The Aislers Set

After the 1997 dissolution of Henry's Dress and a brief dalliance with <a href="spotify:artist:5PylkpenyV6LrfvJFLg1AV">Go Sailor</a>, Amy Linton began fooling around with a four-track and some solo material in a comfortable home studio setting. It turned out she had quite bit to say, and in quite a hooky fashion. The so-named Aislers Set officially debuted with Terrible Things Happen, issued through <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Slumberland%22">Slumberland</a> in 1998. While that album was principally a Linton solo effort fleshed out with contributions from talented pals, by 2000's The Last Match, she had amassed some actual Aislers. Guitarist/vocalist Wyatt Cusick, bassist Alicia Vanden Heuvel, drummer Yoshi Nakamoto, and keyboardist Jen Cohen were all Bay Area indie scene regulars, with bands like <a href="spotify:artist:6D9hscLtH25jU8ze16wnd7">Track Star</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:0JvQwQXnPjMIsA90DRiMQ1">#Poundsign#</a>, Scenic Vermont, and <a href="spotify:artist:41OCLvTmzwIy9MoE6Yp9DV">the Fairways</a> on their respective resumés.

The Last Match was hailed by critics and fans alike for its pleasant mix of girl group and <a href="spotify:artist:3jVMgT4X7YeuYE4aludcmE">Phil Spector</a> stylings and impeccable indie leanings; it further established Linton as a singer, guitarist, and producer of considerable talent. The Aislers Set did a series of tours in support of the album, including their first jaunt to Europe. Sporadic gigs and compilation appearances followed, until How I Learned to Write Backwards appeared in February 2003. <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Suicide+Squeeze%22">Suicide Squeeze</a> handled the CD versions; <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Slumberland%22">Slumberland</a> was in charge of LPs. Again produced by Linton at home, Backwards was another rousing success for her and the Aislers Set. The band was on the road that summer and early autumn with <a href="spotify:artist:5hAhrnb0Ch4ODwWu4tsbpi">Yo La Tengo</a>; dates with <a href="spotify:artist:4LG4Bs1Gadht7TCrMytQUO">the Shins</a> followed in November and December. By 2004, various commitments and logistical concerns left the band in a state of hiatus, no longer playing regularly or working toward any new recordings. They would occasionally reunite for extremely sporadic gigs or special events. In 2014, <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Slumberland%22">Slumberland</a> and <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Suicide+Squeeze%22">Suicide Squeeze</a> joined together to reissue remastered versions of the band's long out of print full-lengths, and the Aislers Set planned several gigs around the reissue campaign. ~ Johnny Loftus, Rovi