the great pumpkin

Archive for the ‘cd’ Category

ultimate freedom (this week in mail order)

Friday, June 18th, 2010

A couple weeks ago I walked up to my front door and saw this:

Ok, so I know it’s no mystery…but I live in Brooklyn…and most people reading this blog know that only one thing comes in a package that size…a fucking 7″.  Worst case scenario is that someone stole it, and I never know and I contact the label and say it never showed up…right?

Nope, not in this case.  Enclosed inside that little package was this:

Yes, an irreplaceable contemporary artifact of indie rock.  This is not a record that could have been easily replaced, and thank you residents of Greenpoint for not stealing it.

Golden Girls are no stranger to the Great Pumpkin…you might remember them from here or here?

But to actually hear their guitar driven rock n’ roll on vinyl is a very special experience.   Golden Girls bring a classic rock, almost cock rock, element to their music…they can shred, sing, and perform. Which is exemplified by this EP…I like that they said fuck it lets do a five song 7″ and sell it for $5…those are the days I miss (by those days I mean when a 7″s cost less than $8, and have more than two songs), and the Golden Girls are bringing it back.

“Sixteen Candles” is a track that had been floating around for a while, but honestly I didn’t hear it until I saw them play Cake Shop several months ago…as good as the live version was, I feel the recording tops it.  The guitars shine and really show how much Andy and Ben can shred.  As the track comes to a close they slow down, and while a little noodly, they stay true to form and bust back in with ear shattering feedback and scream…100% rock n’ roll.  Just one of the many reasons you should own their ULTIMATE FREEDOM ep.

[mp3] Golden Girls- “Sixteen Candles”

Buy Golden Girls ULTIMATE FREEDOM ep (on 7″ or CD) from Burning Mill Records here!

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For those of you in Brooklyn you can check Golden Girls out as part of Northside Fest!

Pop Tarts presents an afternoon showcase:
Saturday June 26th, 2010
Golden Girls live at Glasslands
w/ True Womanhood, Dinosaur Bones
EULA, The Senors of Marseille, & The Great Unwashed

Please note Golden Girls will play at 5pm.

Additional Golden Girls dates can be found here.

For a little sneak peak check out this video of Golden Girls at Cake Shop:

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  • More on Golden Girls can be found here (track reviews, mp3s, and live videos).
  • More on Burning Mill Records can be found here.
  • More this week in mail order can be found here.
  • More on Northside Fest 2010 can be found here (eventually).

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Northside Fest is a music, art, and film Festival happening in Williamsburg and Greenpoint Brooklyn from June 24-27th.  For a complete schedule click here, to buy an all access pass click here.

Please note that the Golden Girls I talk about in this post are playing Northside Fest, and not the Golden Girls that Northside links to from their website.

apart the echo (this week in mail order)

Thursday, June 17th, 2010

M. Pyres is a musical out lit that has a revolving cast of band members, and each recording seems to have a different band backing but always fronted by Mathew Sage.  M. Pyres & the Skygaze Family Band released Apart the Echo last year.

I honestly hadn’t heard of M. Pyres until they came recommended to my by Ryan from Mirror Universe tapes, and I immediately ordered Apart the Echo (Patient Sounds releases are so reasonably priced that you can afford to do that). Shortly after I placed the order I got an email from Mathew (of M. Pyres and Patient Sounds) with three downloads…one of the album I ordered, and two other M. Pyres releases.  Talk about customer service.  I listened to the other two recordings, but waited until I physically held Apart the Echo in my hands to play it.  I got this album in January, and have been trying to write about it since.

Apart the Echo is a vast album venturing into many different genres: ambient, folk, psychedelics of various forms, pop, and punk.  From the minimalist melodic melodies that present from the beginning of the album on “Rain Song” to the running a fine line between psychedelica and folk while remaining in the realm of pop music on “Sea As Myth.”  M. Pyres and his band show early in this album that they are able to run a full spectrum of genres, and as the album progresses it only gets better and more diverse.

