microphones in the trees: May 2010

Thursday, May 27, 2010

bronze horse


"this is a self-released debut vinyl record made up of music for 4 and 6 steel-stringed guitars and one piece for piano. no vocals… but if you listen close… recorded in ohio, new mexico and montana between 2007-2009." time~lag

"When we first heard a preview of this album a few months back, everyone was floored. It came out of nowhere, the work of one Zachary Hay. The atmosphere was immediately striking. It spoke of empty rooms and secret lives, of the backroads of America, as eloquently as the first cd-r's from Ilyas Ahmed or Jandek’s acoustic recordings. Some of the music could be vaguely described as American Primitive but it was reflected through an odd, almost Corwood-style aesthetic. The solo piano piece is especially poignant, the perfectly simple technique of Vikki Jackman or Christina Carter put to the service of a lonely winter hymnal. Really, this is a magical record, with an atmosphere that would stop time. If you’re a fan of the real American Primitive, a tradition that includes Jandek, Charalambides, Matt Valentine, the Tommy Roundtree/Arian Sample axis and Loren Connors as much as Jack Rose and John Fahey, then this is the perfect postcard from oblivion...A classic out of nowhere underground side." volcanic tongue

discos perdidos, discos que aparecen de la nada y tienen algo especial, como trees, chants & hollers, boots, c.c., snake & remus, long goodbye o cualquier nota musical relacionada con jewelled antler. nº1 en directo pone los pelos de punta, e incluso me recuerda a valerie webb & paul labrecque

Friday, May 21, 2010

mountain man

"Made the Harbor is the extraordinary new album by Mountain Man. The Bennington, Vermont based trio sing a cappella in mesmerising harmonies accompanied only occasionally by an acoustic guitar, producing what can easily be described as a breathtakingly beautiful album...Their music is nestled in the tradition of American folk, but shoots like diamond dust out of the nest into the high, wide atmosphere. Their songs are shaped by three searching voices, encompassing harmonies and a shared belief in and love of the world. Mountain Man are mutually moved to sing by their love for people, and for trees, birds and mountains, the ocean, the night, the moon, and being a woman. They all love the rambling, rumbling, rolling summer. Each member of the group writes for the band." bella union

tres voces a cappella, guitarra y mmmm mmmms, celebración y amor. cualquier cosa que pueda decir de molly, alexandra y amelia se quedaría corta. how'm i doin'!

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

julian lynch

"The last time we wrote about Julian Lynch we ended up going on this weird mind journey about leathery old dudes playing shitty guitars in front of lakes. This time, Lynch turns down the brain-frying, sunburned solos and gets pastoral. He’s layering hypnotic guitar and soft drone loops in a way that makes us want to chill in a big sweater and watch a horse eat grass for like five hours at once. It’s like a mini-vacation in our headphones" the fader
hoy no existe un disco más bonito que mare, ni una canción tan perfecta como in new jersey, o travelers, o just enough...

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

dreamcolour


"If there is one group that has emerged from 2009 which best embodies the Future, in our mind it would be California’s Dreamcolour. We were hooked ever since first checking their righteous live actions, their early cdr & taped treats, and their uncontainable offerings of jazz and drone’s most mystical sides. ‘Inner Worship’ finds this intrepid tribe bloomed out to a 9-piece at times, shooting for nothing less than Sacredelica in the raw. Yes, an entirely new genre seems ripe for carving here after one gets wet with this hour long wave. Dreamcolour operates with such an impressively cohesive front that they take the meaning of “unity through sound” to the next fractal notch. The sweaty saxophone bop, orbital viola lines, and holy hollers of Side A impressively distill to a pinpoint of mass mind mantra on Side B. Like hearing all individual parts of an explosion reach their expressive boundaries and then implode into a singular, refined meditation. When these sun-risen modes of the Inner are visited here (and that’s quite often) don’t be surprised if you find yourself grabbing the nearest instrument at hand, becoming a temporary 10th member of Dreamcolour, and worshiping right along. Limited special edition of 100 pro-dubbed & imprinted c60 tapes with double-sided color art in vinyl album." -stunned


fotola: ƒenk

Friday, May 14, 2010

lester brown

"Toronto's own Lester Brown has created a brilliant ep titled "Islomania" that's built for the calm summer day. Lo-Fi pop jams combining tropical guitar riffs with the wave of the chill. A collaboration with Mickey Mickey Rourke called "Vision Quest" is currently in the works and is expected to be released by the end of next month. He also did a remix of Best Coast's "When I'm with you" ice cream dreams

