Second Family Band

Short biography of Second Family Band: The Second Family Band is a musical collective from Madison, Wisconsin. They came together in 2007, rising from the ashes of the very prolific free-folk outfit Davenport. Their musical style, difficult to categorize, owes more to freeform jazz, psychedelic rock, and experimental avant-garde music than to traditional folk music, and may be loosely attributed to such genres as free folk, psych folk, freak-folk, acid folk, wyrd folk or New Weird America.

The recordings and performances usually include varying combinations of drums and other percussion, guitars, vocals, synthesizers, piano, organs, violins, flutes, electronics, sound sculpture, field recordings, more synths, sitar, sticks, rocks, stones and really anything imaginable. Ranging from mildly sedative to tribal and bombastic. Their music is almost always improvised, with a rare exception of overdubbing and other studio composed manipulations. The group is noted for usually shunning the recording studio, preferring field recording in locations such as barns, caves, or pastures. Consequently, environmental sounds such as dogs barking, birds singing, and other ambient noise may be heard on record.
One noticeable difference between Davenport and Second Family Band is the line-up. Where Clay Ruby is present on every Davenport release, since reforming under the name Second Family Band, the band is operating regardless of line-up. No single member's presence is required for any Second Family jam session and in fact there are numerous Second Family Band releases where Ruby is not involved.

Over the years Davenport/Second Family has counted among it's members: Billy Lee (aka Lliam Ian, Crystal Dragon, Wormsblood), T Endless (Pan to Scratch, Drunjus, Craig Microcassette System), Nico Kain (Apaculus, Wormsblood), Clay Ruby (Jex Thoth, Burial Hex, Wormsblood, Hintergedanken), Woodman (Drunjus), Theresa Behnen, Tyler Olsen, Jonathan Matthews, Clay Kolbinger (Maths Balance Volumes), Lyx Ish, db Pedersen, DMS (Craig Microcassette System), Nic Stage (Wormsblood), Karen Eliot (The Mumber Toes, Hintergedanken, Dragon Faggot), John Gould, Justin May, Jon Stage, Jerod Annoye, Beau Devereaux (Anvil Dome), Andy Knackert, Jessica Non Popa, Aaron Laurant (Cult of Hypnos), Corey Bushcott, Azrael Zanon-Stage, David Libert, JoAnne Powers, Sven Bolan, Smith Baker, Ivan Calderon, Daeve Ross, Richard Remington, Cyrus Andreas, Jacob Tibbs, Nick Johnson, Kelly Shippey, Dave 3000, Ivan Mairesse, Max Elliott (Absinthe Minds), Mike Schultz, Johnny Danielson (Jex Thoth), as well as collaborations with friendly outsiders such as: Peaking Lights, Spiral Joy Band, the Skaters, Tomutonttu, Jooklo Duo, Glenn Donaldson, Lau Nau, Maths Balance Volumes, Hush Arbors, Absinthe Minds, Relentless Corpse, Islaja, Wooden Wand and the Vanishing Voice, Mumber Toes, Nautical Almanac (band), Anla Courtis, Cult of Hypnos and Takuri Tali.

1. http://www.earjerk.com/catalog.html
2. http://www.myspace.com/th2ndfamily
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davenport_%28band%29