Crib Notes

Circulatory System’s third record is a mess of noisy and bombastic experiments that remain true to Athens’ Elephant 6 collective’s psychedelic pop ethos — at least in spirit. Former Olivia Tremor Control leader Will Cullen Hart is at his hallucinogenic best when focusing on melodies and songwriting, but he rarely allows Signal Morning’s songs to exist free of layers of sonic clutter. “Woodpecker Greeting Worker Ant” sets a tone of tangled majesty where defining structures and rhythms bleed into the warped sound of a lonely mind working overtime. “This Morning (We Remembered Everything)” and the raga-like clusters of horns and chiming minimalism in “Tiny Concerts” swing between massive and microscopic detail, while “Overjoyed” is complete sensory overload. The layers of instrumentation, rhythm and sound fit together here with a convoluted sense of erratic genius. (Cloud Recordings) 4 out of 5 stars

“Overjoyed” mp3

“Round Again” mp3

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Jeff Mangum (left) with Neutral Milk Hotel

The Elephant 6 Holiday Surprise Tour is well under way, featuring members of Olivia Tremor Control, Neutral Milk Hotel, Elf Power, Circulatory System, the Music Tapes, and others performing a medley of songs from Athens’ twee pop heydays.

One of E6’s most elusive characters, Neutral Milk Hotel frontman Jeff Mangum appeared on stage for the tour’s stop at The Knitting Factory in New York City on Sat., Oct. 11th. Brian from The Daily Cross Hatch recorded some videos of the performance, including Mangum performing during Olivia Tremor Control songs, “The Opera House,” “I Have Been Floated,” and he even joins in for Elf Power’s song, “The Arrow Flies Close.”

The videos from the performance can be viewed over at Pitchfork.

(Photo by Will Westbrook)

Tour dates after the jump.

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In celebration of Music Tapes‘ For Clouds and Tornadoes, and the release of the long-awaited film, Major Organ and the Adding Machine, many members of the famed Elephant 6 collective will converge for a variety show tour in October. Julian Koster, William Cullen Hart, Scott Spillane, Laura Carter, Eric Harris, Nesey Gallons along with The Singing Saw, the 7 Foot Tall Metronome, Static the Television and many others will host what Julian Koster describes as “a big orchestra, variety show, silly happy thing.” The large gathering of E-6 members will be playing numbers from the catalogues of the Music Tapes, the Circulatory System, Scott Spillane, Gerbils, Elf Power, Olivia Tremor Control, Nana Grizol, Nesey Gallons and more.

In addition, Orange Twin Records has announced the imminent release of Major Organ and the Adding Machine, a short film by Joey Foreman and Eric Harris. The film is nearing completion and will premiere during the E-6 “Holiday Surprise” shows in October. The film is currently being submitted to film festivals and will be coming out as a CD/DVD set in the fall of 2009. Accompanying the Orange Twin DVD edition will be the expanded version of the film’s soundtrack, originally released in early 2000, that includes several unreleased bonus tracks and new liner notes by co-director Harris. The film and album feature musical and theatrical contributions from Jeff Mangum, Kevin Barnes, William Cullen Hart, Julian Koster, Andrew Rieger, Dixie Blood Moustache and other participants from Athens music scene of the late-90’s.

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