The Microphones Discography
The Microphones were an American indie folk, indie rock, and experimental band, founded and fronted by Phil Elverum. The band has released 5 studio albums, 13 miscellaneous albums, 3 extended plays, and 8 singles. Elverum began the Microphones initially as a solo project, releasing cassette demos of tests and experiments. Between 1996 and 1998, Elverum released four demos, mostly on Bret Lunsford's label Knw-Yr-Own. The CD Tests, released in June 1998, was a compilation album comprising tracks from previous cassettes. The same year, the band released the 7" single "Bass Drum Dream". The band's first studio album, Don't Wake Me Up, was released on K Records in August 1999 and gave the band a small following. Two more 7-inches were released in 1999: "Feedback (Life, Love, Loop)" and "Moon Moon".
The extended play Window: was released in February 2000. In September 2000, the studio album It Was Hot, We Stayed in the Water was released on K, solidifying Don't Wake Me Up's sound. The Glow Pt. 2 was released on K in September 2001; it went on to become a cult classic and Elverum's most critically acclaimed album. The same month, Blood was released, a limited-copy compilation album. Two 7-inches were released in 2001: "The Moon" and "I Can't Believe You Actually Died", the former included on The Glow Pt. 2.
The single compilation album Song Islands was released in August 2002, and the limited-copy album Little Bird Flies into a Big Black Cloud was released in September 2002. The 7-inch "Lanterns/Antlers" was also released in 2002, and was included on Song Islands. In 2003, the studio album Mount Eerie was released, along with two extended plays consisting of stems from the album: The Singing from Mt. Eerie and The Drums from Mt. Eerie. Mount Eerie is a concept album that portrays a linear storyline. After the release of Mount Eerie, Elverum retired the Microphones pseudonym and opted to release his music under Mount Eerie instead, as the themes of his music had changed.
There were some sparse releases during the Microphones' hiatus: the live album Live in Japan in 2004; the B-sides album The Glow Pt. 2 (Other Songs & Destroyed Versions) in 2007; the 7-inch "Don’t Smoke/Get Off the Internet" in 2007; an appearance on a collaborative single in 2011; and the 2016 compilation album Early Tapes, 1996–1998, made of selections from the early demos. In August 2020, Elverum returned to the Microphones name with the studio album Microphones in 2020, an autobiographical concept album consisting of one 44-minute song. The limited-copy album Foghorn Tape was released in March 2021, consisting of an ambient foghorn recording. In February 2022, Completely Everything, 1996–2021 was released, a compilation box set of the five Microphones studio albums, Early Tapes, and Song Islands. Elverum has stated that the box set is the end of the Microphones, which makes Microphones in 2020 the band's final studio album.
Albums
Studio albums
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Don't Wake Me Up |
|
| It Was Hot, We Stayed in the Water |
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| The Glow Pt. 2 |
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| Mount Eerie |
|
| Microphones in 2020 |
|
Miscellaneous albums
| Title | Description | Release details | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microphone | Demo tape |
|
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| Microphone Mix | Demo tape |
|
|
| Wires & Cords | Demo tape |
|
|
| Tests (cassette version) | Demo tape |
|
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| Tests (CD version) | Compilation demo album, made of selections from previous demos. First CD release. |
|
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| Blood | Limited-copy album; described by Pitchfork as "a collection of b-sides to singles that never existed". |
|
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| Song Islands | Compilation album of "singles and rarities" |
|
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| Little Bird Flies into a Big Black Cloud | Limited-copy album with stripped down, "intimate" music |
|
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| Live in Japan, February 19th, 21st, and 22nd, 2003 | Live album, recorded in 2003 |
|
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| The Glow Pt. 2 (Other Songs & Destroyed Versions) | Compilation of extras from The Glow Pt. 2 |
|
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| Early Tapes, 1996–1998 | Archival compilation album of selected tracks from the early cassette releases |
|
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| Foghorn Tape | Ambient tape loop of a foghorn recording. Elverum described it as "no songs, no music". |
|
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| Completely Everything, 1996–2021 | Compilation box set of the 5 Microphones studio albums, Early Tapes, and Song Islands. Live recordings, the complete discography, stems, and outtakes are included digitally. |
|
Extended plays
| Title | Release details | Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| Window: |
|
|
| The Singing from Mt. Eerie |
|
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| The Drums from Mt. Eerie |
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Singles
| Title | Release details | Album | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Bass Drum Dream" |
|
None originally; later included on Song Islands | |
| "Feedback (Life, Love, Loop)" |
|
None originally; later included on Song Islands | |
| "Moon Moon" |
|
None originally; later included on Song Islands | |
| "The Moon" (as Micro Phones) |
|
The Glow Pt. 2 | |
| "I Can't Believe You Actually Died" (as The Microphones' Singers) |
|
None originally; later included on Song Islands | |
| "Lanterns/Antlers" a.k.a. "Lanterns (Let Go Of Everything)" |
|
Song Islands | |
| "Don’t Smoke/Get Off the Internet" |
|
— | |
| "I Lost My Wind" |
|
Collaborate with a 1940s Wire Recorder |
References and notes
Notes
- ^ Including live albums, box sets, compilation albums, and demo albums
- ^ Elverum's first two cassette demos, Face Shapes and Beautiful Face, were released in 1996 but were not released under the Microphones name, thus are not included on this list.
