Jack Mountain

Starving Weirdos mastering new Jack

Starving Weirdos are an awesome band out of California's pacific northwest. Check em out, they make beautiful/scary music and I've been listening to them loads. Turns out that Brian in the band does mastering and since my buddy Doug is away I asked Brian to take it on. I'm listening to the tracks now and he's done a bang up job. Check em out.

Demos in progress

The Cougar Is Loose - DJ action here:

My drinkin' buddies Hired Geeks are putting on this monster, I'll be playin' some rekkids.

Za-ohm-bies

I've been writing songs. In my head. They all sound like The Cranberries on Tamiflu. 

Jack Mountain albums >> going, going gone >> taking a break

Hello,

This show on the 3rd of March will be the last Jack Mountain gig for the foreseeable future.

Almost all the albums are gone, I only have 10 copies of the red one left, hopefully people will take those on the 3rd. 

I still plan to do a 5th album at some point and have some songs already written but I'm taking an extended break soon so I can't see it happening for long time. 

Thanks for listening, we'll catch up soon.

JM/AZ

Hey everybody!

The Lab :: Friday 22nd August :: Catch 22 Kingsland Road

It's time for another Lab. As usual this means free entry, sweet bands and rockin' DJs.

Upstairs:

8.30 open
8.30-9.45 Jack Mountain DJ
9.45 Oroku Saki live
10.30 Real Feal live
11.15 Cleckhuddersfax live
11.30 Cleckhuddersfax DJ

With DJ Malkovitch Malkovitch betwixt the bands

Downstairs

10pm DJ Diddy Wah
12pm So So Modern DJ set

Links:

Catch:        http://www.thecatchbar.com
Oroku Saki    http://www.orokusaki.com
Real Feal    http://www.myspace.com/realfeal
Cleckhuddersfax    http://www.myspace.com/cleckhuddersfax
Diddy Wah    http://diddywah.blogspot.com/
So So Modern    http://www.myspace.com/sosomodern
Jack Mountain    http://www.myspace.com/jackmountain

Harpo Drums

So I had the thought that a couple of recent Jack songs, especially those with an 'african' jumpy feel would be better served by some drums and at least 50% more of a band treatment. Fortunately for me I know at least 3 great drummers.

Liam O'Neil, hereafter known as Harpo, stepped in and after two jams we recorded him playing in a small room, 3 mics on drums and one on my guitar, using the untrusty cassette 4 track that all this stuff is done on.

I took the tapes home, picked the takes where Harpo is sounding most like he's about to break all the bones in his wrists and reduce the drum stands to metal splinters and then rerecorded the guitar because it sounded weak, put over some vocals (all in apple's garage band - the first time I've used this) and it was done.

Apart from 1 song that has extra excited vocals, they all have 4 tracks in garage band, so it is kinda still 4 channels (ha). Well, you have the guitar and drums on one track that is then duplicated to two and panned left and right, then two vocal tracks, one distorted and another 'clean', although considering I put the mic through a drum machine amp simulator and a overdrive pedal then straight into the mic import on the laptop it's clearly not that spotless.

There's a weird effect on the guitar because some of the original guitar is still all over the drum mics, since we played loud in a little room. But I don't mind that at all.

Anyhoot, I'll put up the tracks now.

The best records I bought, borrowed or stole in 2007

Ah... End of year lists!

I was gonna hold on this but I really shouldn't buy any more bloody records this year. Spent a stupid amount already. So no, I don't wanna hear about the new Wu Tang or Ghostface and nope, even if I do get that Billy Childish new band record for Christmas then it won't make it to the list. Nor will the Cowtown CD that I expecting in the post. That's going to be good though, oh well.

If you're my bud I'll link to your list if you have one or put a link in as a comment.

And someone copy me that bloody Future of the Left album is it's so flaming good.

Getting criticisms in first and from yourself is sensible and I've noticed 3 things - a) So many American bands, b) sausage party! c) when did I stop listening to hip hop and dance orientated music? Wait, I'm white? Does dad know?

