While Drag City’s legacy is cemented thanks to a long history of working with artists like Bill Callahan, Jessica Pratt, David Berman, Jim O’Rourke, and more, they’ve put out their fair share of albums by comedians, too—welcoming folks like Neil Hamburger and John Mulaney into its family. On September 26, Fred Armisen will unveil his latest project, 100 Sound Effects.
The title isn’t a misnomer. This really is a set of 100 sound effects (though there are 101 tracks). The LP features everything from “Small Theater Booing” to “Glass Pitcher Shattering” to “Jacket Zipper.” Take one look at the setlist and you’ll see something like “Trying Out an Electronic Drum Kit with Headphones at a Music Store,” which is no doubt cut from the same cloth as his niche comedy performances—especially his Standup For Drummers Netflix special. But 100 Sound Effects blasts far beyond pockets of music, employing haunted house soundscapes and camping trip field recordings alike. Mary Lynn Rajskub, Amber Coffman, Tim Heidecker, Riki Lindhome, and Alice Carbone Tench are also credited as “help and inspiration.”
Armisen says about the project:
“I was thinking about haunted house sound effects albums and how fun those seemed to record. I wanted to do it at Steve Albini’s studio in Chicago, Electrical Audio, but since this wasn’t a collection of songs and I didn’t know how long it was going to take, I needed to do this where I live, in Los Angeles. I told Steve what I was doing and asked if he knew of any engineers I could work with in L.A. He was very excited about the idea and asked Dave Grohl who might be available to help. Dave recommended Darrell Thorp and we started working at Studio 606, and then later Sunset Sound. Darrell was really inventive and a lot of fun to work with. Because Steve was so instrumental in making this happen, I dedicate the album to his memory. I miss him every day.”
Check out the 100 Sound Effects album artwork and tracklist, get caught up on Fred Armisen’s upcoming tour dates, and hear seven songs below.
100 Sound Effects Artwork:
100 Sound Effects Tracklist:
1. Needle on Record
2. Drum Sound Check at Medium Sized Venue
3. Guitar Tuned but Still Somehow Out of Tune
4. Band Sound Check Sound Guy and Band Agreeing for Too Long
5. Romanian Crowd at Rock Club Shouting for an Encore
6. Sparsely Attended Show Encore with Someone Shouting “Where’s Jim?”
7. Music Venue Employee Kicking Everyone Out While Throwing Away Bottles
8. Music Store Around Christmas
9. Going from Main Room to Acoustic Room at a Music Store
10. Trying Out an Electronic Drum Kit with Headphones at a Music Store
11. Trying Out a Distortion Pedal at a Music Store
12. Testing Cymbals in a Cymbal Room at a Music Store
13. Keyboard Not Working at First at a Music Store
14. Music Store Exit with Security Checking Receipt
15. Car Door Closing Car Rental
16. Car Door Closing Fancy Car Service
17. Car Door Closing 1958 Ford
18. Car Door Closing Confident
19. Car Door Closing Automatically Van
20. Small Theater Small Audience
21. Small Theater Audience at Heavy Political Show
22. Small Theater Microphone Isn’t Working
23. Small Theater Enthusiastic Audience
24. Small Theater Booing
25. Small Theater Audience Talking
26. Small Theater Audience Talking and Ignoring Shshsh
27. Small Theater Audience Acknowledging Shshsh
28. Disappointed Crowd Dublin
29. Small Theater Lighting Booth While Producers are Checking Out the Stage
30. Small Theater One-Man Show Performer
31. Fake Applause
32. Fake Booing
33. Supportive Booing at a Speech
34. Obligatory Applause at a Speech
35. Obligatory Laugh at a Speech
36. Shocked Audience
37. Terrified Audience at an Authoritarian Nation Official Event
38. Champagne Glass Breaking on Wood Floor
39. Champagne Glass Breaking on Linoleum Floor
40. Wine Glass Breaking
41. Wine Glass Breaking with Reaction
42. Glass Falls but Doesn’t Break
43. Glass Pitcher Shattering
44. Shot Glass Breaking
45. Wine Glass Breaking in Sink
46. Delicate Water Glass Breaking
47. Sweeping Up Glass
48. Sweeping Up Glass and Muttering
49. Businessman on Phone on Plane Before Takeoff – Work Tone
50. Businessman on Phone on Plane Still at the Gate – Casual Tone
51. Overhead Compartment Closing
52. Couple on Plane Mid-flight Guy Opens Overhead Compartment
53. Window Shade Closing
54. Flight Attendant Opens Overhead Compartment
55. Flight Attendant Collecting Packaging
56. First Time Homeowner Switching Circuit Breakers
57. Tentative Sawing
58. Drilling into Wood
59. Gift Wrapping
60. Thrift Store Perfunctory Search for Halloween Costume
61. Rolling Metal Market Door Opening
62. Shipping Container Door Opening
63. Campfire Conversation
64. Camping Breakfast Conversation
65. Camping Ready for the Day
66. Jacket Zipper
67. Tent Zipper
68. Short Bursts of Tent Zipper
69. Camping Lunch Conversation
70. Sleeping Bag Zipper Goodnight
71. Camping Pack Up Conversation
72. Basketball Bouncing
73. Basketball Slow Bounce
74. Basketball Slow to Fast
75. Basketball on Carpet
76. Signing a Basketball
77. Office Refrigerator Fitting in Bag with Lunch
78. Hotel Refrigerator Not Taking Anything
79. Room Service Lid
80. Room Service Ooh
81. Outdoor Event Walking on Pebbles
82. Outdoor Event Walking on Pebbles and Recognition
83. Outdoor Event Walking Quickly to Catch Up to Cart
84. Haunted House Demonic Voices
85. Haunted House Ghost Going Upstairs but the Door is Locked
86. Haunted House Ghost but Nobody is Home
87. Haunted House Piano
88. Well Reviewed Movie – Hand Washing Clothes in Basin
89. Well Reviewed Movie – Farm Work
90. Well Reviewed Movie – Cutting Root Vegetables on Wood Board
91. Important Film – Italian Woman Yelling Through a Doorway in a Small Italian Town
92. Walking into a Video Room at an Art Museum and Walking Out Quickly
93. Dublin Street Crossing
94. European Hotel Door Opening
95. European Hotel Elevator
96. European Hotel Stairs
97. European Hotel Bedroom Door
98. European Front Entrance with Fob Opening and Luggage
99. European Small Washing Machine
100. European Small Dryer with Some Confusion
101. Fred Walking to Control Room
Fred Armisen’s Upcoming Tour Dates:
Aug. 9 – Portland, ME @ Cross Insurance Arena ^
Sept. 16 – Santa Ana, CA @ The Observatory *
Sept. 17 – Santa Barbara, CA @ Lobero Theatre *
Sept. 18 – San Luis Obispo, CA @ Fremont Theater *
Sept. 19 – Santa Rosa, CA @ Luther Burbank Center For The Arts *
Sept. 25 – Monterey, CA @ Golden State Theatre *
^ w/ John Mulaney, Mike Birbiglia, Nick Kroll
* Comedy for Musicians But Everyone is Welcome Tour