Apart the Echo is interspersed with ambient or what appear to be tracks of found sounds throughout the record, and this gives a sense of anticipation and build up to the next structured song build along the way.  “Citrus Pome” shows the bands ability to write a great pop song while remaining true to Sage’s hollow yet soothing vocals, and “For Aporia” is what I mean when I say the band ventures into psychedelic punk territory.  “For Aporia” keeps a stays in the realm of pop music while incorporating an onslaught of guitars interspersed throughout the track giving it an aggressive and infectious feel, but just when it’s about to get really intense the band slows down and lets Sage’s vocals shine.  towards the end of the album we get “Rocky Surf” which brings vibes of living deep in a cave or maybe underwater, and making that place seem fun and interesting rather than cold and depressing.

M. Pyres & The Skygaze Family Band made an amazing record that embodies the mountains of Colorado.  It’s refreshing to hear a band that can blend genres and keep integrity of their  sound, and M. Pyres does this seamlessly through out Apart the Echo.

Take a listen to “Sea As Myth” and “For Aporia” and then try to snag one of the last remaining copies of the tape from M. Pyres on their East Coast tour which starts today:

[mp3] M. Pyres & the Skygaze Family Band- “Sea As Myth”

[mp3] M. Pyres & the Skygaze Family band- “For Aporia”

  • you can probably buy a copy of the record here as well.

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M. Pyres has sent over two new tracks from M. Pyres and the Season Creeps.  These two tracks with the Season Creeps give us a view into M. Pyres’ mellow side that is ready to relax for the summer and jam…perfect for the muggy heat that we is bound to be hitting us this weekend.  These tracks have me so excited for the next M. Pyres release, and for their show at the CoOp 87 this weekend!

[mp3] M. Pyres & The Season Creeps- “Concord”

[mp3] M. Pyres & The Season Creeps- “Gravity Deluxe”

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Check M. Pyres & The Season Creeps out on tour with Woodsman:

  • Tonight!  June17th in Washington DC (House Show) w/ Family Portrait
  • June 19th in Brooklyn, NY @ CoOp 87
  • June 20th in Pittsfield, MA @ Copperworks
  • June 21st in Wilkes-Barre, PA @ Cafe Metropolis
  • June 22nd in Cleveland, OH @ Believeland
  • June 23rd in Chicago, IL @ TBA w/ Campfires
  • June 24th in Chicago, IL @ Box Social w/ Campfires
  • June 25th in Madison, WI @ Project Lodge

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You can also snag the new Patient Sounds Sampler with another new mp3 from M. Pyres on it…as well as some great tracks by Litoral Drift, Lush Cola (member of Weed Diamond), and more here:

[album download] Patient Sounds Sampler Vol. 1 2010

Track List:

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  • more This Week In Mail Order can be found here.

bracing//corridor (this week in mail order)

Thursday, April 15th, 2010

Kevin Greenspon, a name you might be familiar with because he is the proprietor of the wonderful cassette and compact disc label Bridgetown Records which is home to Cloud Nothings, BYODeath, No Paws, Vehicle Blues, and Nicole Kidman, but there is a lot more to this man other than his record label.

While Kevin has been doing music fans a favor by releasing all of these wonderful acts he has also been super busy recording and releasing album after album of his own.  When I bought the Cloud Nothings on LP (my second purchase of the release) I took advantage of one of Bridgetown Records deals and picked up a copy of Kevin Greenspon’s cassette version of Bracing.

The cassette of Bracing was released by Obeast Tapes (Kevin distros his own releases), and included not only a beautiful J Card, but a digital download, and a personal note from Kevin himself.  I’ve been purchasing many cassettes over the past couple months, and Obeast has it down when it comes to packaging, and the music accompanies it beautifully.  A dark and atmospheric album mainly of guitar compositions that run the gambit of pop to beautiful noise.  Greenspon is great at portraying tone and emotion through music that has very little vocals, and when vocals are present they are understated so much so that the guitars feel like they are doing the talking. While at times Greenspon’s music can feel ambient overall it is a pop album, and I feel like it appeals as much to the fan of noise as it does to the fan of rock going from white noise to up-beat pop into a wall of sound, and even meandering psychedelica.  ”Petty Dream” is a song for exactly what the title describes.  I imagine it being the sound track to an a day dream, the importance of the dream doesn’t matter it is just that you are there outside of reality, and experiencing something that isn’t of this world.  With a constant melody throughout the track, white noise backing it up, and toward the end Greenspon even lets loose a bit on the guitar to give you a bit of heightened sensory experience.

