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Neutral Milk Hotel

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Neutral Milk Hotel
The band onstage
Neutral Milk Hotel performing in 2014
Background information
OriginRuston, Louisiana,U.S.
Genres
Years active
  • 1989–1998
  • 2013–2015
Labels
Past members
Websitewalkingwallofwords.com

Neutral Milk Hotelwas an American band formed in 1989 by musicianJeff ManguminRuston, Louisiana.They were active until 1998, and then from 2013 to 2015. The band's music featured a deliberatelylow-qualitysound, influenced byindie rockandpsychedelic folk.Mangum wrote surreal and opaque lyrics that covered a wide range of topics, including love, spirituality, nostalgia, sex, and loneliness. He and the other band members played a variety of instruments, including non-traditional instruments like thesinging sawanduilleann pipes.

Neutral Milk Hotel began as one of Mangum'shome recordingprojects. After graduating high school, Mangum lived as a vagabond and sporadically released music. In 1996, he worked with childhood friendRobert Schneiderto record the albumOn Avery Island,which received modest reviews and sold around 5,000 copies. Mangum recruited musiciansJulian Koster,Jeremy Barnes,andScott Spillanefor the band's second album,In the Aeroplane Over the Sea.Its 1998 release received mostly positive, but not laudatory reviews.

While on tour, the band's popularity grew through Internet exposure. This negatively affected Mangum, whose mental health began to deteriorate; he did not want to continue touring and Neutral Milk Hotel went on hiatus shortly after. During their hiatus, Neutral Milk Hotel gained acult followingand the critical standing ofIn the Aeroplane Over the Searose tremendously. Several music outlets such asPitchforkandBlendercalledIn the Aeroplane Over the Seaa landmark album for indie rock and one of the greatest albums of the 1990s. Many indie rock groups such asArcade Fireandthe Decemberistswere influenced by Neutral Milk Hotel's eclectic music and earnest lyrics. Neutral Milk Hotel reunited in 2013 and undertook a reunion tour before another hiatus in 2015.

History

[edit]

Early years

[edit]

Neutral Milk Hotel originated inRuston, Louisiana,in the late 1980s as ahome recordingproject of musicianJeff Mangum.[1]Initially called Milk, Mangum made the recordings while in high school.[1]Early Milk recordings, such asInvent Yourself a ShortcakeandBeauty,were shared between Mangum and his friendsRobert Schneider,Bill Doss,andWill Cullen Hart.[2]The four friends branded these homemadecassette tapeswith an imaginaryrecord label,Elephant 6,which eventually grew into a loosemusical collective.[3]When Mangum learned of another band called Milk, he changed the name of the project to Neutral Milk Hotel, based on a name Hart suggested.[4]

After graduating from high school, Mangum attendedLouisiana Tech University,but dropped out.[5]He moved toAthens, Georgia,and played in a band calledSynthetic Flying Machinewith Doss and Hart, but left shortly after the band was formed.[6][a]He then became avagabond,and lived in cities such asDenver,Los Angeles,andSeattle.[8]Mangum occasionally recorded music during this period, including a 1993demoalbum titledHype City Soundtrack.[8]Schneider saysHype City Soundtrackwas a reaction to what Mangum believed was the rampant commercialization of music within large cities.[8]While living in Seattle, Mangum overcame his apprehensiveness about the music industry and released the song "Everything Is"onCher Doll Records.[9]The song's exposure convinced Mangum to record more music under the name Neutral Milk Hotel.[10]According to Mangum: "The single was a godsend because I was pretty much at the end of my rope with just about everything in my life at that point... I ended up sending a tape to [Nancy Ostrander] at Cher Doll Records and she saved me merely by saying she wanted to do a single. "[10]

At the time, Mangum was also a bass guitarist forThe Apples in Stereo,a band that Schneider formed while living in Denver.[9]The members of the Apples in Stereo wanted to sign withSpinART Records,and met with their legal representative, Brian McPherson, in Los Angeles.[11]McPherson was drawn to Mangum, who was wearing aShrimper RecordsT-shirt.[12]After learning that Mangum wrote "Everything Is", a song that McPherson had previously listened to and enjoyed, the two worked out an agreement for McPherson to become Neutral Milk Hotel's representative.[12]McPherson sent copies of "Everything Is" and another song "Ruby Bulbs" toMerge RecordsfoundersLaura BallanceandMac McCaughan.[12]The two liked the music, and added Neutral Milk Hotel to their roster.[12][b]

