The Silly Pillows
Encyclopedia
The Silly Pillows are an American
indie pop
band formed by Jonathan Caws-Elwitt. They began as a home-recorded duo of Jonathan and his wife Hilary, sharing tapes through the cassette underground
. In the 1990s the band evolved into a studio-recorded full lineup, which dissolved in 2000. In 2005, Jonathan and Hilary began home-recording again as "The Original Silly Pillows."
, NY, along with his brother Sam Elwitt). Jonathan started recording cassettes at home in 1984, and in 1986 he asked his wife Hilary Caws-Elwitt to join him on vocals, choosing the name The Silly Pillows for the project.
The first Silly Pillows recordings were circulated on cassette through the growing network of home tapers
, spurred by positive reviews in the magazines Option and Sound Choice (who said that "their whole catalog is essential listening"). In 1992, Hilary decided to stop singing, but by then their cassettes had attracted some attention in Europe. The tracks on the Silly Pillows' first vinyl release, "When She Gets Home," were home-recorded. In 1993, Jonathan assembled a group of friends for the Silly Pillows' first studio recordings, which were released as the "Equilibrium" EP on Norway's Perfect Pop label. The first studio lineup was Jonathan, his co-worker Cheryl De Luke, Sam, and Christopher Earl of Squires of the Subterrain. Over the next few years, more studio recordings were released on vinyl and CD by Perfect Pop and a German label, Little Teddy, bringing the band notice such places as Chickfactor
("It just bubbles over with vintage ambience and playfulness.... and it's more than just slightly pretty") and The Village Voice
(making Elisabeth Vincentelli's "Pazz & Jop
" top-10 list in 1996).
In 1996, the possibility of a Japanese tour led Jonathan to assemble a lineup that could perform live: Jonathan (vocals), Sam (guitar), Michael E. Fiato (bass), Dave Joachim (drums; later a best-selling cookbook author), singer-songwriter/artist Linda Smith (vocals), and Charlie Zayleskie (keyboards). Although the tour never happened, the Silly Pillows performed in New York and a few other locations, opening for some well-known acts like The Magnetic Fields
. Belinda Miller of the kids' radio show Greasy Kid Stuff
later became the female co-vocalist; Time Out New York likened the Caws-Elwitt–Miller stage presence to "Mexican jumping beans."
In Japan, where a split single (with Citrus) on Rover Records had reached #3 on the domestic singles chart, enthusiasm was high enough that a subsidiary of major Japanese label Teichiku Records
released a "best-of" compilation, Pillow Paw Prints, in 1997. New Affections, released in 1998, was the Pillows' last full-length label recording. In 2000, the band set up a temporary studio at the Caws-Elwitt home in Friendsville, Pennsylvania
, to record a new project, but soon after the lineup dissolved. The five song EP that had been recorded was released online as Tomorrow Is Yesterday.
After a hiatus, Jonathan began writing and recording at home again. Eventually Hilary decided to try singing again, and as "The Original Silly Pillows," they have recorded a few new tracks since 2005. In 2007, Jonathan, Charlie, and Hilary made two pop-festival appearances as "Silly Piano Pillows."
In 2010, an instrumental rendition of a 1990 Silly Pillows track was released by Nada Surf
as part of their covers album If I Had a Hi-Fi.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
indie pop
Indie pop
Indie pop is a genre of alternative rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the mid 1980s, with its roots in the Scottish post-punk bands on the Postcard Records label in the early '80s, such as Orange Juice, Josef K and Aztec Camera, and the dominant UK independent band of the mid...
band formed by Jonathan Caws-Elwitt. They began as a home-recorded duo of Jonathan and his wife Hilary, sharing tapes through the cassette underground
Cassette culture
Cassette culture, or the cassette underground , refers to the practices surrounding amateur production and distribution of recorded music that emerged in the late 1970s via home-made audio cassettes...
. In the 1990s the band evolved into a studio-recorded full lineup, which dissolved in 2000. In 2005, Jonathan and Hilary began home-recording again as "The Original Silly Pillows."
History
In the early 1980s, Jonathan had been part of punk/psych/experimental group The Killer Asparagus (in the Boston area) and punk pop band The Degrads (in RochesterRochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
, NY, along with his brother Sam Elwitt). Jonathan started recording cassettes at home in 1984, and in 1986 he asked his wife Hilary Caws-Elwitt to join him on vocals, choosing the name The Silly Pillows for the project.
The first Silly Pillows recordings were circulated on cassette through the growing network of home tapers
Cassette culture
Cassette culture, or the cassette underground , refers to the practices surrounding amateur production and distribution of recorded music that emerged in the late 1970s via home-made audio cassettes...
