microphones in the trees: July 2009

Friday, July 31, 2009

mountainhood

"the counterpart to "wings from a storm". acid-dripping lo-fi euphoric melancholy west coast folk beauty from Michael Curtis Hilde. this dude is seriously prolific, with a fine string of cdr only release under the Moontainhood and Almaden names, but this pair is a real apex of his still unfolding musical vision. "thunderpaint the stone horse electric" is a totally intimate & spontaneously vibed little gem. deeply felt, introverted, hallucinatory, and starry-eyed song stories delivered via fuzzy bedroom fourtrack gush. fevered vocals quiver, warble, double, and swoon around gentle or ragged acoustic guitar, foot-stomping tambourine thud & jingle, harmonium, breezy flute, warm tape hiss, and singing crystal cave atmospherics… we know the animals are dancing…" time-lag

photo: hoy joy

Thursday, July 30, 2009

high wolf

"Following debut tape released on Not Not Fun records, this cassette shows High Wolf looking at Africa from his native Amazonia...What's the difference between Amazonian and African jungles? When we live in the wild, with percussions and tribal singing, we're all the same..." winged sun

qué bien que Gabon nos sigue dando motivos para que nos guste tanto High Wolf. otro viaje hipnótico, intenso y tropical..."cuando vivimos en la selva, rodeados de percusiones y cantos tribales, todos somos iguales.."

foto: ben pearce

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

tempera

"...tempera buzzes its way through lo-fi live loops, beats backing aetherial vocals, a complete electro mindgroove. five drummers/droners on three-and-a-half drum kits, a cello, violin, flute, citara, moog prodigy, woodchimes, dilruba (bowed sitar), loopers, bells, bowls, pedal boards, and more...'more' being fantastic new temperans matt lajoie of cursillistas, chris l. of visitations, and ed knisely of a primitive and savage land! we will make a joyous noise" tryst haunt (field) recordings

foto: suruei

Monday, July 27, 2009

six organs of admittance

"...What is it about the man that buries his sound in the ground? He has faith in the earth, for one. When we think of Six Organs of Admittance, we think of a man with six-string ambitions, a rambler with mystic beliefs and dark electric visions. It’s a big universe and we’re only human, which basically means that we’ve got spirit and that were going to die. But until then, we live. Six Organs of Admittance has lived to tell about it on Luminous Night.
Six Organs of Admittance have been watching you listening to them for ten years now. Change is constant. Six Organs of Admittance is your secret friend. You will meet soon, in the glow of a night’s performance." drag city

Sunday, July 26, 2009

second family band

"Second Family Band, had to happen... Let's take things to the Eye-Lands! Tropical breeze bass lines and a sunset vibe definitely rule this release. We know! We know! It's all the rage right. Well... we did what we did and now we gotta let you have it. Would it help if we let you know it just kinda happened? I mean, you can't plan these kinda jams right? Hey! I said Pina Colada not Ayuasca! Come aboard... we're expecting you..." earjerk

foto: litherland

Friday, July 24, 2009

robedoor

"Seems like the LA based doooom dronelords Robedoor have slowed their endlessly prolific output lately, pretty sure these guys are in a bunch of other projects and are busy running record labels and stuff, but either way we're happy to have a few copies of their brand new cassette on Monorail Trespassing. Exorcism Blues delivers four brand new tracks of mind-melting, ground ripping heavy drone that falls somewhere between the synth sorcery of the recent secret abuse lps and the dark, doom drone stylings of earlier Robedoor recordings. Slow trudging glacial ambience that melts beneath the paralyzing summer heat. Super killer and super limited, we've only got a handful of these so act fast in you want one, they'll be gone before you know it!" aquarius

"Transitional release that sees the group expanding on their previous incarnation with more control and composition. a peak effort of scorched amps and raw hands, voices still wailing in a desert somewhere" tomentosa

foto: más alison scarpulla

Thursday, July 23, 2009

zukanican

zukanican - the stumbling block (pickled egg, 2009)

"The Stumbling Block is Zukanican’s second album and third release on Pickled Egg Records. Recorded in 2007-8 at The Kif in Liverpool the 8 track album mirrors the band’s live performances perhaps more than their other releases. The album was recorded and mixed by Zukanican and studio trickery has been kept to a minimum; what you hear ‘is was’".

