Silkworm was an American

indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the mu ...

band active from 1987 to 2005 whose core members were Tim Midyett, Andy Cohen, and Michael Dahlquist.

History

Origins: 1985–1987

Founding members Tim Midyett (formerly Midgett), Joel RL Phelps, and Andy Cohen began writing and performing under the name Ein Heit in

Missoula, Montana Missoula ( ; fla, label= Séliš, Nłʔay, lit=Place of the Small Bull Trout, script=Latn; kut, Tuhuⱡnana, script=Latn) is a city in the U.S. state of Montana; it is the county seat of Missoula County. It is located along the Clark Fork Ri ...

from 1985 to 1987. In 1987, they adopted the name Silkworm.

Relocation: 1987–1990

They relocated to

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...

in 1990, where they met drummer Michael Dahlquist. During a radio interview on

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Northwestern University Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world. Chart ...

, Steve Albini called in to contact the band. Albini had attended Hellgate High School, the same high school that Phelps, Midyett, and Cohen attended in

. This connection led to Albini recording the band's album '' In the West''. Phelps left the band in 1994 due to mental health issues and the rigors of touring. Matt Kadane of

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and The New Year played keyboards on '' Italian Platinum'' and '' It'll Be Cool''.

Breakup: 2005

Drummer Michael Dahlquist was killed on July 14, 2005 when his car was rammed from behind. Friends Douglas Meis (Exo, the Dials) and John Glick (Returnables) were also killed in the crash.

Later projects: 2005–present

After Dahlquist's death, Midyett and Cohen went on to form Bottomless Pit. A feature-length documentary, ''Couldn't You Wait? The Story of Silkworm'', was released in February 2013, featuring interviews with

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Steve Albini Steve Albini (pronounced ; born July 22, 1962) is an American musician, record producer, audio engineer and music journalist. He was a member of Big Black, Rapeman and Flour, and is a member of Shellac. He is the founder, owner and principal en ...

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, and others. A remastered and expanded 2x12" + CD edition of the third Silkworm album ''

Libertine A libertine is a person devoid of most moral principles, a sense of responsibility, or sexual restraints, which they see as unnecessary or undesirable, and is especially someone who ignores or even spurns accepted morals and forms of behaviour o ...

'' including the group's "Marco Collins Sessions" and two additional tracks was issued by the label Comedy Minus One in May 2014.

Discography

Studio albums

*''Advantage'' (1987) *''Girl Harbrr'' (1989) *''L'ajre'' (1992) *'' In The West'' (1994) *''

'' (1994) *''

Firewater Firewater may refer to: Liquid * High-proof beverages, particularly illegal moonshine * Firewater (fire fighting), the polluted water remaining after fire fighting * Fire water, water stored in tanks for wildfire suppression Art and Entertainment ...

'' (1996) *'' Developer'' (1997) *'' Blueblood'' (1998) *''

Lifestyle Lifestyle often refers to: * Lifestyle (sociology), the way a person lives * ''Otium'', ancient Roman concept of a lifestyle * Style of life (german: Lebensstil, link=no), dealing with the dynamics of personality Lifestyle may also refer to: Bus ...

'' (2000) *'' Italian Platinum'' (2002) *'' It'll Be Cool'' (2004)

Compilations

*''Even A Blind Chicken Finds A Kernel of Corn Now And Then: 1990-1994'' (1998,

Matador Records Matador Records is an independent record label, with a roster of mainly indie rock, but also punk rock, experimental rock, alternative rock, and electronic acts. History Matador was created in 1989 by Chris Lombardi in his New York City apart ...

)

Singles and EPs

*"Slipstream" b/w "Inside Outside" 7" (Punchdrunk, 1991) *"The Chain" b/w "Our Secret" 7" (Temporary Freedom, 1992) *"Violet" b/w "Around A Light" 7" (Blatant, 1993) *His Absence Is A Blessing 12" EP (Stampede, 1993) *"In The Bleak Midwinter" b/w Engine Kid's "The Little Drummer Boy" (split Christmas single, C/Z, 1993) *"Into The Woods" b/w "Incaduce California" 7" (Rockamundo, 1993) *"Couldn't You Wait" b/w "The Grand Tour" 7" (Matador, 1995) *"The Marco Collins Session" 7"/CD EP *"Quicksand" b/w "On The Road, One More Time" 7" (My Pal God, 1996) *"Never Met A Man I Didn't Like" b/w "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere" 7" (Matador 1997) *"The Other Side" b/w "I Must Pianner", "I Must Prepare" 7" (Moneyshot, 1998) *You Are Dignified CD EP (12XU, 2003) *Chokes! CD EP (12XU, 2006)

References

External links

Official web site"Couldn't You Wait: The Story of Silkworm" documentary websiteEpisode 105 - Conan Neutron's Protonic Reversal w/Tim Midyett
{{DEFAULTSORT:Silkworm American indie rock groups Musical groups established in 1987 Musical groups disestablished in 2005 C/Z Records artists Matador Records artists Touch and Go Records artists My Pal God Records artists Musical groups from Montana