Watch Elliott Smith chat with Tom Bergeron on Breakfast Time in 1995

Here's a surreal TV moment with Elliott Smith on the FX morning show Breakfast Time co-hosted by "Bob" the puppet. 

Portland's No. 2 previews third album with "Too Much Is Not Enough"

No.2's Neil Gust (formerly of Heatmiser) is releasing the long overdue First Love album on September 9th via Jealous Butcher.  

Here's the scoop...

No. 2 was formed in 1997 in Portland, OR by singer/guitarist Neil Gust (Heatmiser), singer/bassist Gilly Ann Hanner (Calamity Jane, Desir) and drummer Paul Pulvirenti (Eyelids). Their music chased the fuzzy hooks of T-Rex, the heart-cracking harmonies of X, and the pole vaulting riffs and queer subtext of The B-52’s. Neil developed his songwriting style along side Elliott Smith who he met in college. The pair moved to Portland, OR together in 1991 to launch their indie rock band Heatmiser.

 

After three albums, including 1995’s major label beautiful disaster Mic City Sons, Heatmiser broke up and Neil took a handful of new songs to Gilly and Paul to start a new band. Gilly had founded the legendary proto riot grrrl band Calamity Jane, and her natural punk-sweet charisma paired beautifully with Paul’s propulsive beats and Neil’s guitar-chop tunes. In 1999, the band released their first single "Allistair Chestnut" b/w "Little Face" for Wicked Witch Records (available here) and their debut album No Memory on Donna Dresch’s influential Chainsaw Records. 

After tours and supporting spots for Pacific Northwest luminaries Quasi, Elliott Smith, Sleater-Kinney, and Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks, and a follow up album What Does Good Luck Bring? (In Music We Trust 2002 available here), the band dispersed to pursue other interests. But after selling out vinyl reissues of both albums, the band reformed in 2019, recorded a new 7” single for Jealous Butcher Records (2020's "You Might Be Right" b/w "French Exit" available here), and began developing a new album with producer Joanna Bolme (The Minders, Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks) with keyboard input from Rebecca Cole (The Minders, Wild Flag).

No.2's First Love album is being released by Jealous Butcher on September 9th which you can pre-order right here: https://www.jealousbutcher.com/products/first-love. Check out Hal Wolverton's video for "Too Much Is Not Enough" below. 

No. 2 – First Love

I'm On A Mission

Ravers In The Sky

Model of the Universe

A.O.R.

Time's Up

Get In Line

Night After Night

You Might Be Right

Too Much Is Not Enough

First Love

No One Needs To Know

 

 

Happy Birthday Elliott Smith!

Remembering singer/songwriter Elliott Smith on his birthday with a 2003 performance at the Henry Fonda Theatre. 

90s Nostalgia: Elliott Smith at Lee's Palace, 1998

Here's singer/songwriter Elliott Smith's show shot by Derek Emerson in Toronto on October 7, 1998. See set list below. 

Elliott Smith - Lee's Palace, Toronto, Canada October 7 1998

Division Day - 00:00

Sweet Adeline - 03:00

Bottle up and explode - 06:10

Waltz #2 - 08:34

Pictures of Me - 13:00

Stupidity Tries - 16:37

Bled White - 20:22

Alameda - 23:10

Happiness - 26:52

Baby Britain - 31:19

Speed Trials - 34:40

Ballad of Big Nothing - 37:45

Independence Day - 42:40

Say Yes - 46:50

Condor Ave. - 49:30

I Didn't Understand - 53:15

OK, who told Seth Avett about Elliott Smith?

Seth Avett & Jessica Lea Mayfield's 12-song salute to Elliott Smith is out March 17. Pre-order it here.