Rose Melberg Explained

Rose Melberg is a musician and songwriter from Sacramento, California,^[1] currently based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.^[2] She has performed both as a solo artist and as a member of Tiger Trap,^[3] The Softies,^[4] Go Sailor,^[5] Gaze,^[6] Gigi,^[7] Imaginary Pants,^[8] Brave Irene,^[9] Knife Pleats^[10] and Olivia's World.^[11]

Melberg was raised by working musicians and following her appearance right out of high school at the International Pop Underground Convention in Olympia, Washington in August 1991,^[12] she had almost instant success with the all-female band Tiger Trap.^[13] The short-lived band garnered a cult following in indie-pop circles.^[14] In 2002 she gave birth to a son and lived with her husband and family in Summerland, British Columbia, Canada.^[15] She returned to the pop world in 2006 with her second solo album, Cast Away the Clouds.^[16] Melberg toured briefly for the album, including a spot opening for Belle and Sebastian. Her third solo album, Homemade Ship, was released on K Records in 2009.^[17] The track "Old Days" was featured as Song Of The Day by NPR Music.^[18]

As of 2011, she was a part of two groups, Brave Irene and Imaginary Pants.^[19] In 2019, the band Olivia's World, featuring Melberg along with Lica Rezende and Joe Saxby, released its debut EP.^[20]

Discography

Solo recordings

Albums

• Portola (Double Agent, 1998)
• Cast Away The Clouds (Double Agent, 2006; Where It's At Is Where You Are, 2007)
• Homemade Ship (K, 2009)
• September, a covers album on cassette (Lost Sound Tapes, 2013)
• Live in San Francisco - split cassette release with Tony Molina; side A is Rose solo (650 Tapes, 2021)

Singles/compilation appearances

• "My Day," on the compilation International Pop Underground Convention (K Records, 1991)
• "Cupid" (Sam Cooke cover) - 7-inch split single with Magpies, b/w "I Want a Love I Can See" (I Wish I Was a Slumberland Record #3, 1994)
• "The Time Has Come" (Anne Briggs cover) (Double Agent, 2005) - digital single; and bonus track on UK LP release of Cast Away The Clouds (2007)
• Each New Day (Guitar Version) b/w Autumn (Double Agent - digital single, 2008)
• "This Will Be Our Year," originally by The Zombies (Double Agent, 2011) - with Kathy Elzey, Rose's mom
• "Our Days In Kansas," on the compilation (Unchikun Records, 2010)
• "Distant Ships" - single-sided 7" (Kingfisher Bluez, 2013)
• "Please," a cover of The Smiths' "Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want", on the compilation Carry On Rioting (Tuff Enuff, 2013)
• "A Life That's Good" (Lennon & Maisy cover) on Live at the Bluebird: A Nashville (THE TV SHOW) Covers Compilation (Nashville Covers/Bandcamp, 2020)

• "Words and Smiles" split 7-inch with Bratmobile (Four Letter Words Records, 1992)
• "Supercrush" b/w "You and Me"/"Hiding" [volume 36 of the "International Pop Underground" singles series] (K Records, 1992)
• Tiger Trap (K Records, 1993)
• Sour Grass EP (K Records, 1993)
• "Baby Blue," from Julep (Another Yoyo Studio Compilation) (Yoyo Recordings, 1993)
• "Hiding," from the International Hip Swing compilation [songs from the "International Pop Underground" series] (K Records, 1993)
• "Supreme Nothing," from the Stars Kill Rock compilation (Kill Rock Stars, 1993)

• Fine Day for Sailing 7-inch EP (Yo Yo, 1994)
• Long Distance 7-inch EP (Slumberland, 1995)
• Don't Go 7-inch EP (Lookout!, 1996)
• Go Sailor (Lookout!, 1996): Compiles the three 7-inch EPs plus two compilation tracks

• It's Love (K Records, 1995)
• Loveseat 7-inch EP (Slumberland, 1995)
• The Softies (aka "He'll Never Have to Know") 7-inch EP (K Records, 1995)
• The Softies (Slumberland, 1996)
• "The Best Days" b/w "As Skittish as Me"/"Stranger" (K Records, 1997)
• Winter Pageant (K Records, 1997)
• Holiday in Rhode Island (K Records, 2000)
• The Bed I Made (Father/Daughter Records, 2024)

• Mitsumeru (K Records, 1998)
• So Sad (To Watch Good Love Go Bad) 7-inch EP (Septophilia, 1998)
• Shake the Pounce (K Records, 1999)

Brave Irene

• Brave Irene (Slumberland Records, 2011)

Tally Ho!