Pickled Egg trae de nuevo a un cuarteto que, personalmente y gracias a ana, supuso uno de los grandes hallazgos del nuevo milenio. Zukanican continúa por la senda del electronic free-funk-jazz de su predecesor, hipnosis rítmica, furtivos en la noche, in crescendos explosivos... las nuevas grabaciones suenan igualmente expansivas pero descaradamente más groovies. Art Ensemble Of Chicago, Liquid Liquid, Kluster meets La Düsseldorf en la preferida 'koanish' y la fluctuante y nebulosa 'penny dance test'. Algo de canterbury debe haber ya que aún sigo creyendo que el bajo de Tom Sumnall continúa en la senda de '1984' de Hugh Hopper, hasta de Slapp Happy podríamos hablar aquí. Creo que volveré a decir aquello de: mi cabeza da vueltas, explosivo, catártico y sensual.


foto: peripheral anomaly

Sunday, July 19, 2009

guanaco & beggin' your pardon miss joan

"Thank you, my friend. My pages had been hacked but I hope to be back online soon. I am working on new songs in the peace and quiet though, and will keep in touch with all of my dear friends :) Below is a link for two new Guanaco ± songs, and if you want to post them feel free. These are my hymns to the Red Leaves. Love always, Lex" new site!

suena "avon", bien, en abril del año pasado descubro a beggin' your pardon miss joan en uno de esos de oca a oca y tiro porque me toca en myspace. año y poco después les hemos visto crecer tanto a ellos como al esqueje guanaco. me gustaría ser justo y hablar un poco de lo importante de esta música en un mundo como el de hoy en día, pero creo que para ser sincero conmigo y con Lex debería irme lejos de la música porque supongo que a esta altura de la película importan más otro tipo de cosas. muchas de ellas me llevan a pensar que sí es cierto que todos por aquí somos un poco amorfos y un mucho psiconautas a pesar de que algunos no necesitemos las drogas para llegar a ese estado de trance donde realidad y fantasía invierten papeles. supongo que ahora la gracia está en la luz que se cuela tras la rama de un árbol, en el cambio de tinta en las hojas alertando del fín de una estación, en todas las palabras que olvidamos rescatar cuando de verdad hacían falta, en el intento de controlar un yo que se derrumba al mínimo azote de viento.

a veces creo que somos rocas intentando que el oleaje no nos erosione antes de tiempo, otras, que nos cubre un manto que nos hace imperceptibles para una realidad desbocada, y la mayor parte del tiempo creo que somos extraterrestres intentando colonizar un planeta que consideramos nuestro porque lo sentimos como nadie aunque lo controlen y se muevan en él formas de vida que no reconocemos por mucho que frotemos los ojos. sigo sin saber muy bien por qué la inercia va hacia donde va, porque le cuesta tanto resistir. sin embargo, sí sé porque nos gusta tanto que el viento abofetee nuestras caras o el mar nos recuerde lo ridículos que somos. "serendipity (v2)" sigue en bucle desde hace un buen rato, los gatos y el perro siguen ahí fuera palpando la libertad, el azul de las hortensias, el amarillo de las margaritas, el blanco de las paredes, el sabor del domingo por la mañana, los ojos en el espejo, la cara amaneciendo, el olor a lavanda y menta abrazándose por el aire, el leve zumbido de "whispers", todo, absolutamente todo parece ponerse hoy de acuerdo para decirnos que la música que hace Lex debería ser reconocida como lo que en realidad es, ese susurro que siempre anhelamos recibir para cerrar los ojos, encoger los hombros y dibujar la mejor de nuestras sonrisas. amor, siempre.

