My Education (band)

My Education is an American instrumental post-rock band from Austin TX. They create cinematic and psychedelic compositions blending intense droning guitars with melodic viola. The core of the band is two guitars, bass, drums, and viola, although they do play with violins, keyboards and vibes at times. They are currently on Golden Antenna Records, a label based in Hessen, Germany, who released the band's latest LP A Drink for All My Friends in March 2013.

My Education
GenresPost-rock,[1] Instrumental
Years active2000–present
LabelsGolden Antenna Records

History

Since forming in 1999, the band's membership has expanded and contracted, and is currently a five piece ensemble. My Education has released 7 full-length albums, several singles, compilation appearances, and a 12" vinyl collaboration with avant-hip hop duo Dälek. Their recordings have been remixed by members of the bands Kinski, Pelican, the Red Sparowes and Dälek.

The band has toured the United States many times including an east coast jaunt in April 2009 and a west coast tour in the summer of 2010. A 19-date European tour was successfully completed in the spring of 2013. A remix of songs from the 2010 "Sunrise" release was issued in 2011, and a limited live “official bootleg” of the 2010 tour was issued in 2012. My Education has also collaborated with the Salt Lake City improvisational band Theta Naught, which has resulted in Sound Mass, an LP/CD release, as well as a string of festival appearances both in Utah and in Texas as live broadcasts, studio sessions and an as-yet-untitled 2nd LP. The band is currently working on both film and modern dance collaborations.

Musical style

The band’s sound generally falls within the genre of instrumental Post-rock. In an interview with the band, they state that their influences are “literally all over the map. The most important thing is to stake out your claim to whatever sliver of originality you can come up with, and pursue it with intensity, conviction, and rabid abandon.” [2] In My Education’s live score to the F.W. Murnau classic silent film “Sunrise”, which has packed houses across the country and which was described by a critic as “one of the best movie-going experiences of my life. It knocked me out.”,[3] “silver tones swirl from scene to scene until you almost forget it's a silent film. During the loudest part of the 96-minute set – a scene in which the Man and the Wife face gale force winds while crossing a lake – there's still a sense of restraint and elegance. It's the German way. The band, dressed in all black, lurks in the shadows." [4]

Members

Brian Purington - Guitar

Chris Hackstie - Guitar

James Alexander - Viola

Scott Telles - Bass

Earl Bowers - Drums

Kirk Laktas - Keyboards

with

Vincent Durcan - Percussion/Drums

Sarah Norris - Vibraphone

Skye Ashbrook – Visuals/Design


Former members:

Christopher Stelly

Joe Covington

Eric Gibbons

Ryan Nelson

Sean Seagler

Discography

"A Drink For All My Friends" - LP/CD/digital 2013 (Haute Magie (USA)/Golden Antenna (Europe)

“Sunrise Remixes” – ltd. CD/digital 2011 (Reverb Worship)

“Bamboozled” – ltd. live tour CD 2012 (blue circle)

"Sunrise" - LP/CD/digital April 2010 (Strange Attractors Audio House(USA)/Golden Antenna (Europe)

"Bad Vibrations" – CD/digital 2008 (Strange Attractors Audio House)

"my education vs Dalek" - 12" EP 2007 (Thirty Ghosts Records)

"Moody Dipper" - CD 2006 (Thirty Ghosts Records)

"Italian" - CD 2005 (Thirty Ghosts Records)

"5 Popes" - CD 2004 (Thirty Ghosts Records)

"Concentration Waltz” b/w “Plans A through B” - 7" Single 2002 (Jonathan Whiskey)

“Aria” b/w “Half-Empty” 7” single 2000 (self-released)

“Dirty Hands” on Test Tones Vol. 3 - Compilation 2005 (Clairecords)

“Thanksgiving” on The Speed by Which We Fall - Compilation 2005 (Rollerderby Records)

“Aria” on Austin Texas Mean Music - Compilation 2007 - (Amp. FM)

"A Drink For All My Friends" (remix) on the Gutterth Vol 4 - Compilation 2012 (Gutterth Records)

(with Theta Naught) “Sound Mass” LP/CD/digital 2011 – (Differential Records)

References
  2. James Alexander. interview in Houston Calling, 2009-03-06
  3. Rachel Stone. Performance review in OakCliff Advocate Magazine, 2012-06-19
  4. Audra Schroeder. Feature Article in the Austin Chronicle, 2010-04-30
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