The Microphones: Bass Drum Dream/The Storm/Where It's Hotter Parts 1, 2 & 3 7" (Up Records, 1998)

(7" cover front, back, vinyl inner label A, B)








The Microphones: Bass Drum Dream/The Storm/Where It's Hotter Parts 1, 2 & 3 7"
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-The 7" says that this was "Produced by Phil Elvrum" so we must assume he did all the recording here. "Bass Drum Dream" was recorded at Dub Narcotic. Where it's Hotter was recorded at The Business. And there is something of a vagary concerning where "The Storm" was recorded.

-Released on Up Records (UP064) (http://www.uprecords.com/ P.O. Box 21328 Seattle, WA 98111). In the "Song Islands" CD Phil writes that this was released in 1998, however, on the vinyl inner label the copyright information says 1999. In the FIB interview with Jimi Sharp (issue #8) Phil states that this 7" is in the works and is coming out in December of '98.

-Cover designed by Justyn Pogue, using elements we would see again on the nest 7" (Feedback) and on the first Microphones vinyl LP (Don't Wake Me Up).

-No idea how many were pressed. Up was a pretty well-established label by this time but I would still imagine that this 7" was in the 500 copies or less realm.

-Record plays at 45 rpms on both sides.

-Vinyl is black, as far as I know, on all copies.

-Inner groove features the generic label numbering (UP 064-A and B) as well as some other designation on both sides which I have no idea about (L-50999).

-These songs (same versions) would all later be collected, in order, on the "Song Islands" CD

-Other details of note:

This is the first Microphones release on vinyl.

As with the second 7" on the cover there is no "The" it is only referred to as "Microphones" however on the vinyl inner label there is a "The".

As with the second 7" the track list literally reads:
Bass Drum Dream then the Storm, Where it's Hotter Parts 1, 2, 3

"Where it's Hotter" sometimes picks up and loses the "&" symbol. On the back of the 7" it is absent, however on the vinyl inner label it appears. It is also present on the liner notes to the "Song Islands" CD but absent on the back cover. Also the "parts" in the name changes from time to time. On this 7" it is written out as "Parts" both on the back cover and on the vinyl inner label. It is, likewise, written out in the "Song Islands" liner notes, however it is abbreviated as "pts." on the back cover.

Phil's contact info is again, as on all early releases, listed as KNW-YR-OWN 1717 Commercial Ave Anacortes, WA 98221)

This is one of the only Phil releases that does not feature his distinctive hand-drawn inner labels (I need to look into this but we may go as far as the very recent "Black Wooden" EP released as part of the "Latitudes" Series on . Instead we have the generic Up Records template. Talk about coming full-circle...)

As with the second Microphone's 7", this one was discussed briefly with Jimi Sharp for his FIB zine (issue #8). In this interview Phil is talking about his plans for upcoming releases. He says that he is going to be putting out a 7" on Up Records, possible featuring the songs "Bass Drum Dream" and "In Sleep I Float Around" plus more. He says the second 7" in the works will possible feature the song "Where it's Hotter" and others. But, as we can see, that song would be bumped up the b-side of this first 7" for reasons none of us will ever know.






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In a real coup for my cause this (the first ever Microphones 7") and "Feedback" (the second ever Microphones 7") were won from one single lovely seller on Ebay for a song. Getting these two were sort of an early Holy Grail (although there are since many, many more much holier grails in their place, sigh). The fact that these are the first 7"s by Phil is something but is actually made much less in light of the fact that there are copious amounts of earlier, more primitive, releases than these. In fact, in light of that, listening to these now, they seem far less rudimentary and primal than they once did to me. This was already Phil a few steps up the evolutionary ladder.

All of the early hallmarks are there, Phil singing about the actual, literal equipment involved in recording "a drum set in the sky..." "bass drum making the sound wave...", the percussion heavy (lets not forget the fascinating fact that Phil kind of got started as a drummer) arrangements, weird samples and so on. But the seeds of where he's going are clearly visible, the beginning riffs of "Bass Drum Dream" sound like they are just dying to turn into "I Lost My Wind", "The Storm" is practically an excerpt from "The Sun" from the last Microphones album proper, "Where It's Hotter" sounds like it could be an early run-through of the ideas that would become "The Glow", et al.

It seems worth noting that "The Storm" is not actually credited as a song on the 7" itself and, even on the cover, it is sort of added as an afterthought to "Bass Drum Dream" ("...then the storm" maybe to declassify it as a song and make it more of an interlude, though later it would achieve "actual song" status on the "Song Islands" collection CD.)