serendipity(v2) & whispers (guanaco)

avon ep (beggin' your pardon miss joan)

foto: coquinete

Friday, July 17, 2009

kabyzdoh obtruhamchi

"When Kabyzdoh Obtruhamchi’s self-titled c50 debuted late last year (Stunned no. 18), it sent a jolt through those of us who might have been unaware Russia had such a tempest brewing in its belly. Like some hyper-elastic one man jam-band oblivious to anything but perpetual motion, his sound simply shredded. And now after mere months, Sergey Kozlov is back to kick our butts permanently into the future. The trouble is doubled and so are the discs on this one-two ‘K.O.’ punch. As this is some of the most untethered sound being spun on either of the globe’s hemispheres right now, it goes without sAlineación a la derechaaying that ‘Estcho’ is a soundtrack of the yet-to-be. Like dropping by the year 4000 when a race of tattooed cyborgs throb in dionysian telepathy under guitar-guided biochemical tent party beats. Raveup til’ sundown and back again. Who knows where this celebration/liberation will take us? Hand numbered edition of 100 painted x2 cdr sets in oversized case w/ full color art." stunned

best coast

"OK, so there's been much talk about this tape. This is the debut solo release from Bethany Cosentino, who was formerly known as one half of Pocahaunted. Here Bethany heads solo style with some super sweet summertime lo-fi beach pop gems. There are some slight touches of Pocahaunted memories in there, with Bethany's total killer relaxed vocals and simplistic guitar jamming sounding as great as ever but in the new setting of late evening red sky beach bum bliss. 5 songs in just under 15 minutes to blast on the beach on your 80s ghetto blaster. Limited to 200 hand numbered copies, full colour covers, pro dubbed cassettes." animalpsi

photo: alison scarpulla

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yes i love you...

Thursday, July 16, 2009

posy simmonds

¿¿es para tanto tamara drewe?? seguramente no, seguramente sí. sí sé que los personajes dibujados por la de las gafas de ahí arriba me han llegado hasta el fondo del fondo desde todas las esquinas. además, llamándote posy está claro que sólo podrías hacer cosas tan bonitas como stonefield.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

harps of fuchsia kalmia with delphine dora

"Harps of Fuchsia Kalmia is the new weird-folk,avant-folk forest-music project of Salvatore Borrelli ((etre), Wondrous Horse); the music is made in a direct way, without processing or any other disturbance. Here he is joined by Delphine Dora, the brilliant singer and musician, who adds her honey sweet voice and piano to this already captivating set of sounds. "Pantomima Terrestre" or "Pantomime of the earth" could not be a more fitting name, this is the earth's musical, a complete production with characters, story lines and dedications, a perfect collage of traditional folk, field recordings, organic drones and percussion. delphine's airy vocals mingle with the drum beats, space sounds and radio static. birds chirp, dogs bark, cars drive by, and records spin backwards. sluggish dulcimer & guitar plucks crescendo beneath the drone of the harmonium. uniquely improvisational and experimental without loosing its familiarity, there's only one way to discover this world. press play. if your into caethua, vapaa, nnck, donato epiro and any other trippy explorations of italy, finland and forest spirits everywhere, this tape will not disappoint." tired trails
foto: papalinky
dos discos como dos soles que se se unen a la extensa e interesante discografía de salvatore borrelli. además de la presencia de delphine dora (me recuerda sin parecerse al mítico "2" de rawfrucht), valerio cosi añade minutos mágicos a una de las canciones de 'the angular accelleration...' : 'appuntamento ad hora insolita' a partir del segundo :46, y en especial ese saxo estratosférico que tanto me gusta a partir del minuto 4:04.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

vishnu woods

vishnu woods - riley rile/shaman tapes etc (folkwaste, 2008)

