12 Rods
Encyclopedia
12 Rods was an indie rock
band formed in Oxford
, Ohio
, United States
in 1992. The group went on to relocate to Minneapolis
, Minnesota
in 1995 until its end in 2004.
, Matt Flynn, and Daniel Perlin were included as members of the band. At this time the group was known as Ryan'z Bihg Hed, a name coined by Flynn in reference to Olcott's purported behavior during their rehearsals. The band prepared numerous songs for a performance early in the summer of 1992 at a local high school graduation party named "Field Fest 3". A cassette recording of this performance, titled Helikopter Hundrid Dolurz, became their first release before the group disbanded until July 1992 when Olcott was invited to sing in for a new group formed by McGuire, Flynn, and Daniel Burton-Rose at a performance at the end of the summer. Olcott accepted and the roster went on to name themselves "12RODS", a title discovered by Flynn in a passage from a children's Bible.
The group independently-released Bliss in 1993, their first album under the name 12 Rods, which was recorded in Minneapolis while the members were still living in Oxford. In 1996, one year after fully relocating to Minneapolis, the band released the EP gay?, which went on to bring the group much-needed publicity following a review by an early Pitchfork Media
where it received one of the few 10.0 ratings given in the publication's history. Former Pitchfork columnist Jason Josephes spoke of gay? favorably in his "Three Blocks from Groove Street" column after he and Pitchfork founder Ryan Schreiber saw 12 Rods' first Minneapolis concert and bought the EP.
In 1996, 12 Rods became the first American act to sign to the newly founded V2 Records
, then a part of Richard Branson's Virgin Group
, where gay? was reissued, making it the group's first major label release. The band's next album Split Personalities was released in 1998 and was named in Pitchfork Media's first list of the best albums of the 1990s (although it was absent in the second version). Minneapolis musician Bill Shaw joined the group around this time, serving as its bassist until the end of the band's career.
12 Rods released its next album, the Todd Rundgren
-produced Separation Anxieties, in 2000. The band was dropped by V2 Records following the album's release, which was a disappointment both critically and commercially. Local Minneapolis drummer Dave King
went on to be the group's drummer for most of the remainder of its career after McGuire's departure from the band following recording sessions for Separation Anxieties.
The group recorded and released one more album, 2002's self-released Lost Time, then broke up in 2004.
, Alaska
and The Few Nice Words, and co-founded audio software company Audiofile Engineering. McGuire went on to play with Kid Dakota
, John Vanderslice
, The Mountain Goats
, Quruli
and has been involved in giving drumming lessons. Bill Shaw re-formed Post Mortem Grinner and also plays in The Few Nice Words and Halloween, Alaska
. Dave King plays actively with Happy Apple
, The Bad Plus
and Halloween, Alaska
.
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band formed in Oxford
Oxford, Ohio
Oxford is a city in northwestern Butler County, Ohio, United States, in the southwestern portion of the state. It lies in Oxford Township, originally called the College Township. The population was 21,943 at the 2000 census. This college town was founded as a home for Miami University. Oxford...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1992. The group went on to relocate to Minneapolis
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
in 1995 until its end in 2004.
History
An early incarnation of the group that would become 12 Rods was formed in Oxford, Ohio, in May 1992, initiated by Talawanda High School student Ryan Olcott. Friends and fellow students Christopher McGuireChristopher McGuire
Christopher McGuire is an American drum set player, session drummer, drum teacher, and producer. He is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States.-Early life and career:...
, Matt Flynn, and Daniel Perlin were included as members of the band. At this time the group was known as Ryan'z Bihg Hed, a name coined by Flynn in reference to Olcott's purported behavior during their rehearsals. The band prepared numerous songs for a performance early in the summer of 1992 at a local high school graduation party named "Field Fest 3". A cassette recording of this performance, titled Helikopter Hundrid Dolurz, became their first release before the group disbanded until July 1992 when Olcott was invited to sing in for a new group formed by McGuire, Flynn, and Daniel Burton-Rose at a performance at the end of the summer. Olcott accepted and the roster went on to name themselves "12RODS", a title discovered by Flynn in a passage from a children's Bible.
The group independently-released Bliss in 1993, their first album under the name 12 Rods, which was recorded in Minneapolis while the members were still living in Oxford. In 1996, one year after fully relocating to Minneapolis, the band released the EP gay?, which went on to bring the group much-needed publicity following a review by an early Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
where it received one of the few 10.0 ratings given in the publication's history. Former Pitchfork columnist Jason Josephes spoke of gay? favorably in his "Three Blocks from Groove Street" column after he and Pitchfork founder Ryan Schreiber saw 12 Rods' first Minneapolis concert and bought the EP.
In 1996, 12 Rods became the first American act to sign to the newly founded V2 Records
V2 Records
V2 Records is a record label that is owned by Universal Music Group as of October 2007. The label was founded in 1996 by Richard Branson, five years after he sold Virgin Records to EMI....
, then a part of Richard Branson's Virgin Group
Virgin Group
Virgin Group Limited is a British branded venture capital conglomerate organisation founded by business tycoon Richard Branson. The core business areas are travel, entertainment and lifestyle. Virgin Group's date of incorporation is listed as 1989 by Companies House, who class it as a holding...
, where gay? was reissued, making it the group's first major label release. The band's next album Split Personalities was released in 1998 and was named in Pitchfork Media's first list of the best albums of the 1990s (although it was absent in the second version). Minneapolis musician Bill Shaw joined the group around this time, serving as its bassist until the end of the band's career.
12 Rods released its next album, the Todd Rundgren
Todd Rundgren
Todd Harry Rundgren is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and record producer. Hailed in the early stage of his career as a new pop-wunderkind, supported by the certified gold solo double LP Something/Anything? in 1972, Todd Rundgren's career has produced a diverse range of recordings...
-produced Separation Anxieties, in 2000. The band was dropped by V2 Records following the album's release, which was a disappointment both critically and commercially. Local Minneapolis drummer Dave King
David King (musician)
David King is a drummer/ composer from Minneapolis. He is best known for being a founding member of the jazz groups The Bad Plus and Happy Apple although he is active in many other projects including free jazz collective Buffalo Collision with NYC "Downtown" legends Tim Berne and Hank Roberts and...
went on to be the group's drummer for most of the remainder of its career after McGuire's departure from the band following recording sessions for Separation Anxieties.
The group recorded and released one more album, 2002's self-released Lost Time, then broke up in 2004.
After 12 Rods
Following the band's break-up, Ryan went on to perform solo as Foodteam, with a band as Mystery Palace, and is a prominent record producer in Minneapolis. Ev went on to play in HalloweenHalloween, Alaska
Halloween, Alaska is a Minnesota-based band consisting of James Diers , Jake Hanson , Bill Shaw , and David King . All of the group's members live in the Twin Cities. Original keyboardist and programmer Ev left the band in 2008...
, Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
and The Few Nice Words, and co-founded audio software company Audiofile Engineering. McGuire went on to play with Kid Dakota
Kid Dakota
Kid Dakota is the musical moniker of Darren Jackson. He started performing as "Kid Dakota and the Tumbleweeds" in 1998 while living in Providence, Rhode Island. The name was chosen in homage to his home state of South Dakota and also as a parody of Kid Rock...
, John Vanderslice
John Vanderslice
John Vanderslice is an American musician and songwriter. Previously a member of the band Mk Ultra, he now records and performs as a solo artist.-Early years:...
, The Mountain Goats
The Mountain Goats
The Mountain Goats is an American indie rock band formed in Claremont, CA by singer-songwriter John Darnielle. For many years, the sole member of the Mountain Goats was Darnielle himself, despite the plural moniker....
