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His Name Is Alive

Profile:
His Name Is Alive may be the biggest style-riffers of the last decade -- and that's saying a lot when you think about how many style-riffers have reared their heads during that time. They're certainly the least celebrated of all the willfully eclectic musicians and bands to record music during the '90s. The group's early albums, starting with 1990's Livonia saw them working more or less in an ethereal dream-rock vein that drew comparisons to bands like My Bloody Valentine, even as they ventured out to try their hands at damaged experimental folk and Negativland-style tape collage art. Later efforts found the group playing with everything from dub to '60s pop to garage rock to psychedelic classic rock. Increasingly though, ringleader Warn Defever's fixation with gospel and R&B took His Name Is Alive in an utterly unprecedented direction: towards making experimentally minded smooth urban balladry.
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Discography

Releases:
How Ghosts Affect Relationships / If July (7", Promo)   4AD 1990
Livonia (Album) (5 versions)   4AD ... 1990
Home Is In Your Head (Album) (7 versions)   4AD ... 1991
Sings Man On The Silver Mountain And 8 Other Songs (CD, Promo)   Rykodisc 1992
The Dirt Eaters (Maxi, EP) (3 versions)   4AD 1992
93 (Cass, Smplr, Promo)   4AD 1993
In Every Ford (CD, Maxi, Promo)   4AD 1993
King Of Sweet (CD, Comp, Ltd)   Perdition Plastics 1993
Mouth By Mouth (Album) (7 versions)   4AD ... 1993
Soil X Samples 10 (7", Promo, Single, Blu)   Warner Bros. Records 1993
Sounds Of Mexico (CDr, Album)   time STEREO 1995
Stars On E.S.P. (Album) (5 versions)   4AD ... 1996
Universal Frequencies (Maxi) (2 versions)   4AD 1996
Warped Reality #4 (Flexi, 7", S/Sided)   Eva-Tone Soundsheets 1996
Country Girl (CD, EP, Promo)   Warner Bros. Records 1997
Finer Twilights (CDr)   time STEREO 1997
Great Lakes State Blues (CDr, Album)   time STEREO 1997
Nice Day (CD, EP, Dig)   4AD 1997
Pets Farm EP (7")   Motorway 1997
You Need A Heart To Live EP (7", EP)   Friendly Science Enregisterments 1997
Can't Always Be Loved (Single) (2 versions)   4AD 1998
Drugs Farm EP (7")   Rocket Science 1998
Ft. Lake (Album) (4 versions)   4AD ... 1998
Golden City (CDr)   time STEREO 1998
Melody Farm EP (7")   Shaolin Temple 1998
Radio LP (CDr, Album)   time STEREO 1998
Wish I Had A Wishing Ring (CD, Maxi, Promo)   4AD 1998
Always Stay Sweet (Album) (2 versions)   4AD ... 1999
RMX's (CDr, Album)   time STEREO 2000
Rare Tracks In The Snow (CDr, Album)   time STEREO 2000
The Emergency LP (CDr, Album)   time STEREO 2000
When The Stars Refuse To Shine (CDr, Album)   time STEREO 2000
Happy Blues (12", Promo)   4AD 2001
Nothing Special (12", Promo)   4AD 2001
Someday My Blues Will Cover The Earth (Album) (3 versions)   4AD ... 2001
Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most (CDr)   time STEREO 2001
Write My Name In The Groove (12", Promo)   4AD 2001
Last Night (Album, Single) (3 versions)   4AD 2002
Angel Hall (CD)   Last Affair Records 2003
Cloud Box (10xCDr + Box)   time STEREO 2004
Brown Rice (CDr)   time STEREO 2005
Cloud Pop (File, MP3, 192)   time STEREO 2005
Summer Bird (CDr)   Ypsilanti Records 2005
UFO Catcher (LP)   En/Of 2005
Detrola (Album) (2 versions)   Silver Mountain Media Group ... 2006
Livonia Strings (CDr, Album, Ltd)   Silver Mountain Media Group 2006
Someday Rmx (File, MP3, 192)   Silver Mountain Media Group 2006
Firefly Dragonfly (CD, EP)   Acuarela Discos 2007
Silver Makeup EP (File, MP3, EP, 192)   Silver Mountain Media Group 2007
Sweet Earth Flower - A Tribute To Marion Brown (CD, Album)   High Two 2007
Xmmer (CD, Album)   Silver Mountain Media Group 2007
Remixes:
Ten Remixes Of Yenissey (CD, Comp) Forever 93 SekSound 2008
Production:
4AD (Uncut) (CD, Smplr, Promo, Album) Wishing Ring 4AD, Uncut Magazine 1998
Appears On:
Red Tape (Cass, Comp, Album) Some And I Select Magazine 1990
The 13 Year Itch (CD, Album, Ltd, Dig) The Time Falling Bodie... 4AD 1993
All Virgos Are Mad (Album) (2 versions) Library Girl 4AD ... 1994
Jerry Maguire - Music From The Motion Picture (CD, Comp) Sitting Still Moving S... Epic Soundtrax 1996
Dr. Martens Shoe Pie (Comp) (2 versions) Nice Day 4AD 1997
Joyride (CD, Comp, P/Mixed) Home Warner Bros. Records 1997
4AD (Uncut) (CD, Smplr, Promo, Album) Wishing Ring 4AD, Uncut Magazine 1998
Anakin (Album, Comp) (4 versions) Ain't No Lie 4AD ... 1998