On Avery Islandand expansion to a quartet

[edit]
Photo of a man holding a guitar with a microphone nearby
Jeff Mangumperforming with Neutral Milk Hotel in 1997

Mangum moved to Denver to record the first Neutral Milk Hotel album,On Avery Island.[15]Schneider served as theproducer,and the recording sessions lasted from February to May 1995.[16]Although Schneider was interested in an expansiveBeatlesqueproduction, he aligned with Mangum's preference for alo-fisound, admitting that "at first it was frustrating, but I came to enjoy it. That's how I learned to produce, doing that record, because I totally had to let go of what I thought it should be like."[17]On Avery Islandwas released in the United States on March 26, 1996, by Merge Records, and in the United Kingdom on September 30, 1996, byFire Records.[18]It sold around 5,000 copies, which Merge considered a success.[19]On Avery Islandreceived positive reviews from critics, who characterized the music as lo-fi pop.[20]Kurt Wolff of theHouston Chronicledescribed listening to the music as "a trippy experience," and ultimately called the album "a fresh, exciting standout".[21]The British publicationNMEwrote: "Neutral Milk Hotel can convert miserable-as-sin introspection into folky mantras that bore into your skull like a well-aimed power drill."[22]On Avery Islandwas ranked at number thirty-five onThe Village Voice'sPazz & Joppoll for 1996.[19]

After the release ofOn Avery Island,Mangum sought other musicians to tour with.[23]While living in Ruston, Mangum befriended New York musicianJulian Koster.They exchanged demo tapes, and Koster joined Neutral Milk Hotel as the bassist.[24]Around this period, Koster received a letter from Chicago drummerJeremy Barnes,who wrote how he was not meeting the expectations he had set for himself.[25]According to Koster: "Jeremy had written me this really wonderful letter, basically saying he was being led into a far different life than I think Jeremy Barnes was supposed to live... I think he was sensing that his destiny lay elsewhere."[25]The letter resonated with Koster and Mangum, and they traveled to Chicago to meet him. After a short audition, the two persuaded Barnes to drop out ofDePaul Universityand join the band.[25]The final band member came when Mangum was traveling to New York City to live with Koster. On a stop inAustin, Texas,Mangum met former Rustonian musicianScott Spillane,who was working at a pizza shop. Mangum helped make pizzas during the late-night "drunk rush", after which he convinced Spillane to join the band.[26]

The band members moved to New York City, and lived and rehearsed in a house owned by Koster's grandmother.[23]Koster encouraged the band members to play instruments outside their comfort zones.[27]For example, drummer Barnes learned to play the accordion, and Spillane learned how to play the horn parts fromOn Avery Island,practicing on a two-valve horn for hours every day.[28]On April 28, 1997, Neutral Milk Hotel began a national tour, during which the band members learned to play as a unit.[29]TheOn Avery Islandtour generated enough money for the band members to afford to move to Athens, where a large group of Elephant 6 musicians were living.[30]By the spring of 1997, Mangum had written and demoed nearly every song for a second album. He shared the demos with his bandmates before they moved to Denver to record the album.[31]

In the Aeroplane Over the Sea

[edit]

Neutral Milk Hotel's second album,In the Aeroplane Over the Sea,was produced by Schneider, and was recorded from July to September 1997.[32]Schneider used new recording techniques to capture Mangum's lo-fi preferences.[33]Mangum liked having a layer ofdistortionover the music, but Schneider did not use standard effects equipment such asBig Muffsordistortion pedals.[34]Instead, Schneider used heavycompressionand placed a Bellari RP-220 tube micpre-ampclose to Mangum's guitar. Schneider then ran the sound through amixing console,and maxed out the sound on a cassette tape.[35]This process was done for nearly every instrument used onIn the Aeroplane Over the Sea.Schneider claimed that the nonlinearities of microphone distortion gave the album its unique "warm" quality.[36]

