The music of Mount Eerie has taken many forms (see: The Microphones) but it is always made by Phil Elverum. Lost Wisdom is an album that finds Elverum in a more collaborative mode than usual, working with two legends of music and kindred spirits, Julie Doiron and Fred Squire. Elverum and Doiron share vocal duties almost equally on the record, making it an album comprised of dark pop duets.
This time the songs were recorded quickly and quietly during a surprise visit by Julie Doiron, keeper of the world’s greatest and saddest voice, and Fred Squire, hidden guitarist of the floating riff, in a small wooden room in Anacortes, Washington before they returned home to eastern Canada.
10 songs with the expression of the face of a baby in a burning world, in the swirling dust. More overtly personal and emotional than usual (which is saying something), these songs hang on a theme of impermanence and destroying forces. Sample lyrics: “Every single shape I see for the pile of dust it is. Let’s get out of the romance.” and “Newborn babies come to life on my face, and they say ‘ta daa!'” The river is revealed to be going right through the house, the river of inevitable chaos, sorrow and love.
It’s worth noting that this is a dream-come-true collaboration for Elverum. Julie Doiron has been his favorite singer since his teenage brain was exploded by the music of her legendary band Eric’s Trip in the early nineties. They are basically the reason he is playing music at all. Now the full circle feeback loop quietly feeds back in these 10 beautiful songs.
MOUNT EERIE
July 18- Anacortes, WA City Hall (What the Heck Fest)
August 15- Seattle, WA Vera Project
September 4th- Salt Lake City, UT Kilby Court
September 8th- Austin, TX Mohawk*
September 9th- Dallas, TX Granada Theater*
September 11th- Pensacola, FL Sluggo’s*
September 12th- Gainseville, FL Common Grounds*
September 13th- Miami, FL White Room*
September 14th- Orlando, FL The Social*
September 16th- Asheville, NC Grey Eagle*
September 17th- Philadelphia, PA First Unitarian Church*
September 18th- New York, NY Bowery Ballroom*
September 20th- Northampton, MA Iron Horse#
* = w/ WHY?
# = w/ Julie Doiron
Lost Wisdom
(P.W. Elverum & Sun)
Street Date: Oct. 7, 2008
01 Lost Wisdom
02 Voice in Headphones
03 You Swan Go On
04 Who?
05 Flaming Home
06 What?
07 If We Knew…
08 With My Hands Out
09 O My Heart
10 Grave Robbers
MOUNT EERIE LINKS:
Press Materials: www.pwelverumandsun.com