Major Organ and the Adding Machine
Encyclopedia
Major Organ and the Adding Machine is an Elephant 6 supergroup led by the elusive and possibly fictional Major Organ. The liner notes of Major Organ and the Adding Machine
, the band's debut album, leave it a mystery as to who is officially featured, and when performing live on the Holiday Surprise Tour, the members of the band wore paper masks to maintain anonymity. It is believed that the main contributors are Jeff Mangum
, Julian Koster
, Robert Schneider
, and Kevin Barnes
, whose vocals are most obviously present on the album, but a number of other Elephant 6 musicians are believed to have contributed too, including members of The Olivia Tremor Control
, Elf Power
, and Of Montreal
.
In 1997, when thought to be a side-project of Jeff Mangum
and Julian Koster
, Major Organ and the Adding Machine contributed a cover of Louis Armstrong's
What a Wonderful World
to a Kindercore Records
Christmas
compilation. Over the next few years, they recorded a self-titled album
and released it on Orange Twin Records
in 2001.
A trailer for a Major Organ and the Adding Machine film
was shown at the 40 Watt Club
on May 5, 2007 and August 11, 2007. The film was premiered on October 7, 2008 and shown at every show on the Holiday Surprise Tour in the following weeks. The film contains no dialogue and is accompanied by alternate arrangements of songs from the Major Organ and the Adding Machine album. An expanded version of the album, including a DVD of the film, was released on September 14, 2010, although some consumers received their copies before the announced release date. The films credits, as well as the commentary, seemingly confirm the suspected roster of Elephant Six musicians.
The band also submitted a version of "What a Wonderful World
" to the Kindercore Records
compilation album
Christmas in Stereo
, released in 1997
Major Organ and the Adding Machine (album)
Major Organ and the Adding Machine is an album released by Major Organ and the Adding Machine in 2001. In 2010, an expanded edition of the album, including a DVD of the Major Organ and the Adding Machine film was released...
, the band's debut album, leave it a mystery as to who is officially featured, and when performing live on the Holiday Surprise Tour, the members of the band wore paper masks to maintain anonymity. It is believed that the main contributors are Jeff Mangum
Jeff Mangum
Jeff Mangum is a musician best known for being the lyricist, vocalist and guitarist of the band Neutral Milk Hotel, as well as being one of the cofounders of The Elephant 6 Recording Company. Mangum, along with the other founding members of the Elephant 6, attended Ruston High School in the late...
, Julian Koster
Julian Koster
Julian Koster is an American underground musician and storyteller. A member of the Elephant 6 Collective, he is the leader of The Music Tapes, and a former member of Neutral Milk Hotel and Chocolate USA. He is also an influential and long time performer on the singing or Musical Saw...
, Robert Schneider
Robert Schneider
Robert Peter Schneider is one of the co-founders of The Elephant 6 Recording Company, along with Will Cullen Hart, Bill Doss, and Jeff Mangum...
, and Kevin Barnes
Kevin Barnes
Kevin L. Barnes is the singer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter for the indie rock group Of Montreal, part of the Elephant 6 Collective. Barnes started the band on his own and, although providing several stories as to the origin of the name, is said to have named it after a failed romance...
, whose vocals are most obviously present on the album, but a number of other Elephant 6 musicians are believed to have contributed too, including members of The Olivia Tremor Control
The Olivia Tremor Control
The Olivia Tremor Control is an indie rock band prominent in the mid to late 1990s which, along with The Apples in Stereo and Neutral Milk Hotel, was one of the three original Elephant 6 projects...
, Elf Power
Elf Power
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, and drummer Eric Harris...
, and Of Montreal
Of Montreal
Of Montreal is an American rock band from Athens, Georgia. It was founded by frontman Kevin Barnes in 1996, named after a failed romance with a woman "of Montreal." The band is one of the bands of the Elephant 6 collective...
.
