Calvin Johnson (musician)
Calvin Johnson (born November 1, 1962 in Olympia (Washington) , USA) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter , record producer and disc jockey .
Known for his uniquely deep, booming singing voice, Johnson was a founding member of Cool Rays, Beat Happening , The Go Team, Dub Narcotic System, and The Halo Benders.
Calvin Johnson is also the founder and owner of the influential indie label K Records , and played an important role in the dawn of the modern independent music movement. As a prominent figure in the Olympia music scene, he was a key organizer of the International Pop Underground Convention .
Career
Early years
Calvin's first encounter with underground culture was in 1977, when the then 15-year-old was volunteering for KAOS-FM , a radio station in Olympia. The station's unique programming focused more on the music of the independent labels than on that of the big major labels. This do-it-yourself mindset was an important influence on Johnson's career. Johnson soon began writing for fanzines and organizing film and music events. Johnson attended the Evergreen State Collage in Olympia, where his first band, Cool Rays , which was short-lived, first recorded with Steve Fisk in 1981 . In the summer of 1982 he founded K Records.
Beat happening
Johnson formed the band Beat Happening in 1982 with friends Heather Lewis and Bret Lunsford, whom he met while studying. Beat Happening took a leading role in American indie rock and lo-fi movements early on . The band is noticed because of their simple recording techniques, disregarded because of the technical aspect of the music and the songs, which sound childish to teasing. Instruments were guitars, bass and drums, on which the band members took turns, Calvin and Heather sang the lead vocals. When touring with bands like Fugazi, for example, they confuse and unsettle the audience by clearly advocating their punk rock position, which was nonetheless more gentle than usual. Beat Happening had been separated since 1992, but reappeared in 2001.
Go team
Go Team was a collaborative project that started in 1985 and was based on the duo Calvin Johnson and Tobi Vail , later on Bikini Kill & Kill Rock Stars . They toured the US West Coast with Billy Karren for two tours. The group released multiple tapes and nine singles on Johnson's K Records label, with a rotating line-up that included Kurt Cobain , Rich Jensen, David Nichols, and Donna Dresch. None of the recordings are currently being produced.
Dub Narcotic Sound System
Dub Narcotic was named after Calvin's famous recording studio, this project discovered areas of music that went more in the direction of funk and dance party (in the style of the Stax / Volt-House bands). Johnson was the only member to appear on every recording, surrounded by a rotating cast including: Larry Butler, Todd Ranslow, and Brian Weber (all members of the hip hop group Dead Presidents). Various singles and albums have been released. The variable nature of the ensemble led to collaborations with Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Lois Maffeo and Miranda July. The trio later prevailed as Johnson, bassist Chris Sutton (COCO, Hornet Leg) and drummer Heather Dunn (Tiger Trap). A serious accident with the tour bus almost tragically ended the band's career. Johnson suffered severe broken ribs and struggled with speech disorders; he has largely recovered since then. The band has not released any new recordings since 2004.
Halo Benders
Halo Benders was a project between Johnson and Doug Martsch from Built To Spill. From 1994 to 1998 they released three albums. Calvin's deep baritone voice and Doug's high melodies harmonize when they sound at the same time, but can also work individually. With no further tours or recordings to follow, the Halo Benders reunited in 2008 to perform in Boise, and may work together again in the future.
Solo career
In addition to working with Dub Narcotic Sound System, Johnson has started playing solo shows under his own name. Calvin's solo music contrasts with the rock of the Halo Benders and the funk soul of DNSS, and allows him to discover elements of blues, folk and gospel. His first solo album What Was Me is about love, loss and death. While some pieces contain simple nylon string guitars, many pieces only consist of Johnson's voice. There are also duets with Beth Ditto from The Gossip and Mirah. His second album, Before the Dream Faded…, is more varied. It again contains many collaborations with many indie artists. The latest album, Calvin Johnson & The Sons of the Soil, is a series of resumed songs with a band made up of Kyle Field, Adam Forkner and Jason Anderson.
Current projects
In 2008, Calvin Johnson starred in GB Jones' The Lollipop Generation. Calvin is part of the Hive Dwellers, the superchunks "My Noise" on the album SCORE! 20 Years of Merge Records: The Covers! present. The album was released in 2009. Calvin has also revived Dub Narcotic Disco Plate 45 rpm, in collaboration with artists like Atlas Sound, Mahjongg and Joey Casio at Dub Narcotic to create an A-side, and also created a Selector Dub Narcotic version for the B- Page.
Solo discography
- What Was Me (2002, K Records)
- Before the Dream Faded ... (2005, K Records)
- Calvin Johnson & The Sons of the Soil (2007, K Records)
Web links
- Calvin Johnson at Allmusic (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Score! 20 Years of Merge Records the Covers! (Compilation). (No longer available online.) The National, archived from the original on February 15, 2016 ; accessed on November 17, 2014 (English). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Johnson, Calvin |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American guitarist, singer, songwriter, record producer, and disc jockey |
| DATE OF BIRTH | November 1, 1962 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Olympia (Washington) |