LABEL: Merge Records
VINYL RELEASE DATE: 02/24/2023
ORIGINAL RELEASE DATE: 2023
VARIANT: Box Set

The two full-length records that Jeff Mangum made as Neutral Milk Hotel sound both in and out of time. Like translations of a shared subconscious, 1996s On Avery Island and 1998s In the Aeroplane Over the Sea give voice to the perennial spirit of youthful epiphany, of beginning to see the world clearly, to process and express it no matter when you encounter them. With lo-fi indie rock, accordion, singing saw, tape collages, the so-called zanzithophone and beyond, Neutral Milk Hotel created an eternal entry into their Elephant 6 scene and an enduring feeling of possibility.

Mangum was born in the small city of Ruston, Louisiana, coming of age within the 80s and 90s indie and punk undergrounds, a movement of teenagers recording in their bedrooms, sharing zines and trading tapes, listening to hardcore and experimental music on college radio. For all the mythology Mangums elusive persona has accrued, its the beguiling songs themselves that have resonated so deeply for generations. In 2011, Mangum collected nearly all of the bands recorded output in a limited-edition box set (self-released under Neutral Milk Hotel Records, a small operation helmed by Mangum and his mother) which is now being updated for wide reissue by the bands longtime label Merge Records.

CONTENTS:

• In the Aeroplane Over the Sea LP -Single LP on black vinyl housed in deluxe gatefold jacket.
• On Avery Island 2LP - Double LP on black vinyl. Expanded to include the full-length version of Pree-Sisters Swallowing a Donkeys Eye.
• Live at Jittery Joes 12" - Full-color single picture disc packaged in deluxe clear sleeve w/ new artwork. Recorded in Athens, 1997. Exclusive to the 2023box set.
• Ferris Wheel on Fire EP - Single black 10" housed in cardboard jacket w/ printed sleeve. Exclusive to the box set.
• Everything Is EP - Single black 10" housed in cardboard jacket. Includes the fours songs from the original EP, plus three additional tracks. Expanded edition exclusive to the box set.
• Holland, 1945 / Engine 7" EP - Single black 7" housed in cardboard jacket w/ all-new artwork & plastic outer sleeve. B-side is an exclusive recording of "Engine".
• Little Birds 7" Single -Single black 7" housed in cardboard jacket w/ plastic outer sleeve. Previously unreleased 2014 recording of "Little Birds" + studio demo on the b-side.
• Youve Passed / Where Youll Find Me Now 7" EP -Single black 7" housed in cardboard jacket (with updated art) w/ plastic outer sleeve.
• Posters -Single black 7" housed in cardboard jacket (with updated art) w/ plastic outer sleeve.
• Postcard -Double-sided "souvenir" postcard with box set details & original art.