In the Aeroplane Over the Seawas released on February 10, 1998.[37]Merge pressed 5,500 CD and 1,600 vinyl copies, and expected sales to be similar toOn Avery Island.[38]These initial projections were correct, as the album sold moderately well for the first few months.[39]Critical responses toIn the Aeroplane Over the Seawere mostly positive, but not laudatory.[40]Rob Brunner ofEntertainment Weeklypraised the unique instrumentation and "bouncy pop melodies", but described some of the songs as "lifeless acoustic warblers."[41]Pitchfork'sM. Christian McDermott also commended the music, which he called a blend of "Sgt. Pepperwith early 90s lo-fi "that he found" as catchy as it is frightening. "[42]A more negative review came fromBen RatliffofRolling Stone,who felt the heavy layer of distortion masked the absence of decent melodies.[43]CMJ New Music MonthlyrankedIn the Aeroplane Over the Seaas the number one album of 1998,[44]and it placed fifteenth in the Pazz & Jop poll for 1998.[45]

To promote the album, Neutral Milk Hotel embarked on a tour of North America and Europe.[46]MusiciansJohn Fernandesand Will Westbrook were brought on as touring members, and were taught how to play the horn parts with Spillane.[47]While on tour, Neutral Milk Hotel gained a reputation for chaotic and physically demanding concerts.Great Lakesmember Ben Crum recalled: "It was definitely dangerous. There often seemed to be a very real chance that someone, probably Julian, would get hurt. Jeff was always doing things like picking him up and throwing him into the drums."[48]The band members often could not afford lodgings, and sometimes asked people in the audience if they could spend the night at their house, not realizing the homeowner was in fact terrified of them.[49]

Hiatus and cult following

[edit]

Some journalists have noted the release ofIn the Aeroplane Over the Seacoincided with the rise of the Internet.[50]The album, and by extension Neutral Milk Hotel, became common fixtures on onlinemessage boards,and early music websites likePitchforkgave the band an increased level of promotion.[51]Their newfound high-profile had a negative effect on Mangum, and his mental health began to deteriorate.[52]He constantly told his bandmates he wanted to quit, but never explained why.[53]Some journalists have speculated he became tired of touring and constantly explaining his lyrics to fans; Elephant 6 biographer Adam Clair believes he may have been overwhelmed by the way fans viewed his music, and the high expectations placed upon any subsequent recordings.[54]Regardless of the reason, Mangum came to the conclusion that he could not continue performing, and instead wanted to disappear from the public eye.[52]Instead of telling the other band members of his decision, he simply avoided the topic of new music altogether. This led to the unofficial breakup of Neutral Milk Hotel shortly after the tour.[55]The final Neutral Milk Hotel live performance occurred on October 13, 1998, inLondon.[56]

During the hiatus, Mangum occasionally worked on some projects, but nothing was widely publicized.[57]When asked about a third Neutral Milk Hotel album in a 2002 interview, Mangum said: "I don't know. It would be nice, but sometimes I kind of doubt it."[58]Although Neutral Milk Hotel did not officially break up, the other band members worked on music with other Elephant 6 bands such asBablicon,the Gerbils,A Hawk and a Hacksaw,andthe Music Tapes.[59]Koster notes how he and the other band members initially thought the hiatus would be a short break to focus on their other musical projects. Koster recounted: "The fact that Neutral Milk wasn't doing something just felt natural, because so much else was happening, and we had just done so much. It didn’t feel unusual at all. I suspected nothing."[60]

Fans of Neutral Milk Hotel were not told why the band went on hiatus. Some were angry, and accused Mangum of being selfish, and others wrote hoax blog posts giving fake details of upcoming tours and other false information.[52]The speculation and online discussions raised the profile of the band, to the point that Neutral Milk Hotel and, in particular,In the Aeroplane Over the Seagained acult followingand converted Mangum into a larger-than-life figure.[40]In 2003,Creative Loafingwriter Kevin Griffis dedicated an entire cover story to trying to track down Mangum for personal closure. The search ended when Mangum sent him an email that read: "I'm not an idea. I am a person, who obviously wants to be left alone."[61]Journalist Mark Richardson attempted to explainIn the Aeroplane Over the Sea'srise in popularity: "Because [Mangum] was inaccessible, there was no outlet for connection other than the record itself and other fans who shared a passion. By doing nothing, Neutral Milk Hotel developed a cult."[62]