, spurred by positive reviews in the magazines Option and Sound Choice (who said that "their whole catalog is essential listening"). In 1992, Hilary decided to stop singing, but by then their cassettes had attracted some attention in Europe. The tracks on the Silly Pillows' first vinyl release, "When She Gets Home," were home-recorded. In 1993, Jonathan assembled a group of friends for the Silly Pillows' first studio recordings, which were released as the "Equilibrium" EP on Norway's Perfect Pop label. The first studio lineup was Jonathan, his co-worker Cheryl De Luke, Sam, and Christopher Earl of Squires of the Subterrain. Over the next few years, more studio recordings were released on vinyl and CD by Perfect Pop and a German label, Little Teddy, bringing the band notice such places as Chickfactor
Gail O'Hara
Gail O'Hara is a US editor, writer, photographer, recording label owner, and filmmaker. She lives in Portland, Oregon. O'Hara attended Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA, where she worked for WVCW radio and the Commonwealth Times...
("It just bubbles over with vintage ambience and playfulness.... and it's more than just slightly pretty") and The Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
(making Elisabeth Vincentelli's "Pazz & Jop
Pazz & Jop
The Pazz & Jop critics' poll is a poll of music critics run by The Village Voice newspaper. It is compiled every year from the top ten lists of hundreds of music critics...
" top-10 list in 1996).
In 1996, the possibility of a Japanese tour led Jonathan to assemble a lineup that could perform live: Jonathan (vocals), Sam (guitar), Michael E. Fiato (bass), Dave Joachim (drums; later a best-selling cookbook author), singer-songwriter/artist Linda Smith (vocals), and Charlie Zayleskie (keyboards). Although the tour never happened, the Silly Pillows performed in New York and a few other locations, opening for some well-known acts like The Magnetic Fields
The Magnetic Fields
The Magnetic Fields is the principal creative outlet of singer-songwriter Stephin Merritt...
. Belinda Miller of the kids' radio show Greasy Kid Stuff
Greasy Kid Stuff
For the Gym Class Heroes album, see Greasy Kid Stuff Greasy Kid Stuff is a U.S. radio show that airs Sunday mornings from 8-9 AM on 94.7 FM KNRK out of Portland, Oregon...
later became the female co-vocalist; Time Out New York likened the Caws-Elwitt–Miller stage presence to "Mexican jumping beans."
In Japan, where a split single (with Citrus) on Rover Records had reached #3 on the domestic singles chart, enthusiasm was high enough that a subsidiary of major Japanese label Teichiku Records
Teichiku Records
Teichiku Records is a Japanese record label, run by the Teichiku Entertainment company, that specialises in enka, kayōkyoku, and similar music. Teichiku is an abbreviation for , the former name of the company...
released a "best-of" compilation, Pillow Paw Prints, in 1997. New Affections, released in 1998, was the Pillows' last full-length label recording. In 2000, the band set up a temporary studio at the Caws-Elwitt home in Friendsville, Pennsylvania
Friendsville, Pennsylvania
Friendsville is a borough in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 91 at the 2000 census. The community was named for the colony of Quakers settling here.-Geography:Friendsville is located at ....
, to record a new project, but soon after the lineup dissolved. The five song EP that had been recorded was released online as Tomorrow Is Yesterday.
After a hiatus, Jonathan began writing and recording at home again. Eventually Hilary decided to try singing again, and as "The Original Silly Pillows," they have recorded a few new tracks since 2005. In 2007, Jonathan, Charlie, and Hilary made two pop-festival appearances as "Silly Piano Pillows."
In 2010, an instrumental rendition of a 1990 Silly Pillows track was released by Nada Surf
Nada Surf
Nada Surf is an American alternative rock band. Formed in 1992, the New York band consists of Matthew Caws , Ira Elliot and Daniel Lorca .-Early years:...
as part of their covers album If I Had a Hi-Fi.
Style
Stylistically, the band's music has been described as "gems replete with incisive hooks, mindblowing harmonies and solos, and varied multilayered instrumentation with creative stylistic unpredictability and arresting rhythms." Jonathan has stated that his goal is to achieve "exuberance, sincerity, and beauty without sadness."Side projects
- Jonathan and Hilary have collaborated with home-tapers Dan Fioretti and Ken Clinger.
- Hilary's brother, Matthew CawsMatthew CawsMatthew Caws is the lead singer of the band Nada Surf. His parents are Peter Caws and Mary Ann Caws.- Biography :...
, is now the singer/guitarist in Nada SurfNada SurfNada Surf is an American alternative rock band. Formed in 1992, the New York band consists of Matthew Caws , Ira Elliot and Daniel Lorca .-Early years:...
. Sam played bass for Matthew's first band, The Cost of Living. Jonathan co-wrote a song with Matthew for Because Because Because, a short-lived band between The Cost of Living and Nada SurfNada SurfNada Surf is an American alternative rock band. Formed in 1992, the New York band consists of Matthew Caws , Ira Elliot and Daniel Lorca .-Early years:...
, and Matthew later sang backing vocals on the Silly Pillows track "Katy Tongue in Cheek." - Jonathan co-wrote songs for The Neos, a Binghamton, NY studio project featuring Charlie.
- Jonathan wrote a song for the Norwegian band The Tables.
- Jonathan produced "My Picasso Girlfriend" for The Dupont Circles.
- Charlie's song "Space Pilot Astrud Star" (from the Starflower compilation), was co-written by Jonathan and featured performances by Dave and Sam.
