Nine years is a long wait between albums, especially in the now-you-see-them, now-you-don't world of underground rock. But if you are Julian Koster, founder and leader of the recording and performance aggregation known as The Music Tapes, nine years is merely a tick of the 7 Foot Tall Metronome that stands by your bed while you are sleeping.
Julian established his singular musical presence while he was still in high school in the early 90s. By the middle of the decade, Julian's unique abilities on the singing saw, the banjo, and a multitude of other instruments became widely acknowledged. He appeared on stage and in the studio with Neutral Milk Hotel, the Olivia Tremor Control, and other fabled members of what came to be known as the Elephant 6 Collective.
First Imaginary Symphony For Nomad, the first album from The Music Tapes, was released in 1999 on Merge Records after several years in the making. The musical vision it offered, along with the surreally ambitious live tours mounted around that time, heralded the arrival of an uncompromisingly idiosyncratic experimental pop genius. Julian and his associates shared the reverence for classic pop and rock conventions of their Elephant 6 contemporaries, but presented a more fully formed glimpse into a total alternate universe by integrating fantastic working mechanical musicians and devices into their recordings and live shows.
Julian has hidden himself away concocting new games, inventing new band members, such as the Orbiting Human Circus Tapdancing Machine, and hosting an occasional magical gathering for those lucky enough to stumble upon his secret invitations. He has also been working on a story album entitled 2nd Imaginary Symphony for Cloudmaking, narrated by Brian Dewan and accompanied by bowed banjos, singing saws and sound effects. Portions of the story were aired in early 2003 on WNYC in New York, and were met with great enthusiasm by Music Tapes' fans longing for new material.
Ongoing recording for the second album from The Music Tapes, entitled Music Tapes for Clouds and Tornadoes, took place over a long period of time in Julian's bedroom. The bedroom, itself, moved often between places ranging from Athens, Georgia to a series of locations inhabited "coincidentally," he says, "by the ghosts of old amusement parks who'd passed away," including the Nantucket Beach peninsula in Massachusetts, New York's Coney Island, and an island off the coast of Maine.
The album spotlights Julian Koster's songcraft and distinctive vocals, his almost religious devotion to the singing saw, and numerous contributions from other musicians in the Elephant 6 orbit. As on previous efforts, recording was done using an array of antique hardware, giving Music Tapes for Clouds and Tornadoes a timeless, texturally rich sonic palette. It is the sound of Julian's world poking through the curtain surrounding objective reality. In his words, "I just find the imaginary more real than the physical. Magic, the way we find things beautiful, the light behind eyes, kindness, and how we want to serve and protect the things we care about, these things seem like the real foundation of the world to me. I hope that the songs on this record can be more that just postcards from a world, but an invitation to it, to anyone at all who may find such a place comforting and nice."
www.orbitinghumancircus.com
Julian established his singular musical presence while he was still in high school in the early 90s. By the middle of the decade, Julian's unique abilities on the singing saw, the banjo, and a multitude of other instruments became widely acknowledged. He appeared on stage and in the studio with Neutral Milk Hotel, the Olivia Tremor Control, and other fabled members of what came to be known as the Elephant 6 Collective.
First Imaginary Symphony For Nomad, the first album from The Music Tapes, was released in 1999 on Merge Records after several years in the making. The musical vision it offered, along with the surreally ambitious live tours mounted around that time, heralded the arrival of an uncompromisingly idiosyncratic experimental pop genius. Julian and his associates shared the reverence for classic pop and rock conventions of their Elephant 6 contemporaries, but presented a more fully formed glimpse into a total alternate universe by integrating fantastic working mechanical musicians and devices into their recordings and live shows.
Julian has hidden himself away concocting new games, inventing new band members, such as the Orbiting Human Circus Tapdancing Machine, and hosting an occasional magical gathering for those lucky enough to stumble upon his secret invitations. He has also been working on a story album entitled 2nd Imaginary Symphony for Cloudmaking, narrated by Brian Dewan and accompanied by bowed banjos, singing saws and sound effects. Portions of the story were aired in early 2003 on WNYC in New York, and were met with great enthusiasm by Music Tapes' fans longing for new material.
Ongoing recording for the second album from The Music Tapes, entitled Music Tapes for Clouds and Tornadoes, took place over a long period of time in Julian's bedroom. The bedroom, itself, moved often between places ranging from Athens, Georgia to a series of locations inhabited "coincidentally," he says, "by the ghosts of old amusement parks who'd passed away," including the Nantucket Beach peninsula in Massachusetts, New York's Coney Island, and an island off the coast of Maine.
