Blow as a mode of performance art.[5]

Contents

The Blow was formed in Olympia, Washington. Maricich's solo music project had previously been called Get the Hell Out of the Way of the Volcano.[6]

The first Blow releases, Everyday Examples of Humans Facing Straight into The Blow and Don't Do the Bomb Before My Mustache Comes, were made as home recordings by Maricich in 2001. Soon afterwards, Maricich began working with K Records, releasing Bonus Album in 2002 and The Concussive Caress in 2003. Both albums were engineered and produced by Maricich at K Records' Dub Narcotic Studio.[7] The live performance of Concussive Caress was a monologue interspersed with songs, titled Blue Sky vs. Night Sky.[8] Maricich toured the performance extensively in clubs, house parties, and art venues; it was part ofPortland Institute of Contemporary Art's TBA festival and was performed at the LTTR Explosion at Art in General in New York.[9] In 2004, Maricich began collabrorating with Jona Bechtolt, and The Blow relocated to Portland. Together they produced two albums, Poor Aim: Love Songs, released in 2004 via States Rights Records/The Slender Means Society (later rereleased by K in 2007), and Paper Television, released on K Records in 2006. The Blow has been based in Brooklyn, NY since 2008.[3]