- Sam is The Nutley Brass and was a member of Sea Monkeys. He is also in The Small Potatoes. He writes and performs the music for the Queer DuckQueer DuckQueer Duck is an animated series produced by Mondo that originally appeared on Icebox.com and later moved to the American cable television channel Showtime in 2002, where it aired as a followup feature of the American version of Queer as Folk...
cartoons. A 1990s solo project, The Hazeltones, featured some songs co-written with Jonathan. - Charlie was part of StewStew (musician)Mark Stewart , known by his stage name Stew, is a singer/songwriter/playwright from Los Angeles. In the early 1990s, he formed a band called The Negro Problem and later went on to release albums under his own name...
's Passing StrangePassing StrangePassing Strange is a rock musical about a young African American's artistic journey of self-discovery in Europe, drawing on heavy elements of existentialism, metafictional comedy, and the Künstlerroman. The musical's lyrics and book are by Stew with music and orchestrations by Heidi Rodewald and Stew...
show during its developmental phase. - Michael went on to play with the Liz Jee Band, Bouva, Dark Roads, and Evik James Band.
- Deco Pillow is a techno/dance side project of the original Silly Pillows.
Albums
(The Silly Pillows self-released many cassette-only albums from 1988 to 1993.)- Look! The Dolby's Off! (MC)/(best-of cassette released to fan club only) - Perfect Pop - 1993
- Strangest of the Strange (LP) - Little Teddy Recordings - 1994
- Up in the Air (CD) - Perfect Pop - 1995
- Pillow Image Ltd. (LP) - Little Teddy Recordings - 1996
- Out of Our Depth (LP/CD) - Little Teddy Recordings/Perfect Pop - 1996
- Pillow Paw Prints ("best of" CD) - TeichikuTeichiku RecordsTeichiku Records is a Japanese record label, run by the Teichiku Entertainment company, that specialises in enka, kayōkyoku, and similar music. Teichiku is an abbreviation for , the former name of the company...
- 1997 - New Affections (CD) - Little Teddy Recordings - 1998
- Silly Image Pillowhead (CD) - Ultraberry/Little Teddy Recordings - 1999
EPs
- "When She Gets Home" (7") - Hoppel di Hoy/Little Teddy Recordings - 1993
- "Equilibrium" (7") - Perfect Pop - 1994
- "Lukewarm Weather" (7") - Little Teddy Recordings - 1995
- Affectionette (7") - Rover Records - 1997
- Tomorrow Is Yesterday (online release) - 2000
- Black & White Bathroom (as Jonathan Caws-Elwitt; online release) - 2003
- I, Dentity (as Jonathan Caws-Elwitt; online release) - 2005
- Again with the Silly Pillows (as Original Silly Pillows; online release) - 2008
Singles
- "I Liked It - What Was It?" / "She's Just Being A Kid" (7", split single with Citrus) - Rover Records - 1996
Compilation albums
(partial list)- USA Goes Pop (cassette) - Lonely Whistle - ca. 1990
- Dopey (cassette) - Pop Cult - 1992
- Smash! Tinkle (LP) - Pico Records - 1993
- Candybars (double 7") - Little Teddy Recordings - 1995
- A Perfect Pop Compilation, 1991-1994 (CD) - Perfect Pop, 1995
- As Seen on TV (CD) - Spare Me RecordsSpare Me RecordsSpare Me Records was an independent record label based in Williamsburg, New York, active between 1996 and 2002. It specialized in supporting and internationally releasing albums by local talent, but released work by non-locals, as well....
- 1996 - McBain (cassette distributed with fanzine Runaway Balloon) - 1996
- I've Got It Now...A Popfest Compilation (cassette) - Shelflife - 1997
- Starring Nao (cassette) - Rover Records - 2000
- Shining Sun (CD distributed with fanzine Sofa 2) - Sofa Records/Rewind Records - 2001
- Bestrummed: Perfect Pop 1995-2001 (CD) - Perfect Pop - 2001
- Woosh! Little Teddy Recordings 1991-2001 (CD) - Little Teddy Recordings - 2001
- Snowstorm: A Tribute to Galaxie 500 (double CD) - Elefant RecordsElefant RecordsElefant Records is an independent record label based in Spain. Elefant records was founded in 1989 by Luis Calvo as an offshoot of a fanzine he produced called "La Línea Del Arco"...
- 2001 - Floosh! Little Teddy Recordings 2002 (CD) - Little Teddy - 2002
- I Am a Victim of This Song (CD) - Baka-Poi - ca. 2002
- Happy Happy Birthday to Me: Volume 3 (as Jonathan Caws-Elwitt; CD) - Happy Happy Birthday to Me - 2004
- Cassette Culture Compilation Vol. 1: 40 Tracks from the Cassette Underground 1981-1998 (double CD) - Cassette Culture - 2006
- Someone to Share My Life With: The Alternative Tribute to the Television Personalities (as Jonathan Caws-Elwitt; LP) - But Is It Art? - 2006
- I Would Write a Thousand Words (as Jonathan Caws-Elwitt; CD) - The Beautiful Music - 2007
- Tweest and Shout (as Original Silly Pillows; LP) - Perfect Pop - 2011
External links
- Official website
- [ AllMusic entry]
- Time Zones video