Bablicon
Encyclopedia
Bablicon was an Elephant 6-related free-jazz band consisting of members of Neutral Milk Hotel
and The Gerbils
.
The band was formed in 1996 when Dave McDonnell (credited as The Diminisher
), Jeremy Barnes
(as "Marta Tennae"), and Griffin Rodriguez ("Blue Hawaii") teamed up to write and improvise music. Their almost-entirely-improvised album In A Different City was recorded in Chicago
during this time, and later released in 1999. In a unique twist, the band had an audience paint vinyl LP covers while they performed, which were later collected as "painticons" and distributed as the actual album covers for the LP version of the album.
The Orange Tapered Moon EP followed in 2000, recorded during a late night marathon session at WFMU
. The LP covers were again created in the same way the In a Different City covers were.
In 2001, the band released A Flat Inside A Fog, The Cat That Was A Dog, another ambitious project. The band split following this release, with McDonnell studying in China and starting the Michael Columbia project with drummer Dylan Ryan, Barnes going to France to work on other projects, and Rodriguez working on his Icy Demons
project. Barnes now records as A Hawk and a Hacksaw
.
Singles and EPs
Neutral Milk Hotel
Neutral Milk Hotel was an American indie rock band formed by singer, guitarist and songwriter Jeff Mangum in the early 1990s. The band was noted for its experimental sound, obscure lyrics and eclectic instrumentation....
and The Gerbils
The Gerbils
The Gerbils are an indie rock band that formed in Athens, GA in 1998. Part of the Elephant Six Collective, the band released two albums and toured nationwide during their tenure.-Bio:...
.
The band was formed in 1996 when Dave McDonnell (credited as The Diminisher
The Diminisher
"The Diminisher" is the alter-ego of Chicago musician David McDonnell , who was a founding member of the trio Bablicon, bass player Griffin Rodriguez informally assigned the moniker in reference to McDonnell's liberal use of the so-called diminished chord in Bablicon songs...
), Jeremy Barnes
Jeremy Barnes
Jeremy Barnes is an American musician. He was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the son of a local businessman. In 1995 he moved to Chicago to attend DePaul University but later dropped out. He joined the band Neutral Milk Hotel in January 1996. The band disbanded in 1998 and Barnes spent time...
(as "Marta Tennae"), and Griffin Rodriguez ("Blue Hawaii") teamed up to write and improvise music. Their almost-entirely-improvised album In A Different City was recorded in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
during this time, and later released in 1999. In a unique twist, the band had an audience paint vinyl LP covers while they performed, which were later collected as "painticons" and distributed as the actual album covers for the LP version of the album.
The Orange Tapered Moon EP followed in 2000, recorded during a late night marathon session at WFMU
WFMU
WFMU is a listener-supported, independent community radio station headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey, United States, broadcasting at 91.1 MHz FM, presenting a freeform radio format...
. The LP covers were again created in the same way the In a Different City covers were.
In 2001, the band released A Flat Inside A Fog, The Cat That Was A Dog, another ambitious project. The band split following this release, with McDonnell studying in China and starting the Michael Columbia project with drummer Dylan Ryan, Barnes going to France to work on other projects, and Rodriguez working on his Icy Demons
Icy Demons
Icy Demons is an experimental music project started by Bablicon's Griffin Rodriguez and Man Man / Need New Body's Christopher Powell...
project. Barnes now records as A Hawk and a Hacksaw
A Hawk and a Hacksaw
A Hawk and a Hacksaw is a band from Albuquerque, New Mexico, currently signed to L.M. Dupli-cation. The band consists of accordionist Jeremy Barnes, who was previously the drummer for Neutral Milk Hotel and Bablicon, and violinist Heather Trost...
.
Albums
- In A Different City (CD/LP) - Pickled EggPickled Egg RecordsPickled Egg Records is a UK independent record label founded in Leicester in 1998 by Nigel Turner. It has dedicated itself to redressing the world’s musical balance in favour of quirky genius, bent tunefulness, noisy playfulness, jazz turmoil and inventive retro-futurism...
/MisraMisra RecordsMisra Records is an independent record label run out of Durham, North Carolina with branch offices in Washington D.C., Seattle, Washington, and Los Angeles, California....
- 1999 - A Flat Inside A Fog, The Cat That Was A Dog (CD/LP) - Pickled Egg/Misra - 2001
Singles and EPsExtended playAn EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
- "Chunks Of Syrup Amdist Plain Yoghurt" (7") - Pickled Egg/Contact - 1999
- The Orange Tapered Moon - (12"/CD) - Pickled Egg/Misra - 2000
External links
- Elephant6.com on Bablicon.
- [ Allmusic entry].