The album spotlights Julian Koster's songcraft and distinctive vocals, his almost religious devotion to the singing saw, and numerous contributions from other musicians in the Elephant 6 orbit. As on previous efforts, recording was done using an array of antique hardware, giving Music Tapes for Clouds and Tornadoes a timeless, texturally rich sonic palette. It is the sound of Julian's world poking through the curtain surrounding objective reality. In his words, "I just find the imaginary more real than the physical. Magic, the way we find things beautiful, the light behind eyes, kindness, and how we want to serve and protect the things we care about, these things seem like the real foundation of the world to me. I hope that the songs on this record can be more that just postcards from a world, but an invitation to it, to anyone at all who may find such a place comforting and nice."
www.orbitinghumancircus.com
12/20/11
Julian Koster created The Singing Saw at Christmastime in 2008 to share the carols of the Singing Saw with us, and this year NPR Music has invited Julian to their Tiny Desk for a special presentation. Watch the set at NPR Music now.
Bob Boilen writes:Order The Singing Saw at Christmastime on CD, LP or digital download in the Merge Holiday store now. Orders over $50 save 10% through the end of December.
Somewhere inside the body of Julian Koster — the Elephant 6 and Neutral Milk Hotel alumnus who once released an entire album of Christmas songs performed on a singing saw — lives a 13-year-old boy filled with wonder, imagination and a talent for spinning a good, quirky tale. Just in time for the holidays, and with the season in mind, Koster and his friends brought those wide-eyed songs and earnest spirit to the NPR Music offices for a joyful and strange Tiny Desk Concert performance.
Collectively known as The Music Tapes, they mixed bowed banjos and singing saws with tape machines, a chord organ and a crooning snowman to create a psychedelic holiday music pageant. Whether it’s the traditional “The First Noel” (scored here for two musical saws) or a reworking of Gavin Bryars’ avant garde piece “Jesus Blood,” or even their venture into Santa songs, there’s no one else playing holiday music quite like this. That is, unless you’re a band of 13-year-olds with very vivid imaginations.
11/29/11
Since the release of the 2008 instant holiday classic The Singing Saw at Christmastime, Julian Koster and his singing saws have toured the country spreading holiday cheer to the over 450 homes to which they had been invited. We now have this year’s list of cities and proposed dates which begin tomorrow so get your invitations in now!
Several houses a night will be visited in each city. Houses welcoming outside guests in each area will be listed via email auto-reply two nights prior to the Music Tapes arrival. Write musictapescaroling2011@gmail.com to receive open house list or to make a last minute caroling invitation. Routes are only projected and may change so check often!
The Singing Saw at Christmastime is available now on CD, LP and digital download in the Merge Holiday store.
2011 Holiday Caroling tour:
NOV 30 Virginia
DEC 1 Raleigh/Chapel Hill, NC area
DEC 2 Charlotte, NC area
DEC 3 Athens, GA
DEC 4 Raleigh/Chapel Hill, NC area
DEC 5 NE Virginia/Washington DC area
DEC 6 Washington, DC
DEC 7 Eastern PA/Philadelphia, PA
Dec 8 Philadelphia/NYC
Dec 9 NYC
Dec 10 Upstate NY/Massachusetts
Dec 11 Rhode Island/Massachusetts/New England
Dec 12 Upstate NY/New England
Several houses a night will be visited in each city. Houses welcoming outside guests in each area will be listed via email auto-reply two nights prior to the Music Tapes arrival. Write musictapescaroling2011@gmail.com to receive open house list or to make a last minute caroling invitation. Routes are only projected and may change so check often!
The Singing Saw at Christmastime is available now on CD, LP and digital download in the Merge Holiday store.
2011 Holiday Caroling tour:
NOV 30 Virginia
DEC 1 Raleigh/Chapel Hill, NC area
DEC 2 Charlotte, NC area
DEC 3 Athens, GA
DEC 4 Raleigh/Chapel Hill, NC area
DEC 5 NE Virginia/Washington DC area
DEC 6 Washington, DC
DEC 7 Eastern PA/Philadelphia, PA
Dec 8 Philadelphia/NYC
Dec 9 NYC
Dec 10 Upstate NY/Massachusetts
Dec 11 Rhode Island/Massachusetts/New England
Dec 12 Upstate NY/New England
11/09/11
Since the release of the 2008 instant holiday classic The Singing Saw at Christmastime, Julian Koster and his singing saws have toured the country spreading holiday cheer to the over 450 homes to which they had been invited. Today, he has announced the dates and proposed route of his 6th Caroling excursion. Julian and his ambassadors will accept invitations to carol at homes along the east coast of the US and Canada from November 28 to December 12.
Sharing his excitement that his caroling trips have now become a grand tradition, Julian said, “We’d surely like to thank everybody for the extraordinarily magical times and adventures, and wonderful welcomes, and to thank you all for making them happen! As well as our selfless volunteer Caroling Ambassadors!”
They will choose a path visiting as many of the places possible along the east coast of the US and Canada between November 28 and December 12 from which come the warmest invitations. The final list of dates and path of the Caroling will be announced just prior to the commencement of the tour.