"08 Unearthed recordings reconstructed from a suitcase mysteriously marked: "V.Woods". Trip through RileyRile's too long in the sun baked meditations and Shaman tapes etc collage of ritual based drones. Epic tracks of harmonium, accordian, baglama saz and singing bowls all fed through massive effects pedals, this Woods serves up expansive cosmic gateways in confined spaces. Persian surgeries, Alice's organ, and deep space listening. Curry stained folkwaste covers, braille numbering, & luggage tag" folkwaste


foto: suruei

Sunday, July 12, 2009

tropical rain washed my brain


01. mornings after ~ jasper tx
02. tropical rain washed my brain ~ high wolf
03. let's receive love ~ christian family underground
04. dancing around the borders of senegambian carnival ~ harps of fuchsia kalmia & delphine dora
05. strange land ~ neokarma jooklo duo
06. mindanao ~ teepee
07. sun was high (so was i) ~ best coast
08. dream for your bathwater ~ terror bird
09. so bored (wavves cover) ~ his clancyness
10. the crowd of little men ~ dopo
11. untie the strings ~ christian family underground
12. säteet ~ kuupuu
13. tangier ~ blues control
14. grand cornoel ~ monks of the balhill
15. lessons ~ spirit spine
16. hollow new friend ~ lucky dragons
17. fire documents ~ the cosmic mandoliners
18. bind them ~ religious knives
19. will the circle be unbroken ~ the chesterfield gorgeous

foto: hui+

Friday, July 10, 2009

silver bullets

silver bullets - free radical [stunned records 2009]

"William Giacchi of Magic Lantern and Super Minerals reports: 'While visiting family in southern Sicily last December, I caught up with an old friend who has shared a very similar trajectory with me in interests of psychedelic music both newer and vintage, local and global. Much to my elated surprise, he has been equally busy producing new sounds of his own, having lately assembled a mysterious psychedelic groove ensemble known as Silver Bullets. I sat in on a recording session and realized I was in the presence of psychic brethren, and that Stunned Records would be the perfect platform to introduce their brand of tonal gyration. Both the Silver Bullets and Phil & Myste were thrilled about the partnership, and thus we present "Free Radical" — two sides, eleven tracks of kraut-funk, coned-out drone rock, and assorted experiments with space and time. Wade through bluesy head-nodders, Italian fuzz contests, interplanetary bleeps and blips, and liberated dance songs for anti-environments. Taking spiritual cues from Don Cherry's Eternal Rhythm, "Free Radical" is a statement of unity through musical expression and an ecstatic celebration of existence. Play this tape at full moon and brace yourself for the unforeseen happenings.'" Limited & hand numbered edition of 100 pro-dubbed & imprinted clear green c48 tapes in oversized single-cassette vinyl album" stunned records

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‘Free Radical’ is a statement of unity through musical expression and an ecstatic celebration of existence. Play this tape at full moon and brace yourself for the unforeseen happenings' ... acertadas palabras... recomendado para lanzar las prendas al aire, para bañarse a soles, correr con amigos, para tumbarse en estrellas, caminatas solitarias, danzas alucinantes, despegues y aterrizajes o rituales lunares... si escuchan 'il punto', 'flight from babylon' o 'shiva' seguro se convencen de que pueden volar :)

the parasails

"Get ready for the ride of your life. Live in the sky recordings featuring 'McGuire in the Ocean', 'Jump!' and 'Atlantic City" future sounds

"Come Join us 500 feet above the Atlantic Ocean for the 1982 Summer Season. Enjoy the views of your favorite Beaches and wave to your friends below as you check out schools of Sealife. Parasails is a new project from purveyor of feel-good tunes, Matt Mondanile (Ducktails, Real Estate). More of the lo-fi, tropical nostalgia his fans have come to expect, but this time instead of sitting on the beach sipping on margaritas, this tape takes you for a dream-like flight above the coastline" animal psi

foto: riquitan

Wednesday, July 08, 2009

mount eerie

"What if the sound of wind through trees could be translated into human words? What is it saying?

