Bishop Allen: Difference between revisions
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{{Infobox musical artist |
{{Infobox musical artist |
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| Name = Bishop Allen |
| Name = Bishop Allen |
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| Img = |
| Img = Bishop allen 02.jpg |
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| Img_capt = |
| Img_capt = R to L: Justin Rice, Cully Symington, Darbie Nowatka, and Christian Rudder |
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| Background = group_or_band |
| Background = group_or_band |
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| Origin = [[Brooklyn]], [[New York]], [[United States|USA]] |
| Origin = [[Brooklyn]], [[New York]], [[United States|USA]] |
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| Genre = [[Indie rock]] |
| Genre = [[Indie rock]] |
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| Years_active = |
| Years_active = 2003 - present |
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| Label = Champagne School<br />[[Dead Oceans]] |
| Label = The Champagne School<br />[[Dead Oceans]] |
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| URL = [http://www.bishopallen.com/ Official website] |
| URL = [http://www.bishopallen.com/ Official website] |
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| Current_members = |
| Current_members = [[Justin Rice]] :: vocals & keyboards<br />[[Christian Rudder]] :: stringed instruments |
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| Past_members = Bonnie Karin<br />Margaret Miller<br />Christian Owens |
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}} |
}} |
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[[Bishop Allen]] is an [[United States|American]] [[indie rock]] band from [[Brooklyn]], [[New York]], a musical partnership between [[Justin Rice]] and [[Christian Rudder]], who are supported by an ever-rotating cast of musical collaborators both live and in the studio. The band was formed in 2003 and grew out of Rice & Rudder's long-standing friendship; it takes its name from Bishop Allen Drive in [[Cambridge, Massachusetts]], where the two lived together after college. |
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Bishop Allen has released one album and 12 [[EP]]s. A new full-length album will be released in July 2007. |
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Bishop Allen, formed by Rudder and Rice who met while attending [[Harvard University]], grew out of the pair's more humorous punk venture The Pissed Officers. During the spring of [[2003]] the pair recorded all the instrumentation for their debut album ''[[Charm School]]''. Shortly thereafter, with Margaret Miller and Bonnie Karin providing background vocals and credited as members of the band, the album was recorded and released on Champagne School Records. Later, Bonnie and Margaret left the band, and eventually full-time bassist Christian Owens and full-time drummer Jack Delamitraux became permanent band members. In the summer of [[2006]], Bishop Allen announced that Christian Owens would be leaving to start her own band, Music Magic. |
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===Charm School=== |
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In February, 2007, [[Dead Oceans]], a new sister label to [[Secretly Canadian]] and [[Jagjaguwar]], announced that it had signed Bishop Allen. In March the band announced that they had completed recording a new album, which will be released on July 24, 2007. It has been reported that Allan Vest and Ryan Lindsey of the [[Starlight Mints]] took part in the recording sessions.[http://www.youaintnopicasso.com/2007/03/16/bishop-allen-waiting-room/] |
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''Charm School'' was Bishop Allen's first record. Recorded in fits and starts over two years, it grew song-by-song as Rice and Rudder wrote and played in their spare time. They recorded all the instruments on the album’s 13 songs themselves, using drum loops to hide the fact that neither is drummer, and almost everything on the record was recorded one track at a time in an ordinary bedroom. Backing vocals by [[Bonnie Schiff-Glenn]] and [[Kate Dollenmayer]] and supplementary drums by [[Coll Anderson]], all added in the album's final stages, completed the songs. |
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After the album was finished, Ms. Schiff-Glenn and [[Margaret Miller]] were recruited to play with Bishop Allen live, and their pictures were then featured on <i>Charm School</i>'s back cover. [[Jack Delamitraux]] and [[Christian Owens]] later joined the band on the tours supporting <i>Charm School</i>'s release. |
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Their song "Things Are What You Make Of Them" can be heard in the movie ''[[Saved!]]'' and their song "Middle Management" can be heard on the soundtrack of the ''[[MLB 2K7]]'' video game. |
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The record came out in May 2003 and received many favorable reviews, most notably from ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' and [[NPR]]'s Weekend Edition. |
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Justin Rice also plays Alan Peoples, the lead singer of "The Bumblebees", in the movie ''[[Mutual Appreciation]]'' (directed by [[Andrew Bujalski]]), in which he plays "Quarter To Three" from the ''[[Charm School]]'' LP. [[Christian Rudder]] also starred in an [[Andrew Bujalski]] film, 2002's ''[[Funny Ha Ha]]'', and the 2007 indie film ''[[Let Them Chirp Awhile]]'', written and directed by [[Jonathan Blitstein]]. |
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===The EP Project=== |
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In 2006, Bishop Allen recorded and released an EP every month of the year. Each record was titled for the month of its release (''January'', ''February'', and so on), and, with the exception of ''August'', which was a 14-song live disc, each contained four new studio songs. |
