The Milk-Eyed Mender
Encyclopedia
The Milk-Eyed Mender is the debut album
by American
singer-songwriter
Joanna Newsom
, released on March 23, 2004 on the Drag City
label
(see 2004 in music
).
Joanna Newsom wrote all the songs on the album except for "Three Little Babes", a traditional Appalachian song by Texas Gladden
. According to the liner notes, Joanna plays "a Lyon & Healy style 15 harp
, a wurlitzer
electric piano, a harpsichord
, and piano."
A bandmate in San Francisco band The Pleased
, Noah Georgeson
, produced and recorded the album, as well as contributing guitar to two tracks and backing vocals to one. Cover art embroidery is by Emily Prince and photographs are by Alissa Anderson. Newsom thanks former touring partners Will Oldham
, Devendra Banhart
, and Vetiver
, along with many others.
named The Milk-Eyed Mender the 47th greatest album of the 00's. The website also named "Peach, Plum, Pear" the 197th Greatest Song of the 2000s and "Sprout & The Bean" the 229th. Slant Magazine
named the album the 83rd best album of its decade. The Milk-Eyed Mender was also ranked number 76 inside Tiny Mix Tapes
's greatest records of the 2000s list.
According to The New York Times
The Milk-Eyed Mender has sold more than 200,000 copies in the U.S., despite not charting.
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Joanna Newsom
Joanna Newsom
Joanna Newsom is an American harpist, pianist and singer-songwriter from Nevada City, California.- Early life :Newsom grew up in the small town of Nevada City, California...
, released on March 23, 2004 on the Drag City
Drag City (record label)
Drag City is a Chicago-based independent record label. It was established with a Royal Trux release in 1990 in Chicago, Illinois by Dan Koretzky and Dan Osborn.Drag City specializes in experimental indie rock acts...
label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
(see 2004 in music
2004 in music
See also:* 2004 in music Record labels established in 2004-January:*January 1**The Vienna New Year's Concert is conducted by Riccardo Muti.**Kurt Nilsen wins World Idol....
).
Joanna Newsom wrote all the songs on the album except for "Three Little Babes", a traditional Appalachian song by Texas Gladden
Texas Gladden
Texas Gladden was an American folk singer born in Saltville, Virginia. She was best known for her traditional Appalachian ballad style of singing, which she began to record in the 1930s. In 1941, along with her brother, musician Hobart Smith, she began to record with pioneer folk archivist and...
. According to the liner notes, Joanna plays "a Lyon & Healy style 15 harp
Harp
The harp is a multi-stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicularly to the soundboard. Organologically, it is in the general category of chordophones and has its own sub category . All harps have a neck, resonator and strings...
, a wurlitzer
Wurlitzer
The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, usually referred to simply as Wurlitzer, was an American company that produced stringed instruments, woodwinds, brass instruments, theatre organs, band organs, orchestrions, electronic organs, electric pianos and jukeboxes....
electric piano, a harpsichord
Harpsichord
A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
, and piano."
A bandmate in San Francisco band The Pleased
The Pleased
The Pleased were a band active in San Francisco, California, United States between 2002 and 2006. They featured prominent freak folk performers and producers Joanna Newsom and Noah Georgeson...
, Noah Georgeson
Noah Georgeson
Noah Georgeson is a musician, producer, and solo recording artist. Georgeson's debut album Find Shelter was released through Plain Recordings on November 28, 2006. He is credited as having "written, scored, arranged, recorded, and produced" the entirety of Find Shelter, according to a press...
, produced and recorded the album, as well as contributing guitar to two tracks and backing vocals to one. Cover art embroidery is by Emily Prince and photographs are by Alissa Anderson. Newsom thanks former touring partners Will Oldham
Will Oldham
Will Oldham , better known by the stage name Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, is an American singer-songwriter and actor. From 1993 to 1997, he performed and recorded under variations of the Palace name, including the Palace Brothers, Palace Songs, and Palace Music...
