Sun Kil Moon是美国加利佛尼亚州旧金山的一支民谣乐队,于2002年组建,其前身是著名的Slowcore乐队“红房子画家”(Red House Painters)。Sun Kil Moon这个名字来源于韩国拳击手Sung-Kil Moon;乐队由四个人组成:词曲兼主唱Mark Kozelek、吉他手Tim Mooney、鼓手Anthony Koutsos以及贝斯手Geoff Stanfield。
Sun Kil Moon的首张专辑“Ghosts of the Great Highway”由Mark Kozelek亲自作词、吉他、演唱。专辑的封面设计采用一张泛黄的小天使照片,依然晦暗低调,但与以往红房子的那些专辑不同的是,这张的音乐显得欢快了很多,Mark Kozelek的嗓音也不再那么的低沉,而是清亮了不少。这张专辑里歌曲的创作背景是若干名拳击手的真实生命历程,这些拳击手包括:次轻量级冠军Salvador Sánchez、次最轻量级拳击手Pancho Villa。专辑中的“Duk Koo Kim”竟长达十四分半,用缜密的结构和丰富的配器让听者沉迷其中。值得一提的是“Ghosts of the Great Highway”于2007年2月由Mark Kozelek重新编曲并发行双碟专辑。
2005年11月1号,Sun Kil Moon的第二张专辑“Tiny Cities”面世了。这张专辑的内容是Sun Kil Moon重新演绎的独立乐团Modest Mouse的11首作品。这是Kozelek首次在自己的厂牌Caldo Verde发布作品,原因之一也是没有公司对他翻唱的Modest Mouse的作品感兴趣。就专辑本身而言,Sun Kil Moon的不瘟不火完全迥异于Modest Mouse的奇幻,所有歌曲统统被他们演绎成了最直白的Slowcore。
Sun Kil Moon的第三张专辑叫做“April”,就是在2008年的April发行的。这是一张饱和度很高的唱片,整整11首曲子还附带一张Bonus CD,其中收录了四首专辑歌曲的不同版本。在“April”里我们还能听到Will Oldham(也就是Bonnie 'Prince' Billy)和Ben Gibbard(Death Cab For Cutie的主唱)为歌曲作的和声。专辑中的第五首歌“Heron Blue”,作为背景音乐出现在Xbox 360的一款游戏——《战争机器3》的预告片当中。
by Jason Ankeny
After dissolving his previous band, Red House Painters, singer/songwriter Mark Kozelek resurfaced with Sun Kil Moon, refining and expanding the luminous acoustic balladry and harrowingly intimate lyricism that are the hallmarks of his career to date. Born in Massillon, OH, in 1967, Kozelek was addicted to drugs by the age of ten. After a stint in rehab he sought refuge in music, and formed his first band, God Forbid, while in his teens. Upon relocating to Atlanta, he struck up a friendship with drummer Anthony Koutsos, and together they formed the first incarnation of Red House Painters. A move to San Francisco followed, where guitarist Gorden Mack and bassist Jerry Vessel rounded out the group's roster. While performing on the Bay Area club circuit, the quartet came to the attention of American Music Club frontman Mark Eitzel, who often cited Red House Painters as his favorite band; through Eitzel, RHP's demo tape made its way to the London offices of 4AD Records, which signed the group and in 1992 issued the unvarnished demos -- a striking collection of Spartan, atmospheric melodies lurking behind Kozelek's ghostly vocals -- as the LP Down Colorful Hill. Subsequent efforts, highlighted by a pair of eponymous albums released back to back in 1993, established Kozelek as a writer of stunning emotional depth, unflinchingly detailing his erratic, abusive nature and troubled background. But relations with 4AD grew strained, and when Kozelek began work on a long-rumored solo album in the wake of 1995's radiant Ocean Beach, the label terminated Red House Painters' contract. Although none of Kozelek's bandmates appeared on the completed LP, the solo disc Songs for a Blue Guitar was instead issued under the RHP banner when it appeared on Island's Supreme imprint in 1996. The group reunited in late 1997 for one final album, Old Ramon, but the Polygram/Universal merger spelled Supreme's end, and the completed LP was indefinitely shelved. Kozelek soon began work assembling and producing Take Me Home: A Tribute to John Denver, an all-star cover record celebrating the life and music of the late folkie, and in 2000 issued his first proper solo effort, Rock 'n' Roll Singer, a curious yet compelling patchwork highlighted by three Bon Scott-era AC/DC covers. Perhaps most surprising, Kozelek also co-starred in filmmaker Cameron Crowe's 2000 release Almost Famous, playing Larry Fellows, bassist for the fictional '70s hard rock band Stillwater. After securing the rights to Old Ramon, Kozelek licensed the album to Sub Pop for release in the spring of 2001. Later that same year, the label also issued his limited-edition solo set White Christmas Live. In early 2002, Kozelek assembled Sun Kil Moon with former Red House Painter Anthony Koutsos, Black Lab bassist Geoff Stanfield, and erstwhile American Music Club drummer Tim Mooney. Their debut LP, Ghosts of the Great Highway, appeared to wide critical acclaim in late 2003, and Kozelek assembled a new touring band to support its release, spending the better part of 2004 on the road. He also continued his film career, again playing a fictional musician in the 2005 big-screen adaptation of Steve Martin's comedic novella Shopgirl. That summer, Kozelek joined with Low's Alan Sparhawk in the classic-rock cover band the Retribution Gospel Choir, issuing a tour-only EP in advance of the second Sun Kil Moon album, the much maligned Tiny Cities, a collection of covers by indie rock band Modest Mouse. The album was the first released on Kozelek's own Caldo Verde label. April, featuring guest vocals from Will Oldham and Ben Gibbard, followed in 2008.