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:

• Mount Eerie- White Stag
• Karl Blau- Baby Nettles
• Karl Blau- 96
• Cloud Nothings- Turning On

more of my best of lists can be found here.

Even though I just got the Cloud Nothings CD in the mail last month it felt like I had been waiting forever to see this band live, and this past Saturday I finally got the chance.

Another wonderful show put on by Chocolate Bobka (if you didn’t know Chocolate Bobka is the little sister to Underwater Peoples, big brother of Ray Conception, and the girl scout troop leader of Pitchfork’s Forkast) and this time he teamed up with the budding record label Group Tightener (maybe that means they are now cousins with Bobka?  If you didn’t check it out already…Jamie from Group Tightener contributed his best of 2009 list to the Great Pumpkin).

Both Chocolate Bobka and Group Tightener throw really fun shows whether it’s at a church or at Monster Island…and this time it was at Monster Island.  I got to the show right as Nude Beach ended, and Cloud Nothings took the stage.

Dylan Baldi and company put on an impressive live show for such a young band.  They played an extremely tight set, and seemed to complement each other very well.  In this bands short time playing live (the first time being about a month ago here in New York) they have already had one line up change, but that has not slowed them down.   I was particularly impressed by the fact that the guitar solos on songs like “Can’t Stay Awake” sounded as good, if not better, live.  It seems like there are only good things to come from Cloud Nothings, and I’m very happy I got to experience them this early stage.

My video camera is back in action, and I was able to capture a handful of what I’m already considering Cloud Nothings classics as well as two new songs.  I actually took a whole lot more video than I thought….here they are:

Cloud Nothings- “Can’t Stay Awake”

Cloud Nothings- “Hey Cool Kid”

Cloud Nothings- “Turning On”

Cloud Nothings- “”whaddya wanna know”

[mp3] Cloud Nothings- “Whaddya Wanna Know”

These four songs are off of Cloud Nothings album Turning On. Buy it here on tape or cd.  Keep and eye out for the vinyl here.

Cloud Nothings- “Morgan”

Cloud Nothings- “strummin”

On a slightly less exciting note I was not able to get close enough to Alex Bleeker and the Freaks to actually see them play.  They sounded amazing, and I can’t wait to get another opportunity to see Bleeker with a full band.  It was a little disappointing that most of the crowd found their conversations more important than Bleeker’s music because I would hav really like to be fully emersed.  Mr. Bleeker…I look forward to seeing you again.

Links:

• Buy Cloud Nothings’ Turning On from Bridgetown Records here.
• more on Cloud Nothings here.
• more on Alex Bleeker and the Freaks here.
• Buy the Alex Bleeker & The Freaks LP from Underwater Peoples here.
• more on Group Tightener Records here.
• the photo above  was taken by klk and I on a holga in the Calvary Cemetery in Queens.

Cloud Nothings are coming back to New York shortly after the release of Turning On, and this time it is to play with Alex Bleeker and the Freaks (and Beach Fossiles).  I’ve listen to Turning On more times than I can count on my headphones since I got it at the beginning of December (see my post on Turning On here), and I’m ready to see what it sounds like live.  Cloud Nothings’ Turning On is almost sold out at Bridgetown records, and Speaker Tree Records, out of Lynchberg, Virginia is planning to release it on LP toward the end of February (with an extra track).

Breakfast of Champs have posted a newish mp3 from Cloud Nothings that will be on their forthcoming compilation:

[mp3] Cloud Nothings- “Crying Underwater”
(eventually it will be available here)

On top of Cloud Nothings….Alex Bleeker is playing too…

When I got to see Alex Bleeker play with Mountain Man back in December (actually the same weekend I got the Cloud Nothings CD) it was a truly surreal event. Alex Bleeker played a beautiful set, and his only backing musicians were the women from Mountain Man. The crowd was the most respectful I’ve ever seen in New York, and let the quietness and intimacy of the Lutheran Church of the Messiah, as well as the music itself, shine. As wonderful of an experience as that was I’m looking forward to seeing him backed by the Freaks.  But we do have this mp3 to remember that event by, thanks to Chocolate Bobka:

[mp3] Alex Bleeker w/ Molly Sarle of Mountain Man- “Oh, Boy (Girls cover)”
recorded live at the Lutheran Church of the Messiah. via Chocolate Bobka.

Saturday should be fun…you should be there:

Presented by Chocolate Bobka & Group Tightener:
This Saturday, January 16th
Beach Fossils.
Alex Bleeker & the Freaks.
Cloud Nothings.
Nude Beach.
at Monster Island Basement.
Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Links:

• Buy Cloud Nothings’ Turning On from Bridgetown Records here.
• more on Cloud Nothings here.
• more on Alex Bleeker and the Freaks here.
• Buy the Alex Bleeker & The Freaks LP from Underwater Peoples here.
• more on Group Tightener Records here.

Monday night Julian Lynch played, as far as I know, his only New York City show during his short stay in the north east.  The night would have been special if Julian took the stage by himself, but he came with a full band…consisting of 3/4 of Real Estate and Brody of Family Portrait/Underwater Peoples.  It was a magical performance, and was the perfect way for me to start off my year with live music.

Orange You Glad has been in my head for months, and I was really happy when Julian said that he would contribute a list of his favorite things from 2009 to the Great Pumpkin.  Since his album is one of my favorites I was really excited to see what he loved last year:

Julian Lynch’s Favorites of 2009

Favorite movie:

• Up (more info)

Favorite filmmakers:

• Amy Ruhl (more info)
• Richard Law (more info)

Favorite recorded music:

• Pill Wonder (website/ keep an eye out for an LP on Underwater Peoples!)

Favorite live music:

• Peaking Lights (website)
• Mountain Man (website)

Favorite record labels:

• Underwater Peoples (website)
• Olde English Spelling Bee (myspace/ blog)

Favorite home-cooked pastry:

• Yugoslavian Christmas cookies from my girlfriend, Eileen

Favorite TV series:

• Curb Your Enthusiasm (Season 7) (more info)

Favorite new blog writer on the internet:

• Emilie Friedlander (visitation  rites)

Favorite online social networking:

• Twitter (tweet)

Favorite Youtube series:

• rickytic3’s Wizard Alibrataries (watch)
• Vantabill Bertaba Saga (watch)

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Chocolate Bobka was able to capture some of the magic from Monday night at Bruar Falls.  Chocolate Bobka has been doing amazing videos, and if you haven’t checked out their Vimeo channel you most definitely should.

The Underwater Peoples Winter Review was released on Christmas, and there is a new Julian Lynch song on it… as well as wonderful tracks by Pill Wonder, Fluffy Lumbers, Big Troubles, Family Portrait, Mountain Man, Alex Bleeker, Real Estate , and many more.  Get it free for a limited time here:

[Limited Time Free Download] VA- Underwater Peoples Winter Review (via Chocolate Bobka)

Oh if ya’ll didn’t already know…Julian Lynch is PopJew’s pick for the Cutest Boy in Rock n’ Roll!

I took some pictures of Julian and Big Troubles at the show on Monday, and believe it or not…I used a camera with actual film!  When I get those back I hope to post them.  Fingers crossed.

Thanks again to Julian for contributing his favorites list to the Great Pumpkin.  I’m truly looking forward to whatever he releases in twenty ten.

Links:

• Julian Lynch’s myspace / blog / tumblr / twitter
• buy Julian Lynch’s music here.
• more on Julian Lynch here.
• more on Real Estate here.
• more on Underwater Peoples Records here.
• more best of 2009 guest contributions can be found here.

Today, January 7th 2010,  also marks the birthday of the Great Pumpkin!  We are One year old as of today, and I can’t wait to see where I am in 2011!

Who knew that a walk to Permanent Records on Saturday would produce such lush soundscapes?  I sure didn’t…all I knew was that my copy of Karl Blau’s Zebra had come in…but sitting there on the wall was one of the newest things to come out of the Olde English Spelling Bee…Julian Lynch’s Orange you Glad.

I had heard two tracks off the eight song LP, and knew that was enough to peak my interest enough to grab the LP.  And as always with OESB the record probably had less than a thousand copies pressed.    This record was released back in August, but this was the first I have seen it in the shops.

Previously my only experience with Julian Lynch was his wonderful split with Ducktails that came out on Underwater Peoples, and I have to say that the combination of the two go together perfectly.

Julian Lynch is an interesting character…he has worked for Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, and is strongly influenced by world music siting Indian and South Asian music specifically.  Lynch also employs a wide array of instruments including harmonium, tabla, and is known for his use of circular breathing techniques on the clarinet.

While Lynch’s influences and musical talents lends itself easily to pop music these days Lynch has successfully created a beautiful album that focuses more on lush tones, and and harmonies rather than traditional pop structure.  A great way to look at Orange You Glad is in relation to Lynch’s friend and musical cohort Matt Mondanile of Ducktails.  Where Ducktails, at least for me, makes music for warm weather…Lynch has created it’s counter part…a mostly instrumental album that is perfect for cooler weather and the winter to come.  When there are vocals they tend to lend themselves to the song structure almost more so than to the words themselves. Lynch toys with this realm of noise music that is experimental and at the same extremely engaging to the listener…even those who might typically be averse to something that even dabbles in the realm of noise.   The Eastern influences are felt throughout the album, and when they are the main focus (like on “Mercury” and the epic ten minute “The Flood”) provide a warming feeling that I haven’t felt yet this year…maybe bringing to mind places with climates of much kinder weather.  It is also hard to deny that Lynch is an excellent guitarist giving the album a bit of a psychedic twist, and this is obvious in “Venom.”

[mp3] Julian Lynch- “Venom”

[mp3] Julian Lynch- “Rancher”

video: Julian Lynch- “Seed”

Purchase Orange You Glad from Julian Lynch here, or if you have other musical needs at insound here.

Do yourself a favor and pick this one  up…it is already making this cold fall a little bit better for me.

Julian Lynch will be preforming tonight via live broadcast at  Chocolate Bobka’s Showcase at Monkey Town.  The line up for the show is nothing less than stellar:

Please note Ducktails will not be playing this show, but Mountain Man will.

Julian Lynch also has a show at the Project Lodge in Madison, WI with the Dirty Beaches (Projectors oops…sorry about that one) on November 25th.

Links:

• more on Julian Lynch here.
• buy Julian Lynch releases here.
• more on Ducktails here.
• buy Ducktails releases here.