[mp3] Kevin Greenspon- “Petty Dream”

This track is what I consider a great introduction to an amazing album, and on that note you should probably pick one up fast. Bracing is down to it’s final copies.  Pick your format, and get one before it’s too late.  Both versions were released in very limited quantities.

  • Buy Bracing from Family Times Records on deluxe CD here.
  • Buy Bracing from Obeast Tapes on cassette here.

Corridor is the follow up EP to Bracing, and in my opinion they work more or less as a double album. Corridor picks up where Bracing left off, and ventures into more repetitive tones, and slightly more into the category of noise or ambient than the instrumental pop of it’s counterpart.  With this EP Greenspon masters the art of creating space through sound.  As the title implies Corridor is an album that expresses space, and time, not only in the length of the songs but rather the distance the encompass in their sonic frequencies.  Greenspon recorded this album in City of Industry, CA and on the Central Coast, and I feel that the recording in multiple locations contributes to the depth and feel of the record.  ”Drift Away” is a track that I feel exemplifies what I mean when I say music that encompasses space using long tones, and minimalist melody, and ambient noise to bring you from one place to another.

[mp3] Kevin Greenspon- “Drift Away”

  • Buy Corridor on cassette from Leftist Nautical Antiques here.
  • Buy Corridor on CD from Bridgetown here.

Kevin Greenspon is always creating new things, and there are several other releases available by him at Bridgetown Records, and I’m sure new music in the works.  I can’t wait for more.  If you are ordering from Bridgetown take advantage of the deals…you will end up with something new and wonderful…I assure you of this.

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And a little present from Bridgetown Records:

[album download] Bridgetown Records Spring 2010 Sampler

Lots of great stuff on here…I’m personally excited about the BYODeath tape!

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More on Bridgetown Records here.

living in america (DOM live at Cake Shop)

Friday, April 9th, 2010

This is part two of my coverage of the Worcester Invasion from last weekend, and this time around I’m bringing you a report on DOM the mysterious synth-pop trio that has been making waves in music circles since the beginning of the year . If you have been reading the Great Pumpkin you know that I have been writing about DOM quite a bit, and this show came with high anticipation.

With the type of music that DOM makes you really have no idea what it is going to be like live.  For all I knew it could haven been three dudes banging on computers for thirty minutes, or fiddling with distortion pedals, and in the end there is nothing wrong with this…but after seeing it a handful of times, while the music might be great it’s possible to get a little bored with the performance.  But with DOM this is not the case.

DOM come packing a full live band with DOM himself changing back and forth between fronting the band as a singer as well as taking his turn playing guitar (as well as singing) on some of the tracks, and Babby and Zerik (as their myspace says) taking up guitar, drums, and controlling the electronics.  The three of them function as a tight unit, and bring a party with every song.

DOM himself exudes personality both on and off the stage, so much so that you can almost feel his pretense when he isn’t playing. DOM is the person behind this music, and if you get the chance to talk to him you realize this very quickly. While listening to the recordings it might appear that DOM would just be a dance band live, but in reality they bring a hybrid of dance and, I think it’s something more complex than rock, maybe grunge or punk. Maybe this is present just in how DOM can work the crowd, or the fact that there are actual guitar and drums, but one thing is for sure it works and these dudes entertain.  The set consisted of mostly songs off of DOM’s new EP Sun Bronzed Greek Gods, but there were a couple new tracks.  There was no projector present at Cake Shop, but from what I gathered the band is typically at home with their videos playing behind them.  Either way this band brings a party and the what we got at this well attended Monday night show at Cake Shop.  DOM didn’t disappoint anyone in the room, and I’m pretty sure we can only expect bigger and better things to come from these three young men.  An amazing set, and I’m very happy to be able to say that I was there.

I’m excited to be listening to them at this early stage, and I can’t wait to see where this goes.  I can’t stop listening to Sun Bronzed Greek Gods, and from what DOM said there seems to be new music in the works.   I can’t wait for the next time they are in NYC, and I’m sure DOM is going to gain many of new fans at the Pop Fest After Party at Glasslands next month.  In the mean time check out the fabulous opening track from Sun Bronzed Greek Gods, “Living In America” and “Burn Bridges” from their set on Monday.  I’m very happy to present some of the first live footage of this young band:

[mp3] DOM- “Living In America”

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DOM’s Sun Bronzed Greek Gods has already sold out in tape, and there are literally like three or four copies of the beautifully silkscreened CD version of the release left.  Buy that here from Burning Mill Records fast! The 10″ EP will be out on Burning Mill Records on May 1st.