In the Aeroplane Over the Sea'scritical standing rose tremendously in the years after its release, which journalist Luke Winkie attributes to the cult following.[40]Domino Recording Companyreleased areissuein 2005, which was awarded a perfect 10/10 score by Mark Richardson ofPitchfork.[63]Richardson wrote: "It's a record of images, associations, and threads; no single word describes it so well as the beautiful and overused kaleidoscope."[63]Other music outlets such asAllMusicand theEncyclopedia of Popular Musicalso gave the album perfect scores.[64]In the Aeroplane Over the Sea'ssales figures increased during the 2000s, with an estimated 140,000 copies sold by 2005.[57]Polygonwriter Garrett Martin noted how fans of the album were "incredibly passionate", recordingcoversforYouTube,writing poetry, and formingtribute bands.[65]Martin said: "The fanbase might be relatively small, but it's fervent."[65]

Reunion and second hiatus

[edit]
Photo of a man holding a guitar with a microphone nearby
Jeff Mangum performing on the Neutral Milk Hotel reunion tour in 2014

Mangum resurfaced in 2008 with a few solo shows before embarking on full solo tours in 2011 and 2012.[66]During this time, Mangum curated abox setof Neutral Milk Hotel material, which included anextended playof unreleased songs titledFerris Wheel on Fire.[67]As Mangum was active again within the music industry, rumors began spreading among fans and music outlets of a potential Neutral Milk Hotel reunion.[68]

On April 29, 2013, Neutral Milk Hotel officially announced a reunion tour with all four members of the band.[69]In an interview withOrlando Weekly,Schneider said: "[The hiatus] certainly wasn't purposeful, and I'm not sure [Mangum] even realized he was being a recluse until it was overwhelmingly the case that everyone was talking about it. I've known for seven years that he was going to start touring. I didn't know if he was going to actually start doing it, but I knew in my heart that he was working toward it."[70]Neutral Milk Hotel toured from 2013 to 2015.[71]In a 2014 post on the Neutral Milk Hotel website, the band members wrote how their 2015 tour would be their last tour for the "foreseeable future", and that they were going to take an extended hiatus.[71]The post stated: "Dear friends we love you but it's time to say goodbye for the never ending now."[71]

In 2023, Neutral Milk Hotel released another box set, titledThe Collected Works of Neutral Milk Hotel.The box set includes every recording by the band, includingLive at Jittery Joe's,alive albumMangum released independently in 2001.[72]The Collected Works of Neutral Milk Hotelwas nominated for theGrammy Award for Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Packageat the66th Annual Grammy Awards.[73]

Artistry

[edit]

Music

[edit]
"In the Aeroplane Over the Sea"
A 10 second audio sample of the song "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea". Similar to many Neutral Milk Hotel songs, it employs acoustic chord progressions and unique instruments. This song in particular features a singing saw.
Problems playing this file? Seemedia help.

Neutral Milk Hotel is known for its experimental sound,[74]which has been described as a mixture ofindie rockandpsychedelic folk,withlo-fiproduction.[75]Critics have noted many other musical influences, including Eastern Europeanchoral music,Canterbury Sound,circus music,marching band music,musique concrète,drone music,free jazz,andTropicália.[76]Neutral Milk Hotel songs typically involved simplechord progressionsthat Mangum wouldstrumon an acoustic guitar.[77]Often as the song progressed, more instruments would be introduced.[78]The band members played a wide range of instruments; onIn the Aeroplane Over the Seafor example, conventional instruments like drums and distorted guitars were paired with unique instruments like thesinging sawanduilleann pipes.[79]

Neutral Milk Hotel's early recordings, beforeOn Avery Island,featured much distortion and are considered rough.[80]Mark Richardson ofPitchforkbelieves Mangum's songwriting was undeveloped, and described the 1994 song "Ruby Bulbs" as "raw and noisy and shouty and reflects Mangum's interest in aggro punk, an influence that didn't otherwise surface on his records."[67]On Avery Islandrepresented a move toward greater musical cohesion, and more experimentation.[81]Critic Sasha Geffen said: "The album veers wildly between the accessible and the inscrutable... the abrupt transitions between perfect pop melodies and gaseous balls of noise lend the album a certain wildfire charm. "[81]The most experimental song on the album is the final track "Pree-Sisters Swallowing a Donkey's Eye," a thirteen-minute drone track influenced bygamelanandnoise music.[82]

