Tim Fite
Encyclopedia
Tim Fite is an American
musician
, singer-songwriter
, and multi-instrumentalist
, living and working in Brooklyn
. His past releases have run the gamut from indie to alternative to country
to hip hop
.
Fite is known for using samples
from long-forgotten records to amplify his mixed-genre approach to music. On his Anti Records
debut Gone Ain't Gone
he set the self-imposed limit of using only samples from records bought for less than a dollar.
During the early 2000s, Fite was one half of hip hop duo Little-T and One Track Mike
, who are mostly remembered for their only hit "Shaniqua", which was popular on music channels such as MTV
. After that group went on an indefinite hiatus, Fite signed to the ANTI- Records
label and started releasing solo albums.
In 2006, Fite released a full-length, web-only, free hip hop record, Over the Counter Culture, which was a critique of modern culture of consumerism
and greed. Critics from the Los Angeles Times
to the Chicago Tribune
to the Chicago Sun Times placed it in their top 10 for 2007, yet in deference to the subject matter, Fite decided not to release it commercially. Fite has continued to release albums free of charge through his website, most recently 2010's Under the Table Tennis
.
Fite's Fair Ain't Fair was released May 6, 2008, which was followed by a tour with Philadelphia's Man Man
.
He often collaborates with Ryan Foregger for his music videos.
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....
, singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
, and multi-instrumentalist
Multi-instrumentalist
A multi-instrumentalist is a musician who plays a number of different instruments.The Bachelor of Music degree usually requires a second instrument to be learned , but people who double on another instrument are not usually seen as multi-instrumentalists.-Classical music:Music written for Symphony...
, living and working in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
. His past releases have run the gamut from indie to alternative to country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
to hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
.
History
Fite was born and raised in rural New Jersey, where he developed a certain fascination with guns and social value systems that can be found in his music, art and the illustrated stories he also creates.Fite is known for using samples
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
from long-forgotten records to amplify his mixed-genre approach to music. On his Anti Records
ANTI-
ANTI- is an American record label founded in 1999 as a sister label of Epitaph Records.While Epitaph's focus has shifted over the last decade from mostly punk rock, nowadays ANTI- has a more diverse roster, ranging from country , hip hop , reggae , Soul , folk , rap-rock , indie rock...
debut Gone Ain't Gone
Gone Ain't Gone
Gone Ain't Gone is Tim Fite's second album, his first for the ANTI- label. Many of the sounds on this record are sampled from CDs "rescued" from the dollar bins in used record stores...
he set the self-imposed limit of using only samples from records bought for less than a dollar.
During the early 2000s, Fite was one half of hip hop duo Little-T and One Track Mike
Little-T and One Track Mike
Little-T and One Track Mike is a hip-hop duo from New Jersey, USA. It is mostly remembered for its only hit, "Shaniqua," which was popular on MTV during 2001.-History:...
, who are mostly remembered for their only hit "Shaniqua", which was popular on music channels such as MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
. After that group went on an indefinite hiatus, Fite signed to the ANTI- Records
ANTI-
ANTI- is an American record label founded in 1999 as a sister label of Epitaph Records.While Epitaph's focus has shifted over the last decade from mostly punk rock, nowadays ANTI- has a more diverse roster, ranging from country , hip hop , reggae , Soul , folk , rap-rock , indie rock...
label and started releasing solo albums.
In 2006, Fite released a full-length, web-only, free hip hop record, Over the Counter Culture, which was a critique of modern culture of consumerism
Consumerism
Consumerism is a social and economic order that is based on the systematic creation and fostering of a desire to purchase goods and services in ever greater amounts. The term is often associated with criticisms of consumption starting with Thorstein Veblen...
and greed. Critics from the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
to the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
to the Chicago Sun Times placed it in their top 10 for 2007, yet in deference to the subject matter, Fite decided not to release it commercially. Fite has continued to release albums free of charge through his website, most recently 2010's Under the Table Tennis
Under the Table Tennis
Under the Table Tennis is Tim Fite's ninth album. Like a number of his previous albums, it was released free of charge on his website.- Track listing :#"For-Closure" #"Oversight" #"Someone Threw the Baby Out" #"Not Covred"...
.
Fite's Fair Ain't Fair was released May 6, 2008, which was followed by a tour with Philadelphia's Man Man
Man Man
Man Man is an experimental band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Man Man is known for their exuberant live performances. When performing, the members of the band sometimes coordinate their outfits, often seen in white outfits and, more commonly, war paint....