For WIND’S POEM by Mount Eerie, Phil Elverum spent almost two years out behind the house, at the edge of the woods, listening into the night and finding these words. Songs of impermanence, dark change, destruction, temporary blossoming, mortality, and an immense river of air tearing through the world make up the 3rd official album by Mount Eerie.

A hundred kinds of distortion, oceans of synth, and clouds of bass are the elements these twelve songs are built from, with moments of clarity occasionally revealing soft harmonies (featuring Nick Krgovich from Vancouver’s NO KIDS) reverently attempting to describe a dark mystery. The album holds a large debt to the music and world of David Lynch’s Twin Peaks, as well as to some of the more innovative artists on the edges of ambient, colossal Black Metal. Like these influences, WIND’S POEM also drifts back and forth between a “dream world”, where the wind screams about fleeting existence, and reality, standing on the street, wide awake, looking at the hills outside town, remembering.

The album is well built, resting on the stone-solid production of Mount Eerie’s only actual member, Phil Elverum, recorded at various locations around his hometown of Anacortes, Washington. In large walls of warm noise you can hear the wind, or is it flames?, or cymbals?, voice-like through the fog. And then all at once the clouds part and a song hangs in the air, soft and clear" forcefieldpr
foto: coquinete
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Tuesday, July 07, 2009

best coast


"Thanks to Porch of the Mystics for the heads up on this new "lazy haze" beach blanket lo-fi pop from Bethany Cosentino of Pocahaunted. Bethany’s calling the group Best Coast, and she says we can expect "songs about summer and the sun and the ocean and being a lazy creep," with "drums, beach boys bass lines, and other amazing things" added by her friend Bobb Bruno. Look for a tape on Blackest Rainbow and a 7" on San Diego’s awesome Art Fag Recordings, which may or may not include this song, in the near future" noise loop

Monday, July 06, 2009

black eagle child

"This follow-up full length to editions on such labels as Blackest Rainbow and Housecraft finds Black Eagle Child rowing his boat ashore and sparking the campfire wide and bright. Let’s stretch out our legs, because we have a nearly hour long psychfolk excursion of delight on our hands here. Once Black Eagle Child’s Michael Jantz starts dronin’ and fingerpicking his acoustic around the flames, things chill way out and the ears get a good cleanse. Just crack a brew and mind you don’t get sick on the s’mores. This release happily marks Black Eagle Child having created a child of his own. Along with Mike & Celeste, we welcome Mary Jantz into the world, the newest and most special sprout of summer." stunned records

foto: plakka

Friday, July 03, 2009

drmwpn

"Drmwpn started as a Town and Country side-project in 2004 and has been growing ever since. It has always been understood that Drmwpn are playing a tune but that keeps getting more and more open as the group grows. The Brion Gyson Dreamachine has always been the focus onstage. The line up for Drmwpn on this recording is : Josh Abrams - Guimbri; Jim Dorling - Leslie Voice Electronics; Steve Krakow - Banjo; Mahjabeen - Kalimba; Dan Mohr - Voice Organ; Liz Payne - String Bass; Adam Vida - Cymbals; Ben Vida - Electric Guitar; Sam Wagster - Lap Steel Guitar & Michael Zerang - Drums" apollolaan

"...the sound is deep, slow-moving and beautifully brain-erasing, with aspects of Pelt and The No-Neck Blues Band as well as Spacemen 3, Velvet Underground & LaMonte Young..." volcanic tongue

Thursday, July 02, 2009

pocahaunted


"What are the secret origins of Pocahaunted?...I guess there are no cool secret origins of the band. The name was in a dream of mine, and weirdly in that dream, I was in a band with Bethany. I barely knew her then, we’d never played music together and didn’t have any plan to start. I called her to hang out the next day and she was sitting on my couch, I just looked into her eyes and said ‘Your in this band with me now, it’s called Pocahaunted’. She laughed at me (obviously) but it worked." amanda brown

po ca haun ted ! sólo puedo reafirmar mi devoción por ellas (así da gusto despertarse por las mañanas, gracias dronea, dronea:)