Many critics believeIn the Aeroplane Over the Seais Neutral Milk Hotel's best and most fully developed release.[83]By this point, Neutral Milk Hotel had four members as opposed to just Mangum, which allowed for a more complex and organic sound.[84]Jason Ankeny of AllMusic notesIn the Aeroplane Over the Seaemphasizesstructureandtexture,and that tracks seamlesslysegueinto one another.[85]The overall sound of the album sometimes abruptly shifts from track to track.[86]Rolling Stonenotes the range of musical styles present on the album, such asfuneral marchesandpunk rock.[84]Critic Chris DeVille offers similar commentary, writing: "On the musical axis, Neutral Milk Hotel veered from piercingly intimate psychedelic campfire sing-alongs to full-band segments that barreled ahead with haphazard grace."[37]

Lyrics

[edit]

Mangum served as the lyricist for Neutral Milk Hotel.[87]CriticJim DeRogatisdescribes Mangum's lyrics as surreal and opaque, and notes that they feature astream of consciousnessstyle of songwriting.[88]The lyrics would often include references to seemingly unrelated subject matter.[89]Biographer Kim Cooper cites the song "King of Carrot Flowers, Pt.1" as an example of this style of songwriting; although the lyrics are about childhood fantasies, there are references to sexual awakenings, domestic violence,religious fanaticism,andtarot card readings.[90]DeRogatis likened Mangum's lyricism to "Dr. SeussillustratingWilliam S. Burroughs,or perhapsSigmund Freudcollaborating on lyrics withSyd Barrett."[88]

According to Mangum, many of his lyrics stem from hissubconscious,saying: "Some of it I don't understand, I don't know what it is, but it sounds real nice."[89]Another source of inspiration were the visions,lucid dreams,andnight terrorsMangum would have.[91]Mangum would sometimes have full conversations between himself and Schneider whilesleepwalking.[92]After coming up with an idea for a song, Mangum would start writing "word bridges," which are small connecting ideas that would bridge the seemingly unrelated lyrics.[87]Mangum cites the song "Two-Headed Boy" as an example, as each verse was written separately from each other over a long period of time, and he used the "word bridges" to connect the verses.[87]

Neutral Milk Hotel songs explore many lyrical themes, including love, spirituality, nostalgia, sex, and loneliness.[93]DeRogatis describes Mangum's lyrics as a depiction ofid,a personality component related to intrinsic desires.[88]Mangum's lyrics can also be seen as a reaction to events that have happened in his life. For example, "Song Against Sex" was written as a reaction to the use of sex as a source of power in a relationship.[94]A central lyrical topic inIn the Aeroplane Over the Seais the life ofAnne Frank,a teenage girl who died in aNazi concentration camp.[37]Tracks such as "Holland, 1945"and" Ghost "incorporate elements of Frank's life into the lyrics. As a result, some listeners have describedIn the Aeroplane Over the Seaas aconcept album.[95]Anwen Crawford ofThe Monthlydisagrees with this assertion, writing: "It would be overly literal, though, to describeIn the Aeroplane Over the Seaas an album about the Holocaust, for Frank is only one of many phantasms to populate a set of looping, interlinked narratives that proceed with the closed logic of a dream or a religious vision. "[96]

Live performances

[edit]

That band was never, in any way, what you would call tight or polished. They were like, if you took a carnival, and you played it on an AM radio, and then you stuck it in a bucket with a microphone and recorded it, and then took that recording and played it on a Victrola, and then rolled it down the stairs, and there's someone there to catch it – that's a Neutral Milk Hotel show.