For more information about sending an invitation to host an evening of carols, games, stories and other holiday magic, email musictapescaroling2011@gmail.com.
Along with this announcement of a new caroling tour, we also have a new video from the Music Tapes to share! Set to the song “Nantasket” from the recently released digital EP “Purim’s Shadows (The Dark Tours the World),” the video showcases the Paragon Carousel as well as Julian’s whimsical drawings and footage of people having fun which is what the Music Tapes is all about!
Click here to view the embedded video.
Julian Koster’s The Singing Saw at Christmastime is available on CD, LP and digital download in the Merge store as well as the Music Tapes’ “Purim’s Shadows (The Dark Tours the World)” and the rest of the Music Tapes’ catalog.
Sharing his excitement that his caroling trips have now become a grand tradition, Julian said, “We’d surely like to thank everybody for the extraordinarily magical times and adventures, and wonderful welcomes, and to thank you all for making them happen! As well as our selfless volunteer Caroling Ambassadors!”
They will choose a path visiting as many of the places possible along the east coast of the US and Canada between November 28 and December 12 from which come the warmest invitations. The final list of dates and path of the Caroling will be announced just prior to the commencement of the tour.
For more information about sending an invitation to host an evening of carols, games, stories and other holiday magic, email musictapescaroling2011@gmail.com.
Along with this announcement of a new caroling tour, we also have a new video from the Music Tapes to share! Set to the song “Nantasket” from the recently released digital EP “Purim’s Shadows (The Dark Tours the World),” the video showcases the Paragon Carousel as well as Julian’s whimsical drawings and footage of people having fun which is what the Music Tapes is all about!
Click here to view the embedded video.
Julian Koster’s The Singing Saw at Christmastime is available on CD, LP and digital download in the Merge store as well as the Music Tapes’ “Purim’s Shadows (The Dark Tours the World)” and the rest of the Music Tapes’ catalog.
08/29/11
The Music Tapes are currently opening for The Olivia Tremor Control! Don’t miss the live full-band Music Tapes experience!
Purim’s Shadows, the new digital EP from The Music Tapes, is available now in the Merge store and from all your favorite digital outlets. The kazoos have sold out in our store, but Julian will have some on tour with him. Stop by the merch table to pick one up!
The Music Tapes on tour:
All dates with The Olivia Tremor Control
Aug 31 Austin, TX – Mohawk
Sep 05 San Francisco, CA – Great American Music Hall
Sep 08 Seattle, WA – The Vera Project
Sep 09 Portland, OR – MFNW – Someday Lounge
Sep 12 Minneapolis, MN – Varsity Theater
Sep 13 Chicago, IL – Bottom Lounge
Sep 14 Columbus, OH – Wexner Center for the Arts
Sep 15 Pittsburgh, PA – The Warhol at New Hazlett Theater
Sep 16 Toronto, ON – Lee’s Palace
Sep 17 Montréal, QC – Il Motore
Sep 19 Allston, MA – Brighton Music Hall
Sep 21 New York, NY – Le Poisson Rouge
Sep 23 Philadelphia, PA – UPenn Rotunda (SPEC Jazz & Grooves’ Fall Concert)
Purim’s Shadows, the new digital EP from The Music Tapes, is available now in the Merge store and from all your favorite digital outlets. The kazoos have sold out in our store, but Julian will have some on tour with him. Stop by the merch table to pick one up!
The Music Tapes on tour:
All dates with The Olivia Tremor Control
Aug 31 Austin, TX – Mohawk
Sep 05 San Francisco, CA – Great American Music Hall
Sep 08 Seattle, WA – The Vera Project
Sep 09 Portland, OR – MFNW – Someday Lounge
Sep 12 Minneapolis, MN – Varsity Theater
Sep 13 Chicago, IL – Bottom Lounge
Sep 14 Columbus, OH – Wexner Center for the Arts
Sep 15 Pittsburgh, PA – The Warhol at New Hazlett Theater
Sep 16 Toronto, ON – Lee’s Palace
Sep 17 Montréal, QC – Il Motore
Sep 19 Allston, MA – Brighton Music Hall
Sep 21 New York, NY – Le Poisson Rouge
Sep 23 Philadelphia, PA – UPenn Rotunda (SPEC Jazz & Grooves’ Fall Concert)
06/14/11
Today, The Music Tapes’ new digital EP Purim’s Shadows is available in the Merge store and from all your favorite digital outlets. Also, exclusively in the Merge store, the Purim’s Shadows EP comes with a special limited-edition Music Tapes kazoo, a bonus track, and a special surprise from Julian Koster himself.
Julian shared some thoughts about Purim’s Shadows and The Music Tapes with us:
Purim’s Shadows is a very small entrance into a vast landscape that is both auditory and imaginary and from which will come two full-length albums that I’m very excited about. The first will be Mary’s Voice, which we are finishing up now and will comprise the first half of Imaginary Symphony No. 3.