- ^ Elverum released two albums under the name "Tests", but they had different contents: the first was a demo cassette, and the second was a compilation CD of tracks from previous cassettes.
- ^ Was not released as a standalone single, but part of the collaborative 7" single, Collaborate with a 1940s Wire Recorder
Citations
- ^ Baumgarten 2012, p. 231.
- ^ Douglas, Martin (October 1, 2020). "Throwaway Style: What If I Called This Piece Microphones in 2020?". KEXP. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
X-Ray Means Woman and Mostly Clouds and Trees made way for Elverum to begin naming his project the Microphones after developing an interpersonal relationship with his recording equipment and a deep reward in putting songs to tape.
- ^ Ankeny n.d., "the Microphones' first two cassettes, 1997's Microphone and Wires & Cords, appeared on Lunsford's Knw-Yr-Own label.".
- ^ Gormely 2018, "Up Records, early home to fellow Pacific Northwest groups Built to Spill and Modest Mouse, releases Bass Drum Dream on seven-inch".
- ^ Gormely 2018, "This is the first time Elverum is able to connect with an audience, and he builds a small following".
- ^ Gormely 2018, "Elverum releases a further two Microphones seven-inches: Moon Moon on K Records, and Feedback (Life, Love, Loop) on the Bedtime Records.".
- ^ Gormely 2018, "The Microphones also release the EP Window on YoYo Records".
- ^ Lyons, Patrick (September 25, 2020). "The Microphones' It Was Hot, We Stayed In The Water Was Phil Elverum's First Masterpiece". Stereogum. Archived from the original on July 22, 2022. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
- ^ Moreland, Quinn (July 31, 2018). "Love Is Real: On Phil Elverum Marrying Michelle Williams". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on August 9, 2020. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
- ^ Stosuy, Brandon (July 1, 2009). "An interview with Phil Elverum". Believer Magazine. Archived from the original on November 14, 2019. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
- ^ The Microphones - Blood, AllMusic, retrieved November 12, 2022
- ^ Gormely 2018, "The Moon seven-inch, credited to the Micro Phones, appears on Instatone Brand, while the Microphones' Singers I Can't Believe You Actually Died, a seven-inch, [...] comes out on Comin in Second".
- ^ Ankeny n.d., "while the singles collection Song Islands and single "Lanterns/Antlers" appeared on K".
- ^ Gormely 2018, "K also releases The Singing from Mount Eerie and The Drums from Mount Eerie; each features the singing and drums from the Mount Eerie album in isolation, plus one bonus track not included on the original album.".
- ^ Lee, Lavina (2003). "The Microphones – Mount Eerie Review". Flak Magazine. Archived from the original on June 5, 2003. Retrieved May 22, 2021.