No insert, any info here is either gleaned from the cryptic cover, the music itself or purely extrapolated.
(--029, --125, -123)



Tracklist
---------------
Side A:

Bass Drum Dream
The Storm


Side B:

Where It's Hotter Pts. 1, 2, & 3
















xo

The Microphones(' SINGERS): I Can't Believe You Actually Died/I'm A Pearl Diver 7" (Coming In Second Records, 2000)

(7" front, back, vinyl inner label side A, B, 7" pictured with insert)







The Microphones(' SINGERS): I Can't Believe You Actually Died/I'm A Pearl Diver 7"
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-Recorded in November of 2000 at Dub Narcotic, Olympia, Wash. by Phil Elvrum, Bret Lunsford, Dennis Driscoll, Ariana Jacob, Mirah Yom Tov Zeitlyn, Forrest Martin, Chris Sand, Calvin Johnson, Jenn Kliese, Jason Wall, Nate Ashley, Khaela Maricich, Amber Bell, Mike May, and "Karl Blau"*

*One assumes these usual suspects are the "Singers" referred to in the cryptic title here. Also, if anyone can tell me why Karl's name appears here in quotation marks that would be just so great.

**Update on that "Karl" questions. Ben helpfully commented below that he read "Karl" is actually a reference to an ancient tape-loop drum machine used at Dub Narcotic named "Karl Blau" in honor of Karl Blau himself. Ben goes on to guess that that is the source of the distorted drums in "I'm A Pearl Diver" and at the beginning of "I Want Wind To Blow" etc... Thank you, Ben! Much appreciated!

-Released on Coming in Second (CIS 012) (I've got two conflicting addresses here. The one on the 7" itself is: 1807 Division Ave. Boise, Ida. 83701. Then I see one on Discogs.com which may be more up-too-date [http://www.discogs.com/label/Coming+In+Second]: 1823 Atlantic St. Boise, Ida. 83705. May the best address win.). They have a website that has, at some point, apparently been "hacked" (cominginsecond.com).

-As is par for the course there is a serious lack of info out there about this release. No one is credited with the design or art, which is a lovely block print, I think. It is really reminiscent of a couple of Nikki McClure 7"'s K Records put out years ago. I remember them also being block printed and having this little, weird, fold-over edge to them. I even sort of remember them having this same dragonfly insignia. I'll get back to you on this. Probably just a coincidence or trick of memory.*

Ok update on this. According to the Japanese release of the "Song Islands" cd Phil did the artwork for this. Although I have to say there some little discrepancies sometimes between the info given on that disc and its US counterpart or the 7"s themselves.

-No idea how many were pressed, I'm guessing, as usual, in the 500 or less range, based on the size of the label.

-Record plays and 45 rpms, both sides.

-These songs would later be collected (same versions) on the "Song Islands" CD.*

*As with some other songs, the title for "I'm a Pearl Diver" appears in variant forms. On the back of the 7" and the back of the "Song Islands" CD, as well as the liner notes it is referred to by it's full name. However, on the vinyl inner label it is referred to simply as "Pearl Diver"

-The inner groove info is pretty run-of-the-mill, i.e. a corresponding label number and then a longer set of numbers that I have no idea what they mean (CIS-012-A and B, and then U-53168-M-A and B,). Additionally, on both sides there is what appears to be a little initialization or signature. Am I naive, is this like, a "thing" with vinyl pressing that I am not aware of? My apologies if it is/I am. The signature appears to be, on side A, a tiny overlaid "OI" and on side B a tiny overlaid "OS".

-Vinyl is black on all copies so far as I know.

-The only insert that came with this is a small black and white label catalog for Coming In Second (Winter Catalog). As of this writing I actually do not have a copy of this 7" with the insert and, in fact, did not realize until recently that such an insert existed. If anyone has one and feels like parting with it I'd be grateful. I'll get back to you on any further specifics about it when I get my hands on one.

-Other details of note on this record:

Inner vinyl label is in Phil's trademark style, not quite there yet but getting closer to hitting it's stride.

This is the first appearance of the concept of "Singers". Which, I guess, Phil sort of considers a subset/band from his proper project. Something slightly more collective maybe. Though he utilizes all of these people and their choral presence all over many of his recordings. For some reason, I'm assuming it was the recording circumstances, they here get a special billing (as they would later get their own actual "SINGERS" LP).

"I Can't Believe You Actually Died" is about Phil's friend Brandon Shafer (Leica Piranha). I do not know the details of his life or death and I am not going to even attempt to go further with that, out of respect to the parties involved. All I know is that he was a young, creative individual amongst like-minded friends, taken, in some way, too soon. In Jimi Sharp's FIB zone (Issue Twelverum) they talk briefly about Leica and this 7". Phil just saying that he had made this record as a tribute and sent it to Brandon's mother but had lost touch with her.

Not sure if "I'm a Pearl Diver" is related to that or not. It does, however, feel like an early progenitor of Phil's later, far-flung, two part story featured in "A Log in the Waves" and "I Whale".




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This was one of the first ones I got this past winter when I started this ridiculous collecting thing in earnest. My first priority of business being to track down all of the records of all of the songs collected on the "Song Islands" CD (some of which, alas, I think I will go to my grave never having seen, like, oh you know, the ones where Phil himself doesn't even know what their on or if the comps they were supposed to be on ever even got released).

