Morsel (band)
Encyclopedia
Morsel is an indie rock
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...

 ensemble that was founded in Ann Arbor, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....

 and features Miriam Cabrera (vocals
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...

, flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...

), Be Hussey (bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....

, vocals
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...

), John Vorus (aka Fathead) (didgeridoo
Didgeridoo
The didgeridoo is a wind instrument developed by Indigenous Australians of northern Australia around 1,500 years ago and still in widespread usage today both in Australia and around the world. It is sometimes described as a natural wooden trumpet or "drone pipe"...

, electronics), Jason Burbo (guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...

), and Joshua Pardon (bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....

).

Early history

In an interview with Craig Regala and Tony Barnett of Moo Magazine, Be Hussey stated, “Morsel began in October 1991 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. We recorded our first real demo released on cassette format in March 1992 (the G.I.B.L.E.T. ep) . . . We began with the intention of doing something different. There is no use in rehashing the past for the band as well as the listener. Inherent in this is an honest approach, and that comes through in our live show, which, by the way, is much better than our CDs (moo, September '96 - issue 25).” In that same interview, vocalist-flautist Miriam Cabrera elaborated, “We wanted to do something original and interesting, but we never sat down and said ‘Okay, this is what we want to sound like.’ It wasn't contrived. We definitely did a lot of jamming to see what would come out. The music we play is result of working on refining and melding what we're each inclined to do as individual musicians. The ‘sound’ came first, then we realized what it was, and now we work on developing it (moo, September '96 - issue 25).”

The band's sound and presentation tended to lump them into an avant garde category shared by other "noise-oriented" bands who may or may not have shared Morsel's instrumental abilities. Hussey revealed in the Moo interview that “Miriam runs her flute through a ‘Leslie’ cabinet (rotating horn), and she sings through her flute microphone. Many people freak on that. People focus on it a bit too much to the point of it possibly becoming a gimmick. People who write about bands need to focus on something, and that is usually the thing. We certainly don't use it as a gimmick; we simply increase the potential of creating new and interesting sounds by introducing new elements (moo, September '96 - issue 25).” It had also been noted that Cabrera was known to "use a buzz-saw for additional noise texture (Cicero's, November '95)." Alan Goldsmith described Morsel’s 1992 G.I.B.L.E.T. EP as “anthem rock on an almost operatic scale, with a demonic choir, shifts in intensity, blasting wall-of-sound guitars, and a complexity rarely seen on a local level (Ann Arbor Current-Entertainment Monthly, February 1993).” The Ann Arbor News also focused on the band's eccentricities stating, “Cabrera sings into the blow hole of her flute. The amplified result is a strange, angry shriek that sounds powerful and doomed at the same time (The Ann Arbor News New Releases 24 April 1993).” The review continued to focus on unconventional devices, noting that "’Octopus is Gordon’ starts with hypnotic,churning guitars . . . goes into an a capella chant of ad slogans like ‘There's more for your life at Sears,’ and erupts into a catharsis, with singer Miriam Cabrera bellowing into her flute (The Ann Arbor News, New Releases 24 April 1993).” Perhaps the most descriptive observation was made by Michelle Nichols and Rick Green who stated, “Morsel impressed me as an alternative to alternative, progressive and new, a much-needed addition to the often repetitious and chameleon-like performances offered by mainstream local groups (Jam Rag 28 April 1993).” Subjective opinions aside, Jill Hamilton observed that “they've got a large and growing following, heaps of emotion and energy, a sound that runs the gamut from hellish shrieks to gloomy croons and a vocalist who has a pierced nose and sings through her flute. What more could you ask for? (The Ann Arbor News 31 December 1993).”

Choke Records

Morsel "signed to Choke, Inc. Records of 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...

 in the summer of 1993" . . . booking "time in February 1994 with Steve Albini
Steve Albini
Steven Frank Albini is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, audio engineer and music journalist. He was a member of Big Black, Rapeman, and Flour, and is currently a member of Shellac...

 to record Noise Floor
Noise floor
In signal theory, the noise floor is the measure of the signal created from the sum of all the noise sources and unwanted signals within a measurement system, where the noise is defined as any signal other than the one being monitored....