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  • DOM’s is performing live in the North East…check out the dates here.
  • More on DOM can be found here.
  • more gprecs video here.

worcester invades…

Wednesday, March 31st, 2010

I’ve been following DOM ever since I heard their first single “Jesus,” and this week marks a big event for this young band….not only will it be their first show in New York it will also be the release of their brand new EP Sun Bronzed Greek Gods coming out this Thursday on Burning Mill Records on cassette (available now), CD on April 1st, and vinyl on May 1st.

DOM’s ’80s laced singles have been an integral part of playlists and mixes for me over the past couple months.  ”Burn Bridges” probably being my favorite so far of this sparkling basement party pop.  Originally a stream only track (that I posted here) it has since been on P4kast as a download:

[mp3] DOM- “Burn Bridges”

These mp3s have been so good that I’m really excited to hear this music on vinyl, and see how it comes across live…a blissed out explosion of electronics, or a heavier more rock driven live band?  We will see soon enough.

DOM’s  Sun Bronzed Greek Gods EP  is available here on tape (CD is out tomorrow, vinyl out May 1st), and they will be hitting NYC for their first live show tomorrow, April 1st.

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DOM will be accompanied by fellow Worcestians’ Golden Girls.  I just grabbed the new Golden Girls track this past weekend when “Newports” started showing up on several sites that I read (Get Off the Coast, p4k, White Guys With Beards…so much so that I actually downloaded the track twice).  These two bands show that Worcester has several different sides.

Golden Girls bringing guitar driven indie rock.  It brings to mind the 90′s, the likes of Pavement and Archers of Loaf  with a heavy layer of classic rock, or maybe the word I’m looking for is cock rock (and I mean that in the nicest way possible), that really shows in the guitar solos.    ”Newports” shows off the bands talent, and I’m really happy to hear a new band that is using vocals that aren’t totally distorted, and if one thing is for sure these dudes know how to play those guitars.  Sometimes it just so nice to hear good straight up rock and roll.

[mp3] Golden Girls- “Newport”

“Newports” is from Golden Girls upcoming ULTIMATE FREEDOM 7″ which will also be released on Burning Mill Records.  You will eventually be able to buy that here.

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After hearing this new Golden Girls track I’m even more exited about this:

WOCESTER INVADES New York: DOM and Golden Girls live:

  • Thursday April 1st @ Pianos- New York, NY
  • Monday April 5th @ Cake Shop- New York, NY
    • both bands have other shows planned as well
      • DOM’s tour dates can be found here.
      • Golden Girls tour dates can be found here.

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  • more on DOM (mp3s, streams, reviews) can be found here.
  • Golden Girls photo by Jon Turcotte

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Update:

DOM’s Sun Bronzed Greek Gods Cassette has already sold out.

it’s snowing (cloud nothings mail order revisited)

Thursday, February 25th, 2010

Just two months ago Cloud Nothings were just a name with their first cassette//cd-r coming out on Bridgetown Records…no shows played, but a few big ones lined up…the first of which was with Real Estate and Woods here in Brooklyn (and I finally caught them in January with Alex Bleeker and the Freaks). Dylan Baldi’s Cloud Nothings were suddenly getting written up all over the internet (including several times by me), and their fuzzy upbeat punk pop was blasting out of stereos…I even had friends across the country ask me to send the digital files of Turning On because their tapes weren’t portable enough (yo dudes…get a walkman).

Now here we are at the end of February, and Cloud Nothings have two more releases out, and a reissue of that first tape but this time it’s on LP.

First up is their split tape with Campfires out on Bathetic Records. I know at this point more and more people are realizing that bands are doing tapes, and while the format might seem to be out of date even Pitchfork just reached out to the format in a big way (see Marc Hogan‘s wonderful feature on cassette culture titled “This is Not A Mixtape“…as well as tape releases often making it on to the 4kst).

This tape features four new songs by Cloud Nothings, and as I expected it is full of the same fuzzy pop as the first full length. Campfires are very much of the same mind set, and offer five songs…making the split well worth the $6 post paid.  A great introduction to Campfires…I can’t wait to her more.