Top Bracket (1-10)

Panda Bear :: Person Pitch

How predictable! Yes no doubt a winner or thereabouts at the top of many a poll but yeah I do think it’s that good. And I don’t even like Beach Boys that much.

Skeletons And The Kings Of All Cities  :: Lucas

This chap is an underrated genius. Everything and the kitchen sink electro acoustic weirdness with tunes. Like ‘Git’ but more erm, everything.

Old Time Relijun :: Catharsis In Crisis

Just one of my favourite bands. This something of a summary of all their previous records: warbling exclamations, monster mash guitar, tigers, demons, temples, honking horns and an elastic rhythm section.

The Ohsees :: Sucks Blood

John Dwyer. What a diamond. Ohsees put out two e.p.s as well this year (perhaps more, it's hard keeping up with this guy). It's fair to say that this band is something of an influence on Jack Mountain music.

Castanets :: In The Vines

Kelly got me into Castanets this year. All his records are fantastical and apparently there’s a new one on the way early 2008. We’ll go again and see him again when he plays. Twice.

Les Savy Fav :: Let’s Stay Friends

Now with dual guitar muscle. The best USA indie rock band by a long beard.

Pre :: Epic Fits

Puts a big dumb smile on my mug.

Slaraffenland :: Private Cinema

Danish slumber rock with chilly jazzy jams. Ha, that sounds awful doesn't it? I like this a lot though.

Dig That Body Up It’s Alive :: A Corpse Is Forever

‘Dwyer’ means ‘Dark One’ according to a character in The Invisibles. This was recorded in 2002 but was released in 2007. Life vs. Death metal.

Pifco :: Tape

A late entry arrived in the post a week ago so it could just be a crush but who cares? I put it on, played it, played it again, played it again etc. Inspired boy/girl pronking. The best bands in the UK seem to come from 2 places right now... Leeds and Bristol.

Also pretty pretty pretty pretty pretty good (alphabetically):

Aa  :: Gaame
Animal Collective :: Strawberry Jam
Blonde Redhead :: 23
Deerhoof :: Friend Opportunity
The Fucking Champs :: VI
HEALTH :: HEALTH
Iron & Wine :: The Shepherd's Dog
Jana Hunter :: There's No Home
Liars :: Liars
Marnie Stern :: In Advance Of The Broken Arm
Meneguar :: Strangers In Our House
Nina Nastasia and Jim White :: You Follow Me
Wooden Shjips :: Wooden Shjips
Ratatat :: Ratatat Remixes Mixtape Volume 2 (free http://www.ratatatmusic.com/)
The Sailplanes :: A Second, Or Ten Years Later
Scout Niblet :: This Fool Can Die Now
Shannon Wright :: Let In The Light
Shellac :: Excellent Italian Greyhound

Enjoyed but not the whole enchilada (alphabetically):

AIDS Wolf vs. Athletic Automaton :: Clash Of The Life-Force Warriors
Chromeo :: Fancy Footwork
Enon :: Grass Geysers...Carbon Clouds
Maps & Atlases :: Tree, Swallows, Houses
Okkervil River :: The Stage Names
Yacht :: I Believe In You, Your Magic Is real
This Is My Condition :: Cut Loose
Thurston Moore :: Trees Outside The Academy
Trans Am :: Sex Change
Two Gallants :: Two Gallants

Alright but not as tasty as expected (sucked in by the hype)

Battles :: Mirrored
Deerhunter :: Cryptograms
No Age :: Weirdo Rippers
Pissed Jeans :: Pissed Jeans

Thanks to Theo GB for letting me steal a lot of music and to Will H for suggesting some things I had never heard of.

Oh and update! I got the Cowtown record. It is indeed vee vee good.

Now www.jackmountainsound.co.uk

Here's an easier to remember URL than the blog one

www.jackmountainsound.co.uk

That should always point to here and the nice folk at easyspace have set it up so it 'masks' the other URL when you come in through the new one.

JM