New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Elephant 6 Members (Robert Schneider of Apples In Stereo, Will Cullen Hart of The
Olivia Tremor Control) + Filmmakers Set For Reddit AMA Tomorrow, Begins 4pm ET / 1pm PT at r/indieheads
Fresh off of two sold-out New York City premiere screening events, The Elephant 6 Recording Co. is now playing in theaters and will be available on demand beginning on Friday,
September 1.
The documentary - which explores the unique inside story and creative evolution of the influential and idiosyncratic indie music collective that birthed formative groups includingNeutral Milk Hotel, The
Olivia Tremor Control, The Apples in Stereo, Elf Power, Of Montreal, and more — currently boasts a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Stereogumdeems it "definitive" and says it "captures the collective's whimsical essence," whilePitchfork posits that "There's a world in which The Elephant 6 Recording Co. would fire up young people everywhere to form their own multimedia art projects, like E6 did during its heyday."
In a primer on both the film and the Elephant 6 collective, The New York Times praised the film as "A vivid time capsule of musical community before the internet, before tape trading became a thing of the past and before indie rock became such a marketable commodity." Read more here.
Tonight, NPR
Music will host The Elephant 6 Recording Co. Watch Party. This online screening begins at 8pm ET / 5pm PT, watch here.
Tomorrow, the filmmakers will be joined by Elephant 6 Members Robert Schneider (Apples In Stereo) and Will Cullen Hart (The
Olivia Tremor Control) for a Reddit AMA. The AMA begins at 4pm ET / 1pm PT over at r/indieheads.
The Elephant 6 Recording Co. is directed by C.B. Stockfleth and produced by Lance Bangs, whose credits include videos for Nirvana, Odd Future, Neutral Milk Hotel and many others, plus films and documentaries for Jackass, Pavement and more. It is executive produced by Rob Hatch-Miller, who directed the documentary Other Music. It also features never-before-seen footage of the bands shot by Bangs, as well as interviews with Elephant 6 members — Robert Schneider, Bill Doss, Will Cullen Hart and many more — and notable fans including Elijah Wood,
David Cross, Danger Mouse, andJames Mercer.
Around 1985, a group of Ruston, LA area high schoolers began experimenting with whatever random instruments and gear they could lay their hands on. Fanning out across the country to locations like Denver, CO and Athens, GA, their musical coming of age coincided with the new consumer availability of old-school 4 and 8 track recording technology and cassette tapes. Sharing like-minded sensibilities, influenced by past sounds and psychedelia, and with little to distract them, their efforts to create whole new musical worlds became the bands the
Olivia Tremor Control, Neutral Milk Hotel, the Apples In
Stereo and many more. While the collective grew to a natural breaking point, its founding members overcame obstacles and remained closely bonded, reuniting for tours and still collaborating today.
The Elephant 6 Recording Co. provides insight into this revolutionary era of popular independent music in America, the defiant DIY spirit in music making, and champions the integrity of an authentic quest for artistic expressiveness over the more mainstream image of being a "successful" musician in our fame-obsessed times.
"The film is designed to capture an era and a movement and to honor the spirit of this circle of small-town artist friends," says director C.B. Stockfleth. "Their art was made better because they did things collectively, and gave each and every member a chance to share the spotlight."
A full listing of upcoming screening events can be found below.
THE ELEPHANT 6 RECORDING CO. IN THEATERS
8/31 - Memphis, TN @ Crosstown Arts
9/01 - Austin, TX @ Austin Film Society
9/01 - Chattanooga, TN @ Yellow Racket Records
9/02 - Seattle, WA @ The Grand Illusion
9/02 - San Francisco, CA @ Roxie (with Tammy Ealom from Dressy Bessy performance and Q&A, moderated by Kelley Stoltz)
9/03 - Akron, OH @ The Nightlight Cinema
9/06 - Portland, ME @ Space Gallery
9/08 - Austin, TX @ Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar
9/08 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Harris Theater (with Derek Almstead, ex-of Montreal, & Jennifer Baron of the Ladybug Transistor Q&As)
9/08 - Iowa City, IA @ Film Scene
9/11 - Nashville, TN @ Belcourt Theatre
9/12 - Albuquerque, NM @ Guild Cinema
9/14 - Chicago, IL @ The Davis Theater
9/14 -
Santa Ana, CA @ The
Frida Cinema
9/15 - Cambridge, MA @ The Brattle
9/19 - Lexington, KY @ The Living Arts & Science Center
9/21 - 10/01 - Edmonton, AL @ Edmonton International Film Festival
9/22 - Bowling Green, KY @ Western Kentucky University
9/24 - Montclair, NJ @ The Clairidge (with Ben Crum from Great Lakes Q&A)
9/26 - Fairfield, CT @ Fairfield Theatre
11/06 - Vermillion, SD @ Coyote Twin
PRAISE FOR THE ELEPHANT 6 RECORDING CO.
"A vivid time capsule of musical community before the internet, before tape trading became a thing of the past and before indie rock became such a marketable commodity." - The New York Times
"Captures the slippery collective's rise to indie acclaim…There's a world in which The Elephant 6 Recording Co. would fire up young people everywhere to form their own multimedia art projects, like E6 did during its heyday." - Pitchfork
"Definitive…captures the collective's whimsical essence." - Stereogum
"Joyous, heartfelt." - Top40-Charts
"Bursting with personalities and candy-colored imagery." - Slate
"Impressive and important…the definitive document of a scene that is exceedingly difficult to define." - Film Threat
"A kaleidoscopic tapestry weaving together the sights and sounds of an underground music movement that should inspire any viewer." - Flagpole
"A great portrait of what makes a small-town music scene blossom into something bigger." - Gambit
"Paints a kaleidoscopic picture of the elusive collective that birthed Neutral Milk Hotel, Apples in Stereo, of Montreal, and more." - Washington City Paper
"Separates itself from the legions of other musical history docs by staking out new territory and demanding Elephant 6's rightful place in the mix." - In Review Online
"Showcases the magic of the collective in its prime." - Disappointment Media
"Explores a thrilling moment in retro-psychedelic indie pop…a satisfying survey of the movement." - The Reveal
"Appropriately chaotic, shaggy and baggy…engaging and interesting because the bands themselves were engaging and interesting too." - The Playlist
THE ELEPHANT 6 RECORDING CO. — CREDITS
Directed & Produced by
C.B. Stockfleth
Produced by
Lance Bangs
Starring:
Robert Schneider
Bill Doss
Will Cullen Hart
Jeff Mangum
Produced & Edited by
Greg King
Executive Producer &
Music Supervisor
Rob Hatch-Miller
Executive Producers
Sean O'Neal
C.B. Stockfleth
Brian McPherson
Dan Efram
Executive Producer
Emmett James
Co-Executive Producer
Blue Resnick
Co-Producer
David Armillei
Associate Producers
Kelly Hart
Kara Taylor
Reiko Kondo
Bob Barress
Cinematography
C.B. Stockfleth
Lance Bangs