The Music Tapes, to me, is a sort of living dream that illustrates the continual process of how dreams become real. For example, when the 7-Foot-Tall Metronome sprang from my imagination, it was to be The Music Tapes’ primary rhythm instrument, and although it existed only as a drawing in a notebook, imagining it delighted and inspired me. My friends (Scott Spillane, Terry Rowlette, Robbie Cucchiaro, Laura Carter, Eric Harris, and others) saw the drawing and, in a flurry of excited activity, made it real. And thus the real world became different: it had a 7-foot-tall metronome in it.
Many of the basic tenants of The Music Tapes’ world are found on Purim’s Shadows, including the 7-Foot-Tall Metronome which provides the primary rhythm for “A Lightning’s Cheeks.” Also featured are the Orchestral Banjo and the Singing Saws. The Orchestral Banjo is played with a violin bow, producing a sound that I love very much; it’s like having at your command ghostly orchestras from crackly old records. And Saws, of course, sound to me like angels. This recording marks the first time a Singing Saw solo was encouraged (played) by someone other than me on a Music Tapes record: the solo at the end of “Night and Day” is the work of Ian Ludders, a great encourager of Saws, and I am honored to have had him play with us. Robbie Cucchiaro, The Music Tapes’ co-founding member, supplied horns and his signature euphonium. And finally, the most important contributors to this recording, and central to The Music Tapes’ sound, are the Webster Chicago wire recorder, RCA DX44 ribbon mic, and The Music Tapes’ array of antique and modern recording machinery and field recorders.
Without state-of-the-art machinery, The Music Tapes’ recordings would be next to impossible. But, of course, the past is where the future comes from. What often makes something new is not a loyal adherence to the trends and technologies of the moment but rather a loving interaction with the rich inheritance that makes our moment in time the most unique of all. All that has come before us has been left for us to find, dusty and often without any context to distract from its pure magic. It is my happiness to endeavor to make brand-new sorts of things in which all that I love most about the world will have a home, just as my friends meaningfully and lovingly set out to make a 7-foot-tall metronome exist, giving their love and friendship a large, loud wooden form that can march forward in time.
Julian shared some thoughts about Purim’s Shadows and The Music Tapes with us:
Purim’s Shadows is a very small entrance into a vast landscape that is both auditory and imaginary and from which will come two full-length albums that I’m very excited about. The first will be Mary’s Voice, which we are finishing up now and will comprise the first half of Imaginary Symphony No. 3.
The Music Tapes, to me, is a sort of living dream that illustrates the continual process of how dreams become real. For example, when the 7-Foot-Tall Metronome sprang from my imagination, it was to be The Music Tapes’ primary rhythm instrument, and although it existed only as a drawing in a notebook, imagining it delighted and inspired me. My friends (Scott Spillane, Terry Rowlette, Robbie Cucchiaro, Laura Carter, Eric Harris, and others) saw the drawing and, in a flurry of excited activity, made it real. And thus the real world became different: it had a 7-foot-tall metronome in it.
Many of the basic tenants of The Music Tapes’ world are found on Purim’s Shadows, including the 7-Foot-Tall Metronome which provides the primary rhythm for “A Lightning’s Cheeks.” Also featured are the Orchestral Banjo and the Singing Saws. The Orchestral Banjo is played with a violin bow, producing a sound that I love very much; it’s like having at your command ghostly orchestras from crackly old records. And Saws, of course, sound to me like angels. This recording marks the first time a Singing Saw solo was encouraged (played) by someone other than me on a Music Tapes record: the solo at the end of “Night and Day” is the work of Ian Ludders, a great encourager of Saws, and I am honored to have had him play with us. Robbie Cucchiaro, The Music Tapes’ co-founding member, supplied horns and his signature euphonium. And finally, the most important contributors to this recording, and central to The Music Tapes’ sound, are the Webster Chicago wire recorder, RCA DX44 ribbon mic, and The Music Tapes’ array of antique and modern recording machinery and field recorders.
Without state-of-the-art machinery, The Music Tapes’ recordings would be next to impossible. But, of course, the past is where the future comes from. What often makes something new is not a loyal adherence to the trends and technologies of the moment but rather a loving interaction with the rich inheritance that makes our moment in time the most unique of all. All that has come before us has been left for us to find, dusty and often without any context to distract from its pure magic. It is my happiness to endeavor to make brand-new sorts of things in which all that I love most about the world will have a home, just as my friends meaningfully and lovingly set out to make a 7-foot-tall metronome exist, giving their love and friendship a large, loud wooden form that can march forward in time.
