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Speck Mountain
Psychedelic / Ambient / Gospel



Chicago, Illinois
United States

Profile Views:  107023




Last Login:  12/10/2009
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   Speck Mountain: General Info
Member Since1/30/2006
Band MembersSpeck Mountain is:

Marie-Claire Balabanian- Vocals, Guitar, Bass

Karl Briedrick- Guitar, Bass

Christopher Dye- Percussion

InfluencesFidelity
Sounds LikeSome Sweet Relief --- CD/LP

Summer Above --- CD/LP

Blood Is Clean --- CDS/7"

Record LabelCarrot Top, Burnt Brown Sounds
Type of LabelIndie


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Speck Mountain's Latest Blog Entry  [Subscribe to this Blog]

EU Tour Canceled  (view more)

Breakthru Radio Session  (view more)

European Tour in November!  (view more)

SM Sponsored by Swart Amplifiers!  (view more)

New York State Tour confirmed!  (view more)

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   About Speck Mountain
Speck Mountain are an ambient-soul band possessed as much by the grit of southern soul as the spell of infinite drones. Co-leaders Karl Briedrick and Marie-Claire Balabanian provoke each other with intuitive, womb-curled melody, exploded texture, and spiky, strutting rhythm—and so far I’m just talking about the guitars. Marie-Claire also keeps a full-sized Aretha loaded in her throat like some kind of ungodly spring reverb, but has the sense to only let her uncoil just enough, never overdoing it. Karl and Marie-Claire fill out the songs with lyrics in thrall to the mysteries of compulsion, and the ache and rapture of giving in.

Sonically Speck Mountain are in thrall to vintage effects and recording techniques, although they’re always looking for the future rather than the past. Their studio mixes are subtle and painstaking, booby-trapped all over with headphone-happy detail. Their live sets project a loose, narcotic swagger, taking off from atmospheric majesty into full-on hypnotic assault.

Signed to Carrot Top Records, Karl and Marie-Claire continue to run the Burnt Brown Sounds label out of Chicago.

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Speckmountain@gmail.com

US Press Contact: Jrogers@greenlightgopublicity.com / 248.336.9696

UK Press Contact: Will@inhousepress.com / 0161 228 2070

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Press for SOME SWEET RELIEF:

GLASSWERKS (UK) - "Who has the balls to make a record like this these days?"

THE TIMES (UK) - "4/5. what matters here is the voice of Marie-Claire Balabanian, which carves out a territory bordered on the one side by Hope Sandoval and Margo Timmins, and on the other side by Chan Marshall and Neko Case. Meanwhile, the guitarist, Karl Briedrick, takes his cues from the Velvets’ third album and late-1960s Stones."

Q - "a heavily addictive, comfortably numbing kind of experience."

MOJO - "their echoey shimmer has the ghostly quality of mist on the bayou."

KEXP - "sends a medulla-melting euphoria through the base of one’s skull."

NPR - "...dreamy, impressionistic, and ambient. Like sunlight shining through a gauzy curtain, Balabanian's rich vocals are simultaneously hazy, distant and piercing."

PREFIX MAG - 8/10 "I could sit here all day and write about Balabanian's beautiful voice, or the collection of dreamy songs on Some Sweet Relief. I could keep rambling on about the intricate guitar work and bittersweet atmosphere of the album. I could discuss its subtle moves between pop and country and soul and R&B. But, in the end, it isn't these things, taken together or separately, that make the album great. In the end, the way Some Sweet Relief comes together is inexplicable, in a way."

SKYSCRAPER - “Moony roots pop…the groups gentle psychedelia is amply thinned with the laid-back folk-rock of the 1970’s and layered over VU-style hypnotically churning bluesy rhythm beds."

ALL MUSIC - 4/5 Stars "For those raised on dream pop bands and space rock songs, Some Sweet Relief sounds somewhat timeless, a 40-minute offering of neo-psych gospel that's more polished, more promising, and altogether stronger than most of the band's contemporaries."

VENUS - 4.5/5 Stars “Balabanian’s voice leads the way from soft coos to bluesy wails. Pulsating electric guitar riffs, creepy organ chords, and campfire-style backing harmonies round out each track, practically compelling the listener to lay back, turn out the lights, and stay awake until the last note fades."

OTHER MUSIC (NYC) - "The songs are all slow and hazy, with a bit of the cosmic gospel inflection you hear in Spiritualized, or perhaps what a grittier take on Beach House might sound like... Great stuff, and I can't wait to hear what they do next."

PICCADILLY RECORDS (UK) - "Simply beautiful."

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   Speck Mountain's Friend Space (Top 20)
Speck Mountain has 2321 friends.
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Speck Mountain's Friends Comments
Displaying 25 of 215 comments  ( View All | Add Comment )
niñoradio

niñoradio
Online Now!


Dec 10 2009 10:39 PM


Pretty Boy Convoy

Pretty Boy Convoy



Dec 10 2009 10:38 PM

Hey! Thanks for being our friend and KEEP ROCKIN! ;)

xoxoxoxox

*Gabby*
tate

tate



Nov 28 2009 7:54 PM

happy tofurkey to you and yours
MASTERFACE

MASTERFACE



Nov 23 2009 9:48 PM

Damn.

This is so simple and good. Why don't people get it? This is how a good record can sound; effortless and sweet and close and real. 
Good job. Thanks. 
echochild

Ricardo Gaße



Nov 3 2009 8:53 PM

Some Sweet Relief LP ---->
Really love it.

Hideki Takimoto

Hideki Takimoto
Online Now!


Nov 2 2009 7:15 AM

The Idle Kings

The Idle Kings



Oct 23 2009 7:54 AM

Thanks for the add.  This is some really chill stuff, I like it a lot.
arabian horses

arabian horses



Oct 20 2009 7:16 PM

ironlight river

ironlight river



Oct 20 2009 7:15 PM

hey guys...

..what happened to the uk tour dates?

- andy.
x
arabian horses

arabian horses



Oct 11 2009 7:30 PM

SRCE KOMETE

SRCE KOMETE



Sep 30 2009 11:03 PM

hello from belgrade, serbia..Keep up the good work !
Darlene S.

Darlene S. Kirkland



Sep 29 2009 11:10 PM



cheers!
Miguel Tutera

Miguel Tutera



Sep 28 2009 11:06 PM

greetings from chile!
some sweet relief: for me one of the best releases of the year.
respect!
Sharon Van Etten

Sharon Van Etten



Sep 15 2009 6:34 PM

Thinking of you...


Bambles

Bambles



Sep 15 2009 5:41 PM

dizzle!?
CHAZ le retour!! le pire reste a venir

CHAZ le retour!! le pire reste a venir



Sep 12 2009 11:57 PM

hello marie claire! it's charly! what's up? i heard, you come  in france at about october. i would be very happy to see you! answear me  when you have the time. kiss
Pablo (www.twitter.com/pablomusic)

Pablo (www.twitter.com/pablomusic)



Sep 9 2009 2:19 PM

How are you, Speck Mountain? Haven't checked in on you lately, so I swung by to say Happy Labor Day & hope you are feeling well! Listen, I have another track up on my page, "Attack Of The Mushroom People."
You can hear it right now, if you'd like at:
www.myspace.com/psychedelicpablo
adios for now!
Pablo
AMUL9

AMUL9



Aug 24 2009 11:44 PM

THANX FOR THE SUPPORT! LET'S ROCK A SHOW SOMETIME! PEACE.
Army Of Infants

Army Of Infants



Aug 23 2009 7:04 PM

Hey just thought we would let you know we have a new tune "Sonic Destructive", so stop by and check it out, and tell a friend or two.............maybe three if your feeling crazy!

thanks
AOI
MARKILO ALLEN

MARKILO ALLEN



Aug 20 2009 5:50 PM

Get This from CyArena.com

Send to Friends email
I WANTED TO SAY HELLO AND ENCOURAGE YOU TO STAY PRAYERFUL NO MATTER WHAT SITUATIONS YOU HAVE GOING ON IN YOUR LIFE RIGHT NOW.
tate

tate



Aug 20 2009 2:09 PM

come play bele chere next year, bands everywhere, and 100,000 people walking the streets. HOPE all is well with all of you!

tate
Snow Creation & Trumpetman

Snow Creation & Trumpetman



Jul 23 2009 5:44 PM

New song up: PLAYGROUND
Went To The Forest

Went To The Forest



Jul 23 2009 5:44 PM

Hope you're having a great day
tate

tate



Jul 22 2009 9:32 AM

last night was killer. Opening act til the end of your set, I think it really worked out well. I hope it was worth your drive, I know you gained some new fans and pleased some "speckie's"(HA!)
tate

tate



Jul 22 2009 9:32 AM

tomorrow you'll be in town, Im hoping for a good turnout, at the very least you'll have made one fan really happy.
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