Merge Records

Pram

Pram
Pram got its start in 1990 after a chance meeting between Rosie Cuckston and Sam Owen at a local supermarket's "Single's Night." Their 1992 debut EP Gash, was a bare bones effort featuring only Rosie's soaring vocals paired with the sci-fi whirl of a homemade theramin. The duo soon welcomed other members and the "band" were signed to the now legendary Too Pure label in the UK (Stereolab, PJ Harvey, SeeFeel, Long Fin Kille), and enjoyed an all too brief stint on American Recordings in the U.S. Eventually, the band would record for Domino in the UK and Merge here in the U.S.

What started as a project between two friends evolved into a musical collective with numerous contributors and collaborators. Throughout their 13 year existence Pram have managed to keep their sound fresh and unique by combining eclectic musical ideas and instrumentation (theramin, zither, toy piano, glass hammer, glockenspiel, and the infamous hawaiian bubble machine) with a wide range of influences and styles (pop, jazz, dub, hip hop, and rock). At the center of it all are Rosie Cuckston's riveting and hypnotic vocal delivery and a puzzle-box of lyrics. The world evoked is one of fairy tales, dreams and nightmares come to life. Imagine if you will the Brother's Grimm starting up a rock band ... that's the closest analogy we can come up with. We think you'll agree that there's no one else out there today quite like Pram. Despite their long and distinguished history, the seas of fate and fame have never been smooth for Pram. To their devoted following of fans they are a magical mystery to be cherished, but their very uniqueness of vision and style has kept them far below the mainstream's radar. But no worries, not everyone can be in the mainstream. How boring would that be? The world needs magic and mystery. Pram will humbling forge on providing the perfect soundtrack. Dark Island is a somnambulist's dance through the nether-worlds of escapist imagination. We welcome you along for the ride, please check your realities at the door.

Pram = Rosie Cuckston (vocals, keyboards)
Sam Owen (flute, clarinet, accordion, keyboards, guitar, bass)
Max Simpson (samples, keyboards)
Matthew Eaton (guitar, bass, keyboards, samples)
Nick Sales (zither, theramin, bass, keyboards, samples)
Alex Clare (trumpet)
Steve Perkins (drums)
Gash [ep] (AE) 1991
The Stars Are So Big The Earth Is So Small [cd] (Too Pure) 1993
Iron Lung [cd] (Too Pure) 1993
Meshes [ep] (Too Pure) 1994
Helium [cd/lp] (Too Pure) 1994
Sargasso Sea [cd/lp] (Too Pure) 1995
Perambulations [cs] (AE) 1995
Gash [cd] (World Domination) 1997
"Carnival of Souls" on Slow Death in the Metronome Factory comp. [cd] (World Domination) 1997
Music For Your Movies [cd5/ep] (Duophonic) 1997
Music For Your Movies [cd] (?) 1997
Omnichord [7"] (Wurlitzer Jukebox) 1998
Last Astronauts [7"] (Kooky) 1998
North Pole Radio Station [cd] (Merge) 1998
Sleepy Sweet [cd5/ep] (Domino (UK)) 1998
Space Siren [cd5/ep] (Domino (UK)) 1999
song on Will Our Children Thank Us comp. [cd] (Foundry) 1999
Telemetric Melodies [cd/lp] (Merge) 1999
The Museum of Imaginary Animals [cd] (Merge) 2000

Monkey Puzzle


from Somniloquy
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Sirocco


from Dark Island
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On Tour

Caribou [+]

April
19 Manchester Deaf Institute
20 London Corsica Studios
21 Amsterdam Paradiso
22 Brussels Beursschouwburg
23 Paris Le Point Ephemere
[see all]

The Clientele [+]

March
15 Minneapolis, MN Cedar Cultural Center
16 Madison, WI High Noon Saloon
17 Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall
18 Ann Arbor, MI Blind Pig
19 Toronto, ON The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern
[see all]

The Ladybug Transistor [+]

March
19 New York, NY Bowery Electric

Let's Wrestle [+]

March
15 New York, NY The Knitting Factory
18 Austin , TX Cedar Street
21 El Paso, TX Black Market
22 Scottsdale, AZ Chyro Arts
23 Los Angeles, CA Bootleg Theater
[see all]

The Love Language [+]

March
15 Atlanta, GA The Earl
16 Baton Rouge, LA Red Star Bar
18 Austin, TX Home Slice Pizza
18 Austin, TX Cedar Street Courtyard
April
03 Harrisonburg, VA Clementine Cafe'
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Oakley Hall [+]

April
02 Brooklyn, NY Knitting Factory

Radar Bros. [+]

March
26 Los Angeles, CA Spaceland

The Rosebuds [+]

March
19 Asheville, NC UNCA Alumni Hall in Highsmith
20 Carrboro, NC Cat's Cradle
May
08 Beaufort, NC Beaufort Music Festival

She & Him [+]

March
15 Los Angeles, CA Largo at the Coronet
25 Los Angeles, CA El Rey Theatre
27 Savannah, GA Trustees Theatre (Savannah Music Festival)
29 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom
30 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom
[see all]

Shout Out Louds [+]

March
23 Rostock MAU
24 Hamburg Uebel & Gefahrlich
25 Berlin Astra
26 Dresden Reithalle
27 Munchen Backstage Werk
[see all]

Spoon [+]

March
18 New Orleans, LA Republic New Orleans
19 Birmingham, AL Workplay Soundstage
20 Atlanta, GA Tabernacle
22 Washington 9:30 Club
23 Washington 9:30 Club
[see all]

Superchunk [+]

March
19 Austin, TX La Zona Rosa
April
07 Toronto, ON Royal Cinema
June
19 Denver, CO Westword Music Festival

Telekinesis [+]

May
21 Eugene, OR Sam Bond's Garage
24 Solana Beach, CA Belly Up Tavern
25 Los Angeles, CA Troubadour
27 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall
29 Portland, OR Wonder Ballroom
[see all]

Wye Oak [+]

March
14 Indianapolis, IN Vollrath Tavern
15 Memphis, TN Hi-Tone Cafe
24 Atlanta, GA The Earl
25 Chapel Hill, NC Local 506
26 Washington, DC Rock and Roll Hotel
[see all]
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