[Above: Veteran Thrill Jockey act Tortoise]
Secretly Canadian and Touch & Go had their chance to shine on us anniversary style. Now it's time for Thrill Jockey to step up in this mother and do its thing. The venerable Chicago imprint (late of NYC) is turning 15 this year, which means it's celebratory compilation time.
Back when Thrill Jockey started out, 7" singles were the currency for independent labels. Cheap, quick, and easy to use, these miniature records allowed the young label to break artists like Tortoise and Freakwater in a hurry. The label might be all grown up (or at least hitting adolescence) now, but it's hearkening back to its roots by releasing a boxset of nine 7" singles on Dec. 4 with "bonus goodies" on the side.
Those singles will feature Thrill Jockey artists covering labelmates past and present, in a similar setup to this year's SC100 compilation. The main attraction of the set pits ex-Talking Head David Byrne against The Fiery Furnaces' "Ex-Guru." Another highlight, The Sea and Cake's take on Califone's "Spider's House," can be found streaming on Pitchfork. Longtime label member Freakwater also figures prominently in the set, receiving the cover treatment three times over (from Califone, Bobby Conn and Thalia Zedek, respectively) and offering its own take on the Zincs' "Passengers."
In addition, Thrill Jockey will host a slew of its stable bands at a pair of anniversary shows in London, to take place on Nov. 11 and 12. Everyone who attends these shindigs will receive a remix CD encompassing the entire Thrill Jockey catalogue, compiled by expert mixmasters Girl Talk and Trey Told 'Em. Pretty sweet. no?
Head over to Thrill Jockey's main page for all of the anniversary details.
Related links:
Thrill Jockey on MySpace
Paste: Review of The Fiery Furnaces' Widow City
YouTube: Tortoise's "It's All Around You"
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