Metal Mountains is melting me

This album is brilliant! Just listened to it for the first time, will post back once I've digested it properly.

It's on Spotify for European ppl: http://open.spotify.com/album/2LaxHmPOdv4AdbV4W48L5q

Didn't even think of checking there, thanks!

I got mine via emusic, fwiw.

If you dig this you should buy it. Amish Records guy somewhat sadly tweeted that illegally downloads of this were through the roof (presumably purchases from the label were not). I'm going to the show tomorrow and hope to purchase the vinyl from the band.

I'm a huge fanboy of MV EE and it's nice to see the other side of Tower Recordings' sound representin' so hard with a record as gorgeous as this. First to seriously consider for the Best of '11 lists...

that was a really good show. i had no idea samara lubelski was involved

Definitely gonna pick this up. Turned a friend on to Tower and he's been getting me back into it, in turn.
Great timing, gorgeous sound.

i thought their performance was good but goddamn the crowd was obnoxiously loud/.

^ people. at least if they're staring down at their phones (like they were at the last couple of shows i've seen) they're quiet.

this has an early-Kranky Records vibe to me; can't remember which... nz? roy mont.?

also, do Tower Recordings sound like this?

Wish I would have seen more of them at the Knitting Factory that night. I liked it. (And they did remind me of Espers, too.) Have to tell my friend Bob this is out now, he was into it.

Tower Recordings (at least what I heard of em, which isn't much) were a lot more gnarly and fractured and weird

What I could hear/see was excellent, but the crowd was terrible and a bad fit with the "vibe" of the band...seemed mostly people who had downloaded a Ducktails album the night before. I appreciate Monster Island for what it is, but it's pretty intolerable when sold out and the band is sitting, doing a slow burn thing. More than five or so rows of people back and you couldn't hear anything. Would love to see the Mar. 3rd show at Issue Project, but it conflicts with that solo guitar/dance performance thing Richard Bishop is doing.

Listened to the record twice today though and it's just lovely. They weren't selling any at the show (??). There is also a Mar. 20 show at The Stone. Samara has some duo dates with Marcia Bassett too:

http://amishrecords.typepad.com/news/2011/01/metal-mountainsfeb-4-monster-island-basement-brooklyn-with-woods-ducktailsmar-3-secret-project-robot-brooklyn-re.html

Tower Recordings final LP, Galaxies Incredibly Sensual Transmissions is on a similar plane as the MM record, though less gauzy/dreamy. Their earlier recordings sort of veer between lo-fi indie psych and weird tape manipulation, fragmented loops and spacey trance-rockers. At their best they are amazing. "Folk Scene" is a good record and has some of the jammed out song-based approach mixed with the fragmented, bubbling weirdness thing,,, pretty important band for me personally.

Tower Recordings release on Siltbreeze, Furniture Music Fore Evening Shuttles, is very good.
Helen Rush's voice is pretty distinct, I think, so it's hard for me not to think of Tower Recordings as I listen to this Metal Mountains track.

I've been adding that "e" more and more lately. Weird.

This is odd in a good way.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFp_3C_9oT4

nice interview:
http://gildedgutterblog.blogspot.com/

They're playing in Brooklyn again on Thursday. Record release party with Specter Folk. Secret Project Robot in Williamsburg.

the youtube up top is wonderful.

Just gorgeous. I guess it's not that much different from a lot of other stuff -- droney dream-pop, shimmery psych-folk, whatever -- but the guitar playing is really great (reminds me a little of Fairport-era Richard Thompson, though I'm sure psych-folk heads can make more specific allusions), and all the accompaniment is mysterious and atmospheric in ways that aren't just gauzy fluff.

seems like it makes one think twice about how quick to be, in other cases, with words like 'shimmery', 'melting', 'gauzy', 'mysterious', 'atmospheric'.

Record release show was great. Glad I happened to be in NYC for it. (And nice to enjoy Ian spinning between sets, too.) The mix was good, they were really hypnotic. Plus Helen seemed very sweet.

helen is the sweetest imo. she bought me a sandwich and refused to let me pay for it.

just stopped by my local record shop and picked this up. so gorgeous! glad i bought it. everyone should by this....

Agreed. One of the year's best.

still loving this, fits almost any occasion or mood, easily one of my top [few] favorites of 2011

reminds me of aiko shimada's blue marble ― an album that i at one time loved, but haven't heard in ages. need to do something about that...

yeah this is still in my top 5 albums for this year. Never heard of the Aiko Shimada, going to check it out now - thanks for the tip!

FUCK still need to get this

Never heard of the Aiko Shimada

aiko S is similar in general tone & vibe, but often jazzier and not quite so psychedelic. favorite track:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GVhv8BGIv4

Yeah I listened to the album earlier, it's nice! I see what you mean about it not pushing the hazy psychedelic layering so far as MM. Will listen again.

yeah, exactly. glad you liked it! they're both somewhat reminiscent of angel'in heavy syrup, though more delicate, not so proggy/jammy.

Still love this record.

yeah this is still in my top 5 albums for this year.

^^^^^

sorry for show spam, but metal mountains are playing their first show in a while tomorrow night @ Secret Project Robot in Brooklyn. Also playing are Frankie Rose, Electroputas and Doug Shaw.

Golden Trees + quietly sipping whiskey made for a very compelling evening the other night.

Need to revisit this album.

Any plans for a new album?

there are new songs but i don't think they've recorded much recently.

It's really nice. If you are in a similar type of mood I would recommend Season on Earth by Meg Baird from the same year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0Gpb0yQO5g

They played abt a month ago in Turners Falls, MA and someone filmed it.
I haven't watched the whole thing yet but I wonder if you can spot Skotrok in the crowd.

was hoping this was bumped to announce a new album. any insider info, Ian?

there are some new songs in that set, and i know they intend to record a record 'soon' but i don't know what 'soon' means. i know they haven't started recording yet. it's hard for them all to get together sometimes.

I get really excited every time I see this thread bump. A new record would be very welcome.

ted lee posted that vid. he's good at filming stuff. he has quite the western mass archive on his youtube channel.

he just posted this from a week or so ago. if you like outsounds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqGOebpXYZ8

we have fun here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMzrrPpt5OI

<3 paul flaherty. i want all of his eighties records w randall colburn etc. are those common in your area, scott?

nineties records, i guess. i see only one from the late eighties.

The one I remember being really great was called Cydonia I think? Whatever happened to RC?

Listening to this again for the first time in a while, it's definitely one of my favorite albums of the decade. Not so much dreamy as dreamlike.

(Apologies to anyone hoping a thread revival meant new album news)

It's a shame that she's never released a followup to this magnificent album.

Sorry to disappoint anyone by bumping the thread- I just kept seeing 'purple mountains' in new answers and it got me thinking...