Album Notes

Donations: since Elliott Smith's death, 100% of proceeds go to charities. These have included the Elliott Smith Memorial Fund, Amnesty International, and 2 Gyrlz Performative Arts. Right now our beneficiary is New Oregon Arts and Letters.

Brainwarmer vocalist and songwriter Tiffany Lee Brown wrote a letter when Elliott Smith committed suicide...we hope you will read it, after the bios below. We made this album before his death and would not want to capitalize on that. And yes, the title track was actually created because we were playing Elliott Smith's old guitar...

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Update: spring 2009: Are you looking for my collection of free MP3 downloads with various collaborators? Well, it is no longer online. Amazingly, we got so many hits last month it overloaded our server. So if you're really jonesing to hear a bunch of old Tif-n-friends music, email me at easterislandproject att gmail, and I'll see what I can come up with.

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BIOS:
Tiffany Lee Brown (vocals, piano, Optigan, guitar, keyboard, orch bells) is an interdisciplinary artist and performer currently working on a 6,480-hour-long soundtrack for The Easter Island Project with former Brainwarmer collaborator Eric Hausmann, online at magdalen dot com. She previously sang with Portland's Black Orchid, New York's Lakeside Rebar, and the Oakland bands Log and Flail.

Often under the name "Passiflora," Tiffany appears on compilations like Women Take Back the Noise (Ubuibi Records, Oakland) and the soundtrack to Vision Quest of the Unknown Kadath, an adaptation of the H. P. Lovecraft story.She has collaborated with In Gowan Ring, Miss Murgatroid, Soriah, Land of the Blind, Mesmer, Debby Watt, and a veritable boatload of amazing musicians.

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Larold Will (drums, theremin, Speak & Spell, impressive hand-clapping, Ramones shouts) also plays in Portland's Topiary Kings, a duo with Courtney Von Drehle of 3 Leg Torso. Former drummer for Black Orchid, Larold performs solo as Larold the Thereminist at such venues as the Portland Art Museum. UPDATE: You can also find links to Larold on Thereminworld.com. He was recently selected to play for the BBC.

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Eric Hausmann (guitars, noise, production) is a Portland-based multi-instrumentalist and producer. Playing guitar, trumpet, cello, keyboards, drums, and exotic electronic instruments with The Gone Orchestra, Dark Horse, and the Lions of Batucada, he also plays guitar in Kings on Straw Mats. Eric founded the independent music label Spilling Audio label in 1986. UPDATE: Eric is still playing with The Gone Orchestra/Tres Gone and others. You can find some great stuff by him & them on MP3.com while it lasts...

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Other collaborators on the Elliott Smith's Guitar Full-Length Extended Play CD include Gail Buchanan (of Portland's The Standard, formerly NY's Sons of Bitches) and Stephen Masucci (of NY's The Lost Patrol). Immense thanks to Gail and Steve for their recording, production, and instrumental contributions.

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Letter to Everybody...

I was deeply saddened to hear of Elliott's recent suicide. As I wrote for BUST magazine's "Men We Love" issue a few years back, "I moved back to Oregon the same week that saw the release of a local boy hero's second solo CD...my entire brain contracted the minute I heard his amazing songs." He and his music represent Portland to me, the way the rain leaks into everything we do. He knew how to turn that grey wet reality into something beautiful and transcendent.

I'd like it to be known that our absurd little song "Elliott Smith's Guitar" was in no way ever meant to be a pisstake. Larold and I had met up with Gail at Larry Crane's Jackpot! Studios in Portland, to which Elliott was connected. Gail pointed out Elliott's old Rickenbacker in the corner, and I of course couldn't resist plugging it in. The song immediately poured out of me, with Larold happily improvising drums. We recorded it right away; Gail proclaimed it a "brainworm" of a song; and that's how we got our name. And even though I felt cheesy about being star-struck, I was honored to be playing Elliott Smith's guitar and improvising on the piano he had played. So our tune was meant to be a tribute, and I hope it's been taken that way.

Brainwarmer broke up earlier this year. We had a great run and played some amazing gigs; thanks to everyone who supported & enjoyed us. If you want to follow our current, separate projects, read the bios for details. Notes about my new projects are usually posted on my weblog at magdalen dot com. Look for Eric and Larold on myspace and other sites, too.

-Tiffany