, released in April '94 (moo, September '96 - issue 25).” Dave Segal wrote, “Morsel deal in hyper kinetic post-punk-prog-rock, with fractured funk moves thrown into the pot as an almost ironic gesture. The ten songs on Noise Floor
Noise floor
In signal theory, the noise floor is the measure of the signal created from the sum of all the noise sources and unwanted signals within a measurement system, where the noise is defined as any signal other than the one being monitored....

 are marked by frayed guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...

 textures, frequent fluid time changes, and a female voice filtered through the blow hole of a flute, for a warped alien effect that Chrome exploited so well. Sometimes Morsel seem to be playing it straight, even approaching a conventional low-key, indie-rock beauty. But then they'll abruptly scrunch up the rhythm
Rhythm
Rhythm may be generally defined as a "movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions." This general meaning of regular recurrence or pattern in time may be applied to a wide variety of cyclical natural phenomena having a periodicity or...

, play crazy staccato
Staccato
Staccato is a form of musical articulation. In modern notation it signifies a note of shortened duration and separated from the note that may follow by silence...

 riffs, pause unexpectedly, sing like Satan
Satan
Satan , "the opposer", is the title of various entities, both human and divine, who challenge the faith of humans in the Hebrew Bible...

's sister . . . those kinds of things (Alternative Press August 1994).” Johnny Pecorelli said “Morsel's Steve Albini
Steve Albini
Steven Frank Albini is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, audio engineer and music journalist. He was a member of Big Black, Rapeman, and Flour, and is currently a member of Shellac...

-produced debut, Noise Floor
Noise floor
In signal theory, the noise floor is the measure of the signal created from the sum of all the noise sources and unwanted signals within a measurement system, where the noise is defined as any signal other than the one being monitored....

, should raise a few eyebrows itself. Sometimes melodic, sometimes atonal, sometimes full-on noise, the band makes use of everything from buzzsaws to flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...

s, trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...

s and lilting guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...

 riffs. Singer Miriam Cabrera wails through primitive rotophasers; bassist Be Hussey tunes down to low D (for added evil); while Hedge spins out effects-drenched arpeggio
Arpeggio
An arpeggio is a musical technique where notes in a chord are played or sung in sequence, one after the other, rather than ringing out simultaneously...

s from Mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...

. All this and a sense of dynamics solidified by drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...

 Brian Boulter which is downright schizophrenic (Alternative Press).” In his “Local Music: The Best of ‘94,” Agenda contributor Alan Goldsmith wrote, “Raw but melodic, symphonic yet garage band
Garage band
The term garage band can refer to:* A band that performs garage rock* GarageBand, audio production software published by Apple Inc.* GarageBand.com, a website that helps publicize emerging bands...

. Morsel and the music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...

 they've produced is awash in contradictions, like all great art. This release, produced by
producer-GOD Steve Albini
Steve Albini
Steven Frank Albini is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, audio engineer and music journalist. He was a member of Big Black, Rapeman, and Flour, and is currently a member of Shellac...

 (whose credits include Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...

), is spaced-out mind music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...

 that is best heard with open ears. It's rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...

 taken to an intense other level. Computer-processed roaming vocals
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...

, guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...

s that sound
Sound
Sound is a mechanical wave that is an oscillation of pressure transmitted through a solid, liquid, or gas, composed of frequencies within the range of hearing and of a level sufficiently strong to be heard, or the sensation stimulated in organs of hearing by such vibrations.-Propagation of...

 like acid flashbacks, but with a (for lack of a better word) symphony
Symphony
A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, scored almost always for orchestra. A symphony usually contains at least one movement or episode composed according to the sonata principle...

-like musical structure, Morsel is like a grunge
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...