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The project began when Rice and Rudder, looking for new inspiration after a frustrating year of writing a follow-up to ''Charm School'', stumbled upon a discarded piano, dragged it into their rehearsal studio, and, refreshed by the sounds the keyboard added to their repertoire, put their old works-in-progress aside and began writing all-new songs. They soon began recording the new material, and by the time the ''January'' EP was completed on January 25, 2006, they had decided on doing one every month for the rest of the year. |
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[[Image: bishop allen february ep.jpg |frame|<center>The <i>February</i> EP</center>]] |
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The 12 records were all self-released, pressed in batches of 2,000, and sold primarily through the band's website. The uniqueness of the undertaking and the consistent quality of the songs made the project a great success. The covers of the EPs, which reflect the homespun aesthetic of the music inside, were designed by Darbie Nowatka, who also sang lead vocal on a few recordings. |
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[[Image:bishop allen may ep.jpg|frame|<center>The <i>May</i> EP</center>]] |
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The EP’s songs are markedly more sophisticated than the band’s earliest material, and the arrangements feature many usual instruments. Bishop Allen collaborated with many musicians over the year, including the above-mentioned Delamitraux and Owens, [[Jon Natchez]], and [[Kelly Pratt]]. [[Cully Symington]] began playing with the band in September and became their regular drummer. |
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===The Broken String=== |
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As the EP project was coming to an end, the band decided that despite their successes as a [[DIY ethic|DIY band]], a proper record label was necessary to properly promote and distribute their music. |
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In November 2006, Bishop Allen signed to [[Dead Oceans]], a new sister label to [[Secretly Canadian]] and [[Jagjaguwar]], for a modest advance. They began recording a new record that January, at Blackwatch Studios in Norman, Oklahoma, and delivered it two months later. This album, ''[[Bishop Allen & the Broken String]]'', is Bishop Allen’s first true studio recording and will be released by Dead Oceans on July 24, 2007. |
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===Other Projects=== |
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Justin and Christian’s roommate at the Cambride apartment that game the band its name was [[Andrew Bujalski]], the film director, and they have both starred in his movies. |
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Christian played the male lead, Alex, in Bujalski’s first film, 2002's ''[[Funny Ha Ha]]'', and Justin starred in the well-received ''[[Mutual Appreciation]]'', in which his character, Allen, fronts a band called the Bumblebees and plays a Bishop Allen song onscreen. Rice also stars in the as-yet-unreleased film ''[[Let Them Chirp Awhile]]'', written and directed by [[Jonathan Blitstein]]. |
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==Discography== |
==Discography== |
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===EPs=== |
===EPs=== |
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*[[2006]] - ''January'' |
*[[2006]] - ''January'' |
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*[[2006]] - ''February'' |
*[[2006]] - ''February'' |
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*[[2006]] - ''March'' |
*[[2006]] - ''March'' |
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*[[2006]] - ''April'' |
*[[2006]] - ''April'' |
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*[[2006]] - ''May'' |
*[[2006]] - ''May'' |
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*[[2006]] - ''June'' |
*[[2006]] - ''June'' |
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*[[2006]] - ''July'' |
*[[2006]] - ''July'' |
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*[[2006]] - ''August'' |
*[[2006]] - ''August'' |
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*[[2006]] - ''September'' |
*[[2006]] - ''September'' |
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*[[2006]] - ''October'' |
*[[2006]] - ''October'' |
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*[[2006]] - ''November'' |
*[[2006]] - ''November'' |
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*[[2006]] - ''December'' |
*[[2006]] - ''December'' |
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The monthly EP project came to a close on Dec 31st, with the release of ''November'' & ''December''. Each monthly EP was made available for pre-order on or around the last day of the month. Eleven of the monthly EPs each contain four studio cuts. The ''August'' EP is a fourteen-track live album that contains a complete show recorded in Cambridge, Mass., plus a bonus live cut recorded in New York City. |
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==References== |
==References== |
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Revision as of 19:55, 30 April 2007
Bishop Allen |
|---|
Bishop Allen is an American indie rock band from Brooklyn, New York, a musical partnership between Justin Rice and Christian Rudder, who are supported by an ever-rotating cast of musical collaborators both live and in the studio. The band was formed in 2003 and grew out of Rice & Rudder's long-standing friendship; it takes its name from Bishop Allen Drive in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where the two lived together after college.
