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Celesteville Biography

celesteville
  • Band Members: Jacob Anderson
  • Years Active: 1990s-2000s
  • Genre: Rock & Alternative

Celesteville is essentially a one-man project, the man being Jacob Anderson, originally born in San Francisco and partially raised in Iowa, but mostly living around Portland, OR, aside from college stints in California and Pennsylvania. Having been in a series of bands and projects since high school days, Anderson had a variety of experiences with his brand of low-key experimentalism. Influences ranging from underground pop legends like the Cannanes and random old video game noise to a wide range of world musics -- one of his prized possessions is a kalimba with a built-in jack for pedals and amplifiers -- can be found in his varied work. Celesteville started as a break from his previous band Yak Brigade in 1998, named after the capital of the elephants in the Babar children's book series. Varying guests have played and sung on Celesteville recordings, but generally it's just Anderson and his creative playing and lyrics -- sometimes nuttily humorous, sometimes deeply emotional -- which take center stage. Initial releases as of early 2001 include two CDs on Anderson's own label Tape Mountain as well as an archival collection of earlier material and various compilation appearances. ~ Ned Raggett, Rovi

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