10/28/10
This November and December, The Music Tapes will be bringing a comforting, enchanting, and very special evening of Music Tapes’ dreamlike songs, stories and games for sleepover parties to ordinary homes across the land (US and Canada). The Music Tapes are now accepting invitations, and plan to visit over 200 homes! As with the Music Tapes’ caroling and lullaby travels of years past, they will stop at several houses a night in each city visiting also far off out of the way places most tours never get to go.
The Lullaby evenings with include songs from the Music Tapes forthcoming 2011 record, as well as from Music Tapes for Clouds and Tornadoes, The 1st Imaginary Symphony for Nomad, and The Singing Saw at Christmastime, along with new Music Tapes games and stories. The entertainment, though sometimes more exciting than lulling, are all in honor of the comforting moments directly preceding and following sleep when we find ourselves happily unsure of whether we are awake or are dreaming.
For more information and to find out where the tour is stopping in your town, write lullabyedeliveries@gmail.com to receive an automatic reply and as always visit The Music Tapes’ online home at orbitinghumancircus.com. Dates may shift around a little bit, so be sure to check the website and email often.
Also, the St.Nikolai Game will be played in select cities at a location to be revealed via the email autoreply. All who wish to play must bring a candle 10 or 12 inches tall!
Lullabye tour path:
November 4th: Nashville, TN
November 5th: Mountain Home, AR
November 6th: Memphis, TN
November 7th: Baton Rouge, LA
November 8th: Houston, TX
November 10th: Austin, TX
November 11th: Austin, TX (St. Nikolai Game)
November 12th: Dallas & Denton, TX
November 13th: West Texas
November 14th: Albuquerque & Santa Fe, NM
November 15th: Flagstaff, AZ
November 16th: Phoenix, AZ
November 18th: Los Angeles, CA
November 19th: Los Angeles, CA (St. Nikolai Game)
November 20th: Wrightwood, CA (and area)
November 21st: San Francisco, CA
November 22nd: San Francisco, CA
November 23rd: Davis, CA
November 24th: Chico, CA and Eugene, OR
November 25th: Portland, OR
November 26th: Portland, OR (St. Nikolai Game)
November 27th: Olympia, WA
November 28th: Seattle, WA
November 29th: Idaho / Montana
November 30th: Utah / Wyoming
December 1st: Denver, CO
December 2nd: Columbus, NB
December 3rd: Omaha, NB
December 4th: Minneapolis, MN
December 5th: Maquoketa, IA
December 6th: Chicago, IL
December 7th: Chicago, IL (St. Nikolai Game)
December 8th: Cleveland, OH
December 9th: Buffalo, NY (area)
December 10th: Rochester, NY
December 11th: Ithaca, NY
December 12th: Syracuse, NY
December 13th: Northampton & Amherst, MA
December 14th: Williamstown, MA
December 15th: Tivoli, NY
December 16th: Poughkeepsie, NY
December 17th: Marlborough, NY
December 18th: Philadelphia, PA
December 19th: NYC
December 20th: NYC
December 21st: Worcester, MA
December 29th: Winterport, ME
December 30th: Brattleboro & Saxtons River, VT
December 31st: Henniker, NH
January 1st: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
January 2nd: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
January 3rd: Detroit, MI & environs
January 4th: Bloomington / Indianapolis, IN
January 5th: Pittsburgh, PA
January 6th: Baltimore, MD
January 7th: Washington, DC
January 8th: Richmond, VA
January 9th: Raleigh, NC
January 10th: Asheville, NC
January 11th: Atlanta, GA
January 13th: Athens, GA
January 14th: Athens, GA
January 15th: Athens, GA
The Lullaby evenings with include songs from the Music Tapes forthcoming 2011 record, as well as from Music Tapes for Clouds and Tornadoes, The 1st Imaginary Symphony for Nomad, and The Singing Saw at Christmastime, along with new Music Tapes games and stories. The entertainment, though sometimes more exciting than lulling, are all in honor of the comforting moments directly preceding and following sleep when we find ourselves happily unsure of whether we are awake or are dreaming.
For more information and to find out where the tour is stopping in your town, write lullabyedeliveries@gmail.com to receive an automatic reply and as always visit The Music Tapes’ online home at orbitinghumancircus.com. Dates may shift around a little bit, so be sure to check the website and email often.
Also, the St.Nikolai Game will be played in select cities at a location to be revealed via the email autoreply. All who wish to play must bring a candle 10 or 12 inches tall!
