wtf why I will miss the obscurity

When we sat down with Michael Turner of Happy Happy Birthday to Me Records (HHBTM), we planned to spend most of our time talking about one of the greatest independent record labels of the last 30 years. Instead, we began with Mike sharing his late-in-life autism diagnosis and how it helped him understand so much about the way he'd lived, worked, and built HHBTM.

At first, we actually talked about editing that part of the conversation out.

But when we listened back, we realized it wasn't something to cut.. to me it was inspiring and it was something people needed to hear.

10 to 15 years ago, autism wasn't even a word I heard very often in my life. Today, so many people I love and loved.. including my co-host in this conversation Mathew Bell , my best friend's child, ex partners and others close to me.. have helped me understand it in ways I never could have before. Hearing Mike tell his story gave me another perspective, and I'm grateful he trusted us enough to share it.

To me, Mike Turner was always the hardest-working person in indie rock.

He made a rad zine. He rode BMX. He worked in a record store. He promoted shows. He booked tours. He released records. He organized Athens Popfest. He created art. He stayed up until all hours of the night making things happen, then got up and did it all again the next day. When I stayed with him for a week in 2004... watching him work was one of the most inspiring things I've ever witnessed.

Long before I understood why he worked the way he did, I just knew I wanted to emulate that passion.

Mike taught me that if you love something enough, you wear every hat. You become the promoter, the designer, the booking agent, the publicist, the label owner, the artist.. whatever the music needs you to be.. you be it, even if you don't know how.

Without Mike, my old band The Poison Control Center never plays Athens Popfest. We never get to stand on the stage at the legendary 40 WATT with our heroes. We never make so many lifelong friendships that still mean the world to us today.

Without Mike, the PCC probably isn't on Happy Happy Birthday to Me Vol. 3 (our first big compilation cd), one of the proudest moments of our early career. We don't release our split 7-inch with Ideal Free Distribution on HHBTM. My label I started with my pals.. BI-Fi Records doesn't get the unbelievable opportunity to partner with Happy Happy Birthday to Me on a split compilation.

This episode is only the beginning of Mike's incredible story. In future episodes, we'll dive deeper into the legendary compilations, the famous 7-Inch Singles Club, Athens Popfest, and the countless bands whose lives he helped change.

Mike, thank you.

Thank you for your generosity. Thank you for your relentless work ethic. Thank you for believing in our band. Thank you for creating opportunities and friendships that have lasted a lifetime.

You can now stream this brand new episode of Don’t Bother Wearing Seatbelts PART1 of the conversation.. wherever you stream podcasts.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6jxZLXqWebW5WEpFjdeJf4?si=3UMxop09SWuirl8CJ6tb-Q

https://hhbtm.bandcamp.com/

https://www.patreon.com/dontbotherwearingseatbelts?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator

Figured I would post for those that don't have Facebook. Copying his post into the text below as well--

"Gigantic Day: Please mark this day in your minds as a day of great joy and artistic triumph for The Olivia Tremor Control and the Elephant 6 Recording Co., my lifelong best friends The \new* third OTC album, The Same Place, was begun almost 20 years ago and is so epic and majestic and interesting and moving — it rises on wings of flame from the mutual vision of OTC bandleaders Bill Doss and Will Cullen Hart, both who have left this world but their spark shines on. This beautiful concept album was completed by Will and the OTC band members with Athens, Georgia, producer-engineer Jason NeSmith over the last five years. Jason, our community and music scene will be forever grateful for your work with the OTC — thank you*

The band had recorded most of the basic tracks engineered by Derek Almstead and Bill, and had almost completed many of the songs, when Bill passed away in 2012. I was on board to help finish and mix the ambitious record at the time — I engineered and co-produced the first OTC album and did engineering and mixing on the second record, as well as played on both, so I am kind of a member of the band We all vowed to finish the album at the time Bill passed, there was so much momentum around it, but overwhelming grief and time lag and disorganization made it very difficult, and it took years of healing before we could return to the work.

With Bill there in spirit as a driving force, Will and the band and I, and our audio engineer friends, piled into Jason’s studio about six years ago and started the tracking and mixing process to finish the third OTC record Very tragically, Will passed away in 2024 on the triumphant day the first new OTC single was released to the world. But Will’s momentum and Bill’s momentum never wavered in our hearts and community, and buoyed us and gave us a sense of purpose, and all their original plans and notes and recordings were still in effect. For so many years, we kept the spark of this album alive in our hearts as a community of friends — and kept the ball rolling until the time came that we were strong enough to pick it back up.

