Its lineup is constantly changing, but has consisted of Toby Driver, Ron Varod, Mia Matsumiya, Keith Abrams, Tim Byrnes, David Bodie, Dan Means and Terran Olson.
The music of Kayo Dot can not be accurately described by the limiting contemporary genre nomenclatures. Their songs involve complex instrumentation (composed by singer and frontman Driver), generally without refrain. They are substantially longer than typical rock songs, often ranging from 8 to 15 minutes in length.
Kayo Dot's second album Dowsing Anemone with Copper Tongue was released in January of 2006.
On May 6 2008, they released their third full-length, Blue Lambency Downward, on Hydra Head Records.
Their fourth album, recorded in June 2009, named Coyote, was released on 20 April 2010 on Hydra Head Records. It was later brought out on vinyl by Taiga Records in November 2010.
Their first EP, Stained Glass, was released in January 2011 by Hydra Head, with very little fanfare. It was later issued on vinyl by Antithetic Records in August 2011, with a "de-mix" of the song on the second side.
Their second EP, Gamma Knife, was self-released digitally via http://kayodot.bandcamp.com in January 2012. Antithetic Records produced a vinyl release in June 2012.
Their fifth album, Hubardo, was released digitally on August 2013, with a vinyl release to follow.
Their sixth album, Coffins on Io, was released on October 15, 2014 through experimental metal label The Flenser. It is a concept album, and the first full-length album from Kayo Dot not to be self-released since 2010's Coyote.
Side projects include Tartar Lamb, Tartar Lamb II, and maudlin of the Well (to which Kayo Dot can be considered a spiritual successor, though the two projects now co-exist). Toby Driver's solo album In the L..L..Library Loft is also a Kayo Dot album in all but name, mainly being released under his name due to the record label's preference.
A Pitcher of Summer
Kayo Dot Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I caught a piece of summer and poured it into a pitcher;
This I placed in the cellar on a shelf collecting dust .
Autumn, then winter, rose up from the sea, and my
Garden was a garden filled with unbroken snow.
No flower strained its face to the ice giants' whisper,
My cellar-water dripping into a pail
And I lifted my piece of summer
Like a piece of memory or a dream
Like these, caught on film
And carried it to the garden floes,
The wind turning drifting stars to madness.
Poured forth gracefully, this theric tincture
Lifts winter's coat-of-arms with coaxing aromas and electricity.
Used with vigilance, a Pitcher of Summer stirs a memory into swooning,
And bravely, the flowers of the past will stretch their limbs into the sky
While snow falls quietly all around.
The lyrics of Kayo Dot's "A Pitcher of Summer" contain vivid images and metaphors that convey the feeling of trying to preserve a glimpse of beauty and light during a long, dark winter. The singer describes how they captured a piece of summer and stored it in a pitcher in their cellar, where it remained untouched and neglected as the seasons changed. With winter came a blanket of snow that covered the singer's garden, erasing all signs of life and color. The contrast between the frozen outside world and the vibrant memory of summer symbolizes the struggle to hold onto moments of joy and warmth in the face of adversity and time.
The image of the pitcher of summer is a metaphor for the power of memories and nostalgia to inspire hope and beauty even in the midst of darkness and decay. The singer's use of the pitcher is a way of harnessing that power and allowing it to infuse the present with the magic of the past. The use of sensory details and poetic language creates a dreamlike atmosphere that captures the bittersweet feeling of yearning for something that is gone but not forgotten.
Overall, the message of the song is one of resilience and perseverance in the face of hardship. The singer reminds us that even in the coldest and darkest of winters, there is always a spark of light and warmth that can be kindled with the power of memory and imagination.
Line by Line Meaning
One morning, before the leaves began changing
Early in the season, before autumn starts to set in
I caught a piece of summer and poured it into a pitcher;
Captured some of the essence of summer and preserved it
This I placed in the cellar on a shelf collecting dust .
Stored the preserved summer memory out of sight for later use
Autumn, then winter, rose up from the sea, and my
As time passed, the seasons changed from autumn to winter
Garden was a garden filled with unbroken snow.
The garden was now covered in snow, void of any life
No flower strained its face to the ice giants' whisper,
The cold and harsh winter had made it impossible for any flowers to bloom
No life coloured the vision of a newborn Spring babe.
Even the hope of new life in the coming spring seemed distant
My cellar-water dripping into a pail
The preserved summer memory was slowly leaking away
And I lifted my piece of summer
The preserved memory was taken out again
Like a piece of memory or a dream
It felt like a distant, fleeting memory
Like these, caught on film
Similar to old memories captured on film
And carried it to the garden floes,
Bringing the preserved memory to the garden covered in snow
The wind turning drifting stars to madness.
The wind made the falling snowflakes look like chaotic stars
Poured forth gracefully, this theric tincture
Pouring the preserved summer memory gently and elegantly
Lifts winter's coat-of-arms with coaxing aromas and electricity.
The preserved memory brings a much-needed reprieve from the dullness of winter
Used with vigilance, a Pitcher of Summer stirs a memory into swooning,
If used thoughtfully, the preserved memory can evoke strong emotions
And bravely, the flowers of the past will stretch their limbs into the sky
The preserved memory can inspire even the dormant hopes of the past to come to life
While snow falls quietly all around.
The preserved memory can shine even in the midst of a quiet, snowy winter
Lyrics © RHYME PARTNERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind