The Slip
Encyclopedia
The Slip is a contemporary avant-rock
trio from Boston, Massachusetts, United States. The band consists of brothers Brad Barr
(guitar
, piano
, vocals) and Andrew Barr (drum kit
), and Marc Friedman
(bass guitar
). The three also play with singer-songwriter
Nathan Moore
(of ThaMuseMeant
) in a side project called Surprise Me Mr. Davis
.
in Marion, Massachusetts
, in 1989 as a student rock band that toured New England prep-school campuses. The founding members (guitarist Howard Gould, husband of Court TV anchor Ashleigh Banfield
, drummer Mike Johnson, lead guitarist Johnny Myers, bassist Cain Goettleman, and singer Jack Lewin) left the band upon graduating in 1990 and 1991, leaving it in the hands of the three current members. In the early days the band saw members come and go including singer Sally Taylor, the daughter of Carly Simon
and James Taylor
. All three current members were students and eventual graduates of Tabor Academy
. After attending the Berklee School of Music in Boston for a time, the trio collectively dropped out in 1996 to push their debut self-released album, From the Gecko
.
Following consistent touring, mostly in the Northeast but eventually in the West as well, the band was signed to Butch Trucks's label Flying Frog Records, where they put out Does
in 2000. Subsequent years saw continued touring, including their first trip to Japan, and the release of the band's first live album, Live Is My Jumby
. The Slip then signed to Rykodisc
, releasing Angels Come on Time
in 2002.
In 2003, the companion live albums Alivelectric
and Aliveacoustic
were released on the band's own label, 216 Records. The former was a mostly instrumental exploration into experimental noise collages, reminiscent at times of post-rock
bands such as Do Make Say Think
and Tortoise
, or electronic
acts like Squarepusher
. The latter consisted of Americana-tinged folk
songs with an emphasis on lyrics
, though some songs such as "Torque" and "Song" were more reminiscent of earlier, jazz
-influenced Slip work.
The next few years saw the band spend less time on the road, instead working with the Surprise Me Mr. Davis side project and the new Slip studio album. In 2005, the song "Even Rats", an early cut from the newest studio sessions, was featured on the PlayStation 2
video game Guitar Hero. The song was also released as a single available only online in 2006.
During 2005 and 2006, The Slip gained greater recognition after appearances at festivals such as Bonnaroo
, SXSW, Bumbershoot
, and High Sierra Music Festival
. After a long period of record label shopping, "Even Rats" and other songs finally saw release on the album Eisenhower
, released in November 2006 on Bar/None Records
. Eisenhower saw the band mostly abandon earlier jazz and jam
influences in favor of indie rock
influences drawing from bands like Built to Spill
and The Flaming Lips
. The Slip supported the album by touring throughout the United States
and Canada
, including a run of dates opening for the indie rock band My Morning Jacket
in November and December 2006. On February 5, 2007, the Slip made their national television debut on Late Night with Conan O'Brien
, playing "Children of December". The following June, they performed at the Bonnaroo Music Festival in Tennessee for the second time.
In 2008 The Slip supported Sonya Kitchell
in a tour for her album This Storm
. The album is a collaboration between Kitchell, Brad Barr, Andrew Barr, and Malcolm Burn
.
Members of the trio have been pursuing musical endeavors outside of the band, thus playing only a handful of shows in 2008–2010. The Slip returned to High Sierra Music Festival
in Quincy, California
, on July 4 and 5, 2009. This marked their twelfth consecutive appearance at the festival, more than any other returning act.
2011 brought the return of The Slip to Japan. The New Year was celebrated at Cafe Du Nord in San Francisco. The band has further scheduled dates for the summertime such as the Brooklyn Bowl in Williamsburg on July 14, 2011 and The Met in Pawtucket, RI on July 16, 2011.
Experimental rock
Experimental rock or avant-garde rock is a type of music based on rock which experiments with the basic elements of the genre, or which pushes the boundaries of common composition and performance technique....
trio from Boston, Massachusetts, United States. The band consists of brothers Brad Barr
Brad Barr
Brad Barr is a guitarist and singer-songwriter best known for his work with the The Slip, The Barr Brothers and Surprise Me Mr. Davis....
(guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, vocals) and Andrew Barr (drum kit
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
), and Marc Friedman
Marc Friedman
Marc Friedman is an electric bassist/multi-instrumentalist and composer. Marc tours internationally and has recorded seven full-length albums with Boston based avante-rock power trio The Slip. Marc is a co-arranger/producer/writer of the band's material along with the other two members, Brad and...
(bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
). The three also play with singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Nathan Moore
Nathan Moore (United States musician)
Nathan Moore is a United States-based folk music guitarist and singer-songwriter best known for being a founding member of both ThaMuseMeant and Surprise Me Mr. Davis. Moore has also released numerous solo albums on Frogville Records, an independent record company he co-owns with John Treadwell...
(of ThaMuseMeant
ThaMuseMeant
ThaMuseMeant is an American folk-rock quartet. The band has had three permanent members since the beginning: Aimee Curl , Nathan Moore , and David Tiller . Prior to 2001 the band contained Jeff Sussman on percussion instead of Enion Pelta-Tiller on violin, who joined in 2003...
) in a side project called Surprise Me Mr. Davis
Surprise Me Mr. Davis
Surprise Me Mr. Davis is an electro-folk band consisting of singer-songwriter Nathan Moore and the members of avant-rock band The Slip. They formed in 2003 in Boston while Moore was visiting The Slip at their apartment and the Blizzard of 2003 hit...
.
History
The band was formed at Tabor AcademyTabor Academy
Tabor Academy is a highly selective independent preparatory school located in Marion, Massachusetts, United States. Tabor is known for its marine science courses...
in Marion, Massachusetts
Marion, Massachusetts
Marion is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 5,123 at the 2000 census.For geographic and demographic information on the village of Marion Center, please see the article Marion Center, Massachusetts.-History:...
, in 1989 as a student rock band that toured New England prep-school campuses. The founding members (guitarist Howard Gould, husband of Court TV anchor Ashleigh Banfield
Ashleigh Banfield
Ashleigh Banfield is a Canadian-American journalist who as of 2010 hosts Disorder in the Court, Open Court and Hollywood Heat on Tru TV , where she reports on domestic and pop culture issues...
, drummer Mike Johnson, lead guitarist Johnny Myers, bassist Cain Goettleman, and singer Jack Lewin) left the band upon graduating in 1990 and 1991, leaving it in the hands of the three current members. In the early days the band saw members come and go including singer Sally Taylor, the daughter of Carly Simon
Carly Simon
Carly Elisabeth Simon is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and children's author. She rose to fame in the 1970s with a string of hit records, and has since been the recipient of two Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, and a Golden Globe Award for her work...
and James Taylor
James Taylor
James Vernon Taylor is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A five-time Grammy Award winner, Taylor was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000....
. All three current members were students and eventual graduates of Tabor Academy
Tabor Academy
Tabor Academy is a highly selective independent preparatory school located in Marion, Massachusetts, United States. Tabor is known for its marine science courses...
. After attending the Berklee School of Music in Boston for a time, the trio collectively dropped out in 1996 to push their debut self-released album, From the Gecko
From the Gecko
From the Gecko is the debut album by Boston band The Slip. It was released in 1997 on the band's KA Records label.The album features guest musicians Timo Shanko , Daisuke Fujiwara , and Gus Zeising on selected tracks.-Track listing:#"Munf" – 6:19#"Alsoa" – 6:25#"Yellow Medicine" – 8:45#"Weight of...
.
Following consistent touring, mostly in the Northeast but eventually in the West as well, the band was signed to Butch Trucks's label Flying Frog Records, where they put out Does
Does (album)
Does is the second album by indie rock band The Slip. It was released in 2000 on Butch Trucks' record label, Flying Frog Records.-Track listing:#"Catacea" – 2:43#"So Dope" – 5:35#"Paint Cans" – 1:13#"The Invocation" – 4:10#"Johnny's Tune" – 6:54...
in 2000. Subsequent years saw continued touring, including their first trip to Japan, and the release of the band's first live album, Live Is My Jumby
Live Is My Jumby
Live Is My Jumby is a live album by Boston trio The Slip. It was recorded in 2001 at the Aladdin Theater in Portland, Maine and The Wetlands in New York City, and was released in 2002 on the band's own KA record label.-Track listing:#"Wolof" – 12:17...
. The Slip then signed to Rykodisc
Rykodisc
Rykodisc Records is an American record label. It is owned by Warner Music Group, operates as a unit of WMG's Independent Label Group and is distributed through Alternative Distribution Alliance.-Company history:...
, releasing Angels Come on Time
Angels Come on Time
Angels Come on Time is a self-produced album by Boston trio The Slip. It was released in 2002 as the band's debut album for the Rykodisc record label. It was recorded in 2001, in part at The Barn, a recording studio owned by Phish's Trey Anastasio. Timo Shanko appears in a supporting role on...
in 2002.
In 2003, the companion live albums Alivelectric
Alivelectric
Alivelectric is a live album by Boston rock and jazz band The Slip. It was released in 2003 along with its companion album, Aliveacoustic, on the band's own label, 216 Records. It was recorded at various shows during late 2002 and early 2003. The album is almost entirely instrumental...
and Aliveacoustic
Aliveacoustic
Aliveacoustic is a live album by Boston rock and jazz band The Slip. It was released in 2003 along with its companion album, Alivelectric, on the band's own label, 216 Records...
were released on the band's own label, 216 Records. The former was a mostly instrumental exploration into experimental noise collages, reminiscent at times of post-rock
Post-rock
Post-rock is a subgenre of rock music characterized by the influence and use of instruments commonly associated with rock, but using rhythms and "guitars as facilitators of timbre and textures" not traditionally found in rock...
bands such as Do Make Say Think
Do Make Say Think
Do Make Say Think is a Canadian instrumental post-rock band from Toronto, Ontario. Their music combines jazz style drums, distorted guitars and wind instruments, as well as a prominent use of the bass guitar.-Biography:...
and Tortoise
Tortoise
Tortoises are a family of land-dwelling reptiles of the order of turtles . Like their marine cousins, the sea turtles, tortoises are shielded from predators by a shell. The top part of the shell is the carapace, the underside is the plastron, and the two are connected by the bridge. The tortoise...
, or electronic
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
acts like Squarepusher
Squarepusher
Squarepusher is the performing pseudonym of Tom Jenkinson, an English electronic music artist signed to Warp Records. He specialises in the electronic music genres of drum and bass and acid, with a significant jazz and musique concrète influence....
. The latter consisted of Americana-tinged folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
songs with an emphasis on lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
, though some songs such as "Torque" and "Song" were more reminiscent of earlier, jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
-influenced Slip work.
The next few years saw the band spend less time on the road, instead working with the Surprise Me Mr. Davis side project and the new Slip studio album. In 2005, the song "Even Rats", an early cut from the newest studio sessions, was featured on the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
video game Guitar Hero. The song was also released as a single available only online in 2006.
During 2005 and 2006, The Slip gained greater recognition after appearances at festivals such as Bonnaroo
Bonnaroo Music Festival
The Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival is an annual four day music festival created and produced by Superfly Productions and AC Entertainment, held at Great Stage Park on a 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee. It hosted its tenth annual event June 9–12, 2011...
, SXSW, Bumbershoot
Bumbershoot
Bumbershoot is an annual international music and arts festival held in Seattle, Washington. One of North America's largest such festivals, it takes place every Labor Day weekend at the 74-acre Seattle Center, which was built for the 1962 World's Fair. Seattle Center includes indoor theaters,...
, and High Sierra Music Festival
High Sierra Music Festival
High Sierra Music Festival is a multi-day music festival held in Quincy, California, a mountainous area about 80 miles northwest of Reno, Nevada.The festival is held each year the weekend of July 4...
. After a long period of record label shopping, "Even Rats" and other songs finally saw release on the album Eisenhower
Eisenhower (album)
Eisenhower is the fourth studio album and eighth album overall by American indie rock band The Slip. It was released November 7, 2006 on Bar/None Records...
, released in November 2006 on Bar/None Records
Bar/None Records
Bar/None Records is an independent record label based in Hoboken, New Jersey.-Early history:Tom Prendergast started Bar/None in early 1986. Having previously worked in pirate radio and booked and promoted bands in his native Ireland, Prendergast moved to Hoboken in 1982 and started Pier Platters...
. Eisenhower saw the band mostly abandon earlier jazz and jam
Jam band
-Ambiguity:By the late 1990s use of the term jam band also became ambiguous. An editorial at jamband.com suggested that any band of which a primary band such as Phish has done a cover of be included as jam band. The example was including New York post-punk band Talking Heads after Phish performed...
influences in favor of indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
influences drawing from bands like Built to Spill
Built to Spill
Built to Spill is an American indie rock band based in Boise, Idaho. The band has released seven full-length albums. Their most recent album, There Is No Enemy, was released on October 6, 2009.-History:...
and The Flaming Lips
The Flaming Lips
The Flaming Lips are an American alternative rock band, formed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 1983.Melodically, their sound contains lush, multi-layered, psychedelic rock arrangements, but lyrically their compositions show elements of space rock, including unusual song and album titles—such as "What...
. The Slip supported the album by touring throughout the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, including a run of dates opening for the indie rock band My Morning Jacket
My Morning Jacket
My Morning Jacket is an American rock band from Louisville, Kentucky.The band consists of Jim James , Tom 'Two-Tone Tommy' Blankenship , Patrick Hallahan , Carl Broemel , and Bo Koster .-History:My Morning Jacket was...
in November and December 2006. On February 5, 2007, the Slip made their national television debut on Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that aired 2,725 episodes on NBC between 1993 and 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am...
, playing "Children of December". The following June, they performed at the Bonnaroo Music Festival in Tennessee for the second time.
In 2008 The Slip supported Sonya Kitchell
Sonya Kitchell
Sonya D. Kitchell is an American singer-songwriter. Sonya Kitchell formed her first band and began writing music in 2001...
in a tour for her album This Storm
This Storm
This Storm is the second full length album by Sonya Kitchell.Track Listing1 "For Every Drop"2 "Borderline"3 "Running"4 "Here To There"5 "Walk Away"6 "Fire"7 "Soldier's Lament"8 "Robin In The Snow"9 "Who Knows After All"10 "Effortless"...
. The album is a collaboration between Kitchell, Brad Barr, Andrew Barr, and Malcolm Burn
Malcolm Burn
Malcolm Burn is a Canadian-born music producer, recording engineer and musician. In 2001, he won a Grammy Award with Jim Watts and Emmylou Harris for his work on Harris's Red Dirt Girl. -Biography:...
.
Members of the trio have been pursuing musical endeavors outside of the band, thus playing only a handful of shows in 2008–2010. The Slip returned to High Sierra Music Festival
High Sierra Music Festival
High Sierra Music Festival is a multi-day music festival held in Quincy, California, a mountainous area about 80 miles northwest of Reno, Nevada.The festival is held each year the weekend of July 4...
in Quincy, California
Quincy, California
Quincy is a census-designated place and the county seat of Plumas County, California. The population was 1,728 at the 2010 census, down from 1,879 at the 2000 census. Quincy is named after the city of Quincy, Illinois...
, on July 4 and 5, 2009. This marked their twelfth consecutive appearance at the festival, more than any other returning act.
2011 brought the return of The Slip to Japan. The New Year was celebrated at Cafe Du Nord in San Francisco. The band has further scheduled dates for the summertime such as the Brooklyn Bowl in Williamsburg on July 14, 2011 and The Met in Pawtucket, RI on July 16, 2011.
Discography
- From the GeckoFrom the GeckoFrom the Gecko is the debut album by Boston band The Slip. It was released in 1997 on the band's KA Records label.The album features guest musicians Timo Shanko , Daisuke Fujiwara , and Gus Zeising on selected tracks.-Track listing:#"Munf" – 6:19#"Alsoa" – 6:25#"Yellow Medicine" – 8:45#"Weight of...
– 1997 - DoesDoes (album)Does is the second album by indie rock band The Slip. It was released in 2000 on Butch Trucks' record label, Flying Frog Records.-Track listing:#"Catacea" – 2:43#"So Dope" – 5:35#"Paint Cans" – 1:13#"The Invocation" – 4:10#"Johnny's Tune" – 6:54...
– 2000 - Live Is My JumbyLive Is My JumbyLive Is My Jumby is a live album by Boston trio The Slip. It was recorded in 2001 at the Aladdin Theater in Portland, Maine and The Wetlands in New York City, and was released in 2002 on the band's own KA record label.-Track listing:#"Wolof" – 12:17...
– 2002 - Angels Come on TimeAngels Come on TimeAngels Come on Time is a self-produced album by Boston trio The Slip. It was released in 2002 as the band's debut album for the Rykodisc record label. It was recorded in 2001, in part at The Barn, a recording studio owned by Phish's Trey Anastasio. Timo Shanko appears in a supporting role on...
– 2002 - AliveacousticAliveacousticAliveacoustic is a live album by Boston rock and jazz band The Slip. It was released in 2003 along with its companion album, Alivelectric, on the band's own label, 216 Records...
– 2003 - AlivelectricAlivelectricAlivelectric is a live album by Boston rock and jazz band The Slip. It was released in 2003 along with its companion album, Aliveacoustic, on the band's own label, 216 Records. It was recorded at various shows during late 2002 and early 2003. The album is almost entirely instrumental...
– 2003 - Live at Lupo's 6/12/04Live at Lupo's 6/12/04Live at Lupo's 6/12/04 is a double-live album released January 4, 2005 by Boston trio The Slip on Kufala Recordings. It was recorded June 12, 2004 at Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel in Providence, Rhode Island...
– 2005 - EisenhowerEisenhower (album)Eisenhower is the fourth studio album and eighth album overall by American indie rock band The Slip. It was released November 7, 2006 on Bar/None Records...
(Bar/NoneBar/None RecordsBar/None Records is an independent record label based in Hoboken, New Jersey.-Early history:Tom Prendergast started Bar/None in early 1986. Having previously worked in pirate radio and booked and promoted bands in his native Ireland, Prendergast moved to Hoboken in 1982 and started Pier Platters...
) – 2006
External links
- The Slip website
- The Slip Twitter
- The Slip on MySpaceMySpaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
- The Slip on FaceBookFacebookFacebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
- SlipBase – archive of setlists and lyrics
- Video interview of The Slip for BlenderBlender (magazine)Blender was an American music magazine that billed itself as "the ultimate guide to music and more". It was also known for sometimes steamy pictorials of celebrities....
- Guitar International: Brad Conroy interview with The Slip's Brad Barr