Robert Schneider[23]

Neutral Milk Hotel's live performances often featured the four main band members and several other musicians.[97]For example, the reunion tour featured backing musiciansLaura Carter,Jeremy Thal, and Mangum's wifeAstra Taylor.[98]Almost every musician on stage would play multiple instruments, and switch instruments between songs.[98]Neutral Milk Hotel shows typically lasted between forty-five and ninety minutes.[47]The equipment used onstage was cheap and of poor quality, although for the reunion tour more expensive equipment was used.[99]

Early Neutral Milk Hotel shows were chaotic and disorganized.Butterglorytoured with Neutral Milk Hotel in 1996, and memberMatt Suggsrecalled: "Mangum & Co were confused and disorganized and lovable."[23]In these early performances, band members would wrestle and tickle each other on stage.[23]During theIn the Aeroplane Over the Seatour, theaudio techniciansfor most venues were confused and did not know what to expect. As a result, Carter took on the unusual role of "mix-board translator". According to Carter: "It was more like talking them through what was about to happen, because so much was happening onstage that without someone helping, it was a wail or squeal and the soundman would look at twenty instruments onstage and not know what to dive for."[100]

Legacy

[edit]

When Neutral Milk Hotel disbanded in 1998, the subsequent cult following propelled the band into a new level of stardom, which led many fans and journalists to call Neutral Milk Hotel an important indie rock band.[101]Much of Neutral Milk Hotel's legacy is derived fromIn the Aeroplane Over the Sea,[102]which reached sales of roughly 400,000 by 2013.[103]Music outlets such asPitchforkandBlenderhave ranked it as one of the greatest indie rock albums of all time, as well as one of the best albums of the 1990s.[104]Richardson noted thatIn the Aeroplane Over the Seahas become ingrained in the indie rockcanon,and consistently attracts new listeners.[62]Chris Morgan ofUproxxwrote: "In short, people share a very deep passion for Neutral Milk Hotel's highly lauded sophomore album... Lots of albums are loved, but few seem to impact people so much, and so singularly. "[105]Some critics have discussed how other recordings of the band, such asOn Avery Island,are often overlooked by fans due to the popularity ofIn the Aeroplane Over the Sea.[106]

Part of Neutral Milk Hotel's legacy is also drawn from the general mystique surrounding Mangum.[107]Elephant 6 biographer Adam Clair notes that Mangum's unexplained absence made him more notable than when he was an active member of the music industry.[108]He actively avoided giving interviews, and as a result, music publications began to writeclickbait-esque articles in which they would attempt to explain his disappearance with little to no substantive evidence.[109]Even after Mangum resurfaced in 2008, music publications continued publishing detailed reports on his life.[61]Neutral Milk Hotel's legal representative Brian McPherson said: "When the guy sneezes it's on the front page ofPitchfork."[61]

Neutral Milk Hotel has influenced many indie rock bands.[37]According to Miles Raymer ofEsquire,the band's cacophonous sound and earnest lyrics were in direct contrast to the underground music scene in the 1990s.[110]While many groups focused on the theme of detached irony, Neutral Milk Hotel's abrasive and overtly emotional lyrics struck a chord with social outcasts.[111]Groups influenced by Neutral Milk Hotel includeArcade Fireandthe Decemberists,both of whom create psychedelic-folk inspired music with non-traditional instruments.[111]Arcade Fire frontmanWin Butlersaid that Neutral Milk Hotel's association with Merge Records was a contributing factor to their signing with Merge Records.[112]Neutral Milk Hotel also influenced bands likeAJJ,[113]Beirut,Bright Eyes,The Lumineers,[114]Okkervil River,[37]andPwr Bttm,[115]as well as artists likeMelanie Martinez[116]andAmanda Palmer.[117]

Members

[edit]
  • Jeff Mangum– guitars, lead vocals, keyboards, drums (early) (1989–1998, 2013–2015)[118]
  • Julian Koster– bass guitar, accordion, musical saw, bowed banjo, keyboards, organ (1996–1998, 2013–2015)[32]
  • Scott Spillane– trumpet, guitar, flugelhorn, trombone, euphonium, horn arrangements (1996–1998, 2013–2015)[32]
  • Jeremy Barnes– drums, piano, organ (1996–1998, 2013–2015)[32]

Touring members

[edit]
  • Laura Carter– zanzithophone, trumpet, clarinet, uilleann pipes (1996–1998, 2013–2015)
  • Astra Taylor– guitar, accordion, keyboards (2013–2015)
  • Jeremy Thal – bass guitar, trombone, flugelhorn, french horn, uilleann pipes (2013–2015)

