Sean Nelson Information & Sean Nelson Links at HealthHaven.com

This article is about the alternative rock singer. For the actor, see Sean Nelson (actor).

For other similarly named persons, see Shawn Nelson (disambiguation).

Sean Nelson (2009).

Sean Nelson (born June 12, 1973) is an American singer, songwriter, and keyboardist, notable as the frontman for the alternative rock group Harvey Danger.

Aside from Harvey Danger, Nelson has also provided vocals to albums by Death Cab for Cutie, The Decemberists, Robyn Hitchcock, The Minus 5, Nada Surf and The Long Winters. He also wrote a column for Seattle, Washington alternative weekly The Stranger. In 2007, his book about Joni Mitchell's album Court and Spark was published as part of the 33 1/3 series. For a few years Sean co-hosted Audioasis on KEXP.

Sean Nelson is best known for his work as the lead singer and co-songwriter for the Seattle-based indie pop band Harvey Danger, which was founded in 1994 and played its farewell show in 2009. The band’s first album, Where Have All the Merrymakers Gone (Arena Rock Recording Company, 1997/Universal, 1998), generated the number one single "Flagpole Sitta" and eventually went on to sell over 500,000 copies, earning a Gold Record award. After touring extensively, Harvey Danger released another major label album, King James Version (Sire/Warner, 2000), and, after a hiatus, a third, Little By Little… on Northwest independent label Kill Rock Stars. Little By Little... is also available for free download at harveydanger.com. The band has toured internationally, made six music videos, and appeared on several national and regional television shows (Late Show with David Letterman, Late Late Show, Total Request Live, 120 Minutes, among many others). Its music has been licensed to dozens of films, TV shows, and other commercial uses in the U.S. and U.K.—most notably as the theme song for 5 seasons of the British sitcom Peep Show.

Nelson has also recorded and performed with many of independent music’s brightest lights, including Death Cab for Cutie, The Decemberists, Robyn Hitchcock, The Long Winters (of which he was a founding member), Nada Surf, The Minus 5, and others. He recently recorded Nelson Sings Nilsson, an album of songs by the late American composer Harry Nilsson, accompanied by a 25-piece-orchestra. Nelson was also a member of the short-lived side project The Vernacular, along with Chris Walla and Nathan Good of Death Cab For Cutie.

In addition to writing and performing, Nelson spent over 10 years working as a writer/editor at Seattle alternative paper The Stranger, where he is still a regular contributor and hold the title Associate Editor Emeritus. He co-owns a thriving independent record label (Barsuk Records), has taught a songwriting class at the University of Washington (Extension), hosted a local music show on KEXP FM for five years, wrote a book about Joni Mitchell’s Court and Spark for the acclaimed 33 & 1/3 series, and had his essay “Dead Man Talking” published in the Da Capo anthology Best Music Writing 2009.

In 2008, Nelson co-wrote and starred in Humpday director Lynn Shelton's second feature film My Effortless Brilliance, which enjoyed a successful run on the film festival circuit and will be released on DVD by IFC Films in November, 2009. Nelson and Shelton will collaborate on their second feature collaboration in winter of 2009. He has also acted in David Russo's cult film festival hit The Immaculate Conception of Little Dizzle and alongside Dax Shepard in Kathryn Aselton's The Freebie, which will be released in 2010.

[edit] Selected discography

(as harmony vocalist, except where noted)

Harvey Danger (lead singer, keyboards, songwriter)

Where Have All the Merrymakers Gone? (Universal, 1998)

King James Version (Warner, 2000)

Sometimes You Have To Work on Christmas (Sometimes) EP (Phonographic Records, 2004)

Little By Little… (Kill Rock Stars, 2006)

Cream and Bastards Rise EP (Kill Rock Stars, 2006)

Little Round Mirrors EP (Barsuk, 2007)

Burn to Shine (V/A Trixie DVD, 2008)

Dead Sea Scrolls (Phonographic Records, 2009)

Death Cab for Cutie

The Photo Album (Barsuk, 2001)

Transatlanticism (Barsuk, 2003)

Plans (Atlantic, 2005)

The Long Winters

The Worst You Can Do is Harm (Barsuk, 2001)

When I Pretend to Fall (Barsuk, 2003)

Putting the Days to Bed (Barsuk, 2005)

The Decemberists

Picaresque (Kill Rock Stars, 2004)

The Crane Wife (b-sides) (Capitol, 2006)

Robyn Hitchcock and the Venus 3

Ole Tarantula (Yep Roc, 2006)

Goodnight, Oslo (Yep Rock, 2009)

Nada Surf

The Weight is a Gift (Barsuk, 2006)

Lucky (Barsuk, 2008)

The Minus 5

The Gun Album (Yep Rock, 2006)

[edit] External links