A tenacious songwriter and producer, John Vanderslice has imprinted his charming brand of indie rock onto the music scene worldwide since his solo debut in 2001. Formerly of the band Mk Ultra, who put out three albums in the ‘90s, Vanderslice has released seven albums in less than a decade. He has received consistent praise from critics, and has demonstrated a labyrinth of creativity.
Vanderslice has produced and recorded all of his albums in his own San Francisco studio, Tiny Telephone, which he founded ten years ago. Stylus magazine calls this vigorous producer “a veritable indie-rock Phil Spector,” having produced and collaborated with the Mountain Goats, Spoon, and Death Cab for Cutie (among others).
The themes and influences informing Vanderslice’s work are prolific. Post-9/11 albums Pixel Revolt and Emerald City immerse themselves in that tragedy, and all of his work is politically engaged. He sometimes borrows from such poets as William Blake and Percey Shelly, having studied writing at UC Berkeley, and his lyricism displays a literary subtlety.
His songs often incorporate third-person narrations and unusual storylines. Moon Colony Bloodbath, which he co-wrote and recorded as a vinyl exclusive EP with the Mountain Goats’ John Darnielle in 2009, is about the lunar farming of human organs. His second album, Time Travel is Lonely, explores the concept of an imaginary brother lost to crushing isolation in Antratica. Vanderslice has become something of a Noise Pop regular. Always conscious of making things special no matter the output, he will offer something significant to this year’s audience: this will be the first San Francisco crowd to see him play without a backing band.