The Fader posted one track from the split, and I’m happy to repost it here for you.  ”Little Raygun” sets the tone for the tape, and is the third song on side A:

[mp3] Cloud Nothings- “Little Raygun”

  • Buy the Cloud Nothings//Campfires split from Bathetic Records here.
    • pick it up fast…this tape is limited to 100 copies.

In addition to this split Group Tightener Records has released a extremely limited 7″ single by Cloud Nothings which includes “Morgan” a single from the upcoming 12″ on Group Tightener, and an exclusive b-side: “Another Man.” This is the second release by Group Tightener, and it is limited to 250 copies, and is hand stamped and numbered.

While these are both unreleased tracks You might be familiar with “Morgan” if you saw my videos from Cloud Nothings show at Monster Island back in January. Can’t wait to hear this record, and the recorded version of this tracks…here is a re-post of that video:

Buy the Cloud Nothings’ Morgan/Another Man 7″ from Group Tightener Records here.

Last but certainly not least is that SpeakerTree Records has just started mailing out the LP repress of Cloud Nothings fabulous debut full length Turning On.

Turning On was originally released back in December by Bridgetown Records. I featured this release on my column This Week In Mail Order, and you can read the full write up here. The LP version of Turning On will feature one additional track, “Strummin” as the closer to the album.  This LP press is limited to 500 copies, and to remind you how good this release is check out “Can’t Stay Awake”:

[mp3] Cloud Nothings- “Can’t Stay Awake”

A also captured the exclusive LP track live when Cloud Nothings were in town so you can preview that here:

Buy the LP from SpeakerTree Records here.

  • If you don’t have a record player….Bridgetown Records has repressed Turning On on CD…buy that here.
    • and for a limited time you can order the LP release from Bridgetown as well…I highly recommend contacting Kevin at Bridgetown because he is offering some cool combo packages.

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  • More on Cloud Nothings (photos, video, mp3s, and reviews) can be found here.
  • The photo at the top of the post is from the White Lodge.
  • More this week in mail order can be found here.
  • CLOUD NOTHINGs are on TOUR and are playing everywhere…go see them!  The dates can be found here.

black country

Friday, February 12th, 2010

tonstartssbandht is from Montreal, and was first introduced to me by the Friendship Bracelet Club Vol. 2 compilation where the demo version of “Black Country” appeared.  Friendship Bracelet has been curating amazing compilations (go here and check out the side bar to download/buy), and if you haven’t looked at Friendship Bracelet in a while make sure to check out their rad new header for the blog… I’m so ready for baseball season…Go Pirates.

The demo version of tonstartssbandht’s “Black Country” made me track down a copy of their full length from last year titled An When, and the album version of that song  is even more powerful than the demo.  An When was released by Does Are Records last year.

“Black Country” is a unique track that uses extremely heavy booming drums and percussion to create the beat and tone of the song, but musically it lies in a grey area between heavy psych and extremely dark folk.  There is a underlying repetitive melody that makes such a heavy track sound some what light. The melody has a tone of hope, and it adds a an additional element of mystery and wonder.  This song started off as just something that caught my ear, but has quickly become an obsession.  The vocals are haunting, and at this point I just wish I knew what the fuck he was saying…repetitive listening hasn’t really helped me decipher the the lyrics, but has just made hit repeat as soon as it ends.

Listening to “Black Country” while walking home from the train yesterday evening was a great experience…the sun going down but the last glimmer of light was reflecting off the snow, and it brought me to the cold dark place that this song brings me too, but in both cases the melody and and glow let me know everything was ok.

[mp3] tonstartssbandht- “Black Country”

“Black Country” isn’t the only song on An When that has this tone, but tonstartssbandht has one of the most eclectic sounds that I have heard in a very long time.  You can’t lump them into a category, and you should expect to hear more about them on the Great Pumpkin.  I’m sure this is not the last post, and I can’t wait til the Midnight Cobras 7″ goes on sale from Psychic Handshake Recordings.  Links to various record labels that have released other tapes, cdrs, 3″ cds by tonstartssbandht can be found on their myspace.

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This is part of my Speed Dating series.  You can read more about singles I have featured in this series here.