Can't Cool (Album) (2 versions) Someday My Blues Will ... Nonplace 2003
1980 Forward (CD, Album) Fossil 4AD 2005
Tracks Appear On:
Red Tape (Cass, Comp, Album) Some And I Select Magazine 1990
Going Underground (2xCD, Comp) How Ghosts Affect Rela... Eurostar 1992
Lilliput (2xCD, Promo) Are We Still Married? 4AD 1992
Free At Last 3 - The Essential HMV New Music Sampler (CD, Promo) In Every Ford PolyGram 1993
Mai Pen Rai (CD) In Every Ford 4AD 1993
Play It! Volume 2 In The Summertime (CD, Smplr) In Every Ford Play It Again Sam [PIAS] 1993
Rough Trade - Music For The 90's - Vol. 5 (CD + CD, Maxi + , Smplr) Baby Fish Mouth Rough Trade Germany 1993
Rough Trade - Music For The 90's - Vol. 5 (CD, Smplr) Baby Fish Mouth Rough Trade Germany 1993
The 13 Year Itch (CD, Album, Ltd, Dig) The Time Falling Bodie... 4AD 1993
The Adventure Club Sessions (CD, Ltd, Comp) Baby Fish Mouth The Adventure Club 1993
All Virgos Are Mad (VHS, Ltd) Can't Go Wrong Without... 4AD 1994
All Virgos Are Mad (Album, Comp) (3 versions) Library Girl 4AD ... 1994
The Arbitrary Nature Of Meaning (CD) Do You Want To Have Tr... Isomorphic Records 1994
Ambient Extractions - Volume 2 (CD) More Majic Party C & S Records 1996
Chain With No Name RTM Sample Issue #2 (CD) Universal Frequencies Not On Label 1996
Go Sonic EP (7") Mouse In The Middle Go Sonic 1996
Jerry Maguire - Music From The Motion Picture (Comp) (2 versions) Sitting Still Moving S... Epic Soundtrax 1996
Shaving The Pavement (Cass, Comp, Promo) ESP Summer 4AD 1996
Dr. Martens Shoe Pie (Comp) (2 versions) Nice Day 4AD 1997
Joyride (CD, Comp, P/Mixed) Home Warner Bros. Records 1997
4AD (Uncut) (CD, Smplr, Promo, Album) Wishing Ring 4AD, Uncut Magazine 1998
Anakin (Album, Comp) (4 versions) Ain't No Lie 4AD ... 1998
Dusted & Clusted (CD, Comp, Promo) Wish I Had A Wishing Ring 4AD, Rock Records (Japan) Co. Ltd. 1998
Kiddy's Got Four Fingers (CD, Smplr, Promo, Ltd) Universal Frequencies,... 4AD 1998
Komm Küssen Kompilation #5 (CD) Wishing Ring Komm Küssen Magazine 1998
RRR 500 (LP, Comp) Untitled RRRecords 1998
ZilloScope: New Signs & Sounds 07-08/98 (CD, Smplr) Wishing Ring (Wish I H... Zillo 1998
Breakdown (CD) Up Your Legs Forever 4AD 1999
Llama Ranch Compilation (CD) Say A Cuss Word Polystar, Trattoria 1999
CMJ New Music Volume 96 September 2001 (CD, Comp, Promo) Nothing Special College Music Journal 2001
Une Rentrée 2001 (2xCD, Comp) Write My Name In The G... Les Inrockuptibles 2001
Versions (Album, Comp) (2 versions) Someday My Blues Will ... Interdimensional Transmissions 2001
Beat Boudoir (2xCD) Happy Blues Dolce Vita 2002
Dr. Tiger's Deathless Promise (CD, Smplr, Album) Crawlin' (Edit) 4AD 2002
IT Future 2002 (CDr, Album, Ltd, Smplr) My Blues (Electric Sto... Interdimensional Transmissions 2002
It's All Good (Comp) (2 versions) Someday My Blues Will ... Keep Diggin' Recordings 2002
Tracks & Fields (2xCD, Comp) Peace In Detroit Kill Rock Stars 2004
We Could Live In Hope : A Tribute To Low (CD, Album) Sunshine (Super Low Rmx) Fractured Discs 2004
1980 Forward (CD, Album) Fossil 4AD 2005
New Skin For The Old Ceremony: The Polyamory Nine Year Anniversary Compilation (CDr, Ltd) Something Nothing Moun... Polyamory 2005
Full Of Dust And Guitars (File, AAC, EP) One Year (Minotaur Sho... 4AD 2006
Remixes (12", Promo) One Year (Four Tet Remix) Domino Recording Company Ltd. 2006
Remixes (Comp) (4 versions) One Year (Four Tet Remix) Domino Recording Company Ltd. ... 2006
Brainwaves 2008 (3xCD, Ltd, Comp) The Silver Piano Brainwashed Recordings 2008
Peace (For Mom) (2xCD, Comp, Car) This World Is Not My Home Brainwashed Recordings 2008
Unofficial Releases:
Can't Cool (CD, Album) Someday My Blues Will ... Not On Label  
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YouTube Videos

His Name Is Alive - Livonia
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Reviews & Discussion

Review by Crijevo Mar 04, 2007 (edited over 2 years ago)
The band of the highest recommendation to any serious alternative music fan. Music that is certainly hard to describe as it is constantly changing course from album to album - once it is avant-garde noise, switching to moody guitar works with every next suddenly twisting into weird electronic treatments... Although recent efforts dared reaching impressive heights of smooth r'n'b, each record is a masterpiece of its own right, it is just too hard to write down sole impressions on each. Make 'His Name' ALIVE indeed!

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