New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Sometimes the only way to move forward is to take a step back. Relax, unfocus, and gradually a larger image will come into view. The Mountain Carol's brand new single "Dino" provides a decadent dip into this state of introspective relaxation, with atmospheric, electro-pop sounds providing a calming yet equally inspiring aura for reflection and exploration. The first single off their upcoming debut album Starkiller and the Banshees, "Dino" provides a delicious taste of the band's latest work. Its video provides a tease of mystery, and possible answers into a greater story. IndieMinded premiered the track, saying, "...reminiscent of The Talking Heads having lunch with David Bowie, The Mountain Carol have a sound that will bring you in immediately. "
The band's music often centers on the everlasting feeling of yearning, searching, and seeking of gratification. "There is a lot to search for, isn't there? Searching comes from wanting, and anything that is wanted must be sought and found. Many Mountain Carol songs involve this adventure." The band teased the meaning of the track, "The title of this track is not pronounced "DYE-NO" but "DEAN-O," as in Dean Martin— one of The Mountain Carol's biggest influences. We don't like to get too specific about lyrics, so as not to spoil each listener's individual magic." Coming out of the North Country of upstate New York, the band revel in mystery and riddles, forcing listeners to awaken from their slumber and discover their own path to conclusions.
The Mountain Carol's journey towards creating their new release wasn't always easy. "'Dino' was the first vocal track to be recorded for Starkiller and the Banshees, and Bruce was still in the late stages of laryngitis at the time. Yet we all agreed it was the most emotionally powerful delivery of all the songs on the record." The trio recorded with engineer James Ward at Wayward Sound Studio in Plattsburgh, NY.
Following in the themes of past videos with storylines abound, "Dino" introduces a mysterious new character, for which the band only replied with further questions; "this sailor in black, who is he, and what is he searching for? Is he related to any other figures we've seen?" Always pioneers of the DIY-effort, the band self-shot, produced and edited the visual creation. Filmed on the banks of the Saranac River in Plattsburgh, NY, "Dino" explores the complicated experience of friendship and love, showcasing two characters conversing in the snowfall. Without sound to their exchange and dispute, it only leads to further questions, as the searching for answers continues, waiting to be unearthed with the rest of the release.
Starkiller and the Banshees will be released via Third Eye Industries on June 1, 2018 and is available for pre-order now, in digital and CD formats through the band's Bandcamp. "Dino" is out everywhere now for stream and purchase, including Spotify, Apple Music, and Bandcamp.
UPCOMING SHOWS
May 4 - Scout Victory Circle, Winooski, VT
June 1 - Monopole Bar, Plattsburgh, NY [Album Release Show]
Quite possibly the most important band to come out of the North Country, The Mountain Carol broke all pre-existing rules of regional success with their atmospheric, jazzy electro-pop and quickly found themselves at the top of the heap with few true contenders.
Forged from the ashes of Townshendesque power-pop group The Tavi in 2011 and led by two reclusive musical stalwarts from the backwater town of Saranac, NY, a name more associated with a popular beer than popular music, the project took shape after guitarist Austtin Petrashune returned home from a hiatus-causing 2-year stint as a costumed fiddle player in a Hong Kong amusement park. Meanwhile, in between shifts at his day job as a parcel delivery driver, keyboardist and primary songwriter Bruce Wilson had forsaken the drums to hone his chops on the piano, developing a playing style reminiscent of jazz maestro Dave Brubeck while retaining the best of his long-beloved 60s pop influences, in particular the compositional ambition of Pet Sounds-era Beach Boys, crafting danceable epics accompanied by the quaint drum machine of a broken Casio MT-500 keyboard.
After a period of in-studio experimentation, gig-seeking frustration, and failed attempts at past-present reconciliation, Petrashune and Bruce struck oil when they reached out to upstate indie impresario Matt Hall, a multi-talented and well-connected Syracuse-cum-Plattsburgh native creative known for his innumerable bootstrapped musical releases under several aliases including, but not limited to, Marco Polio, Chakra Abuse, and Antwon Levee (not to mention his notoriety as auteur of the satirical online variety show affectionately titled "TRASHburgh"). Although a seasoned gigging drummer with Adirondack punk firebrands Comrade Nixon, infamous defunct rap collective Plattsburgh Home Team, and a short service in retro yawn-rock royalty Broken Arrow Hearts, among many others, Hall left his comfort zone to accept a position as The Mountain Carol's percussionist, manager, and, for their first demo, de-facto producer. A Roland Octapad now pollinating The Mountain Carol's spacious downtempo surf-funk with heavy accents equally inspired by dub and doom metal, the group was able expand their tonal palette far beyond their local contemporaries while keeping the edgy, improvisatory sensibility congruent with both the stoned Bonnaroo attendee and discerning hipster alike. While the band's eponymous debut EP was released in a relatively straightforward manner, The Mountain Carol seems intent on manipulating the modern music consumer, releasing a trickle of live recordings, music videos, and cryptic artistic statements through a variety of media channels, and often first via their mysterious subscription fan-club "The Divine Council." Their debut album, Starkiller and the Banshees, has been announced for release in June 1, 2018 on Third Eye Industries.