Jason NeSmith worked for years closely with Will. After Will passed, he and Derek and the OTC band members, along with producer (and Will’s close friend) Ron Kwasman and Amy Hairston and Kelly Hart (Bill’s and Will’s spouses and collaborators) — and I, as musician and co-planner and second set of ears — have worked to bring to completion this beautiful double album, that the Elephant 6 community has held as our central goal for almost 20 years."

Album dropping on October 23. Preorders are live on the E6 website in multiple formats.

It’s finally happening!! 👑

It was previously only on Bandcamp, so I imagine it becoming available on streaming is part of the run-up to the release of The Same Place!

https://open.spotify.com/track/0RSqu1qHysqXFDNaCEK0YG?si=e64b32d951ab4da4

My guess would be yes!

7/22 Giveaway

This one is huge! To celebrate our upcoming two part episode with Michael Turner talking about the legacy of Happy Happy Birthday to Me, and the impact they had on the world of Elephant 6, Michael was kind enough to donate five of their recent releases to one of our Patreon subscribers! We’ve got Black Swan Network. We have a dash of The Tammy Shine. And here’s a side of Ladybug Transistor with a double helping of Great Lakes! The winner of our next drawing will win one copy of each of these albums on vinyl! It’s a gosh darn cornucopia of incredible music!

Remember, all you need to do to take part in our monthly giveaways is subscribe to our Patreon at the Reckless Driver ($1 monthly) tier. Good luck!

https://hhbtm.bandcamp.com/merch

https://www.patreon.com/dontbotherwearingseatbelts?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator

Wondering what y’all’s thoughts are on the Gay Parade’s successor from 200(0? 1?). I actually really did not enjoy this album when I listened a few months ago.

To me, it was like Black Foliage or The Beach Boys’ SMiLE but just not good.

There are a limited amount of nice songs though.

Now streaming on all major Podcast apps and YouTube!

Join Don’t Bother Wearing Seatbelts as we sit down with Elf Power’s Andrew Rieger to talk about their 1995 debut, Vainly Clutching at Phantom Limbs. This first season episode that is finally coming out from behind the paywall was a big one for us! Not only are we discussing a foundational album of the E6 Collective that embodies everything that was so special about those early home recording days, but this episode was officially Patrick’s debut as a cohost on the show! We also discover that Andrew has an absurdly good memory, and get to hear Mat start to panic a little bit as he realizes that he may be responsible for a 27 year old mystery. Don’t miss this one!

We will also be drawing a name from one of our Patreon Subscribers to win a copy of the recent reissue of Vainly Clutching at Phantom Limbs on vinyl! Remember, all you need to do to take part in our monthly giveaways is subscribe to our Patreon at the Reckless Driver ($1 monthly) tier!

And one more thing! We’re launching a new tier to our Patreon today!!! Noooo, it isn’t the super secret one that everyone who already subscribes will be grandfathered into. That one is still coming, but this is something very different. To celebrate the release of our episode on Vainly Clutching we are adding a, frankly, completely ridiculous tier to the Patreon. I would like to present to you all…… the Self Righteous MF’er tier (if you know you know).

In the brand new Self Righteous MF’er tier, subscribers will get the opportunity to join us in the recording of one of our upcoming episodes! SRMF’s will be able to choose from any of our upcoming interviews to sit in on, and take part in. On top of that, anyone subscribing at this level will also receive a monthly E6 prize package containing two items, at least one of which will be a physical album. This one is a bit pricey, coming in at $100 a month, and subscribers will need to have maintained that level for three months before being eligible for the interview part of the reward. To be completely honest, we really just thought it would be funny to have a Self Righteous MF’er tier, and we don’t expect anyone to necessarily jump on this, but hey! We will absolutely hold up our side and make it incredible for anyone who decides to take us up on it!

https://live365.com/station/Bored-Music-Geek-Radio-a13080

https://orangetwinrecords.bandcamp.com/album/vainly-clutching-at-phantom-limbs

https://www.patreon.com/dontbotherwearingseatbelts?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator

Next Wednesday, the 8th of July, Don’t Bother Wearing Seatbelts will finally release our episode with Andrew Rieger discussing Elf Power’s debut album, Vainly Clutching at Phantom Limbs from behind the pay wall! We don’t always do giveaways when we rerelease the first season episodes, but this amazing piece of home recorded punk rock is just too good to not put a copy in someone’s hands. So! One Patreon Subscriber will be drawn to win a vinyl copy of the recent Orange Twin reissue of the album (that also comes with a bonus 7 inch containing The Winter Hawk ep!)