"...although i've been making music for awhile I just started the Lester Brown project two months ago. i also have a collab song called "Wool Sweater" with my buddy Soft Slip" lester brown

american smokes, verano infinito

Thursday, May 13, 2010

mv & ee

"The always prolific Matt Valentine & Erika Elder are back at it with the debut 7-inch on Electric Temple Records, Sweetheart of the Nascar. Rising from the depths of the grass-roots, free-riding psychedelic underground, MV&EE provide the nighttime companion over two midnight-oil burning tracks to their recent masterwork for Thurston Moore’s Ecstatic Peace label, Barn Nova. The A-Side title-track, “Sweetheart of the Nascar” is perhaps one of the duo’s heaviest tracks to date, pushing the threshold of Rust Never Sleeps-era Neil Young into sludge metal meets Mark Hollis ambience. The b-side, “Crow Jane Variations” is a slow-burner featuring Erika Elder’s reverb-drenched echoes behind a wash of lap-steel guitar and minor-key rustic psychedelic vibes. The inventive technique is highlighted on “Sweetheart of the Nascar” with two drummers playing – one in the left channel, one in the right, spread across a gorgeous stereo-pan." electric temple

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

polypus sapiens

"Debut tape from Southern Russia Polypus Sapiens. One man from a rural city records lovely bedroom folkish psychedelia with the simplest means. Gentle and thoughtful 30+ minute work filled with pure bliss. Pro-dubbed tapes wrapped in A3 posters. 75 copies." full of nothing

el nuevo sello de Ivan & Anna (Love Cult): keijo, arabian horses, big drum in the sky religion, kheta hotem, y sleeper in the valley, flautas, didjeridoos, percusiones, warm shields in the sky y autumn, give me hope.

foto: tim jones

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

isengrind

"Debut vinyl release from Natural Snow Buildings' Solange Gularte's solo project, Isengrind. Modlitewnik continues Solange's fantasticly far out occult psych-folk-drone trip outs, 12 tracks across the length of this LP, considerably shorter pieces in comparison to her work with Mehdi in Natural Snow Buildings, Isengrind retains a certain amount of the sound of the duo, but it is a whole other beast, in many ways much stranger and darker, but still hauntingly beautiful with some fantastic blissed out vocal drones, dreamy guitars, and psyche soaked dark drone zones. Heavyweight vinyl, housed in a pro-printed full colour fold over sleeve with all 4 panels featuring stunning artwork by Solange, the inside of the cover is especially spectacular." blackest rainbow

foto: ƒenk

Monday, May 10, 2010

love cult

"One track reflecting how we sound live, minimum of guitar, maximum of positive energy, lots of singing. The other track is midnight double guitar meditation. 35 minutes of bliss." love cult

Sunday, May 09, 2010

ducktails

"If hypnagogic pop has been the sound of summer, then Ducktails have been the summery sound of summer. Landscapes is the third Ducktails release. Matthew Mondanile from New Jersey plays everything on Landscapes, guitars, synths, drum machines..., and adds occasional vocals to create these wonderful, sun-dappled landscapes. The end results betray influences ranging from 1970s German music (the synth melody of “Spring” hints at Kraftwerk’s “Neon Lights”, while “Landrunner” runs on Michael Rother-esque guitars) to surf pop (those hazy backing vocals recall the Beach Boys, while there is a big fuzzy surf guitar twang), but lo-fi (albeit much higher-fi than on Backyard). Even at its most languid, with Mondanile intoning like a stoned Thurston Moore with a duvet in his mouth on “Wishes”, it has a compelling charm: he has successfully created a sound world which sets him apart from his peers. With Autumn poised over the climactic toilet bowl, loosening its belt, I’d love to wrap myself in the thick, protective towelling of Ducktails for the next few months." mapsadaisical

foto: schommsen

Friday, May 07, 2010

wooden wand

"In preparation for his forthcoming Michael Gira-produced album for Young God, Wooden Wand returns after a lengthy (for him) absence with a limited-edition self released album of exclusive home-recorded songs. Most of these were written and recorded following the release of Wand’s last album of all-new material, Born Bad, and the ten songs here should appeal to fans of Wand’s more picaresque work, stylistically falling somewhere between the psychedelic prophesying of the classic Harem of The Sundrum & The Witness Figg lp and the bitter battle-raps and outlaw country bummer vibes of the aforementioned Born Bad lp. Each disc is hand numbered and mounted on a square of wood. Special limited edition of only 200 copies." tothtellsthetruth

pajaritos urbanos | urban birds


"The Project: Handing out harmonicas to people who are begging on the streets of Bogotá (Colombia), providing them with the means and knowledge to contribute some beauty.

The Idea: Changing the way of earning an income from begging for money to playing music. This is an advantage for both the person begging and the passer-by. The person playing will most likely gain more money than he did begging. More importantly though: he gains in self-respect. Self-respect and respect from the other because now, instead of just asking for money without returning anything, he's working for pay, contributing to society and trading mere survival for creation. The passer-by will get something in return for the money he gives and city-life becomes a little more sweet when there's a harmonious melody breaking through the smog." wouter buyst

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:)) croac!

Sunday, May 02, 2010

hoy joy

árbore ~ garambullo

con una semana de retraso, pero lo prometido es deuda

:: felicidades sisteriana de sisterianas ::

foto: hoy joy