The Elephant 6 Recording Company is a legend of the underground music scene — a loosely-defined collection of bands and artists from the American south and midwest in the late 80s and early 90s who shared a love for Beatles-esque harmonies, lo-fi recording, DIY aesthetics, tape loop noise, and a general punk rock psychedelia vibe. It spawned such renowned indie groups as Neutral Milk Hotel, The Apples In Stereo, Olivia Tremor Control, and Of Montreal (many of whom shared members for recording and touring purposes).
Director Chad Stockfleth has been working on a documentary about this infamous musical consortium for a few years now, and it includes some rare interviews with some of the more reclusive artists from the Elephant 6 lineup, such as Jeff Mangum of Neutral Milk Hotel. If you're into early 90s alternative alt-rock, this is a huge deal. The film is finally getting a world premiere this week at the DOC NYC Film Festival, with other screenings to follow at Denver Film Festival and Sound Unseen in Minneapolis. I know I'm looking forward to seeing it whenever I can!