Bishop Allen has released one album and 12 EPs. A new full-length album will be released in July 2007.
Charm School
Charm School was Bishop Allen's first record. Recorded in fits and starts over two years, it grew song-by-song as Rice and Rudder wrote and played in their spare time. They recorded all the instruments on the album’s 13 songs themselves, using drum loops to hide the fact that neither is drummer, and almost everything on the record was recorded one track at a time in an ordinary bedroom. Backing vocals by Bonnie Schiff-Glenn and Kate Dollenmayer and supplementary drums by Coll Anderson, all added in the album's final stages, completed the songs.
After the album was finished, Ms. Schiff-Glenn and Margaret Miller were recruited to play with Bishop Allen live, and their pictures were then featured on Charm School's back cover. Jack Delamitraux and Christian Owens later joined the band on the tours supporting Charm School's release.
The record came out in May 2003 and received many favorable reviews, most notably from Rolling Stone and NPR's Weekend Edition.
The EP Project
In 2006, Bishop Allen recorded and released an EP every month of the year. Each record was titled for the month of its release (January, February, and so on), and, with the exception of August, which was a 14-song live disc, each contained four new studio songs.
The project began when Rice and Rudder, looking for new inspiration after a frustrating year of writing a follow-up to Charm School, stumbled upon a discarded piano, dragged it into their rehearsal studio, and, refreshed by the sounds the keyboard added to their repertoire, put their old works-in-progress aside and began writing all-new songs. They soon began recording the new material, and by the time the January EP was completed on January 25, 2006, they had decided on doing one every month for the rest of the year.
The 12 records were all self-released, pressed in batches of 2,000, and sold primarily through the band's website. The uniqueness of the undertaking and the consistent quality of the songs made the project a great success. The covers of the EPs, which reflect the homespun aesthetic of the music inside, were designed by Darbie Nowatka, who also sang lead vocal on a few recordings.
The EP’s songs are markedly more sophisticated than the band’s earliest material, and the arrangements feature many usual instruments. Bishop Allen collaborated with many musicians over the year, including the above-mentioned Delamitraux and Owens, Jon Natchez, and Kelly Pratt. Cully Symington began playing with the band in September and became their regular drummer.
The Broken String
As the EP project was coming to an end, the band decided that despite their successes as a DIY band, a proper record label was necessary to properly promote and distribute their music.
In November 2006, Bishop Allen signed to Dead Oceans, a new sister label to Secretly Canadian and Jagjaguwar, for a modest advance. They began recording a new record that January, at Blackwatch Studios in Norman, Oklahoma, and delivered it two months later. This album, Bishop Allen & the Broken String, is Bishop Allen’s first true studio recording and will be released by Dead Oceans on July 24, 2007.
Other Projects
Justin and Christian’s roommate at the Cambride apartment that game the band its name was Andrew Bujalski, the film director, and they have both starred in his movies.
Christian played the male lead, Alex, in Bujalski’s first film, 2002's Funny Ha Ha, and Justin starred in the well-received Mutual Appreciation, in which his character, Allen, fronts a band called the Bumblebees and plays a Bishop Allen song onscreen. Rice also stars in the as-yet-unreleased film Let Them Chirp Awhile, written and directed by Jonathan Blitstein.
Discography
Albums
- 2003 - Charm School[1]
- 2007 (expected July 2007) - Bishop Allen and the Broken String[2]
EPs
- 2006 - January
- 2006 - February
- 2006 - March
- 2006 - April
- 2006 - May
- 2006 - June
- 2006 - July
- 2006 - August
- 2006 - September
- 2006 - October
- 2006 - November
- 2006 - December