Timeline

Discography

[edit]
Main article:Neutral Milk Hotel discography

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^Doss and Hart would change the name of the band from Synthetic Flying Machine to the Olivia Tremor Control after Mangum left.[7]
  2. ^Neutral Milk Hotel did not sign arecording contractwith Merge, as the label operated on a "handshake basis."[13]When a band was added to Merge's roster, the two parties would split profits in exchange for promotion from the label.[14]

Footnotes

[edit]
  1. ^abClair 2022,Chapter 3 (Search phrase "Jeff recorded in Ruston under the name Milk, etching the name into the plastic of the cassettes he made for friends" ).
  2. ^Clair 2022,Chapter 3 (Search phrase "They started making twenty-minute tapes for their friends" );Cooper 2005,p. 9.
  3. ^Shook 2013;Heater 2012
  4. ^Clair 2022,Chapter 7 (Search phrase "And Will named Neutral Milk Hotel" );Cooper 2005,p. 9.
  5. ^Clair 2022,Chapter 3 (Search phrase "Jeff dropped out of Louisiana Tech after a couple of years" ).
  6. ^Clair 2022,Chapter 7 (Search phrase "As a trio, they performed as Synthetic Flying Machine" ).
  7. ^Clair 2022,Chapter 7 (Search phrase "Even with Jeff off to Seattle again, Will and Bill wanted to stick with what they had started" ).
  8. ^abcBallance, Cook & McCaughan 2009,p. 95.
  9. ^abBallance, Cook & McCaughan 2009,p. 96.
  10. ^abMcMullen 1996.
  11. ^Ballance, Cook & McCaughan 2009,p. 97;Gage 2011.
  12. ^abcdGage 2011.
  13. ^Caney 2009.
  14. ^Ballance, Cook & McCaughan 2009,p. 52.
  15. ^Ballance, Cook & McCaughan 2009,p. 97.
  16. ^Anon. 1996a.
  17. ^Cooper 2005,p. 26.
  18. ^Anon. 1996b,p. 56;Anon. n.d..
  19. ^abCooper 2005,p. 37.
  20. ^Cooper 2005,p. 37;Goldsmith n.d.;Wolff 1996.
  21. ^Wolff 1996.
  22. ^Goldsmith n.d.
  23. ^abcdeBallance, Cook & McCaughan 2009,p. 98.
  24. ^Cooper 2005,p. 28.
  25. ^abcCooper 2005,p. 29.
  26. ^Cooper 2005,p. 31.
  27. ^Cooper 2005,p. 33.
  28. ^Cooper 2005,pp. 33–34.
  29. ^Clair 2022,Chapter 11 (Search phrase "The first Neutral Milk Hotel gig with this lineup took place at Brownies, a skinny, sweltering little bar in the East Village, on April 28, 1997" ).
  30. ^Ballance, Cook & McCaughan 2009,p. 99.
  31. ^Cooper 2005,p. 52.
  32. ^abcdAnon. 1998.
  33. ^Cooper 2005,pp. 56–57.
  34. ^Cooper 2005,pp. 57–58.
  35. ^Cooper 2005,p. 58.
  36. ^Cooper 2005,p. 57.
  37. ^abcdeDeVille 2018.
  38. ^Ballance, Cook & McCaughan 2009,p. 100;McGoven 2013.
  39. ^Ballance, Cook & McCaughan 2009,p. 100.
  40. ^abcWinkie 2016.
  41. ^Brunner 1998.
  42. ^McDermott n.d.
  43. ^Ratliff 1998.
  44. ^Anon. 1999a,p. 3.
  45. ^Anon. 1999b.
  46. ^Cooper 2005,p. 85–87.
  47. ^abCooper 2005,p. 85.
  48. ^Cooper 2005,p. 84.
  49. ^Cooper 2005,pp. 84–85.
  50. ^Milton 2016;Winkie 2016.
  51. ^Milton 2016.
  52. ^abcClark 2008.
  53. ^Clair 2022,Chapter 17 (Search phrase "Jeff was constantly talking about dropping out" ).
  54. ^Clair 2022,Chapters 19 (Search phrase "He rejects the idea that it had anything to do with pressure from the success of Aeroplane or the increased attention he was receiving" ) and 32 (Search phrase "He may have also been a victim of his own success" ).
  55. ^Cooper 2005,p. 98.
  56. ^Clair 2022,Chapter 1 (Search phrase "The last true Neutral Milk Hotel show of 1998 was on October 13, in London" ).
  57. ^abCooper 2005,p. 100.
  58. ^Fierman 2002.
  59. ^Brady 2011;Clair 2022,Chapter 1 (Search phrase "His bandmates all pursued other projects they'd started before joining Neutral Milk Hotel" ).
  60. ^Clair 2022,Chapter 17 (Search phrase "I was excited about everything because it seemed like a really exciting time)".
  61. ^abcBallance, Cook & McCaughan 2009,p. 104.
  62. ^abRichardson 2018.
  63. ^abRichardson 2005.
  64. ^Ankeny n.d.;Larkin 2009.
  65. ^abMartin 2013.
  66. ^Clair 2022,Chapter 30 (Search phrase "Jeff made his return to the stage playing" Engine "at six of the Holiday Surprise shows in October 2008" );Minsker 2013.
  67. ^abRichardson 2012.
  68. ^Brady 2011;Pelly 2012.
  69. ^Minsker 2013.
  70. ^Parker 2013.
  71. ^abcGoble 2014.
  72. ^Gallagher 2023.
  73. ^Anon. 2024.
  74. ^Soloski 2015.
  75. ^Critics who describe Neutral Milk Hotel as indie rock include: Critics who describe Neutral Milk Hotel as psychedelic folk include: Critics who have noted Neutral Milk Hotel's lo-fi production:
  76. ^McGonigal 1998;McGonigal 2008.
  77. ^Pareles 2014;Zaillian 2015.
  78. ^Pareles 2014.
  79. ^Anon. 1998;Sweet 2001,p. 149.
  80. ^McMullen 1996;Richardson 2012.
  81. ^abGeffen 2019.
  82. ^Cooper 2005,pp. 25–26;Richardson 2012.
  83. ^Critics that have calledIn the Aeroplane Over the Seathe best and most fully developed Neutral Milk Hotel album include:
  84. ^abSarig n.d.
  85. ^Ankeny n.d.
  86. ^Share 1998.
  87. ^abcMcGonigal 1998.
  88. ^abcDeRogatis 2003,p. 542.
  89. ^abHellweg 1998.
  90. ^Cooper 2005,pp. 69.
  91. ^Anon. 2018;McGonigal 1998.
  92. ^Anon. 2018;Cooper 2005,pp. 40, 55.
  93. ^Pareles 2014;Richardson 2018.
  94. ^DeRogatis 2003,p. 541.
  95. ^Clark 2008;Crawford 2018;Thill 2010.
  96. ^Crawford 2018.
  97. ^Cooper 2005,p. 89;Jarnow 2013.
  98. ^abJarnow 2013.
  99. ^Cooper 2005,p. 88;Jarnow 2013.
  100. ^Cooper 2005,p. 87–88.
  101. ^Richardson 2012;Richardson 2018;Winkie 2016.
  102. ^Cooper 2005,pp. 1–2.
  103. ^Mass 2013.
  104. ^Outlets that have rankedIn the Aeroplane Over the Seaas one of the greatest indie rock albums of all time include: Outlets that have rankedIn the Aeroplane Over the Seaas one of the best albums of the 1990s include:
  105. ^Morgan 2016.
  106. ^Morgan 2016;Tenreyro 2021.
  107. ^DeVille 2018;Winkie 2016.
  108. ^Clair 2022,Chapter 23 (Search phrase "Jeff's current absence was becoming more notable than his earlier presence" ).
  109. ^Clair 2022,Chapter 23 (Search phrase "Generally, publications didn't run a whole lot of substantive pieces about Neutral Milk Hotel" ).
  110. ^Raymer 2013.
  111. ^abCaldwell 2016;Raymer 2013.
  112. ^Schreiber 2005,p. 3.
  113. ^Murphy 2014.
  114. ^Caldwell 2016.
  115. ^Lindner 2017.
  116. ^Connolly 2012,p. 2.
  117. ^Evans 2012,p. 1, 12.
  118. ^Anon. 1996a;Anon. 1998.

References

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