have any of you guys heard of this band from vancouver? just found out they're opening for coldplay this month and was wondering if anyone had any opinions or recommendations on them?

Their album is really good. However, not sure how they will go down with the Coldplay crowd. Not particualry interesting live - but check out the record it is very strong.

I like their album. I'm going to see Coldplay tonight in Montreal so I'll let you know if they're any good live.

so how was Black Mountain last night?

This album is GREAT. It definitely deserves more attention.

j.

That'd be a good name for a Black Metal band.

vancouver bc?

Canadian, yeah, but not sure where precisely.

j.

so, what do these guys sound like?

"Musical comparisons aside, the Black Mountain full-length is one part protest song, one part pop-cultural commentary, and one part sick-groove-rock casserole peppered with mesmerizing ballads and intoxicating ditties. Their debut self-titled record, like a space probe built of erector set parts and transmitting secret and arcane messages to earth by string, charts territories unknown yet remains grounded by the roots of classic rock and roll. It is easy to discern these roots: Black Sabbath, the Velvet Underground, the Rolling Stones, Animals-era Pink Floyd, Blue Cheer, Led Zeppelin and Can. Stephen McBean's vocals are a smoother, bluesier amalgam of the voices of Neil Young, Mick Jagger and perhaps a James Brown loaded on cough syrup. Amber Webber's vocals are something other-worldly and, by itself, almost incomparable."

*becomes excited*

um, is this kinda accurate?

with roots like those these guys could turn out to be quite good. i need to get some of their stuff then.

would i lie to you, friend?

this thread made me take my shirt off

i'll bet good money that if you listen to track 1, you'll really want to hear track 2

This, right here, has the makings of one of the worst Keyboard Bands ever, folks.

"Black Mountain are about as referential as they come. But despite the obvious touchstones-- which, incidentally, fucking rule-- the band are affable and idiosyncratic enough to win over those who passed on recent retrofits like Comets on Fire's Blue Cathedral or My Morning Jacket's It Still Moves, and make those records' admirers practically cream themselves."

*creams self*

Black Mountain - Black Mountain

Modern Music - Horns, off-kilter drums and a song structure that seems to build and slide away over and over again;

Don't Run Our Hearts Around - The bounce of the Sabbath-lite riff happily propels the show until the psychadelic stopstart midsection and then comes back to march out doubletime;

Druganaut - Lopes along at its own pace, almost an instrumental save the "ooh oohs", "ah ahs" and the amped up quasi chorus;

No Satisfaction - Not a cover. A busy melody, accentuated by piano, that shows promise;

Set Us Free - Longish, slowburner that tastefully uses a tom rhythm and a salt shaker garnish. A pronounced twin guitar attack eventually crests a little after five minutes and then fades out. Think a downtempo God Is In The Radio;

No Hits - My least favourite song on the album. Features a long obtuse sound collage through the middle and then tails off with more noisy meh;

Heart Of Snow - Glacial acoustic verses mesh rather well with the roar of the chorus and outro;

Faulty Times - Another long hippy number that pleasantly rolls along to a fairly amicable conclusion.

Sorry for the bad review. It's 4 AM. Here's a real review, much of which I agree with:

BLACK MOUNTAIN
Black Mountain
(Jagjaguwar)
Rating: 3
by Jill LaBrack

You know when you take a college literature class? And there's that guy? That one guy who at first impresses you. He's smart (probably smarter than you), adding comments to the professor's lecture that you take down in your notebook. The first month of the semester goes by and you start to really dislike him. He can still impress you with his intellect, but it's become overkill. He can't utter a statement without referencing something obscure that he's read. He incorporates dramatic pauses into his speech, right before he chooses the perfect four-syllable word. On good days, you want to take him aside and tell him he doesn't have to try so hard to impress. On bad days, you'd like to break into his apartment and catch him doing something simply human, like eating too many cupcakes or laughing through an entire episode of Everybody Loves Raymond.

Black Mountain, the band, is the musical equivalent of this guy. Their self-titled CD sounds like it was an attempt at something especially grandiose. Not that there's anything wrong with that. More bands out there should give off the appearance of having a vision of some sort or another, instead of a collection of songs designed to be "cool". But it goes awry for Black Mountain, devolving into a collection of musical segments that prove that the members have really important record collections and strong political views. The crucial thing that is missing is internal inspiration.

Each of these nine songs, in some form or another, shows promise. The opener, "Modern Music", starts as a cross between Railroad Jerk and Shudder to Think. The lyrics are clever, poking fun at the music industry. Then, less than a minute into it, the music draws back (drums all over the place, horns blaring indiscriminately) and Stephen McBean lets loose his over-the-top whisper. This voice, obviously an important instrument in the group, fills the spaces with self-important drama. It's too precious at times and just plain used in the wrong way. No matter how many times I listened to this and worked on just accepting his voice, which is often great, it would switch to the theatrical, and I wouldn't care again. You can just picture Mr. McBean onstage, arms outstretched in his best Jesus pose. But the vocal theatrics are only part of the problem. The music is another area of bombast. Songs start and stop in a way that feels like a rusty carnival ride. There are soulful beginnings, metal-sludge middles, and Phil Spector-ish melodies, but the parts never equal a whole. It's like a college-rock version of rap meets metal; there's a select group who think it's a good idea, and not too many of them care much about music. This band obviously cares a great deal about music. But it's got to be more than playing different versions of a favorite outside piece, tying it together, and calling it a song. It's got to be more than technique and talented musicians.

Here's the thing: I get the sense that Black Mountain could be great. Stephen McBean does nothing if not ooze seriousness and brains on this record. He just needs to rely on his instincts more, instead of his influences. He's got a fantastic vocal counterpart in Amber Webber, who should be heard by the masses. The lyrics verge on the poetic. The production is dead on. All we need is for this guy to stop raising his hand in class every damn minute and wow us with an eloquent, moving speech at the end of the semester. A little subtlety and withholding can go a very long way.