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The photo above was taken in Vermont on a holga using medium format film.  This photo is part of the White Lodge.

mountain man

Friday, February 5th, 2010

It’s been almost two months since Chocolate Bobka took over the basement of the Lutheran Church of the Messiah, and brought the sweet un-amplified sounds of Mountain Man and Alex Bleeker to this holy place.  It was a truly surreal experience to see so many people sitting quietly while these bands played their music in such a  peaceful setting.  It was the type of thing that can only happen when the people at an event want to be there, and aren’t just there because it was the cool thing to do…and that is what made this night so special.

While I had heard “Animal Tracks” before this was my first real experience with Mountain Man.  If you didn’t already know Mountain Man is actually three ladies from Bennington, Vermont who make mostly acapella folk music with the occasional use of acoustic guitar.  Their performance at the Church was nothing short of magical. From Singing with Alex Bleeker and performing a cover of “Oh, Boy” by Girls , covering  “My Roots are Strong and Deep” by Phil Elverum’s The Microphones, and even Tom Waits….

Mountain Man- “Green Grass (Tom Waits cover)” into “Animal Tracks”

Ray Concepcioñ always does an amazing job capturing Chocolate Bobka’s events.  I also recorded their cover of “Green Grass,” and while I’m not a magician with a camera like Ray is (nor do I have that type of equipment) I feel that this video captures the setting and vibe of the church.  The complete lack of light, the politeness of the audience, and what it felt like to be at such a unique event.

Mountain Man- “Green Grass (Tom Waits cover)”

I’m honestly not a Tom Waits fan, but this version can make even a person that hates Tom Waits like this song. These covers were in addition to their own beautiful musical creations.

Mountain Man was selling limited edition copies of their self titled cd-r at the show.  The cd-r’s that Mountain Man had at the Church were all made by hand out of paper bags, sewn together, and then decorated.  Every copy was different.  This version, from my understanding, is different than what they released earlier in 2009 because it has two additional songs: “Loon Song” and “Buffalo.”  I’m really happy to have been able to get a copy of one of their releases after reading about them non-stop for for so long.

If I had just heard this record without seeing them live I would have thought the music came from another time.  It’s oldtime-y in a way that feels classic, and if knew nothing about these ladies I would not be able to guess when it was released.  If you haven’t experienced them yet I’m happy to share a couple tracks with you now…  “Animal Tracks” is already a classic:

[mp3] Mountain Man- “Animal Tracks”

“Buffalo” is one of the newest tracks to emerge from these ladies, and while it still keeps the same vibe as the rest it brings us much closer to the plains than the mountains.  An ode to this glorious beast, and so short and sweet at that.  I’ve listened to this track probably a dozen times today…. follow the buffalo:

[mp3] Mountain Man- “Buffalo”

If you are interested in hearing more Mountain Man and don’t mind having a digital copy you can buy their 7 song EP directly from the band here.   This website also allows you to stream the entire album, and has a complete list of their West Coast tour…which is currently going on.  If you are in San Francisco this weekend I highly recommend checking them out.

Many of these tracks will be seeing proper release on one of my new favorite record labels…the magnificent Underwater Peoples.  Keep an eye out…it’s going to be a 10″, and is sure to be a must have.

Previously posted mp3s featuring Mountain Man:

[mp3] Alex Bleeker w/ Molly Searle of Mountain Man- “Oh, Boy (Girls cover)”

[mp3] Alex Bleeker and the Freaks- “Animal Tracks (Mountain Man cover)”

  • Buy Alex Bleeker’s self titled LP here.

Mountain Man is just one of the many reasons why Vermont is such a wonderful state…maybe I will live there one day.

Links:

  • the photo above was taken by Rez Avissar at the Lutheran Church of the Messiah.  More photos taken by Rez from this show can be found here.
  • more on Underwater Peoples can be found here.
  • more on Alex Bleeker can be found here.

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I was going to a Best Of Limited Releases for 2009, and figured my energy would be better spent making this post.  Mountain Man’s cd-r is everything I look for in a limited release…amazing music, and packaging made with loving care.

There were several other releases that have made my shortlist of Best Limited Releases of 2009, and all of those have been previously covered in my posts called This Week In Mail Order.  Here is that list, and links to the original posts:

more of my best of lists can be found here.