Lullabye tour path:
November 4th: Nashville, TN
November 5th: Mountain Home, AR
November 6th: Memphis, TN
November 7th: Baton Rouge, LA
November 8th: Houston, TX
November 10th: Austin, TX
November 11th: Austin, TX (St. Nikolai Game)
November 12th: Dallas & Denton, TX
November 13th: West Texas
November 14th: Albuquerque & Santa Fe, NM
November 15th: Flagstaff, AZ
November 16th: Phoenix, AZ
November 18th: Los Angeles, CA
November 19th: Los Angeles, CA (St. Nikolai Game)
November 20th: Wrightwood, CA (and area)
November 21st: San Francisco, CA
November 22nd: San Francisco, CA
November 23rd: Davis, CA
November 24th: Chico, CA and Eugene, OR
November 25th: Portland, OR
November 26th: Portland, OR (St. Nikolai Game)
November 27th: Olympia, WA
November 28th: Seattle, WA
November 29th: Idaho / Montana
November 30th: Utah / Wyoming
December 1st: Denver, CO
December 2nd: Columbus, NB
December 3rd: Omaha, NB
December 4th: Minneapolis, MN
December 5th: Maquoketa, IA
December 6th: Chicago, IL
December 7th: Chicago, IL (St. Nikolai Game)
December 8th: Cleveland, OH
December 9th: Buffalo, NY (area)
December 10th: Rochester, NY
December 11th: Ithaca, NY
December 12th: Syracuse, NY
December 13th: Northampton & Amherst, MA
December 14th: Williamstown, MA
December 15th: Tivoli, NY
December 16th: Poughkeepsie, NY
December 17th: Marlborough, NY
December 18th: Philadelphia, PA
December 19th: NYC
December 20th: NYC
December 21st: Worcester, MA
December 29th: Winterport, ME
December 30th: Brattleboro & Saxtons River, VT
December 31st: Henniker, NH
January 1st: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
January 2nd: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
January 3rd: Detroit, MI & environs
January 4th: Bloomington / Indianapolis, IN
January 5th: Pittsburgh, PA
January 6th: Baltimore, MD
January 7th: Washington, DC
January 8th: Richmond, VA
January 9th: Raleigh, NC
January 10th: Asheville, NC
January 11th: Atlanta, GA
January 13th: Athens, GA
January 14th: Athens, GA
January 15th: Athens, GA
07/06/10
Julian Koster and The Music Tapes will be delivering lullabies at bedsides from bedroom to bedroom, and house to house in Boston, New York and Philadelphia in August. Featuring new songs as well as some of the gentler songs from Music Tapes for Clouds and Tornadoes and the 1st Imaginary Symphony for Nomad, lucky hosts will be visited at the bedtime hour by the most lulling of music tapes songs, by the sounds of the glowing and enchanting “Ghost Orchestra,” Singing Saws, Stories, and so forth.
To invite The Music Tapes to your house, send an invitation to:LullabyeDeliveries@gmail.com to reserve a time slot. There will be very few slots available so the first and most warm invitations will have to be chosen. Sleep over gatherings are accepted and even encouraged, although the lullabies will be absolutely delighted to regale audiences of only one. Locations of the lullaby events will be closed, and will not be announced to the general public, though you are heartily encouraged to make use of whatever means you wish to make new friends and gather.
On the night to follow, in each city, there will be played a game of “St. Nikolai the Wonder Worker’s Wishing Game of Candles” at a secret time and location to be announced by automatic reply via LullabyeDeliveries@gmail.com. “St. Nikolai the Wonder Worker’s Wishing Game of Candles” is a Music Tapes Game not unlike a form of freeze tag played with candles, which sometimes causes unexplainable things to happen. In order to play the game, you must bring a candle 10 or 12 inches tall.
Further instructions and information to be found via automatic reply from: LullabyeDeliveries@gmail.com and www.orbitinghumancircus.com!
Thank You Very Much!
Lullaby Delivery tour:
8/4 Lullabies in Boston and Cambridge, MA (and area)
8/5 St. Nikolai the Wonder Worker’s Wishing Game of Candles in Cambridge, MA
8/7 Lullabies in New York City, NY (and area)
8/8 St. Nikolai the Wonder Worker’s Wishing Game of Candles in New York City
8/9 Lullabies in Philadelphia, PA (and area)
8/10 St. Nikolai the Wonder Worker’s Wishing Game of Candles in the Philadelphia area
To invite The Music Tapes to your house, send an invitation to:LullabyeDeliveries@gmail.com to reserve a time slot. There will be very few slots available so the first and most warm invitations will have to be chosen. Sleep over gatherings are accepted and even encouraged, although the lullabies will be absolutely delighted to regale audiences of only one. Locations of the lullaby events will be closed, and will not be announced to the general public, though you are heartily encouraged to make use of whatever means you wish to make new friends and gather.
On the night to follow, in each city, there will be played a game of “St. Nikolai the Wonder Worker’s Wishing Game of Candles” at a secret time and location to be announced by automatic reply via LullabyeDeliveries@gmail.com. “St. Nikolai the Wonder Worker’s Wishing Game of Candles” is a Music Tapes Game not unlike a form of freeze tag played with candles, which sometimes causes unexplainable things to happen. In order to play the game, you must bring a candle 10 or 12 inches tall.
Further instructions and information to be found via automatic reply from: LullabyeDeliveries@gmail.com and www.orbitinghumancircus.com!
