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Growing up in Florida and Georgia before moving to Potomac, MD,
at the age of 11, indie rock innovator John
Vanderslice grew up listening to a mix of Led
Zeppelin, Creedence Clearwater Revival, the Kinks, and Southern
rock, instilling an eclectic musical vocabulary. Forced into piano
lessons as a child, he eventually picked up the guitar in the eighth
grade and would go on to form various bands in his teen years. His
songwriting went on to add the influence of David
Bowie, the Beatles, Bob Dylan, King Crimson, XTC, and early
Genesis, culminating in his five-year
tenure with the much heralded experimental pop band MK
Ultra. Their collaboration would produce three well-received
albums that would result in an opening spot on two Sunny
Day Real Estate U.S. tours. Vanderslice
would start Tiny Telephone, a
1700 square foot analog recording studio, in 1997. Boasting a variety
of respected and experienced house engineers, Tiny
Telephone has become known for providing an affordable recording
outlet for San Francisco's indie rock community and would produce
Vanderslice's solo debut in 2000.
Riding on a wave of press caused by a media sensation surrounding
the track "Bill Gates Must Die," including wild accounts
of threats of lawsuits and various harassments from Microsoft that
were later admitted to be a clever hoax,
"Mass Suicide Occult Figurines" drew a substantial
amount of critical praise for its meticulously crafted pop-perfect
sound. By late 2000, there were rumors of a concept album follow-up
- "Time Travel Is Lonely"
(2001) - and a spring 2001 tour. — Matt
Fink, AMG
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