, non-smartass Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...

 with their smaller sense of music theory
Music theory
Music theory is the study of how music works. It examines the language and notation of music. It seeks to identify patterns and structures in composers' techniques across or within genres, styles, or historical periods...

 complexity. While all this sounds academic on paper - it isn't. It's poetic
Poetic
Poetic may refer to:* Poetry, or a relation thereof.* Too Poetic, a deceased rapper and hip hop producer....

 and wonderful rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...

 that takes risks (Agenda, 1995).” After its release, the band toured extensively across the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. In 1995, they recorded a follow-up EP at Ann Arbor's 40 Oz Sound with new guitarist Geoff Streadwick engineering. On the eve of the release, the label folded.

Small Stone Records

In late 1995, Morsel signed on with Detroit's Small Stone Records
Small Stone Records
Small Stone Records is an American record label based in Detroit, MI. It was founded in 1995 by Scott Hamilton and is a self-dubbed "heavy rock" label...

.

Hussey explained Morsel's transition from Choke, Inc. to Small Stone Records
Small Stone Records
Small Stone Records is an American record label based in Detroit, MI. It was founded in 1995 by Scott Hamilton and is a self-dubbed "heavy rock" label...

 in the moo interview: “This EP was to be released in the Fall of '95 . . . Choke collapsed . . . The EP was released instead on Detroit's Small Stone label in April '96. Meanwhile, a new guitarist and drummer were added and touring commenced during the fall of '95 . . . (moo magazine, September '96 - issue 25).” Scott Hamilton said, “I did this compilation called Detroit Rust City. Half of the bands I picked were bands I really loved, like Morsel and Perplexa, from that Ann Arbor hipster scene (The Record, March 2007 Vol. I, Issue III).” Todd Spencer wrote in his “Amplified Notions” column, “Morsel has released a song called ‘Glangkoon’ on a split 7" single on Dayton, Ohio's Simple Solution Records. ‘Glangkoon’ is their first recorded effort with Geoff Streadwick, a local guitarist they acquired last summer. It does sound different than ‘Noise Floor,’ their Choke Records full-length of a year ago, when they had current Wig frontman (Clark S. Nova being his latest pseudonym) playing guitar. The new single was recorded at Geoff's Ann Arbor studio, 40 oz. Sound (Ann Arbor Current-Entertainment Monthly, July 1995).” Since then, the band has released three full length records, a remix record, an EP, and a handful of singles. From the period of 1995-2001, they toured extensively across the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. In 2001, the band released its final full-length cd "para siempre," recorded at comp-ny Ann Arbor by Morsel founder Be Hussey, and new bassist Joshua Pardon, with John Vorus contributing many of the ambient tracks.

Members

  • Miriam Cabrera (vocals
    Singing
    Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...

    , flute
    Flute
    The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...

    )
  • Be Hussey (bass guitar
    Bass guitar
    The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....

    , vocals
    Singing
    Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...

    , drums
    Drum kit
    A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....

    )
  • John Vorus (didjeridoo, electronics, backing vocals
    Backing vocalist
    A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...

    )
  • Jason Burbo (guitar
    Guitar
    The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...

    , backing vocals
    Backing vocalist
    A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...

    )
  • Joshua Pardon (bass guitar
    Bass guitar
    The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....

    )

Past members

  • Shawn Jimmerson (guitar
    Guitar
    The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...

    , backing vocals
    Backing vocalist
    A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...

    )
  • Geoff Streadwick (guitar
    Guitar
    The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...

    )
  • Rob Rasmussen (guitar
    Guitar
    The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...

    )
  • Jacques Duskin (drums
    Drum kit
    A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....

    )
  • Craig McNary (drums
    Drum kit
    A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....

    )
  • Brian Boulter (drums
    Drum kit
    A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....

    )
  • Chad Pratt (drums
    Drum kit
    A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....

    )

Albums

  • Noise Floor – (February, 1994. Choke, Inc.)
  • Morsel EP – (April, 1995. Small Stone)
  • I'm A Wreck – (April, 1997. Small Stone)
  • Wrecked & Remixed – (April, 1999. Small Stone)
  • Para Siempre – (October, 2001. Small Stone)

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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