Thank You Very Much!
Lullaby Delivery tour:
8/4 Lullabies in Boston and Cambridge, MA (and area)
8/5 St. Nikolai the Wonder Worker’s Wishing Game of Candles in Cambridge, MA
8/7 Lullabies in New York City, NY (and area)
8/8 St. Nikolai the Wonder Worker’s Wishing Game of Candles in New York City
8/9 Lullabies in Philadelphia, PA (and area)
8/10 St. Nikolai the Wonder Worker’s Wishing Game of Candles in the Philadelphia area
08/18/09
On its way to you in a triumphant spiral of zeros and ones through that strange nether universe from which all things computery come is the new Music Tapes video, “For the Planet Pluto.”
Featuring the tasteful backup vocals of the 4th graders of Barrow Elementary School in Athens, GA, “For the Planet Pluto” stars Kiran Fernandes and Sophie Fernandes, reunited for the first time since starring in the movie Major Organ and the Adding Machine, except that they are brother and sister and live together.
The video also features a comic turn from Kevin Barnes as “The Slightly Sinister Father,” a departure from the more serious roles he has become famous for in the videos of the modern rock band Of Montreal.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Enjoy this little gift and visit the Merge store for more from Julian Koster and The Music Tapes.
Featuring the tasteful backup vocals of the 4th graders of Barrow Elementary School in Athens, GA, “For the Planet Pluto” stars Kiran Fernandes and Sophie Fernandes, reunited for the first time since starring in the movie Major Organ and the Adding Machine, except that they are brother and sister and live together.
The video also features a comic turn from Kevin Barnes as “The Slightly Sinister Father,” a departure from the more serious roles he has become famous for in the videos of the modern rock band Of Montreal.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Enjoy this little gift and visit the Merge store for more from Julian Koster and The Music Tapes.
04/30/09
The Paragon Carousel is a beautiful machine that has been my dear neighbor for many moons. Now 81 years old, it is in need of a little love and attention in order for it to survive.
It is my sincere wish for the Paragon Carousel to be a part of the magic of long seaside summer afternoons for many years to come. Unfortunately, we live in a world where the great whirling contraptions of mechanical music and light are not as profitable to operate as other things, and carousels are worth much more taken apart and sold in pieces to museums, where one must pay to look at them behind glass, rather than having them simply existing in the world that we now all share.
I spoke with Jeff and Scott and Jeremy about this and they agreed that I should, on behalf of Neutral Milk Hotel, make an appeal to the good people who might have enjoyed the music made over the years, because we think you’d understand especially, and want to help.
The Paragon Carousel is competing with 24 other historic Massachussettes buildings for a grant of $100,000. The historic site with the most votes wins, and anyone anywhere can vote. We would love it if by our collective effort we could ensure the continuation of this grand place. Visit the Partners in Preservation website to vote.
You are allowed to vote once a day until May 17th . Your vote means a great deal to all of us at Elephant Six. Places like this are so special. They deserve to exist in the same world that we do. So we can visit them with our bodies, not just our memories and dreams.
We’d like to thank you for your help and for spreading the word.
~Julian Koster on behalf of Neutral Milk Hotel
It is my sincere wish for the Paragon Carousel to be a part of the magic of long seaside summer afternoons for many years to come. Unfortunately, we live in a world where the great whirling contraptions of mechanical music and light are not as profitable to operate as other things, and carousels are worth much more taken apart and sold in pieces to museums, where one must pay to look at them behind glass, rather than having them simply existing in the world that we now all share.
I spoke with Jeff and Scott and Jeremy about this and they agreed that I should, on behalf of Neutral Milk Hotel, make an appeal to the good people who might have enjoyed the music made over the years, because we think you’d understand especially, and want to help.
The Paragon Carousel is competing with 24 other historic Massachussettes buildings for a grant of $100,000. The historic site with the most votes wins, and anyone anywhere can vote. We would love it if by our collective effort we could ensure the continuation of this grand place. Visit the Partners in Preservation website to vote.
You are allowed to vote once a day until May 17th . Your vote means a great deal to all of us at Elephant Six. Places like this are so special. They deserve to exist in the same world that we do. So we can visit them with our bodies, not just our memories and dreams.
We’d like to thank you for your help and for spreading the word.
