Pitchfork: Silkworm to Release Final Recordings

Nearly a year and a half after the tragic death of Silkworm drummer Michael Dahlquist, his bandmates will release the collective's last-ever material, a six-track EP by the name of Chokes.

The basic instrumentals for the first four songs, recorded last year with Steve Albini at his Electrical Audio studios in Chicago, were tracked just a few weeks ahead of the automobile accident that killed Dahlquist, along with John Glick of the Returnables and Douglas Meis of the Dials. One of those tracks, "Bar Ice", can be downloaded below.

Track five, "Wrote a Song for Everyone", first appeared during Silkworm's Lifestyle sessions, but failed to grab a slot on the album. Matt Kadane of the New Year added electrical piano to the cut, but otherwise, it was left unchanged from its original form.

The final number is a live cover of Bob Dylan's "Spanish Harlem" performed by the Crust Brothers (Silkworm joined by Stephen Malkmus) at Seattle's Crocodile Cafe on December 31, 2000. Silkworm bassist/vocalist Tim Midgett said of the selection, "That song was handpicked by him [Michael] as his set piece for that show, and somehow that song defines him almost completely in my mind. It's a wonderful performance, and I am reminded every time I hear it of how profoundly and deeply I loved Michael."

The disc is due December 6 via 12XU Records.

Tracklist:

01 Bar Ice
02 Low Blow
03 Int'l Harbour of Grace
04 Lilly White & Cherry Red
05 Wrote a Song for Everyone
06 Spanish Harlem Incident [Bob Dylan cover; live by the Crust Brothers on 12/31/00 at Seattle's Crocodile Cafe]