are pieces of vocals and short music clips that were incorporated in the previous Microphones album Don't Wake Me Up, as well as other musical works on which The Microphones' main member, Phil Elverum, was working at the...
(2000) - It Was Hot, We Stayed in the WaterIt Was Hot, We Stayed in the WaterIt Was Hot, We Stayed in the Water is the sixth studio album by The Microphones. First pressings of the album as an LP came in a gatefold sleeve with a pop-up, alternative front cover, and an insert with lyrics and a poster...
(2000) - The Glow Pt. 2The Glow Pt. 2The Glow Pt. 2 is The Microphones' seventh studio album, released in September 2001 through K Records. It is considered by many to be The Microphones' definitive work. The Glow [Pt. 1] was the title of the fourth track on his previous album It Was Hot, We Stayed in the Water...
(2001) - Mount EerieMount Eerie (album)Mount Eerie is the last studio album from the band The Microphones. Microphones frontman Phil Elvrum began working on "Mount Eerie" after taking a long tour of Europe and North America. Released by K Records in 2003, the album is named after the mountain on Fidalgo Island where Elvrum spent much...
(2003) - Mount Eerie pt 6 and 7
- Lost WisdomLost WisdomLost Wisdom is an album by Mount Eerie, with Canadian musicians Julie Doiron and Frederick Squire. It was released 7 October 2008 on P. W. Elverum & Sun....
- Wind's PoemWind's PoemWind's Poem is the name of the fourth full-length album by Mount Eerie. It is largely inspired by black metal, and showcases Phil Elvrum in his "relatively newfound affinity for Xasthur and other lynchpins of the unholy genre."...
EPs and other releases
- BloodBlood (Microphones album)Blood is a 2001 album by The Microphones. It was hand-made, and limited to 300 original copies. Included on the album were recordings and alternate versions of songs later found on The Glow Pt. 2, in addition to sound collages, field recordings and other miscellany. Also included was a cover of...
LP (2001) (limited release, hand made album of miscellaneous recordings from The Glow Pt. 2) - Little Bird Flies into a Big Black CloudLittle Bird Flies into a Big Black Cloud-Track listing:# "I Look Just Like You Tree" – 1:32# "Oh You Coward" – 3:45# "I Was Afraid All of the Day" – 3:57# "These Graces Aren't the Whole" – 0:59# "I've Climbed Mountains" – 3:25...
LP (2002) (limited release, hand made album of Elvrum accompanied by piano and organ) - Song IslandsSong IslandsSong Islands is a collection of singles and rare songs by The Microphones recorded between 1998 and 2002.-Track listing:# "Bass Drum Dream"# "The Storm"# "Where It's Hotter, Parts 1, 2, and 3"# "Feedback"# "Weird Storm"# "Heavy Eyes"# "Moon Moon"...
compilation of singles (2002) - The Singing from Mount Eerie 10" (2003)
- The Drums from Mount Eerie 10" (2003)
- The Headwaters of Mount Eerie CDCompact DiscThe Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
and bookBookA book is a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of hot lava, paper, parchment, or other materials, usually fastened together to hinge at one side. A single sheet within a book is called a leaf or leaflet, and each side of a leaf is called a page...
(2003) (limited release "explanation" of the themes and inspirations for Mount Eerie) - Live in Japan (2004)
Singles
- "Bass Drum Dream" 7"Extended playAn 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...
(1999) - "Feedback (Life, Love, Loop)" 7" (1999)
- "Moon Moon" 7" (1999)
- "I Can't Believe You Actually Died" 7" (2001)
- "The Moon" 7" (2001)
- "Lanterns/Antlers" 7" (2002)
- "Don't Smoke / Get Off the InternetTwo Songs by the MicrophonesTwo Songs by the Microphones is a 7" record released in January 2007 by the band The Microphones on P. W. Elverum & Sun, Idealists . The single is pressed on either white or clear vinyl. Although Phil Elverum, the principal member of the band and manager of P.W...
" 7" (2007) - Collaborate With a 1940's Wire Recorder 7" (Four-way split with Golden Boots, Bishop AllenBishop AllenBishop Allen is an American indie rock band from Brooklyn, New York. The band's core members are Justin Rice and Christian Rudder, who are supported both on stage and in the studio by a rotating cast of musical collaborators...
, and PaleoPaleoPaleo, aka David Strackany, is an American singer of folk music who is notable for writing a song every day for 365 days using a "half-size children's guitar" while living out of his car and being essentially homeless...
) (2011)
Books and printed materials
- "It Was Hot, We Stayed in the Water sheet music" (2000)
- "Little Bird Flies into a Big Black Cloud" (2001)
- "What Wonder?" (2002)
- "The Headwaters of Mount Eerie book" (2004)
- "Fancy People Adventures" photocopied 2005 cartoon-a-day desktop calendar (2005)
- "Dawn"
External links
- P.W. Elverum & Sun, Ltd. (Elverum's label)
- The Microphones / Mount Eerie at K Records
- Mt. Eerie Preservation Society – defunct fansite
- Message board for Mt. Eerie Preservation Society
- Get Off The Internet Society – updated fansite
- KNW-YR-OWN Records