.
He often collaborates with Ryan Foregger for his music videos.
Albums
- 2 Minute Blues (2004)
- Gone Ain't GoneGone Ain't GoneGone Ain't Gone is Tim Fite's second album, his first for the ANTI- label. Many of the sounds on this record are sampled from CDs "rescued" from the dollar bins in used record stores...
(2005) - Over the Counter Culture (2006)
- It's Only KetchupIt's Only KetchupIt's Only Ketchup is an album released by Tim Fite. Like his previous release, Over the Counter Culture, the album was made available at Fite's website for free download. However, the album was only available on October 31, 2007—the day of Halloween...
(2007) - Fair Ain't FairFair Ain't FairFair Ain't Fair is Tim Fite's second studio album released on ANTI- Records. As with Gone Ain't Gone, Fite created this album with a mixture of real instrumentation and sampling, resulting in a sound composed of rock, folk and hip hop elements....
(2008) - Ding-Dong DITCH!!! (2008)
- Change of Heart (2009)
- Watch Your Mouth (2009)
- Under the Table TennisUnder the Table TennisUnder the Table Tennis is Tim Fite's ninth album. Like a number of his previous albums, it was released free of charge on his website.- Track listing :#"For-Closure" #"Oversight" #"Someone Threw the Baby Out" #"Not Covred"...
(2010)
Collaborations
- See Little-T and One Track MikeLittle-T and One Track MikeLittle-T and One Track Mike is a hip-hop duo from New Jersey, USA. It is mostly remembered for its only hit, "Shaniqua," which was popular on MTV during 2001.-History:...
for his previous band efforts - The Water Island with Danielle Stech-HomsyRio en MedioRio en Medio is the pseudonym of singer and baritone ukulelist Danielle Stech-Homsy.-Background:Born in the high desert of New Mexico, Danielle later made Brooklyn her home and there began to record and perform her own compositions...
(2006) - "Black and Costaud (Tim Fite Redux)" with My Brightest DiamondMy Brightest DiamondMy Brightest Diamond is the project of singer–songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Shara Worden. The band has released two studio albums, 2006's Bring Me the Workhorse and 2008's A Thousand Shark's Teeth, along with a remix album Tear It Down and a download-only release through iTunes...
, released on Inside a Boy (2008) - Just for You with Dr. Leisure (2008)
- "Not Today" with The GratesThe GratesThe Grates are a two-piece band from Brisbane, Australia, comprising Patience Hodgson and John Patterson . They have been lauded for their catchy songs and enthusiastic and energetic live shows, as Patience spends much of the time bouncing around, even while singing...
, released on Teeth Lost, Hearts WonTeeth Lost, Hearts WonTeeth Lost, Hearts Won is the second album from Brisbane indie pop trio The Grates.The album debuted at #6 on the ARIA Charts on the 11 August, 2008....
(2008) - "Porke Yorach" with DeLeon (2008)
- Produced The Low Hanging Fruit by The Wailing Wall (2010)
Music videos
- "Away from the Snakes" (2005)
- "Camouflage" (2007)
- Fair Ain't Fair teasers
- "Yesterday's Garden" (2008)
- "Piece of Cake" (2008)
- "Rats and Rags" (2008)
- "Thought I Was a Gun" (2008)
- "Big Mistake" (2008)
Short films
- "The Day I First Seen Tim Fite" (2006)
- GunShow episodes:
- "Teaser" (April 30, 2007)
- "Living with Tim Fite" (Part 1) (May 22, 2007)
- "Where's Your Beard" (May 29, 2007)
- "Wrong Side" (June 5, 2007)
- "Penny Candy Taste Test" (June 12, 2007)
- "Living with Tim Fite" (Part 2) (June 19, 2007)
- "Good Cop Bad Cop" (June 27, 2007)
- "Shame On You" (July 3, 2007)
- "Wrecking Ball" (July 10, 2007)
External links
- Tim Fite official website
- Tim Fite on ANTI-RecordsANTI-ANTI- is an American record label founded in 1999 as a sister label of Epitaph Records.While Epitaph's focus has shifted over the last decade from mostly punk rock, nowadays ANTI- has a more diverse roster, ranging from country , hip hop , reggae , Soul , folk , rap-rock , indie rock...