Elf Power
is an indie rock band that originated in Athens, Georgia. Currently, the line-up consists of guitarist/vocalist Andrew Rieger, keyboardist Laura Carter, guitarist Jimmy Hughes, bassist Derek Almstead, drummer Eric Harris, cellist Heather McIntosh and violinist John Fernandes. They are part of the Elephant Six Collective.
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ELF POWER TICKETS
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History
The band began as a four-track recording project of Rieger, his then girlfriend Carter, Raleigh Hatfield and Dave Wrathgeber, later of
Fablefactory. These recording sessions eventually resulted in the first incarnation of their debut album
Vainly Clutching at Phantom Limbs
. The band's line-up expanded when Reiger and Carter recruited
Elephant Six musician Bryan Poole, also known as
The Late B.P. Helium. While the band occasionally played live shows and continued to record, Poole chiefly stayed in
Athens to continue work with
Of Montreal while Rieger and Carter moved to
New York City.
Mid-Late 1990's
After residing in
New York for some time, the band released
The Winter Hawk EP
in
1995. Eventually, Rieger and Carter were convinced to move back to
Athens, where the band's second album
When the Red King Comes
was ultimately recorded and released as a joint venture between the
Arena Rock Recording Co. and the
Elephant Six label. The album featured contributions by members of
The Olivia Tremor Control,
Kevin Barnes of
Of Montreal, and
Jeff Mangum of
Neutral Milk Hotel.
Shortly following the release of
When the Red King Comes
, Elf Power collaborated with
Dave Fridmann, best known for his work with
The Flaming Lips, to record the album
A Dream in Sound
. The album was again recorded with the help of Mangum and Barnes, as well as
Scott Spillane of
Neutral Milk Hotel and
The Gerbils.
During the
1999 supporting tour for
A Dream in Sound
,
Adrian Finch joined the band to play
violin. Following the addition, the band recorded an
EP focused chiefly on cover material entitled
Come On
. Around this time,
Vainly Clutching at Phantom Limbs
was reissued with material from early sessions.
Early-Mid 2000's
The band regrouped in late 2000 to record
The Winter is Coming
, again with help from members of other Elephant Six bands. Notably, the band spent this time as a supporting act for fellow
Athens band
R.E.M., as well as
Wilco.
Bryan Poole would exit the band for good following the European tour for the album to focus on solo work.
2002 saw the release of two albums from the band:
Creatures
, an effort released by
spinART, and
Nothing's Going to Happen
, an album released on
Orange Twin Records that contained various cover songs and the
Come On EP. During this time, Finch left the lineup and Ballard Lesemann stepped in to play
bass.
In
2004, Elf Power released their seventh studio album
Walking with the Beggar Boys
. The album was released to notable media and critical praise and featured contributions from
Vic Chesnutt.
The band released
Back to the Web
on
Rykodisc in April 2006, an album which featured bassist Derek Almstead. A tour of the
United States and
Europe followed. They were also chosen to play in the
United Kingdom 2006 All Tomorrow's Parties music festival curated by
The Shins.
2008-Present
The band's ninth album
In A Cave
was released in March
2008 on
Rykodisc. Their
MySpace page first described the project as "a lushly orchestrated mix of eclectic songwriting that is sure to conjure up memories of 1997's
When the Red King Comes
" and stressed its "more mature approach to arrangements, lyrics, and instrumentation."
Currently, Elf Power have been collaborating with
Vic Chesnutt as
the Amorphous Strums. They released
Dark Developments
on the record label
Orange Twin in 2008, which was supported by U.S. and European tours.
Discography
Albums
- Curse of Yoth-Bal-Tzar
(cassette) - Self-Released (1994)
- Hekinah Degul
(Cassette) - Self-Released (1994)
- Vainly Clutching at Phantom Limbs
- Self-released / Drug Racer / Arena Rock Recording Co. (1995/1999)
- When the Red King Comes
- Arena Rock Recording Co. / Elephant 6 (1997)
- A Dream in Sound
- Arena Rock Recording Co. / Elephant 6 (1999)
- The Winter Is Coming
- Sugar Free Records / Elephant 6 (2000)
- Creatures
- spinART (2002)
- Nothing's Going to Happen
- Orange Twin (2002)
- Walking with the Beggar Boys
- Low Transit Industries / Orange Twin (2004)
- Back to the Web
- Rykodisc (2006)
- Treasures from the Trash Heap
- Self-Released (2006)
- In a Cave
- Rykodisc (2008)
- Dark Developments (With Vic Chesnutt as the Amorphous Strums)
- Orange Twin (2008)
EPs
- The Winter Hawk EP
(Cassette/7") - Self-released / Kindercore Records (1995)
- Come On
- Drug Racer (1999)
Singles
- Kindercore Singles Slub: May split single with Great Lakes (7") - Kindercore Records (2000)
- "Jane/Needles in the Camel's Eyes" - Shifty Disco (2000)
- "High Atop the Silver Branches" - Shifty Disco (2001)
- "The Naughty Villain" (7") - Shifty Disco (2002)