Tag Archives: Dave Eggers

Aimee Mann: @#%&*! Smilers

On June 2, 2008, “Super Ego Records” label released “@#%&*! Smilers” (pronounced Fucking Smilers), the seventh Aimee Mann studio album. It was recorded in 2008, at “The Sound Factory” in Hollywood, and was produced by Paul Bryan.

Personnel:

  • Aimee Mann – lead vocals, acoustic guitar, bowed acoustic
  • Paul Bryan – bass, backing vocals, horn arrangements
  • Jamie Edwards – keyboards
  • Jebin Bruni – Moog 
  • Chris Bruce – guitar solo 
  • Jay Bellerose – drums
  • Willie Murillo – trumpet
  • Mark Visher – tenor and baritone saxophone
  • Jason Thor – trombone and bass trombone
  • Eric Gorfain, Daphne Chen, Amy Wickman, Alyssa Park, Terry Glenny, Marisa Kuney, Melisa Reiner – violins
  • Leah Katz, Caroline Buckman, David Sage – violas
  • Richard Dodd, Alan Matthews, John Krovaza – cellos
  • Buddy Judge – backing vocals
  • Kimon Kirk – backing vocals
  • Sean Hayes – duet vocals
  • Dave Eggers – whistling
  • Patrick Warren – string arrangements

Track listing:

All tracks by Aimee Mann, except where noted.

  1. Freeway
  2. Stranger into Starman
  3. Looking for Nothing
  4. Phoenix
  5. Borrowing Time
  6. It’s Over
  7. 31 Today
  8. The Great Beyond
  9. Medicine Wheel – Aimee Mann, Gretchen Seichrist
  10. Columbus Avenue
  11. Little Tornado
  12. True Believer – Aimee Mann, Grant Lee Phillips
  13. Ballantines

Beck: The Information

On October 3, 2006, “Interscope” label released “The Information”, the seventh Beck studio album. It was recorded 2005 – 2006, and was produced by Nigel Godrich.

Personnel:

  • Beck– vocals, acoustic and electric guitar, melodica,  piano,  organ,  keyboards, programming, effects, scratching, sitar, bass guitar,  harmonica, kalimba, percussion, drums, drum effects, glockenspiel, Game Boy
  • Nigel Godrich – keyboards, programming, effects, scratching,  tambourine, percussion, Speak ‘n Spell, whistle, Tote-A-Tune, kalimba, drums, Game Boy, backing vocals, mixing
  • Justin Stanley– acoustic and electric guitar, percussion, flute, backing vocals
  • Jason Falkner– bass guitars, acoustic and electric guitar, African bass, Moog synthesizer bass, percussion, drums, backing vocals
  • Sean Davis – bass guitars
  • James Gadson– drums, percussion, backing vocals
  • Joey Waronker– drums, percussion, backing vocals
  • Harvey Mason– drums
  • Alex Acuña– percussion, backing vocals
  • Smokey Hormel, Justin Meldal-Johnsen, Roger Manning Jr.– intro sounds
  • Brian LeBarton– Speak ‘n Spell
  • Greg Kurstin– keyboards, berimbau, piano, bass keyboard, synthesizer, acoustic guitar, backing vocals
  • DJ Z-Trip– scratching
  • Stevie Black – cello, percussion, backing vocals
  • Lucia Ribisi – girl on “Cellphone’s Dead”
  • Cosimo Hansen – talking
  • Spike Jonze, Dave Eggers– talking
  • Rachel Shelley– shipping forecast
  • David Campbell– string arrangements, conductor
  • Suzie Katayama, Charlie Bisharat– strings

Track listing:

All tracks by Beck Hansen, except where noted.

  1. Elevator Music
  2. Think I’m in Love
  3. Cellphone’s Dead
  4. Strange Apparition
  5. Soldier Jane – Beck Hansen, Nigel Godrich
  6. Nausea
  7. New Round
  8. Dark Star
  9. We Dance Alone
  10. No Complaints
  11. 1000 BPM
  12. Motorcade – Beck Hansen, Nigel Godrich
  13. The Information
  14. Movie Theme – Beck Hansen, Nigel Godrich
  15. The Horrible Fanfare/Landslide/Exoskeleton – Beck Hansen, Nigel Godrich

Samples:

  • “The Horrible Fanfare” section uses a sample of “Cellphone’s Dead”.
  • “The Landslide” section uses a sample from the song “Requiem pour un con” by the French singer Serge Gainsbourg.
  • “The Exoskeleton” section contains dialogue spoken by Dave Eggersand Spike Jonze