, Devendra Banhart
Devendra Banhart
Devendra Obi Banhart is a singer-songwriter and visual artist. Banhart was born in Houston, Texas and was raised by his mother in Venezuela, until he moved to California as a teenager. He began to study at the San Francisco Art Institute in 1998, but dropped out to perform music in Europe, San...
, and Vetiver
Vetiver (band)
Vetiver are an American folk band headed by songwriter Andy Cabic.- History :Cabic was a member of the Greensboro, North Carolina indie rock band The Raymond Brake who released some records on the now defunct Simple Machines label. He formed Vetiver after moving to San Francisco. The band...
, along with many others.
Reception
The album received largely positive reviews upon its release, earning Newsom several accolades that same year and by the end of the decade. In 2009, Pitchfork MediaPitchfork 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...
named The Milk-Eyed Mender the 47th greatest album of the 00's. The website also named "Peach, Plum, Pear" the 197th Greatest Song of the 2000s and "Sprout & The Bean" the 229th. Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
named the album the 83rd best album of its decade. The Milk-Eyed Mender was also ranked number 76 inside Tiny Mix Tapes
Tiny Mix Tapes
Tiny Mix Tapes is an online music and film webzine that focuses primarily on new music and related news. In addition to its reviews, it is noted for its subversive, political, and sometimes surreal news, as well as its mix tapes generator.-History:Originally called Tiny Mixtapes Gone to Heaven and...
's greatest records of the 2000s list.
According to The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
The Milk-Eyed Mender has sold more than 200,000 copies in the U.S., despite not charting.
Track listing
All songs written by Joanna Newsom, except where noted.- "Bridges and Balloons" – 3:42
- "Sprout and the BeanSprout and the Bean"Sprout and the Bean" is a single by Joanna Newsom. The A-side is from her album The Milk-Eyed Mender, while the B-side, "What We Have Known", is a re-recording of the track originally appearing on the self-released Yarn and Glue EP. The CD also contains the video for "Sprout and the Bean" which...
" – 4:32 - "The Book of Right-On" – 4:29
- "Sadie" – 6:02
- "Inflammatory Writ" – 2:50
- "This Side of the Blue" – 5:21
- "En Gallop" – 5:07
- "Cassiopeia" – 3:20
- "Peach, Plum, Pear" – 3:34
- "Swansea" – 5:05
- "Three Little Babes" (traditional) – 3:42
- "Clam, Crab, Cockle, Cowrie" – 4:21
Accolades
- #1 – DustedDustedDusted may refer to:*Dusted , a 1989 debut album from the Gin Blossoms*Dusted , the joint venture of Rollo & Mark Bates*"Dusted" , a 1999 song by Leftfield from their album Rhythm and Stealth...
End of the Year: 2004 - #5 – The AV Club's Best Albums of 2004
- #5 – College Music JournalCollege Music JournalCollege Music Journal, commonly known as CMJ, is a music events/publishing company which hosts an annual festival in New York City, the CMJ Music Marathon, as well as a weekly magazine of and for the music industry and college radio stations in the United States and Canada. It publishes top 30...
Top Albums of 2004 - #6 – Tiny Mix TapesTiny Mix TapesTiny Mix Tapes is an online music and film webzine that focuses primarily on new music and related news. In addition to its reviews, it is noted for its subversive, political, and sometimes surreal news, as well as its mix tapes generator.-History:Originally called Tiny Mixtapes Gone to Heaven and...
's Favorite Albums of 2004 - #8 – Sonic's Top Albums of 2004
- #7 – Coke Machine GlowCoke Machine GlowCoke Machine Glow was the first solo album released by Gordon Downie, the singer for The Tragically Hip. It was released in 2001.Early copies of the album were released as a joint package with a book by Downie, also titled Coke Machine Glow. The book included the song lyrics from the album and...
Top 50 Albums of 2004 - #8 – GaffaGaffa (magazine)Gaffa is a free Danish music magazine, published on a monthly basis since 1983. The magazine is distributed to places such as educational institutions, record shops, libraries and cafés, as well as a small number to paying subscribers...
