mountains

MOUNTAINS - new album, record release show, other tour dates & Stars Like Fleas

by Black Bubblegum

Mountains

John Zorn’s shrine to experimentalism, The Stone, will host the Record Release party for Choral, the new record by Mountains, on Feb 26th at 10PM. The decidedly ambient and minimalistic Choral is out now on Thrill Jockey, and you can stream the whole thing at their site (click the individual songs). Thursday’s outing is one of a pair that the band currently has lined up in their hometown of NYC, the second of which is a FREE show at Chelsea Market on March 9th!

Mountains is Brendon Anderegg and Koen Holtkamp, friends since their middle school days…. The group’s third album, Choral, (their first self-titled release and second album Sewn were both on Apestaartje), is the culmination of their work to date and a balanced mix of the first two efforts. Mountains is often compared to artists such as Brian Eno and Fennesz citing their extended melodies and their unique broad guitar work. Mountains seamlessly blend pastoral electronic sounds with both field recordings and a plethora of acoustic instruments… Recorded by the duo entirely in the winter and spring of 2008 at home in Brooklyn, Choral is largely live and performed in real time, with only a few overdubs to create a more “choral” effect…Guiding us through sonic peaks and valleys, the band takes us on a journey through their realm of experimentation, occasionally crossing over into psychedelic and kosmiche (Harmonia, Cluster, Popol Vuh) territory.

The show at The Stone is one of the final shows in a month curated by Shannon Fields of Stars Like Fleas. The day after that curated month comes to an end (March 1), Stars Like Fleas will play Union Pool with Echoes Still Singing Limbs and Monotract. Four days after THAT (Mar 5), Stars Like Fleas are playing with Twi The Humble Feather, La Strada, and Frances at MHOW.

All Mountains & Stars Like Fleas dates below…

MOUNTAINS – 2009 TOUR DATES
Thu Feb 26 New York, NY – The Stone
Mon Mar 9 New York, NY – Chelsea Market (Rooftop Films presents)
Fri Apr 17 Syracuse, NY – Metropolis Underground
Sat Apr 18 Rochester, NY – Bug Jar
Sun Apr 19 Pittsburgh, PA – Garfield Artworks
Tue Apr 21 St. Louis, MO – Open Lot
Thu Apr 23 Minneapolis, MN – Whole Music Club
Sun Apr 26 Chicago, IL – Empty Bottle
Tue Apr 28 Toronto, ON – The Music Gallery
Wed Apr 29 Montreal, QC – Casa Del Popolo
Thu Apr 30 Ithaca, NY – The Shop

STARS LIKE FLEAS – 2009 TOUR DATES
March 1 2009 Union Pool, Brooklyn, New York*
March 5 2009 Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York**
March 19 2009 SXSW, Austin, Texas
March 20 2009 SXSW, Austin, Texas
March 21 2009 SXSW, Austin, Texas
June 13 2009 Central/Upstate NY TBA
June 14 2009 Canada TBA, Ontario
June 15 2009 Canada TBA, Ontario
June 16 2009 Canada TBA, Ontario
June 17 2009 Canada TBA, Ontario
June 18 2009 Canada TBA, Ontario
June 19 2009 Canada TBA, Ontario
* w/ Echoes Still Singing Limbs & Monotract
** w/ Twi The Humble Feather, Frances, La Strada