Not sure what the explanation behind the "Microphones' Singers" attribution is, other than that these two songs seem to be recorded in sort of the same spirit as the much later released "Singers" LP, ie a bunch of people in a room sort of improvising to what Phil is doing, i.e. all Microphones recordings? haha.

This record has the distinction of being home to the song which is the namesake and standard bearer of our floating, "eternal last" mix --Figure 8 Plus......(I Can't Believe You Actually Died)
It was an accident of fate that that turned out to be the subject song of the 8th and last mix of the first wave. Prophetic really, performing the last rights and elegy before any of us even knew there was soon to be a death in the family. I know this song and that mix are sometimes particularly hard for some of us ex-Bmax-ers and current KINGS' (More on all of that over at THE SEANCE, coming soon.)

This is one of those records where you look at it and the cover gives you a feeling that is not very like the music therein. The front has that weird Halloween feel and the back looks like the Microphones version of a Sailor Jerry tattoo. No insert, all the info is on the back. But really what do you need? These two songs, esp. "Died" are, once again, really high-water marks for The Microphones, and us, as Microphones acolytes.
(Figure 8 Plus [originally 008]/032)



Tracklist
---------------
Side A:

I Can't Believe You Actually Died


Side B:

I'm A Pearl Diver









xo

The Microphones: Moon, Moon/I Lost My Wind 7" (K Records, 1999)

(7" cover, front, back, vinyl inner label, A, B)







The Microphones: Moon, Moon/I Lost My Wind 7"
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-Recorded "mostly in August 1999 at Dub Narcotic by Phil Elvrum, Khaela Maricich & Dennis Driscoll"

-Released on K Records as part of their "International Pop Underground" series. (www.kpunk.com) (PO Box 7154 Olympia, Wash. 98057) This is the International Pop Underground vol. XCV (#95).

-No indication who designed the art or the cover though it is worth noting that the front cover is very reminiscent of the "Don't Wake Me Up" LP and the back cover seems to riff on the the first press of the "It Was Hot..." LP.*

Again, it is worth noting that according to the Japanese release of the "Song Islands" cd the artwork was designed by Phil. Although there are a number of discrepancies between the info on that cd and other sources.

-No idea about pressing numbers. This was on K so I might guess that it was as high as 1000 or even 1500.

-Record plays at 45 rpms on both sides.

-All copies on black vinyl, as far as I know. Though again, this is that very thin vinyl which, though black, if held up to a light appears to be translucent brown.

-Inner groove info is standard label stuff (IPU 95 A and B)

-These songs would later be collected (same versions) on the "Song Islands" CD.

-Other details of note on this record:

Side A is credited to "The Microphones featuring Khaela Maricich". Side B is credited to "The Microphones featuring Dennis Driscoll"

Side B has an unlisted, untitled track that's about a minute long and is just noise, cymbals and drums crashing. (Thank you to Ben for reminding me of this track and the description, cheers!)

As in past releases, they are again, on the cover of the 7" referred to only as "Microphones", no "The". Though on the vinyl inner label they are referred to as "The Microphones"

Here we have the first full-on appearance of Phil's trademark inner labels. The color is there, the design and fonts are there. It's all in place, at last.




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This was another lucky early purchase in my Microphones career. This was, I think, one of the records that turned my opinion around about The Microphones. Up until then (more on this as we go) I think I thought of them as a formless, shambling indie rock mess. It was here that I finally got a glimpse at the tiny, fragile, songs and sentiments at the core of the mess. The first inkling of the elementary school chorus aesthetics of Phil. I remember this record spinning on a turntable in the Harvard Square Newbury Comics, going into my ears and my brain. Probably right before or right after the copy of The Microphones "Blood" LP I had in my hands and then passed up on then. This record, I can say, absolutely, with total recall, was the moment that I started to understand and like the Microphones. I had tried on earlier occasions. My first interaction was in Seattle, working at Orpheum Records (RIP) on Broadway on Capitol Hill. The "Tests" CD showed up and I gave it a spin and was unimpressed (stupid Brian) and there were some attempts in Boston after Nicole suggested I might like them. To me they were already cemented as nothing great, man was I wrong. Thank goodness I kept trying, and I guess that, in and of itself, is a testament to Phil and his beautiful looking records.

These songs have the distinction of being early soldiers in the mix war but also, sort of unsung, in their way. "I Lost my Wind" ended up being the secondary title song for mix 5 (it's original, as we will see soon, was "Karl Blau") and "Moon, Moon" has the distinction of being one of the first Phil songs to be incorporated in the mixes as songs but not as the title/focus of a particular mix.
(...is on mix 6, but not used as a title/005 [secondary title track])




Tracklist
---------------
Side A:

Moon, Moon


Side B:

I Lost My Wind
Untitled, unlisted track









xo