• I Never Will Marry (WIAIWYA, 2012)

PUPS

• PUPS (Green Burrito Records, 2013)
• Month Long Sleep 7-inch EP (WIAIWYA, 2013)

Imaginary Pants

• Imaginary Pants (Lost Sound Tapes, 2012)
• Channels b/w Seacliff 7-inch EP (Rok Lok Records, 2013)
• Kites At Night EP (Lost Sound Tapes, 2014)

Knife Pleats

• Hat Bark Beach (Lost Sound Tapes/WIAIWYA, 2015)

Olivia's World

• Olivia's World (Lost Sound Tapes, 2019)

As producer

• Lisa Prank, Perfect Love Song (Lost Sound Tapes, 2019)

Live collaborations

• "The Biggest Lie" (with Elliott Smith; 2-13-96, Stinkweeds, Tempe, AZ)

Collaborations

• Rose Melberg & Dustin Reske – "The Love We Could Have Had" on 4-band Split (1995, Double Agent)
• The Potatomen – "All My Yesterdays" – vocals on 3 tracks (1996, Lookout Records)
• The Smugglers – "Rosie" – from Rosie (2000, Lookout Records)
• Rose Melberg & Gregory Webster – "Merry Christmas (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight)", originally by Ramones (2013, Kingfisher Bluez single-sided 7")
• The Bright Ideas – All Is Calm, All Is Bright! – vocals on "When You Think About Christmas Time" (2000, Popgun Recordings)
• Rose Melberg & Nick Krgovich – "The Mental Beast Christmas Compilation" – "Coldest Night of the Year", originally by Vashti Bunyan (2009)
• Gigi – Maintenant – vocals on "Alone at the Pier" (2010 Tomlab Records)
• Blanket Truth – "Urban Wildlife" – vocals on "Friendly Haunted Mansion", "Bubble Up" (2012, Lost Sound Tapes)
• Jay Arner – "Bad Friend b/w Black Horse" – drums (2012)

External links

• www.doubleagentrecords.com/rose – Official website
• Rose Melberg music on Bandcamp

Notes and References

1. Web site: 2016-03-13. Rose Melberg's guide to Rose Melberg AUX.TV. 2021-02-11. https://web.archive.org/web/20160313211152/http://www.aux.tv/2014/07/rose-melbergs-guide-to-rose-melberg/. 13 March 2016.
2. Web site: Homemade Ship (KLP211), by Rose Melberg. 2021-02-11. Rose Melberg.
3. Web site: [{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p257023|pure_url=yes}} Biography: Rose Melberg]. Sendra. Tim. AMG. 18 May 2010.
4. Web site: The Softies. 2021-02-11. The K Mail Order Department. en.
5. Web site: Rose Melberg's Go Sailor to Get Vinyl Reissue Treatment. 2021-02-11. exclaim.ca. en-ca.
6. Web site: Gaze Biography & History. 2021-02-11. AllMusic. en.
7. Web site: Gigi: Maintenant. 2021-02-11. Pitchfork. en.
8. Web site: Imaginary Pants. 2021-02-11. Lost Sound Tapes. en.
9. Web site: Brave Irene, the new project of Rose Melberg (Tiger Trap, Go Sailor, The Softies) preps debut EP for Slumberland Force Field PR. 27 January 2011 . 2021-02-11. en-US.
10. Web site: 2015-07-07. Check Out Rose Melberg's New Project, Knife Pleats. 2021-02-11. IMPOSE Magazine. en.
11. Web site: Olivia's World. 2021-02-11. CiTR. 12 May 2020 . en-US.
12. Web site: Hopper. Jessica. 2011-06-13. Riot Grrrl get noticed. 2021-02-11. the Guardian. en.
13. Web site: Robbins. Ira. Tiger Trap. Trouser Press. 26 July 2014.
14. Web site: Twee as Fuck - Page 2. 2021-02-11. Pitchfork. 24 October 2005 . en.
15. Web site: Archive Interview - Rose Melberg. 2021-02-11. music is love.
16. Web site: 2012-08-16. The Rumpus Interview with Rose Melberg. 2021-02-11. The Rumpus.net. en.
17. Web site: Rose Melberg - Homemade Ship. 2021-02-11. Boomkat.
18. Web site: Rose Melberg: A Grand Chorus Of Whispers. 2021-02-11. NPR.org. en.
19. Web site: Rose Melberg wears Imaginary Pants. February 2013 .
20. Web site: Olivia's World.