• Review: The Microphones - The Glow Pt.2

Selten passiert es in der heutigen Zeit musikalisch noch überrascht zu werden. Man kennt ja alles, hat alles schon irgendwo gehört und man steckt alles in irgenwelche Schubladen, versperrt es da und hört es sich kaum mal in Ruhe an. So geschehen mit 'The Microphones'. Beim ersten durchhören klang es mir zu sperrig, zu folkig, zu unruhig, zwar durchaus interessant aber die Zeit fehlte sich mit diesem Werk mehr zu beschäftigen. 'The Glow Pt.2' ist ein Album was schon 2001 veröffentlicht wurde, jetzt neu aufgelegt für das Jahr 2008. Wenn man bedenkt das Phil Elvrum tatsächlich schon 2001 solche eigenen Sounds für sich entwickelt hat, kriecht es einem kalt den Rücken runter. Ein Wahnsinn. Grob bezeichnen könnte man den Sound von 'The Microphones' mit Lo-Fi Folk. Doch ist dort weitaus mehr zu hören: Selfmade Sounds die fast schon elektronisch daherspielen, grobe Verzerrungen, übelste Distortion, säuseliger poppiger Gesang und wunderbare Gitarrenmelodien. Ich muss sagen diese Musik hat mich ehrlich umgehauen wie schon lange nichts mehr. Neben Paavoharju und No Age eine der Überraschungen dieses Jahr! Das wird eine schwierige Entscheidung für das Album des Monats Mai...

Es folgt eine kurze historische Abhandlung über die Anfangszeit von 'The Microphones' bis sich Phil Elvrum dazu entschied 'The Microphones' sterben zu lassen und als Mount Eerie weiterzumachen (übrigens der gleichnamige Titel des sensationellen Album von 2003):

Phil Elvrum is an artist in a variety of mediums, though he is probably best known for his music recorded under the names "Mount Eerie" and "The Microphones". Born in 1978 and raised in the forests outside Anacortes, Washington, Elverum came of age artistically during the supposed "grunge era". The gradual realization that there was good art and music happening locally was an opening door to a new world. With a driver's license and a job at the local book/record store Elverum began staying after hours recording in the back room late into the night, releasing a series of cassettes throughout his high school years. Eventually he moved to Olympia to attend college but soon quit because he was already totally immersed in the thriving underground music world surrounding K records. He had been given access to their Dub Narcotic Studio and continued the late night/early morning solo recording experiments in Olympia, eventually releasing his first album with K, "Don't Wake Me Up" (by the Microphones, 1999). He became renowned as an innovative producer and recorded popular albums for friends, often collaborating heavily on many of the songs. Also during this time he began doing music tours for about 4 months a year, generating a reputation as an unpredictable and talented live performer. A second album, "It Was Hot, We Stayed In The Water" (by the Microphones, 2000), was released as well as a series of self published song books. "The Glow pt. 2" (by the Microphones, 2001) is probably his best known release. The culmination of this era of work is the album titled "Mount Eerie" (by the Microphones, 2003). It is supposedly "death themed" and after its release Elverum began performing under the name "Mount Eerie" as an attempt to more fully inhabit that theme and speak/sing from it.