Calvin Johnson (musician)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For other people of the same name, see Calvin Johnson.
| Calvin Johnson | ||
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 Calvin Johnson performing at the Crystal Ballroom in Portland, Oregon
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| Background information | ||
| Also known as | Selector Dub Narcotic | |
| Born | November 1, 1962 | |
| Origin | Olympia, Washington | |
| Genre(s) | Punk Lo-fi Indie rock |
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| Occupation(s) | Musician Songwriter Disc jockey Record Producer |
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| Label(s) | K Records | |
| Associated acts |
Cool Rays, Beat Happening, The Go Team, Halo Benders, Dub Narcotic Sound System |
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Calvin Johnson (born November 1, 1962) is a guitarist, vocalist, songwriter, music producer, and disc jockey born in Olympia, Washington. Known for his uniquely deep, droning singing voice, Johnson was a founding member of the bands Cool Rays, Beat Happening, The Go Team, Dub Narcotic Sound System, and The Halo Benders.
Calvin Johnson is also the founder and owner of the influential indie label K Records in Olympia, Washington, and was one of the major organizers of the seminal International Pop Underground Festival. Johnson has been cited as a major player in the beginning of the modern independent music movement. [1]
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[edit] The Early Years
Calvin's first introduction to underground culture was in 1977 when he became a volunteer at Olympia's community radio station, KAOS-FM, at the age of fifteen. The station's uniquely progressive programming policy mandated a focus on music available through independent and artist owned labels, rather than centralized corporate media. This independent, do-it-yourself ethos has been an important influence on Johnson's career. Johnson soon began writing for fanzines, such as Sub/Pop and Op, and also organized music and film events. Johnson attended The Evergreen State College in Olympia, where his first band, a short-lived group called Cool Rays made their debut recordings with Steve Fisk in 1981. Calvin established K in the summer of 1982.
[edit] Solo career
His first solo album, What Was Me, is an introspective album about love, loss, and death. While some songs employ simple nylon-string guitar accompaniment, many feature only Johnson's haunting baritone.
His second album, Before the Dream Faded..., is more varied. It includes collaborations with a variety of northwest indie luminaries. The songs cover an odd range of subjects, such as the size and color of hearts, Lucifer, and falling in love.
[edit] Relationship with other musicians
Johnson has worked with Modest Mouse, Beck, Heavenly, The Microphones, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, The Blow, and Built to Spill among others. Since founding his Dub Narcotic recording studio in 1993, he has produced and engineered recordings by many bands and artists.
Nirvana's late singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain was an admirer of Calvin Johnson's, and even got the K Records logo (a small "K" in a shield) tattooed on his arm. They were friends in the early 1990s, when Cobain lived in Olympia. On September 25, 1990, Cobain appeared on a college radio show hosted by Johnson and performed a number of songs acoustically, including a duet with Johnson on the Wipers song, "D-7."
[edit] Solo Discography:
- What Was Me (2002, K Records)
- Before the Dream Faded... (2005, K Records)
