Grouper

Grouper is the solo project for ambient musician Liz Harris, of Portland, Oregon, United States. Harris’ music is a mixture of softly-strummed guitar, Wurlitzer keys, and her delicate, dreamy vocals. Harris’ first album was 2005’s Grouper, a self-released full-length CD-R, followed later that year by Way Their Crept on Free Porcupine (re-released in 2007 on Type Records). Other recordings include 2006’s He Knows, released as a 3” CD, the 12” Weird Forest release Wide in 2007, and a 7” called Tried. She released a collaboration album with Xiu Xiu in 2006, entitled Creepshow, as well as contributing a remix of “Tonite & Today” to 2007’s Remixed & Covered compilation. Harris released her third full-length album, Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill, in 2008. It featured at number 37 of Pitchfork’s 50 Best Albums of 2008 - a previous review on the site praised the album as ”druggy and sexy and arty and pretty”. A review on Drowned in Sound called it ”deeply meditative, almost spiritual… one of the most delicate, affecting albums of the year”. In March 2009 it was announced that Grouper would join the lineup for The Fans Strike Back!, an All Tomorrow’s Parties festival in Minehead, Somerset held from 8 to 10 May 2009. In the spring of 2009, Grouper was the supporting act for the high profile Animal Collective tour in support of the latter’s 2009 release, “Merriweather Post Pavilion.” NBC Washington’s “Concert Picks” column said of Grouper, ”The ambient one-woman post-rock band Grouper also makes this show a must-see (if you have tickets or connections or luck – otherwise, sorry, it’s sold out, sold out a long time ago). Liz Harris’ spooky, ethereal and surreal sounds are based on her acoustic, often avant-garde guitar plucking and her quiet, hazy vocals. The minor key melodies are pretty despite a suspenseful nightmare quality.”