Elephant 6 Surprise

Elephant 6 Holiday Surprise Show
Bottom Lounge, Chicago
Tuesday, October 21, 2008

The frequency with which Elephant 6 finds mention in music discussion suggests that everyone knows what it is, when, judging by album sales, such clearly isn’t the case.

First of all, Elephant 6 isn’t a band, doesn’t contain six of anything, and is generally referred to as a “collective,” which implies a sort of limit to its informal membership. Its principal stewards are Bill Doss and Will Hart of Olivia Tremor Control, Jeff Mangum of Neutral Milk Hotel, and Robert Schneider of The Apples In Stereo, but don’t discount numerous viceroys (Elf Power, Beulah, Essex Green, Minders, The Gerbils, Dressy Bessy, Sunshine Fix, etc.) and unofficial members/goodwill ambassadors (Of Montreal, Ladybug Transistor, Marshmallow Coast, et al).

All these bands, and what is Elephant 6? The cheap explanation of the sound is to say the words “Brian Wilson” and quickly walk away, but that doesn’t account for the charming amateurism that’s a staple of some bands or the sleek, power pop visions of others. Maybe the best way is to point you here. http://www.elephant6.com/history/story.html

As for the tour, Julian Koster of The Music Tapes has For Clouds And Tornadoes (Merge), his outfit’s first album in nearly a decade (Koster also played on E6’s seminal albums, OTC’s Dusk At Cubist Castle and NMH’s In The Aeroplane Over The Sea). Joining Koster will be assorted members of the other bands, possibly even Hart and Mangum. In for sure are folks from Elf Power, Nana Grizol, and The Gerbils, playing music from Music Tapes, Circulatory System, Scott Spillaine, Gerbils, EP, OTC, Nana Grizol, and Nesey Gallons. To boot, the three-hour bonanza opens with the first E6 movie, Major Organ And The Adding Machine.

If you don’t know what Elephant 6 is after this, God help you.

— Steve Forstneger

Category: Stage Buzz, Weekly