- ^ Carr, Eric (January 20, 2003). "The Microphones: Mount Eerie". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on March 9, 2021. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
- ^ Howe, Brian (May 13, 2008). "Microphones". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on February 10, 2021. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
- ^ "Phil Elverum's announces first new Microphones album in 17 years". The A.V. Club. June 16, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
- ^ "Microphones box set". P.W. Elverum & Sun. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
- ^ "Microphones box set – P.W. Elverum & Sun". P.W. Elverum & Sun. January 14, 2022. Archived from the original on March 23, 2023. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
- ^ Bloom, Madison (January 14, 2022). "Phil Elverum Details Microphones Vinyl Box Set". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
- ^ Ankeny n.d., "the Microphones' first two cassettes, 1997's Microphone and Wires & Cords, appeared on Lunsford's Knw-Yr-Own label.".
- ^ "Microphone (1996 tape), by the Microphones". PW. Elverum and Sun. Retrieved November 10, 2022 – via Bandcamp.
- ^ "Microphone Mix (1997 tape), by the Microphones". PW. Elverum and Sun. Retrieved November 10, 2022 – via Bandcamp.
- ^ "Wires + Cords (1997 tape), by the Microphones". PW. Elverum and Sun. Retrieved November 10, 2022 – via Bandcamp.
- ^ "TESTS (1998 tape), by the Microphones". PW. Elverum and Sun. Retrieved November 10, 2022 – via Bandcamp.
- ^ Gormely 2018, "Some of the material he records, combined with selections from his previous releases, make up his first CD, confusingly also called Tests. It's released on Elsinor Records. ".
- ^ "TESTS, by the Microphones". PW. Elverum and Sun. Retrieved November 10, 2022 – via Bandcamp.
- ^ "The Microphones: Blood". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
- ^ "Song Islands, by Microphones". P.W. Elverum and Sun. Retrieved November 13, 2022 – via Bandcamp.
- ^ "The Microphones - Little Bird Flies Into A Big Black Cloud Album Review", AllMusic, retrieved November 12, 2022
- ^ "The Microphones - Live in Japan, February 19th, 21st, and 22nd, 2003 Album Review", AllMusic, retrieved November 12, 2022
- ^ "the Glow pt. 2 (Other Songs & Destroyed Versions), by the Microphones". P.W. Elverum and Sun. Retrieved November 13, 2022 – via Bandcamp.
- ^ Gormely 2018, "In December, Elverum releases the Microphones Early Tapes 1996–1998 on Phil Elverum and Suns. As the title suggests, it collects selections from the Microphones early cassette recordings.".
- ^ Graves, Wren (March 3, 2021). "The Microphones drop ambient Foghorn Tape featuring "no songs, no music"". Consequence. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
- ^ "Window:, by the Microphones". PW. Elverum and Sun. Retrieved November 10, 2022 – via Bandcamp.
- ^ Ankeny n.d., "Elverum also issued a string of Microphones singles in 1999 -- Bass Drum Dream, "Feedback (Life, Love, Loop)," and Moon Moon".
- ^ Gormely 2018, "The Microphones release the seven-inch Lanterns (Let Go Of Everything) on K as part of their International Pop Underground series".
- ^ Ankeny n.d., "while the singles collection Song Islands and single "Lanterns/Antlers" appeared on K".
- ^ Gormely 2018, "The Microphones Don't Smoke/Get of the Internet seven-inch comes out on Phil Elverum and Suns label".
- ^ ""Don't Smoke/Get Off The Internet 7", by the Microphones". P.W. Elverum and Sun. Retrieved November 13, 2022 – via Bandcamp.
- ^ Gormely 2018, "Elverum contributes "I Lost My Wind," credited to the Microphones, to the five-way split seven-inch that includes the Flaming Lips Wayne Coyne and Bishop Allen called Collaborate with a 1940s Wire Recorder".
Sources
- Baumgarten, Mark (2012). Love Rock Revolution: K Records and the Rise of Independent Music. Seattle: Sasquatch Books. ISBN 978-1-57061-822-2. OCLC 755697720. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
- Ankeny, Jason (n.d.). "The Microphones Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: year (link) - Gormely, Ian (November 5, 2018). "Microphones, Mount Eerie and Melancholy: The Career of Phil Elverum". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on November 16, 2018. Retrieved July 14, 2022.