4LP + 2x10" + 3x7" Box Set
Merge Records (2023) US
- On Avery Island 2-LP gatefold
- In the Aeroplane Over the Sea gatefold LP
- Live at Jittery Joe's 12-inch picture disc
- Everything Is 10-inch EP
- Ferris Wheel on Fire 10-inch EP
- “Little Birds (Live)” b/w “Little Birds (Demo)” 7-inch
- “Holland, 1945” b/w “Engine” 7-inch
- “You’ve Passed” b/w “Where You’ll Find Me Now” 7-inch
- Two 24” × 24” folded posters
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, 1996's On Avery Island and 1998's 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, in 1970, 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 Mangum's elusive persona has accrued—particularly during the 15 years immediately following Aeroplane, when he abruptly left the band behind—it's the beguiling songs themselves that have resonated so deeply for generations. In 2011, Mangum collected nearly all of the band's 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 re-pressed by Merge and available digitally for the first time.
2023 reissue of the Neutral Milk Hotel box set originally available only through the band’s online store.
All contents are assembled in a 12" two-piece telescoping casewrapped box. Interior fitments have been redesigned for added strength. All vinyl is black, and all jackets are printed on enhanced cardboard stock for more vibrant, consistent color.