This month (June)'s focal point is very appropriate, because it is on the extremely summery sounds of High Places. It is also being presented to you by the lovely Laura Ledbetter, who is a mixmaster veteran here at Psychic Tuesday! Check out some of her other marvelous mixes = Warm House Mix, Subconscious Mind Mix, & Plastic Desert Mix. Her blog, which is chock-full of some amazing photos and videos is RIGHT HERE.
Here is Laura to tell you all about High Places ...
Take it away!
I consider High Places a strong, but very modern encapsulation of many of the bands that a lot of us appreciated in the 90s: experimental bands such as Broadcast, Stereolab, My Bloody Valentine, Manitoba/Caribou and countless others; even as early as The Beatles and Silver Apples in the '60s...
This is the type of music that has been altered and stretched into new, impossibly fractured and often difficult-to-process electronic innovations. Most of this is done with the loud extravagance of incredible sound systems and technical gadgetry that I can't fathom. But I do understand that High Places use these keyboards as an enhancement of the sounds they gather from their own organic sources; stuff such as blocks, bowls and bags. This is a concept that I find so natural and necessary now, as well as a bold philosophic reflection of earlier influences.
High Places carries a summertime place in my mind because of how bright and ethereal it can be -- while also burning with an occasional, sunny harsh vibe that I find difficult about summer heat. The first mix I made for Psychic Tuesday in July 2009 had a lot of High Places in it and they are still a favorite of mine. This band's sound has altered over the years and sounds the same yet also very different now. I hope this mix captures a blend of both.
Laura
Here here!
She also included a "description of their process", stating: "I think this is a nice, precise understanding of what they do."
She also included a "description of their process", stating: "I think this is a nice, precise understanding of what they do."
"High Places' overall sound consists of bass-heavy yet crisp beats,
lilting vocal melodies, syncopated rhythmic lines performed on folk
percussion instruments, guitar duets turned into treated samples, and
percussive lines created from the manipulation of household objects. The
duo has an “exquisite corpse” style of songwriting where they exchange
ideas back and forth, challenging each other's ideas in an organic way.
In a live setting, the band creates their layered recordings with Mary
singing and simultaneously manipulating her vocals with various delay
and reverb pedals, while playing some hand percussion, recorders, and
creating and controlling various loops. Rob handles the music,
triggering a variety of percussive sounds with sampling drum pads and
traditional samplers, as well as various percussion, wooden blocks with
contact mics, and singing some ambient vocals.
High Places’ self-titled debut was recorded by Rob and Mary in their
apartment in Brooklyn’s Bedford Stuyvesant neighborhood between January
and May 2008. In making the album they employed a wide variety of
instruments, including 12 string guitar, banjo, shakers and rattles,
bass, bells and Kalimba, as well as plastic bags, mixing bowls, wood
blocks and other common household objects. Rob created the High Places
artwork by using photos taken by both band members."
Thanks again, Laura!!!
And now ... here they are!
High Places
ENJOY!
High Places is: Mary Pearson and Rob Barber, formed in 2006
Official High Places blog is RIGHT HERE.
You can download the High Places focal point mix HERE.
Official High Places blog is RIGHT HERE.
You can download the High Places focal point mix HERE.
>>>>>>>VIDEOS ARE NOW<<<<<<<
Chris Stewart posted this bad ass animated short film called The Backwater Gospel ... Thanks, Chris!
Harmony Korine directed this bizarro film starring The Black Keys ... Wow.
This band YAWN totally makes me think of Animal Collective ... I wonder how many people have thought the same thing!
Here's some spooky tribal trippiness from The Very Best
And here's some delightful animated bliss by Andrew Bird
Hey! A new one from The Walkmen!
>>>Dessert Time!<<<
For dessert, my brother Peter sent me a slew of these hilarious political candidate voice overdub thingies ... My god, they're crazy (and FUNNY)! Cheers, brother!
Newt Gingrich
Rick Santorum
Herman Cain
Mitt Romney
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