Questions for Jeff Mangum

I can't seem to come up with anything right now.

there is some stuff i don't really know how to broach, particularly his withdrawal from "the public" after essentially being stalked by a bunch of fucking loons who flocked to athens after the release of "aeroplane" and made his life a nightmare simply because they liked his music so much they had to be near him.

i remember at first being really amazed/ impressed when nmh toured behind that album how the audience was singing along in unison to most songs almost louder than he was -- in retrospect i find it creepy.

because he's my pal, i have a very un-journalistic attitude towards this subject, you know? like, there's details i'd never print that any pitchforker would be dying to let the world know, out of a simple desire to see him not stalked by little indie-loons anymore. so that's partly why i ask for help -- it can be hard to have perspective when you feel so close/ protective, i guess.

You're quite welcome! Weird thing is I'm *not* a hyperfan by any means, don't even own the albums but one or two songs were extremely good. But I remember him mentioning that in a story many years back and thought, "Hm, shoe being on the other foot now, what's his take?"

Yeah, the whole bizarro cult of him was *crazy*...

I'd be interested to know about the status of the rarities comp also. "Oh Sister" and "Little Birds" alone deserve wide release. Jeff was/is truly an incredible talent.

By the way, did anyone see that Rolling Stone right before the invasion of Iraq where they asked musicians what they thought of the impending war.....and they actually had a comment from Jeff saying how one shouldn't rush to decry to the war. I was taken aback not only that he seemed to be wavering about violence (when so much of Aeroplane was about the effects of war) but b/c it was the first public comment I'd read from him in years.

After that would he then call Robyn Hitchcock to come violate his own babymaker or does the violence stop at your own limited knowledge?

There are a lot of lazy journalist who say Meloy is ripping off Mangum, I think that's bullshit. Anyone with an ounce of musical knowledge can hear a bunch of Hitchcock influence in Decemberists. I am trying to point out that if Meloy is ripping off Mangum, then Mangum must be ripping off Hitchcock.

I don't believe anyone is ripping off anyone. Rather, lazy people are parroting lazy journalist in saying that Meloy is ripping off Mangum.

I've asked this on other boards: Please tell me exactly which NMH song I should put on to hear the Decemberists blueprint. I really, really want to know. It possible it's out there, but no one has ever ponied up and answered this direct question (and make sure the NMH song in question doesn't sound like Hitchcock or the Soft Boys, cause, y'know)...anyone?

hopefully not a rude question

I can't think of any really serious questions. But, I look forward to reading the interview at some future date.

That Orange Twin Field Works thing is indeed great, I listen to it way more than ITAOTS (which is one of those records I love so much I'm almost afraid to go back). I'd be interested in knowing if he'll put out more such stuff....

I'm curious to know why he moved there, where he lived - like what neighborhood - and what effect Seattle had on him. From what I've read, Jeff did not play out much while in the Pacific Northwest. Yet the region plays such a pivotal role in NMH's development. Nancy Ostrander of Seattle's Cher Doll label first released a NMH record; NMH recorded at YoYo Studios in Olympia and played 1994's YoYo-A-GoGo; and Tullycraft name-dropped them in "Pop Songs Your New Boyfriend's Too Stupid To Know About" at least a year before On Avery Island. So it's clear that Jeff had at least a small group of supporters in Seattle, yet that part of his career has been ignored. I'm also curious to know who was in the Seattle NMH lineup - did he have a regular group of musicians by that point? Did he ever play any shows besides YoYo?

That's true, but much of Aeroplane's commentary was toward Anne Frank, or what he imagined her life to be during the war. I never got a "war is bad" vibe from Aeroplane. He says he wanted "some kind of time machine" to save her; perhaps he thought that she would have died even sooner if not for the Allies.

Robyn Hitchcock and Jeff Mangum do not sound alike, nor is there songwriting even remotely similar.

Colin Meloy and Jeff Mangum have slightly similar-sounding voices, but that's where the similarities end.

Sometimes music sounds similar to other music. Sometimes it doesn't.
You'll get used to it.

I can completely understand and sympathize with him on the stalkers. Poor guy...

that is fucking hilarious.. i swear to god I was listening to the Peel session of "Hip Priest" on the most recent Slates re-issue earlier, and afterwards I was just kind of bumming around my apt., doing dishes going "HeeEEee IIiiIiss NooOOott.... Uh-PREe.SHE-A-TED." hahaha

Nice interview. But the concept belongs to The Wire, right? I don't understand, does it predate their own "Invisible Jukebox"? Isn't it identical?

One guitar magazine I read as a kid (I think it was Guitar for the Practicing Musician) did it....

It first appeared in the May 9th, 2005 on-line edition of Pitchforkmedia.com in the form of an interview with LCD Soundsystem frontman James Murphy.

Thanks for everyone's time and stuff.

Yes, that's exactly what I was suggesting. And you will notice that you never provided the specific example I asked for. I have asked this many places; please tell me which NMH song I should go to so that I can hear the exact "voice" or "phrasing" or whatever that Meloy is ripping from Mangum.

That's all. Just the song.

Will he ever make another album?
And is he ever tempted to track down the Decemberists guy and give him a swift kick in the babymaker?

― On a Strict El Cholo Diet (Bent Over at the Arclight), Friday, May 6, 2005 7:10 PM (5 years ago)

Ben, you ask that last question of everyone.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, May 6, 2005 7:11 PM (5 years ago)

Ned = hero

The very best show I've ever seen was NMH , Denver 1998. I haven't seen Jeff play since. I'm hoping (perhaps beyond hope) that I'll get a ticket for LA. I'm just wondering how the shows are - anyone?

I just now realized that his name was not Magnum.