Oh, folks.
Happy Fourth of July.
It’s time to conclude this week’s auditory adventure. And, honestly, nothing says ‘MURICA quite like Mono, a Japanese post-rock band.
Recorded an engineered at Electrical Audio in Chicago by Albini, the session occurred right around the time I took my first tour of the studio. Intern Andrew sure went on to do big things. Mono later released Hymn To The Immortal Wind, which I think was the last album that was recorded by Albini. For My Parents — although quite good — I don’t think is on par with the two previous albums. And nothing can touch Walking Cloud And Deep Red Sky… which is still as stunning as I remember it being the first time I heard it. I wish I remembered the name of my press contact at TRL from when I was in college. He or she would literally send me every single release on the the label and I would write them up for one of the two college newspapers I wrote for, because back in those years (2002-2005) TRL was putting out gold more consistently than any other label in the country. Touch & Go was doing alright too at that time. Shipping News, Nina Nastasia, Enon… Both labels were also really good about getting me into shows and scoring me interviews, too. My interview with Explosions In The Sky way back in…was it 2003? 2004? After chatting with drummer Chris Hrasky for twenty or thirty minutes he let me buy a copy of How Strange, Innocence on vinyl. I think they were only selling one or two of those per night on the tour (and considering what they sell for now, how could you blame them for micro-managing how many they sold in each city!). So not only did I benefit from getting hooked up with free shows and the ability to back-door my way into some merch, I also benefited in that I got to interview and photograph a ton of amazing artists. Like EITS, and Lazarus, and Mono, who I saw at the First Unitarian Church in Philly right around the time Walking Cloud… was released. I still think that was one of my favorite concerts in college. Bardo Pond opened. It was awesome. There was a guy at the venue who taped both sets that night, and I got his address so I could send him blank CDrs to get a copy of the show. I posted Mono’s set here a few years ago along with the review that ran in the school paper. Deerhoof and Danielson family were fun. Songs: Ohia was awesome. Or were they Magnolia Electric Co. by then. Ah, whatever. I’m babbling.
I think Mono sold some CD copies of The Phoenix Tree on their US tour in 2007. Either that or TRL just sent me a copy. Come to think of it, I don’t know how the fuck I got this thing. Maybe they had extras and they just sold them online? Who the fuck knows. God, where does the time go?
Happy 4th of July, everyone. Much love to you all. Be safe.
Mono
The Phoenix Tree
(Temporary Residence, LTD – TIC22, 2007)
01. Gone [MP3]
02. Black Rain
03. Rainbow
04. Little Boy (1945 – Future)