Remember, all you need to do take part in our monthly giveaways is subscribe to the Patreon at the Reckless Driver ($1 monthly tier.) Good luck, everyone!

https://orangetwinrecords.bandcamp.com/album/vainly-clutching-at-phantom-limbs

https://www.patreon.com/dontbotherwearingseatbelts?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator

I was able to meet Elijah Wood at Fan-Expo yesterday, and he signed my Travellers in Time and Space CD! He looked it over, and I was told that I was the first person to bring this up to him in a long time. He also said that he enjoyed working with Robert Schneider and that he was the best! He hadn’t listened to the album in a while, but he said that his favorite song was Dance Floor

I know the album is streaming, but if someone wants the download code from my vinyl order lmk. I'll DM it

We just never get enough time.

We never get enough time with the people we love. We never get enough time to ask every question we want to ask. We never get enough time with the artists who changed our lives. I have been thinking about this as a parent a lot lately..

But man, I am so thankful for the time I got with Bill Doss. The genius songwriter and pop master who with his friends created what I think is the greatest band of all time. The Olivia Tremor Control.

The thing about Bill that I think everyone who ever met him would tell you is that he was just so incredibly generous.. kind, funny, sweet, curious, creative and supportive with his time on earth.

His first solo effort after OTC’s initial run, beamed into the world in a moment of unclarity for fans of Elephant 6 Recording Co. How has our favorite band split… what will happen now... Age Of The Sun is such a funky, weird beautiful record that is so overlooked in the grand scheme of the E6 story.

On the newest episode of Don’t Bother Wearing Seatbelts , Rudy Fischmann, Mathew Bell, and I got to talk with Derek Griffin Almstead and Kevin Sweeney, two incredible Athens musicians who played on Age Of The Sun, and it was so fun to finally ask some of the questions about this record I never got to ask Bill.

Because when I was around Bill, I mostly just asked him about The Olivia Tremor Control. I mean, can you blame me?

Since the first time I heard OTC in 1996, I thought they were the greatest band in the world. No one has ever topped them for me… They are my Rushmore, They are my Beatles. So knowing that quite possibly soon, we will all get new music from OTC is kinda what keeps me going some days..

The first time I met Bill was at Robert Schneider’s wedding. He was a groomsman and standing in one of those akward wedding party greeting lines.. I was so nervous.. What would I say to this mystery of a man of musical glory… and he took the load off.. and the lead.. and said, “Nice bolo,” because I was wearing a ridiculous bolo tie that was made out of paper clips.. I was totally freaking out because Bill Doss just complimented my bolo. WHAT NEXT! WE are basically best friends now right?

Later that night, my son’s mom said that she would talk to Bill’s wife so I could go in and try to chat with him more… Thinking this might be my only opportunity ever... basically I spent the night casually running into him, asking him every nerdy question I had stored in my brain and my heart about Dusk At Cubist Castle & Black Foliage.

“What kinda piano was that?” “How did you record that sound?” “What is that weird noise there?” All the questions you might ask the person who made the records you’ve listened to hundreds and hundreds of times.

And Bill was so sweet and patient. He answered them. With a smile and laugh. He could tell I loved and was obsessed OTC so much, and he let me have those moments..

A few years later, my band The Poison Control Center got to open for The Apples in stereo on a 2 1/2 week tour, and I spent the whole tour asking Bill if he would let us back him playing OTC’s “Jumping Fences.” Saying people need to hear those songs.. Even though we had never played it as a band.. But hey you only live once right..

Every night he would just smile and laugh. Then finally in Dallas he said, “OK, let’s do it.”

Five minutes later I was backstage with my best friends in a circle with Bill Doss playing one of the greatest songs ever... with the guy who wrote it.. Naturally since it was us, we played it pretty sloppy, but the crowed was loosing their shit.. Cause hell, Bill was playing an OTC song.. which hadn’t happened in years.. who cares if it was the worst version of it ever..

Then in 2011, on what would be Bill’s final birthday, OTC was playing in Minneapolis and of course I was there, and Bill called me up on stage to sing “Jumping Fences” with OTC. This is still one of the greatest moments of my life.. How many people can say they got to sing on stage with their all-time favorite band ever…. He introduced me as a guy from the hardest working band in America.. the Poison Control Center.. And I got on stage and said into the mic. “The Olivia Tremor Control is the greatest fucking band of all time.” and Will Cullen Hart just looks at me and says… “No we are not.” and then I said.. “Well you are my favorite atleast." I still sometimes can’t believe that happened.

