The Microphones

The Microphones was the name of a musical project based in Olympia, Washington, and fronted by Phil Elvrum. Elvrum was the principal songwriter and producer behind the Microphones' albums, but he also collaborated with other local musicians on his recordings and on tour. Many of Elvrum's recordings from this period were released by the label K Records. Since 2003, Elvrum (who now spells his surname Elverum) has recorded and performed under the name Mount Eerie.

History

Early years

Phil Elvrum became involved in the Washington music scene while working at The Business, a record store in his home town of Anacortes, in the mid-1990s. Elvrum began experimenting with recording equipment in the back of the store, which led to the store's owner Bret Lunsford releasing two cassettes (Microphone and Wires and Cords) on his label, KNW-YR-OWN. Elvrum also played drums in Lunsford's band, D+, before moving to Olympia in 1997 to attend Evergreen State College.

Whilst in Olympia, Elvrum caught the attention of K Records owner and musician Calvin Johnson. After recording for some time at the Dub Narcotic studios, Elvrum was able to complete his first full-length album, a CD entitled Tests, which was released in 1998 on Elsinor Records. Tests combined songs from his earlier cassette releases and the recently recorded Dub Narcotic recordings. At the same time, Elvrum released his first 7" single, "Bass Drum Dream" on Up Records.

The Glow

The Glow is the seventh album by Bonnie Raitt, released in 1979 (see 1979 in music).

Track listing

Personnel

The Life of Pablo

The Life of Pablo is the seventh studio album by American recording artist Kanye West. It was released by GOOD Music and Def Jam Recordings on February 14, 2016. The album was initially available exclusively through the streaming service Tidal, following a lengthy series of delays in its recording and finalization. Recording of the album dated back to recording sessions for West's fifth album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010), and took place in various locations.

Background

West began working on his seventh solo album in November 2013. The album was originally titled So Help Me God and slated for a 2014 release. This version of the album, which never materialized, included several tracks which were released such as "God Level" (released as part of an Adidas World Cup promo), "Tell Your Friends" (later given to The Weeknd), "3500" (given to Travis Scott), "All Day" and "Only One". In February 2015, the only tracks from this version appearing to make the final cut for The Life of Pablo were "Famous" (formerly titled "Nina Chop") and "Wolves", which West performed on Saturday Night Live's 40th anniversary episode, with American recording artists Sia and Vic Mensa.

The Glow Pt. 2

The Glow Pt. 2 is the fifth studio album by American indie rock band The Microphones, released in September 2001 through K Records. It is considered by many to be The Microphones' definitive work. "The Glow" was the title of the fourth track on the band's previous album It Was Hot, We Stayed in the Water. A reissue of the album which included a bonus disc of material was released by K Records in 2008.

As credited in the album's liner notes, the cover of The Glow Pt. 2 originates from an antique Dutch cookbook entitled Calvé-Delft's Winterboekje, which was printed around 1940.

Critical reception

Contemporary reviews of The Glow Pt. 2 upon release were generally positive. Matt LeMay of Pitchfork Media called the album an "alive" and "sprawling, swirling composition", while stating that "parts of The Glow Pt. 2 are absolutely breathtaking" due to its stereoscopic enhancements. LeMay felt that the album "exceeds even its predecessor in capturing the simultaneous wrath and fragility of nature" and praised the title track as being "the single most breathtaking song on the album". Dave Heaton of PopMatters described The Microphones' approach to music as "free and idiosyncratic" and "constrained by few boundaries, a fact that allows them to travel through various unique musical lands". Writing in Under the Radar, Wendy Lynch stated that The Glow Pt. 2 "encapsulates chaos with sparatic [sic] changes and bullets of sound" and labelled The Microphones as "one of the most original, interesting bands to come out in the last 3 years".Stylus Magazine's Tyler Martin asserted that The Microphones "spew innovation every second of this disc" and that the album "promises something you have never heard before and delivers it, perhaps more than you’d expect". Heather Phares of AllMusic stated that "it's The Glow, Pt. 2's deep, nearly spiritual yearning that makes it the Microphones' most compelling album to date."

I Want

I Want can refer to: