Phishing for Biscuits: The Side Project

            In a recent feature published by jambands.com, an online affiliate of Relix Magazine, which highlights the titans and up-and-comers of the improvisational jam scene, Editor-in-Chief Dean Budnick transcribes his conversation with Phish bassist Mike Gordon about Gordon’s developing solo career amidst the madness of Phish’s March 2009 reunion. As the conversation progresses, Gordon reflects on the amount of energy that needs to be driven into a project like Phish which requires constant maintenance in order to keep the library of songs sounding fresh and precise (Budnick). As a result, Gordon explains, “I do have a lot of creative ideas but I don’t always follow through with them,” meaning that many of Gordon’s ideas don’t get developed because they don’t mesh well within the framework that Phish has established (Budnick).

            Hence, much of the rest of the article describes the great lengths that Gordon goes to to develop, record, and catalogue all the different musical ideas he has so that even if they aren’t adopted into Phish’s selection of material, he can still explore them in a variety of side projects, or creative outlets in which musicians can step outside their traditional range to explore different musical roles and sounds.

            This is especially true for Gordon, whose funky bass lines often take a backseat to the more ostentatious sound of Trey Anastasio’s piercing guitar notes within Phish’s dynamics. Therefore, while he might quietly follow Anastasio’s trail during an average Phish performance, within his own group he can spearhead rhythms and melodies that might not otherwise be appropriate. This allows Gordon to remain passionate about his role within Phish because he doesn’t need to compromise any of his other musical aspirations to do so.

            While this notion of using side projects to explore uncharted musical realms is apparent within Phish’s history, it plays an even greater role within the dynamics of The Disco Biscuits. While The Disco Biscuits are hitting the road harder than any group in the jam circuit with 76 individual performances in 2009 alone, they always leave room in their busy touring schedule for the different side projects the members are affiliated with. This allows the individual members to pursue different styles that interest them, but that don’t necessarily fit into The Disco Biscuits’ established formula. For example, while The Disco Biscuits incorporate a balance of raging peaks, blissful valleys, and soulful lyrics into their material, bassist Marc Brownstein and keyboardist Aron Magner developed the side project Conspirator, a lyric less project based in the “trance” genre that allows the core duo of Brownstein and Magner to focus exclusively on hypotonic dance rhythms. By contrast, Biscuits’ guitar player Jon Gutwillig has embarked on a project called M80 Dubstation in which he exchanges his guitar for turntables to play “dubstep,” a dark, melodic, bass-heavy genre that incorporates elements of reggae. Finally, Biscuits’ drummer Allen Aucoin performs under the alias “Dr. Fameus” in which he loops electronic beats over his impressive, tireless drumming skills.

            These various outlets give the members of group the freedom to step outside their normal roles, and experiment in the channels that are ignored in much of The Biscuits’ material. This in turn gives the members of the band a greater cohesiveness when they’re together because rather than worrying about expanding their musical horizons, they can do what they do best…play as The Disco Biscuits. 

References:

Budnick, Dean. (2009, Sept. 22). Collecting Firewood with Mike Gordon. Jambands.com, Retrieved from http://www.jambands.com/features/2009/09/22/collecting-firewood-with-mike-gordon

 

Phishing for Biscuits: The Joy of Releasing an Album

On September 8, Phish released their highly anticipated, 14^th studio album entitled simply yet elegantly, “Joy.” While all ten tracks on the album were performed live during the 30 shows of the spring and summer tours, only two of the actual album cuts (“Backwards Down the Number Line” and “Time Turns Elastic”) were officially leaked to the public before the album was readily available for consumption.

However, now that fans and the media have had some time to digest the recent studio release, a heated debate has ensued as to whether the album is “phishy” enough. While Phish perfected a style of musical composition in which many songs served as launching pads into lengthy improvisational peaks and valleys, the songs on “Joy” are far more contained, “standalone creations” (Roach). Thus, while many of the tracks off “Joy” are soulful and concise, some are still critical that the album is abandoning the patented style of jamming (in case it hasn’t been made clear, jamming is a loose term to describe spontaneous improvising) into extraterrestrial dimensions that makes Phish…well…Phish.

To further examine the response towards the album, examine the review of “Joy” from jambase.com, an online database that contains features, reviews, tour dates, bios and more on any musical group who has a salient “live” presence. To begin, author Cal Roach claims the album retains the “unshakable essence of Phish” but rejects “the density of the band's mythology in favor of broader matters of the heart and soul” (Roach). While his review continues along this largely positive vein, the author remarks, “Just because it’s a studio album doesn’t mean you can’t jam a little bit” (Roach).

 While criticizing the album for too little jamming is nothing unexpected, it does little to detract from the value of the album because, as mentioned, all of the songs on the album have already been performed live. In the live outlet, the band can and has inserted exciting and innovative improv into the tracks on “Joy,” allowing the album to focus on the lyrical qualities of the songs that reflect (both seriously and light heatedly) a “defiant emergence” from the group’s embarrassing history of substance abuse, and into a new period defined exclusively by…joy (Roach). Therefore, because the group has so many opportunities to illustrate greater creativity with these songs in the live setting, the studio versions of the tracks can serve to communicate the tangible sense of hope meant to characterize a now older and wiser Phish.

On the other side of the spectrum, The Disco Biscuits are also anticipating the release of a new studio album entitled “Planet Anthem.” However, instead of releasing the new album in one piece, tracks will instead be leaked slowly over 6 weeks this fall (singles “You and I” and “Konkrete” have already been released and performed live). By contrast, while Phish has already woven elements of excitement and surprise into their live performances of the songs off “Joy,” The Biscuits’ live renditions of “Planet Anthem” songs have thus far been plain and formulaic. While The Biscuits undoubtedly have plenty in store as more tracks are slowly released and performed during their nonstop fall tour, they will need to begin integrating something more unique into their new material if they want to keep up with the example Phish has presented. However, that discussion will need to wait for a future blog when more fuel for analysis is available. Until then…keep on jammin’.  

 References:

Roach, Cal (2009, Sept 05). Phish: Joy. Jambase.com, Retrieved from

http://www.jambase.com/Articles/19554/Phish-Joy

 

Phishing for Biscuits: An Introduction

On March 9^th, 2009 at the Hampton Coliseum in Virginia, ten thousand pairs of hands were raised in ecstasy as Phish returned to the stage for the first time in nearly five years. For those unfamiliar with the genre, Phish is a Vermont based improvisational rock band composed of lead vocalist/lead guitar player Trey Anastasio, drummer John Fishman, keyboardist Page McConnell, and bassist Mike Gordon. Formed while attending the University of Vermont in 1984, Phish patented a unique style of playing that combined elements of funk, jazz, psychedelic, bluegrass, and much more into the general framework of improvised rock and roll.

            While the group accumulated a massive fan base, national and international fame, and serious money during their decades of performances, it became apparent that the Phish phenomenon was not perfect when the group began a 26-month hiatus in October 2000. While they returned to the stage at the end of 2002, the vibrant energy of Phish seemed to be dwindling, and finally overtook the group when they announced they would be breaking up after a three day festival held during the summer of 2004. However, rather than a triumphant, balls-to-the-walls experience, the festival (dubbed “Coventry”) was instead an unbelievably sad experience for those in attendance, as Anastasio butchered song after song in a drug induced stupor.

            While the members of the group pursued individual side projects over the coming years, the Phish dynasty was further tarnished after Anastasio was arrested in late 2006 on DWI and prescription narcotic charges. While many assumed the arrest marked the tragic decline of another otherwise talented musician, Anastasio’s arrest instead reminded the group of what they were missing. After Anastasio successfully completed a rehabilitation program, increased interaction between members sparked rumors of a reunion before the official announcement was made in October 2008 that Phish would return for three performances in Hampton, Virginia. Since then, Phish has completed a sold out 27 show summer tour, announced the dates for their 8^th multi-day festival (entitled “Festival 8”) and tirelessly promoted their most recent studio album “Joy.”

            While Phish’s continuing development will provide plenty of fodder for critical analysis within this blog, I intend to foster more in depth analysis by not only analyzing Phish, but also another group shaping the character of the jam band industry, The Disco Biscuits. While the Disco Biscuits (composed of Marc Brownstein on bass, Jon Gutwillig on guitar, Aron Magner on keyboards/synths, and Allen Aucoin on drums) began their musical careers as a Phish cover band in the mid-90’s, their style has since evolved to incorporate elements of electronic dance music into the more general improv-rock format, spawning a style since dubbed “livetronica” (live electronica.) As the Disco Biscuits have perfected this unique style, they have acquired an equally rabid following, and seem to be ever ascending in popularity. This past summer alone, the Biscuits headlined three different music festivals in addition to 17 individual performances, and have since embarked on a monstrous fall tour to support their 5^th studio album, “The Planet Anthem.”

            The goal for this blog will thus be to cover the constant flow of news surrounding these groups, and to foil their actions against one another to better understand their unique contributions to the genre, while simultaneously providing insight into their musical roots and influences in the process. Jam on.