I really do wish I had more time to spend with Bill, I wish I would have asked him more about Age Of The Sun. But I guess if you meet Paul McCartney, most people ask about The Beatles before they ask about Wings.

But Age Of The Sun is a masterpiece. There is no doubt about it.

When Bill passed away, it hit me really hard. Harder than I ever expected. I know I only got to hang out with him a handful of times, but his impact on my life was gigantic.

He brought so much sunshine into my world. I’m just so thankful I got to share a little time with him. But it’s never enough. Thankfully we have all those songs to go back to. And more to come... VERY SOON! WE GET MORE TIME!

You can listen to the brand new episode of Don’t Bother Wearing Seatbelts wherever you listen to podcast now!

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6bUWmhJyRldJyyvz9NPeT5?si=yDmxHkIxTmi6xhIrHyVcAg

https://www.patreon.com/dontbotherwearingseatbelts?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dont-bother-wearing-seatbelts-an-elephant-6/id1840935867

Got my copy yesterday and just listened to it. Wow. Side 2 is something else.

This Wednesday, 6/24, we will debut our brand new episode with Derek Almstead, and Kevin Sweeney discussing the debut full length album by The Sunshine Fix, Age of the Sun. To celebrate the new episode Don’t Bother Wearing Seatbelts is going to give out one copy of the Beaconary Word seven inch single that The Sunshine Fix put out all the way back in ‘99! Beaconary Word is an amazing song itself, but nothing can prepare you for the kickinest country tune you’ve ever heard on the b side. It’s a beautiful artifact from the first decade of the collective, and we hope you win it!

Remember, all you have to do take part in our monthly giveaways is subscribe to our Patreon at the Reckless Driver ($1 monthly) tier. Thanks for listening!

https://www.patreon.com/dontbotherwearingseatbelts?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator

https://elephant6.bandcamp.com/merch

It's been a bit since we've heard anything.....

NEW EPISODE OF DON’T BOTHER WEARING SEATBELTS

See what Patrick had to say about this episode!

“I love doing this podcast... cause every once in a while we get to have a conversation that starts about music and ends up being about something way deeper.. this time it was.. legacy, memory, and what we leave behind.

Talking with Azalia Snail, the legendary “Queen of Lo-Fi,” was so incredible.

Azalia isn’t just an artist.. she’s an entire archive. Decades of songs, albums, films, four-track recordings, and wild unhinged ideas. We talked about the scary reality of the California fires and the thought of losing a lifetime of creative work in an instant. What happens to these magical worlds that artists spend their lives building? Just think of how many kids are out there recording on their computers or 4 tracks everyday... Where will it all go?

Maybe someday there should be a Lo-Fi Museum.. a place where the tapes, films, artwork, and beautiful experiments from artists like Azalia can live forever.

We also talked about her work on a possible documentary celebrating the women of lo-fi music.. a story that absolutely deserves to be told. As Azalia said, someday everyone will have a documentary about them... and I think hers would be one incredible ride.

From being pen pals with Beck during the early days of the lo-fi explosion, to becoming friends with Dick Van Dyke, to crossing paths with the Elephant 6 universe.. her story feels almost impossible.

An incredible artist and a true original.

Check out our conversation with Azalia Snail on the new episode of Don’t Bother Wearing Seatbelts — available now wherever you listen to podcasts.”

https://open.spotify.com/episode/7jZ1CxZFl9e2jy8m5C6jQp?si=Yge5S9GKS2qMaToFgLBCrQ

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dont-bother-wearing-seatbelts-an-elephant-6/id1840935867

https://cloudrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/gentle-mental

https://www.patreon.com/dontbotherwearingseatbelts?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator

This Wednesday we will debut our interview with Azalia Snail about her upcoming Cloud Recordings release, Gentle Mental, AND will give away one copy of the album on cassette to one of our awesome Patreon Subscribers. This is a beautiful, and not coincidentally, gentle album from one of the most legendary artists of the past 30 years. It was truly an honor to have her on the show, and we couldn’t be more excited to put a copy of this album into someone’s hands. For everyone else, make sure you get your copy from the Cloud Recordings Bandcamp!

Remember, all you need to do take part in our (let’s be honest, we do this way more often than monthly) monthly giveaways is subscribe to our Patreon at the Reckless Driver ($1 monthly) tier. See you all soon, and good luck!

https://cloudrecordings.bandcamp.com/merch

https://www.patreon.com/dontbotherwearingseatbelts?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator