The Slip (band)

The Slip
The Slip (L–R): Brad Barr, Marc Friedman, and Andrew Barr
Background information
Origin	Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Genres	Avant-garde, indie rock, jazz fusion
Years active	1996–present
Labels	KA, Flying Frog, Rykodisc, 216, Bar/None
Associated acts	Surprise Me Mr. Davis
Website	theslip.com
Members
Andrew Barr Brad Barr Marc Friedman

The Slip is a contemporary avant-rock trio from Boston, Massachusetts, United States. The band consists of brothers Brad Barr (guitar, piano, vocals) and Andrew Barr (drum kit), and Marc Friedman (bass guitar). The three also play with singer-songwriter Nathan Moore (of ThaMuseMeant) in a side project called Surprise Me Mr. Davis.

History

The band was formed at Tabor Academy in Marion, Massachusetts, in 1989 as a student rock band that toured New England prep-school campuses. The founding members (guitarist Howard Gould, husband of Court TV anchor Ashleigh Banfield, drummer Mike Johnson, lead guitarist Johnny Myers, bassist Cain Goettleman, and singer Jack Lewin) left the band upon graduating in 1990 and 1991, leaving it in the hands of the three current members. In the early days the band saw members come and go including singer Sally Taylor, the daughter of Carly Simon and James Taylor. All three current members were students and eventual graduates of Tabor Academy. After attending the Berklee School of Music in Boston for a time, the trio collectively dropped out in 1996 to push their debut self-released album, From the Gecko.

Following consistent touring, mostly in the Northeast but eventually in the West as well, the band was signed to Butch Trucks's label Flying Frog Records, where they put out Does in 2000. Subsequent years saw continued touring, including their first trip to Japan, and the release of the band's first live album, Live Is My Jumby. The Slip then signed to Rykodisc, releasing Angels Come on Time in 2002.

In 2003, the companion live albums Alivelectric and Aliveacoustic were released on the band's own label, 216 Records. The former was a mostly instrumental exploration into experimental noise collages, reminiscent at times of post-rock bands such as Do Make Say Think and Tortoise, or electronic acts like Squarepusher. The latter consisted of Americana-tinged folk songs with an emphasis on lyrics, though some songs such as "Torque" and "Song" were more reminiscent of earlier, jazz-influenced Slip work.

The next few years saw the band spend less time on the road, instead working with the Surprise Me Mr. Davis side project and the new Slip studio album. In 2005, the song "Even Rats", an early cut from the newest studio sessions, was featured on the PlayStation 2 video game Guitar Hero. The song was also released as a single available only online in 2006.

During 2005 and 2006, The Slip gained greater recognition after appearances at festivals such as Bonnaroo, SXSW, Bumbershoot, and High Sierra Music Festival. After a long period of record label shopping, "Even Rats" and other songs finally saw release on the album Eisenhower, released in November 2006 on Bar/None Records. Eisenhower saw the band mostly abandon earlier jazz and jam influences in favor of indie rock influences drawing from bands like Built to Spill and The Flaming Lips. The Slip supported the album by touring throughout the United States and Canada, including a run of dates opening for the indie rock band My Morning Jacket in November and December 2006. On February 5, 2007, the Slip made their national television debut on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, playing "Children of December". The following June, they performed at the Bonnaroo Music Festival in Tennessee for the second time.

In 2008 The Slip supported Sonya Kitchell in a tour for her album This Storm. The album is a collaboration between Kitchell, Brad Barr, Andrew Barr, and Malcolm Burn.^[1]

Members of the trio have been pursuing musical endeavors outside of the band, thus playing only a handful of shows in 2008–2010. The Slip returned to High Sierra Music Festival in Quincy, California, on July 4 and 5, 2009. This marked their twelfth consecutive appearance at the festival, more than any other returning act.

2011 brought the return of The Slip to Japan. The New Year was celebrated at Cafe Du Nord in San Francisco. The band has further scheduled dates for the summertime such as the Brooklyn Bowl in Williamsburg on July 14, 2011 and The Met in Pawtucket, RI on July 16, 2011.^[2]

Discography

• From the Gecko – 1997
• Does – 2000
• Live Is My Jumby – 2002
• Angels Come on Time – 2002
• Aliveacoustic – 2003
• Alivelectric – 2003
• Live at Lupo's 6/12/04 – 2005
• Eisenhower (Bar/None) – 2006

References

1. ^ AllAboutJazz.com
2. ^ The SLIP Facebook fan page Events listing

External links

• The Slip website
• The Slip Twitter
• The Slip on MySpace
• The Slip on FaceBook
• SlipBase – archive of setlists and lyrics
• Video interview of The Slip^{[dead link]} for Blender
• Guitar International: Brad Conroy interview with The Slip's Brad Barr