's Top Albums of 2004 - #10 – Pitchfork MediaPitchfork MediaPitchfork 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...
's Top 50 Albums of 2004 - #11 – Les InrockuptiblesLes InrockuptiblesLes Inrockuptibles is a French cultural magazine. Started as a monthly magazine in 1986, it became weekly in 1995. The name is a play on "Les Incorruptibles", the French title of the American television series The Untouchables...
's Top Albums of 2004 - #12 – BlitzBlitz (newspaper)Blitz is a Portuguese music newspaper. It was founded in November 1984.In July 2002, the newspaper was acquired by Impresa, which gave the newspaper access to more advanced technology, like color treatment, starting a new phase in the life of the newspaper....
's Top Albums of 2004 - #15 – Intro's Top Albums of 2004
- #17 - Stylus MagazineStylus MagazineStylus Magazine was an online music and film magazine launched in 2002. It featured long-form music journalism, four daily music reviews, movie reviews, a number of different podcasts, an MP3 blog, and a text blog....
's Top 40 Albums of 2004 - #17 – CD Drome's Top Albums of 2004
- #20 – Village Voice's 2004 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll
- #20 – PopMattersPopMattersPopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
's Top Albums of 2004 - #20 – Rough Trade's Top Albums of 2004
- #21 – No RipcordNo RipcordNo Ripcord is an online music and film magazine based in Sheffield, England.-History:The website was originally created in April 1999 by editor-in-chief David Coleman and A.M. Booth...
's Top Albums of 2004 - #25 – BOOMKAT's Top Albums of 2004
- #28 – DagsavisenDagsavisenDagsavisen is a daily newspaper published in Oslo, Norway. The former party organ of the Norwegian Labour Party, the ties loosened over time from 1975 to 1999, and it is now fully independent...
's Top Albums of 2004 - #28 - The Sunday TimesThe Sunday TimesThe Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
's Best Albums of the 00's - #35 - Q's Best Albums of the 00's
- #37 – AmericanaAmericanaAmericana refers to artifacts, or a collection of artifacts, related to the history, geography, folklore and cultural heritage of the United States. Many kinds of material fall within the definition of Americana: paintings, prints and drawings; license plates or entire vehicles, household objects,...
's Top Albums of 2004 - #40 - SpinSpin (magazine)Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
's Top 40 Best Albums of the 2004 - #45 – Rock de Lux's Top Albums of 2004
- #47 - Pitchfork MediaPitchfork MediaPitchfork 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...
's Top 200 Albums of the 2000s - #48 – NMENMEThe New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
's Top Albums of 2004 - #50 – Rate Your MusicRate Your MusicRate Your Music is a metadata database where musical albums, EPs, singles, videos, bootlegs, and movies are rated and reviewed by users. This data is then used to generate recommendations for users and to create rated lists of albums...
's Top 100 Albums of 2004 - #54 – Porcy's Top 100 Albums of 2000-04
- #54 – Pitchfork MediaPitchfork MediaPitchfork 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...
's Top 100 Albums of 2000-04 - #76 - Tiny Mix TapesTiny Mix TapesTiny Mix Tapes is an online music and film webzine that focuses primarily on new music and related news. In addition to its reviews, it is noted for its subversive, political, and sometimes surreal news, as well as its mix tapes generator.-History:Originally called Tiny Mixtapes Gone to Heaven and...
's Favorite 100 Albums of 2000-2009 - #83 - Slant MagazineSlant MagazineSlant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
's Best of the Aughts - #88 - Treble's Best Albums of the 00's
- #162 - Under the RadarUnder the Radar (magazine)Under the Radar is an American magazine that bills itself as "The solution to music pollution" and features interviews with accompanying photo-shoots. Each issue includes opinion and commentary of the Indie music scene as well as reviews on books, DVDs and albums.Items are reviewed based on a...
's Best Albums of the 00's - No Order - Rolling StoneRolling StoneRolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
's Top 50 Records of 2004 - No Order - Allmusic's Top Albums of 2004