It was a nostalgic trip into the depths of our indie fandom on Monday night, as the Athens-based heroes from the Elephant 6 collective treated a sold out crowd at Brooklyn’s Knitting Factory to the best of their eclectic discography. It was the first of three sold out shows in NYC. The night was highlighted by some of the stronger tracks in the Elephant 6 vault. Elite players from The Olivia Tremor Control (Will Cullen Hart & Bill Doss) and Elf Power (Andrew Rieger) often overshadowed the rest of the collective.
Ultimately, it didn’t matter, as the lesser known projects were front and center just as much as the established. Neutral Milk Hotel alums, Scott Spillane (The Gerbils) and Julian Koster (The Music Tapes), were given ample stage time for their offbeat, experimental projects. There was a sense of complete democracy among the players, which is part of the appeal of the group of indie veterans. The night was interestingly complimented by odd, seemingly acid-induced storytelling from Koster and a giant snowman stage left. During a trip outside to make a phone call, I rubbed shoulders with Jeff Mangum. Yes, he was there but did not play. I suppose we’ll be able to wait until his Fall tour, which include four NJ dates!
[photos via Eardrum NYC]
UPDATE: nyctaper has posted an excellent quality recording of the entire show here.


A few months ago it was announced that Neutral Milk Hotel mastermind and current recluse Jeff Mangum would perform a cover song for the upcoming CD for recent stroke victim, Chris Knox. Knox is known for bringing the punk and alternative music scenes to New Zealand. The compilation is a double-CD release, and Mangum is featured on disc 2. Stroke: Songs For Chris Knox will be released in various formats on February 23.
The Earth stops spinning when news of new music by Jeff Mangum hits the indie music blogosphere. As promised by Circulatory System frontman Will Cullen Hart, their new album features contributions from the Neutral Milk Hotel mastermind. He plays drums on this. No, we don’t get to hear his voice, but this does hint that he’s putting his reclusive past behind him and digging in with his creative heals. And let me say that the new track is repeat-worthy. You can download “Round Again (featuring Jeff Mangum)” by Circulatory System 