~Julian Koster on behalf of Neutral Milk Hotel
First Imaginary Symphony for Nomad :: CD/LP (Merge) 1999
Music Tapes For Clouds and Tornadoes :: CD/LP (Merge) 2008
Purim's Shadows (The Dark Tours the World) :: kazoo/digital EP (Merge) 2011
Music Tapes For Clouds and Tornadoes :: CD/LP (Merge) 2008
Purim's Shadows (The Dark Tours the World) :: kazoo/digital EP (Merge) 2011
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Archers of Loaf [+]
| February | ||
| 25 | San Francisco, CA | Great American Music Hall |
| 26 | Los Angeles, CA | Troubadour |
| April | ||
| 26 | New York, NY | Bowery Ballroom |
| 27 | Cambridge, MA | Middle East - Downstairs |
| 28 | Cambridge, MA | Middle East - Downstairs |
| [see all] | ||
Richard Buckner [+]
| February | ||
| 22 | New Haven, CT | BAR |
| 24 | Lexington, KY | Cosmic Charlie's |
| 25 | Atlanta, GA | Highland Inn Ballroom |
| 27 | Easton, MD | The NightCat |
| March | ||
| 02 | Bayport, NY | The Grey Horse Tavern |
| [see all] | ||
Caribou [+]
| April | ||
| 17 | Mexico City | Foro Sol |
| 18 | Mexico City | Foro Sol |
Crooked Fingers [+]
| February | ||
| 29 | Los Angeles, CA | Hotel Cafe |
Destroyer [+]
Eleanor Friedberger [+]
| February | ||
| 03 | Los Angeles, CA | Troubadour |
| 04 | San Francisco, CA | The Independent |
| 07 | Portland, OR | Mississippi Studios |
| 09 | Seattle, WA | The Crocodile |
Hospitality [+]
| February | ||
| 03 | Brooklyn, NY | Glasslands |
| 25 | San Francisco, CA | Great American Music Hall |
| 26 | Los Angeles, CA | Troubadour |
| 29 | Toronto, ON | Horseshoe Tavern |
| March | ||
| 02 | Boston, MA | Brighton Music Hall |
| [see all] | ||
Imperial Teen [+]
| February | ||
| 24 | San Francisco, CA | Cafe Du Nord |
| 25 | San Francisco, CA | Amoeba Records |
Lambchop [+]
| February | ||
| 23 | Berlin | Babylon |
| 24 | Berlin | Babylon |
| 25 | Dresden | Beatpol |
| 26 | Leipzig | Werk II |
| 27 | Vienna | Konzerthaus |
| [see all] | ||
The Love Language [+]
| March | ||
| 09 | Charlotte, NC | Visulite Theatre |
| 10 | Savannah, GA | Savannah Stopover at Ships of the Sea Museum |
| 11 | Atlanta, GA | Variety Playhouse |
| 12 | Baton Rouge, LA | Red Star Bar |
| 20 | Birmingham, AL | The Bottletree |
| [see all] | ||
The Magnetic Fields [+]
| March | ||
| 06 | Hudson, NY | Helsinki Hudson |
| 07 | Philadelphia, PA | Union Transfer |
| 10 | Minehead | All Tomorrow's Parties curated by Jeff Mangum |
| 18 | Vancouver | The Vogue |
| 19 | Seattle, WA | Neptune Theatre |
| [see all] | ||
Jeff Mangum [+]
| February | ||
| 04 | Minneapolis, MN | Pantages Theatre |
| 06 | Chicago, IL | Athenaeum Theater |
| 07 | Chicago, IL | Athenaeum Theater |
| 08 | Milwaukee, WI | Pabst Theater |
| 10 | Athens, GA | 40 Watt |
| [see all] | ||
the Mountain Goats [+]
| February | ||
| 03 | Greensboro, NC | The Blind Tiger |
| 04 | Saxapahaw, NC | The Haw River Ballroom |
| March | ||
| 09 | Denton, TX | 35 Denton |
| 13 | New York, NY | Carnegie Hall |
| 24 | New York, NY | Merkin Hall |
Portastatic [+]
| February | ||
| 11 | Chapel Hill, NC | The Cave |
| 18 | Durham, NC | Duke Coffeehouse |
| 23 | San Francisco, CA | Swedish American Hall |
Superchunk [+]
| February | ||
| 11 | Chapel Hill, NC | The Cave |
| 18 | Durham, NC | Duke Coffeehouse |
| 23 | San Francisco, CA | Swedish American Hall |
Versus [+]
| March | ||
| 09 | London | The Lexington |
| April | ||
| 10 | Brooklyn, NY | The Bell House |
M. Ward [+]
| March | ||
| 20 | London | Leicester Square Theatre |
| 21 | Paris | Le Zenith |
| 22 | Lyon | Transbordeur |
| 23 | Lille | Theatre Sebastopol |
| 25 | London | Royal Albert Hall |
| [see all] | ||
Wild Flag [+]
| February | ||
| 03 | Ghent | Vooruit |
| 04 | Paris | La Fleche D'Or |
| 05 | Koln | Gebaude 9 |
| 06 | Amsterdam | Melkweg |
| 07 | Hamburg | Uebel and Gefahrlich |
| [see all] | ||
Wye Oak [+]
| February | ||
| 23 | Los Angeles, CA | Troubadour |
| 24 | San Francisco, CA | The Independent |
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