The Microphones were an American indie folk, indie rock, and experimental band, founded and fronted by Phil Elverum. The band has released 5 studio albums, 13 miscellaneous albums, 3 extended plays, and 8 singles. Elverum began the Microphones initially as a solo project, releasing cassette demos of tests and experiments. Between 1996 and 1998, Elverum released four demos, mostly on Bret Lunsford's label Knw-Yr-Own. The CD Tests, released in June 1998, was a compilation album comprising tracks from previous cassettes. The same year, the band released the 7" single "Bass Drum Dream". The band's first studio album, Don't Wake Me Up, was released on K Records in August 1999 and gave the band a small following. Two more 7-inches were released in 1999: "Feedback (Life, Love, Loop)" and "Moon Moon".
The extended play Window: was released in February 2000. In September 2000, the studio album It Was Hot, We Stayed in the Water was released on K, solidifying Don't Wake Me Up'''s sound. The Glow Pt. 2 was released on K in September 2001; it went on to become a cult classic and Elverum's most critically acclaimed album. The same month, Blood was released, a limited-copy compilation album. Two 7-inches were released in 2001: "The Moon" and "I Can't Believe You Actually Died", the former included on The Glow Pt. 2.
The single compilation album Song Islands was released in August 2002, and the limited-copy album Little Bird Flies into a Big Black Cloud was released in September 2002. The 7-inch "Lanterns/Antlers" was also released in 2002, and was included on Song Islands. In 2003, the studio album Mount Eerie was released, along with two extended plays consisting of stems from the album: The Singing from Mt. Eerie and The Drums from Mt. Eerie. Mount Eerie is a concept album that portrays a linear storyline. After the release of Mount Eerie, Elverum retired the Microphones pseudonym and opted to release his music under Mount Eerie instead, as the themes of his music had changed.
There were some sparse releases during the Microphones' hiatus: the live album Live in Japan in 2004; the B-sides album The Glow Pt. 2 (Other Songs & Destroyed Versions) in 2007; the 7-inch "Don’t Smoke/Get Off the Internet" in 2007; an appearance on a collaborative single in 2011; and the 2016 compilation album Early Tapes, 1996–1998, made of selections from the early demos. In August 2020, Elverum returned to the Microphones name with the studio album Microphones in 2020, an autobiographical concept album consisting of one 44-minute song. The limited-copy album Foghorn Tape was released in March 2021, consisting of an ambient foghorn recording. In February 2022, Completely Everything, 1996–2021 was released, a compilation box set of the five Microphones studio albums, Early Tapes, and Song Islands. Elverum has stated that the box set is the end of the Microphones, which makes Microphones in 2020'' the band's final studio album.
Albums Studio albums +List of studio albums, with selected detailsTitleAlbum detailsDon't Wake Me Up Released: August 24, 1999 Labels: K Records, P.W. Elverum & Sun Formats: LP, CD, digital download It Was Hot, We Stayed in the Water Released: September 26, 2000 Labels: K Records, P.W. Elverum & Sun Formats: LP, CD, digital download The Glow Pt. 2 Released: September 11, 2001 Labels: K Records, P.W. Elverum & Sun Formats: LP, CD, digital download Mount Eerie Released: January 21, 2003 Labels: 7.e.p, K Records, P.W. Elverum & Sun Formats: LP, CD, digital download Microphones in 2020 Released: August 7, 2020 Labels: 7 e.p, P.W. Elverum & Sun Formats: LP, CD, digital download
Miscellaneous albums +List of compilation, live, and demo albums, with selected detailsTitleDescriptionRelease detailsRef.MicrophoneDemo tape Released: December 9, 1996 Label: Knw-Yr-Own Format: CassetteMicrophone MixDemo tape Released: May 26, 1997 Labels: Knw-Yr-Own, Elsinor Records Format: CassetteWires & CordsDemo tape Released: November 9, 1997 Label: Knw-Yr-Own Format: CassetteTests (cassette version)Demo tape Released: March 9, 1998 Label: Knw-Yr-Own Format: CassetteTests (CD version)Compilation demo album, made of selections from previous demos. First CD release. Released: June 20, 1998 Label: Elsinor Records Format: CDBloodLimited-copy album; described by Pitchfork as "a collection of b-sides to singles that never existed". Released: September 12, 2001 Label: St. Ives Formats: VinylSong IslandsCompilation album of "singles and rarities" Released: August 20, 2002 Label: K Records, P.W. Elverum & Sun Formats: CD, VinylLittle Bird Flies into a Big Black CloudLimited-copy album with stripped down, "intimate" music Released: September 13, 2002 Label: St. Ives Format: VinylLive in Japan, February 19th, 21st, and 22nd, 2003Live album, recorded in 2003 Released: February 3, 2004 Labels: K Records, 7 e.p. Formats: CDThe Glow Pt. 2 (Other Songs & Destroyed Versions)Compilation of extras from The Glow Pt. 2 Released: 2007, as part of a The Glow Pt. 2 reissue Labels: K Records Formats: CD, Vinyl Early Tapes, 1996–1998Archival compilation album of selected tracks from the early cassette releases Released: December 9, 2016 Label: P.W. Elverum & Sun Format: VinylFoghorn TapeAmbient tape loop of a foghorn recording. Elverum described it as "no songs, no music". Released: March 5, 2021 Label: P.W. Elverum & Sun Format: VinylCompletely Everything, 1996–2021Compilation box set of the 5 Microphones studio albums, Early Tapes, and Song Islands. Live recordings, the complete discography, stems, and outtakes are included digitally. Released: February 25, 2022 Label: P.W. Elverum & Sun Format: Vinyl, digital
Extended plays +List of extended plays, with selected detailsTitleRelease detailsRef.Window: Released: February 8, 2000 Label: YoYo Recordings Format: CDThe Singing from Mt. Eerie Released: January 21, 2003 Label: K Records Formats: CD, VinylThe Drums from Mt. Eerie Released: January 21, 2003 Label: K Records Formats: CD, Vinyl
Singles +List of singles, with selected detailsTitleRelease detailsAlbumRef."Bass Drum Dream" Released: 1998 Label: Up Records Format: 7" singleNone originally; later included on Song Islands"Feedback (Life, Love, Loop)"Released: 1999 Label: Bedtime Records Format: 7" singleNone originally; later included on Song Islands"Moon Moon"Released: 1999 Label: K Records Format: 7" singleNone originally; later included on Song Islands"The Moon" (as Micro Phones) Released: 2001 Label: Instatone Brand Format: 7" singleThe Glow Pt. 2"I Can't Believe You Actually Died" (as The Microphones' Singers) Released: 2001 Label: Comin in Second Format: 7" singleNone originally; later included on Song Islands"Lanterns/Antlers" "Lanterns (Let Go Of Everything)"Released: 2002 Label: K Records Format: 7" singleSong Islands"Don’t Smoke/Get Off the Internet"Released: March 1, 2007 Label: P.W. Elverum & Sun Format: 7" single"I Lost My Wind"Released: 2011 Label: Various Format: 7" singleCollaborate with a 1940s Wire Recorder
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