The Blow

The Blow
Background information
Origin	Portland, Oregon United States
Genres	Lo-fi Electro
Years active	2001–present
Labels	K Records (United States) Tomlab (Europe) Popfrenzy (Australia)
Associated acts	Get the Hell Out of the Way of the Volcano, Yacht, The Microphones, SINGERS
Members
Khaela Maricich

The Blow is the moniker of Brooklyn, New York-based musician Mikhaela Yvonne Maricich, who has recorded several albums for K Records. Jona Bechtolt, aka Yacht, was also a member of The Blow from 2004 to 2007.

The music of The Blow is a sparse combination of Khaela's vocals and electronic dance beats. Performances often incorporate short monologues - in fact, Khaela has toured extensively with her longer monologue "Blue Sky Versus Night Sky". Khaela is formerly of the band The Microphones. Before 2002, The Blow went by the names "Get the Hell Out of the Way of the Volcano" and "Get the Hell Out of the Way of the Wave".

Khaela Maricich is also a visual artist. She has held a number of exhibitions of her drawings and illuminated paper sculptures in Seattle, Olympia, and Portland. She was an artist-in-residence at the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art. Maricich has been working with installation artist Melissa Dyne and the two have given artist talks discussing The Blow as a mode of performance art.

Discography

Albums

• Look for it in the Sky, it Will Always Be There (1998 Knw-Yr-Own Records) (released under the artist name “Get the Hell Out of the Way of the Volcano")
• Everyday Examples of Humans Facing Straight into the Blow (2001, 2004 K Records) (originally self-released under the artist name “Get the Hell Out of the Way of the Volcano")
• Don't Do the Bomb Before My Moustache Comes (2002, self-released)
• Bonus Album E.P. (2002, K Records)
• The Concussive Caress, Or, Casey Caught Her Mom Singing Along with the Vacuum (2003, K Records)
• Poor Aim: Love Songs E.P. (2005, Slender Means Society/States Rights Records)
• Paper Television (2006, K Records)
• Poor Aim: Love Songs (2007, K Records)

Singles

• Alphabet Series K 7"(2006, Tomlab)
• Parentheses 7"(2007, Tomlab)

Compilations

• Yoyo a Go Go (1997, Yoyo) A compilation of live performances from various artists at the Yoyo A Gogo music festival. Khaela performs "A Girl in the Sky" with Jenn Kliese
• Projector (1998, Yoyo) Get the Hell Out of the Way of the Volcano "Bagfull of Spiders"
• Remote Wing (2001, Knw-Yr-Own), an alternate version of "That Boy Makes me Want Things" from Everyday Examples…, retitled simply "That Boy"
• Shipwreck Day (2002, Knw-Yr-Own), a cover of the Little Wing's "Faith Children"
• Own Zone (2004, States Rights Records), remix of “Hey Boy”
• Invisible Shield (2004, K Records), "The Democracy of Small Things"
• Good Grooming For Girls (2004, Shameless Magazine), "What Tom Said About the Girls"
• Trust in Sirens (2005, Kelp Monthly), a cover of Devo's "Snowball"
• 2005 PDX Pop Now! (2005, PDX Pop), "Pile of Gold"
• Free The Bird (2006, Kelp Monthly), "The Sky Opened Wide Like The Tide (Lucky Dragons New Age Power Mix)"
• 2006 PDX Pop Now! (2006, PDX Pop), "Babay (Eat a Critter, Feel its Wrath)"
• Yeti #4 (2006, Yeti Publishing), "Get Around"
• Joyride: Remixes (2006, K Records), a cover of Mirah's "The Garden"

Accolades

• 'Parentheses' Ranked #55 in Pitchfork's "Top 100 Tracks of 2006" [1]
• Paper Television Ranked #66 in Idolater 2006 Jackin' Pop Critics Poll "Top Albums" category" [2]
• 'Parentheses' Ranked #66 in Idolater 2006 Jackin' Pop Critics Poll "Top Tracks" category" [3]

External links

• The Blow on MySpace
• K Records official site
• Khaela Maricich fansite
• The Blow at The Indie Music Database
• The Blow interviewed by Plan B Magazine, November 2006
• Interview on Urban Pollution
• Interview with Chief Magazine
• Australian Radio Station Triple J Interview [4]
• Interviewed by Miranda July in June/July 2007 issue of The Believer [5]
• Interviewed by Christopher Frizzelle in February 2011 on SLOG [6]
• Cultural critic Paul Boshears reviews The Blow's artist talk