microphones in the trees: August 2010

Monday, August 23, 2010

christina carter / islaja

"Limited edition of 100 copies split 7”, only officially available direct from the label. Christina’s side is one of her weirdest tracks, a ‘protest’ song scored for multiple overdubbed voices that move from catatonic Jandek-isms through haunted choral styles. Islaja contributes a spare, intimate vocal piece with a twisted folk melody illuminated by smears of backing vocals." volcanic tongue

foto: lauren treece

ilyas ahmed

"A stellar document of this trio's slow burn set from last years On Land festival. Ahmed on guitar & vocals is accompanied by Honey Owens (Valet/Miracles Club) on guitar and Jed Bindeman (Heavy Winged / Eternal Tapestry) on drums. Each cover is a unique collage by Ahmed with hand painted text on the back. No two are the same. These are not lathe cut records, and not lacquer dub plates, but a very small run of 10" vinyl records. All proceeds go to funding this year's On Land festival, and these are only available directly from us. Please drop us an email if you would like to order one. $100 each, does not include shipping! Edition of 25." root strata
side a (edit) / buy

Saturday, August 21, 2010

les shelleys

"Les Shelleys are an acoustic guitar/vocal duo from Los Angeles, consisting of FatCat’s folk asset Tom Brosseau and his singing partner Angela Correa, better known as the indie-pop singer/songwriter Correatown... beautiful, harmony-heavy voice and guitar arrangements of American standards and folk traditionals from various points of the last century...
The “Americanised calypso” popularised by the Andrews Sisters ‘Rum and Coca Cola’ here is dulcet like a lullaby, but swaying like its tropical origins. Tom begins, acoustic guitar and his flooring singing voice wrapped around the gorgeous melody, before Angela joins for the chorus and the pair tap gently together as their two voices harmonise sweetly." fat cat

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

head of wantastiquet

"Edition of 120 copies cdr documenting a live performance from Paul Labrecque (Sunburned Hand Of The Man/Trees Chants And Hollers/The Other Method et al). Labrecque’s string work makes reference to the lonesome sound of Sandy Bull and John Fahey while connecting with the experiments in contemporary American Primitive drone of Paul Metzger and Matthew Valentine. Quietly psychedelic and spellbindingly intimate. In full colour gatefold card sleeve." volcanic tongue

Friday, August 13, 2010

stag hare

"...In Utah there are such large flat expanses surrounded by these mountains. I have spent a lot of time riding in a car watching out the windows as these landscapes roll past. I think everything I love to create is in these landscapes, texture, story, time, vast slow changes......natural shapes, so this has influenced my music a good amount. But there are a lot of other lands that have influenced my music a lot as well. Living in Arcata was a huge influence on me and my music. I found a great sense of peace when I was there which I don't come across many other places or very often. The mossy redwood forests and the ocean, these are huge influences on my music, but there is no ocean in Utah. There is the Great Salt Lake though, and it is a really magical place. There is an island on the lake where you can watch the sun set into the flat water. It's like a strange paradise." garrick biggs (stag hare)

holy person, holy wind

Thursday, August 12, 2010

donato epiro

"‘Supercontinent’ is Donato Epiro’s freshest hypnotic adventure, and a glimpse into some future tropical world where lysergic acid rain waters the neon foliage. Animatronic apes and mechanical birds flock around Donato as he expertly fashions his sonic hieroglyphs, while sibilant rhythms and humid chants pour freely into the deviant ceremony from all sides. Join the intoxicating celebration, and play this tape whenever you need a little break from the continent you’re currently standing upon. Limited edition of 111 pro-dubbed & imprinted c30 tapes w/ double-sided jcard and insert." stunned records

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

the goner

 the goner ~ bitemarks ep (dying for bad music 2010)

"This is a re-release of the orphaned Bitemarks EP by The Goner from Sweden. Five different pieces showing the band’s mastery from crafting simple acoustic folk songs to the construction of walls of sound. Psychedelic folk tales from the dark age, mystic and natural without being retro-visionary or overdramatic. The center piece of this EP, "Lost Summer", starts with a shimmering organ drone chord and shifts into a moving tribal theme. The theme of traveling is picked up again in Oakmulgee Creek which leads to the end of this wonderful EP. The Goner leave you alone with a peaceful field recording of lonely bird calls." dying for bad music

Monday, August 09, 2010

lower dens

"Swarming guitar fuzz, bass waves, insistent drum throbs and Jana Hunter's redolent, charred voice are the core components of Baltimore's Lower Dens. Hunter, sometimes known for intimate, ghost-heavy weird-fi, now writes and plays with a group that might get filed under new wave, or drone pop, or post-punk. With due deference to her solo work, we're very glad..." gnomosong

foto: old chum

jana hunter meets electrelane (two cocks!)

Friday, August 06, 2010

beggin' your pardon miss joan

"Edges will be the first widely available release by Beggin' Your Pardon Miss Joan, and is a collection of several old songs from previous highly limited releases on Centre of the Wood, Dead Pilot and Reverb Worship, plus 5 new tracks. The project is from the minds of Lex and Vanessa Panayi, Lex some of you may recognise as he also plays under the name of Guanaco±, who earlier this year had the Sky Burials LP released on BR. On this 9 track cd there are moments comparable to some of the material on the aforementioned LP, but at times it has a more singer-songwriter sound with more vocals, as well as merging autumnal psychedelic vocal excursions and traditional folk guitar meanderings. A really gorgeous collection of songs." blackest rainbow