In 1997, when thought to be a side-project of Jeff Mangum
Jeff Mangum
Jeff Mangum is a musician best known for being the lyricist, vocalist and guitarist of the band Neutral Milk Hotel, as well as being one of the cofounders of The Elephant 6 Recording Company. Mangum, along with the other founding members of the Elephant 6, attended Ruston High School in the late...
and Julian Koster
Julian Koster
Julian Koster is an American underground musician and storyteller. A member of the Elephant 6 Collective, he is the leader of The Music Tapes, and a former member of Neutral Milk Hotel and Chocolate USA. He is also an influential and long time performer on the singing or Musical Saw...
, Major Organ and the Adding Machine contributed a cover of Louis Armstrong's
Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong , nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana....
What a Wonderful World
What a Wonderful World
"What a Wonderful World" is a song written by Bob Thiele and George David Weiss. It was first recorded by Louis Armstrong and released as a single in 1968. Thiele and Weiss were both prominent in the music world . Armstrong's recording was inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999...
to a Kindercore Records
Kindercore Records
Kindercore Records is an independent record label based in Athens, Georgia, which was founded in 1996 by Ryan Lewis and Daniel Geller to document the emerging music scene in Athens, Georgia....
Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
compilation. Over the next few years, they recorded a self-titled album
Major Organ and the Adding Machine (album)
Major Organ and the Adding Machine is an album released by Major Organ and the Adding Machine in 2001. In 2010, an expanded edition of the album, including a DVD of the Major Organ and the Adding Machine film was released...
and released it on Orange Twin Records
Orange Twin Records
Orange Twin Records is an Athens, Georgia-based record label run by Laura Carter, a multi-instrumental member of Elephant 6 popsters Elf Power....
in 2001.
A trailer for a Major Organ and the Adding Machine film
Major Organ and the Adding Machine (film)
Major Organ and the Adding Machine is a short film, based on the self-titled concept album by Major Organ and the Adding Machine. It was first shown during the Elephant 6 Holiday Surprise Tour in October, 2008. The film contains no dialogue and is accompanied by alternate arrangements of songs from...
was shown at the 40 Watt Club
40 Watt Club
The 40 Watt Club is a music venue in Athens, Georgia. Along with CBGB's, the Whisky a Go Go, and selected others, it was instrumental in launching American punk rock and "New Wave music."...
on May 5, 2007 and August 11, 2007. The film was premiered on October 7, 2008 and shown at every show on the Holiday Surprise Tour in the following weeks. The film contains no dialogue and is accompanied by alternate arrangements of songs from the Major Organ and the Adding Machine album. An expanded version of the album, including a DVD of the film, was released on September 14, 2010, although some consumers received their copies before the announced release date. The films credits, as well as the commentary, seemingly confirm the suspected roster of Elephant Six musicians.
Discography
- Major Organ and the Adding MachineMajor Organ and the Adding Machine (album)Major Organ and the Adding Machine is an album released by Major Organ and the Adding Machine in 2001. In 2010, an expanded edition of the album, including a DVD of the Major Organ and the Adding Machine film was released...
(CD) - Orange Twin - 2001 - Major Organ and the Adding MachineMajor Organ and the Adding Machine (film)Major Organ and the Adding Machine is a short film, based on the self-titled concept album by Major Organ and the Adding Machine. It was first shown during the Elephant 6 Holiday Surprise Tour in October, 2008. The film contains no dialogue and is accompanied by alternate arrangements of songs from...
(DVD) - Orange Twin - 2010
The band also submitted a version of "What a Wonderful World
What a Wonderful World
"What a Wonderful World" is a song written by Bob Thiele and George David Weiss. It was first recorded by Louis Armstrong and released as a single in 1968. Thiele and Weiss were both prominent in the music world . Armstrong's recording was inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999...
" to the Kindercore Records
Kindercore Records
Kindercore Records is an independent record label based in Athens, Georgia, which was founded in 1996 by Ryan Lewis and Daniel Geller to document the emerging music scene in Athens, Georgia....
compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
Christmas in Stereo
Christmas in Stereo
Christmas in Stereo is a 1997 Christmas album featuring various indie rock bands. Each band had only two weeks to write their song.A followup compilation, Christmas Two, was released in 1999.-Track listing:...
, released in 1997