The soundtrack to a same-named documentary, The Elephant 6 Recording Co. is also the name of a musical collective with roots going back to the late ’80s. Though the collective is largely recognized for their contributions to indie-rock, the 40-plus bands associated with E6 span a lot of sounds and genres, which is quite clear here.
The Olivia Tremor Control start the fun with the retro ’60s ideas of the breezy “Garden Of Light,” and Neutral Milk Hotel follow with “Gardenhead / Leave Me Alone,” where rugged guitars and Jeff Magnum’s recognizable voice guide the buzzing.
Deeper into the first half, The Gerbils present us with “Glue,” which is a live tune of their ambient and minimal ways that eventually finds more forceful areas to reside in a grungy sort of way. W. Cullen Hart and Elf Power exit this portion. The former is a mesmerizing instrumental thanks to “All Day Owl,” and the latter is live, where “The Arrow Flies Close” welcomes melodic guitar, expressive singing and louder drumming for the record’s best.
The Olivia Tremor Control offer their second track for the opening of the back half, as “The Same Place” is heavy on mood and uses cello to its advantage. “Dixie Blood Moustache” then makes an appearance with “Oh Hi,” where the sci-fi, psychedelic ideas cultivate a very artistic presence.
Closer to the end, The Always Red Society make use of acoustic guitar and plenty of rhythm thanks to “Minute By Minute,” and “The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise,” by The Wedding Back & Friends, recruits some chamber appeal via the rich and diverse songwriting. The final track belongs to “Ruby,” by The Apples In Stereo, who bring plenty of sugary sweet pop to the sing-alongs and group vocals.
A great way to explore some relatively obscure bands from the early days of indie-rock, every track here is worth repeated visits, especially for fans of legends like the Beach Boys, the Beatles and the Zombies.