, Quruli
Quruli
is a popular Japanese music group formed in 1996. As of March 2007, the lineup consists of Masashi Satoh and Shigeru Kishida. Their music is produced and distributed by Victor Entertainment.- Career :...
and has been involved in giving drumming lessons. Bill Shaw re-formed Post Mortem Grinner and also plays in The Few Nice Words and Halloween, Alaska
Halloween, Alaska
Halloween, Alaska is a Minnesota-based band consisting of James Diers , Jake Hanson , Bill Shaw , and David King . All of the group's members live in the Twin Cities. Original keyboardist and programmer Ev left the band in 2008...
. Dave King plays actively with Happy Apple
Happy Apple
Happy Apple is an American jazz trio.Formed in 1996 in Minneapolis, members of the band are David King , Michael Lewis and Erik Fratzke ....
, The Bad Plus
The Bad Plus
The Bad Plus are a jazz trio from the United States, consisting of pianist Ethan Iverson, bassist Reid Anderson, and drummer Dave King, originating from Minneapolis, MN.-History:...
and Halloween, Alaska
Halloween, Alaska
Halloween, Alaska is a Minnesota-based band consisting of James Diers , Jake Hanson , Bill Shaw , and David King . All of the group's members live in the Twin Cities. Original keyboardist and programmer Ev left the band in 2008...
.
Discography
- Helikopter Hundrid Dolurz (1992 - as Ryan'z Bihg Hed)
- BlissBliss (12 Rods album)- Track listing :# "Stella" - # "Repeat" - # "Choke" - # "When Comes Sunday" - # "Day By Day" - # "I Am Faster" - # "Come Down On Me" - # "Megabright" - # "Tell a Lie" - # "Mr. Whipple" -...
(1993) - A Very Special Christmas (1995)
- Gay?Gay?Gay? is the name of a 1996 EP released by 12 Rods, their first released on a label . It is notable for receiving a very rare 10.0 rating from Pitchfork Media upon its release, being one of the few albums to ever have done so.-Track listing:# "Red" # "Make Out Music" # "Gaymo" # "Mexico" # "Friend"...
EP (1996) - Split PersonalitiesSplit Personalities (album)Split Personalities is a 1998 album by 12 Rods. It was the band's second full length album.-Track listing:# "Split Personality" – 5:35# "Red" – 6:34# "I Am Faster" – 6:43# "Chromatically Declining Me" – 3:55# "Part of 2" – 3:23...
(1998) - Separation AnxietiesSeparation AnxietiesSeparation Anxieties is a 2000 album by 12 Rods. It was the band's third full length album.-Track listing:# "Kaboom" – 4:00# "What Has Happened?" – 2:56# "Astrogimp" – 3:57# "Radioaction" – 4:17# "I Think I'm Flying" – 3:56...
(2000) - Lost TimeLost TimeLost Time is a 2002 album by 12 Rods. It was the band's fourth, and final, full length album.-Track listing:# "Universal Time" – 1:15# "Fake Magic 8-ball" – 3:38# "24 Hours Ago" – 4:02# "One Thing Does Not Belong" – 3:06# "Boy In The Woods" – 3:48...
(2002) - Gay? remixed and remastered (2003)
- Unreleased Vol. 1-6 (2004)
- Last Show: First Avenue (2004)
Line-up
- Ryan Olcott – vocals, guitar, synths
- Christopher McGuireChristopher McGuireChristopher McGuire is an American drum set player, session drummer, drum teacher, and producer. He is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States.-Early life and career:...
– drums (1992–1999) - Ev (Olcott) – synths, guitar, vocals
- William Shaw – bass (1998–2004)
- Matthew Foust – bass (1994–1996)
- Matt Flynn – bass (1992–1994)
- David KingDavid King (musician)David King is a drummer/ composer from Minneapolis. He is best known for being a founding member of the jazz groups The Bad Plus and Happy Apple although he is active in many other projects including free jazz collective Buffalo Collision with NYC "Downtown" legends Tim Berne and Hank Roberts and...
– drums (2000–2004) - Jacob Hanson – guitar (2003–2004)
External links
- 12 Rods official site
- Great Citypages Interview
- Audiofile Engineering - company co-founded by Ev