Unfortunately it appears the 3D video experiment from iPix has not gone well, and the video got corrupted from the stage vibrations. We were all excited to potentially have some wiked cool video of the Alta Mira release show.. Sorry!

First published in print: Friday, January 15, 2010

CAPITAL REGION MUSIC  

Alta Mira, "Alta Mira" (Indian Ledge)

You can lose yourself on the journey through this intriguing CD, the first full-length album by one of the Capital Region's most highly acclaimed bands. It's imaginative, expertly produced and a showcase for the strong, expressive vocals of Joe Michon-Huneau. 

It's not always easy, however. Promotional material from Indian Ledge Records in Delmar describes the songs as "poetic, intricate, textured, time shifting, art rock" that "challenge the listener's ears, emotions and expectations." 

Original Link http://www.inyourspeakers.com/content/alta-mira-alta-mira

Albany, NY based Alta Mira's eponymous debut has been over two years in the making and gives off every impression of being a labor of love. The album flows more smoothly than expected, given the wide range of moods it covers. The time and effort put into this album shows not just in the well put together package of songs, but also in the comfort the band clearly feels with the material. There is a confidence in these songs not usually found on a debut album.

According to the band, the environment of Barefoot Studios, where the album was recorded, was highly influential on the finished product. Barefoot Studios is a large studio space housed in a former mental hospital. Bassist August Sagehorn likened the place to Hell in an interview with the Albany Daily Gazette. But the dark mood that atmosphere must have inspired does not completely permeate the album. It is difficult to pin down a specific emotional tone for the album as a whole; indeed it is sometimes difficult to pin down the emotional tone of individual tracks. Many of the songs go through several tempo changes while vocalist Joe Michon-Huneau effortlessly brings the audience along for the ride.

Alta Mira has already been compared to a multitude of different musical acts, ranging from Radiohead to the Beatles. All of these influences are clear on the album, and with so many influences pulling the band in so many directions, it would be tempting to classify Alta Mira as an album with too many personalities. But that would not be fair. The band's influences are clearly stamped on their sound, but they have done something unique with all of it, and created something new.

While Michon-Huneau's vocals are quite flashy and seem to overshadow much of the album, a close listen shows Sagehorn's bass to be more of a driving force. Sagehorn steers the songs seamlessly into one another, allowing Michon-Huneau to dazzle us with his not inconsiderable talent. Nowhere is this dynamic more apparent than in “Sinker/Or” with Sagehorn's modest, yet powerful instrument gently steering the song.

In fact, August Sagehorn dominates the album enough that it is sometimes to the detriment of his brother, Hunter, the band’s lead guitarist. The only tracks of the album in which Hunter manages to outshine his brother is the excellent “Din & Drone” and “Harder They Fall” which manage to feature the guitar playing above the competing efforts of singer and bassist. Underneath the overpowering talents of Michon-Huneau and his brother August, Hunter Sagehorn does display a promising ability, and one hopes that further releases from this band will allow him greater opportunity to shine. But on this disc, he is underwhelming, or at least seems that way in comparison to his bandmates.

Drummer Tommy Krebs, while also playing second to Sagehorn's bass and the vocals, holds his own. Unfortunately, he never has a moment to truly shine, though he comes close in the prog-rock style “Harder They Fall,” a track that brings the Mars Volta to mind. Krebs opens the track with some deft work, though it quickly takes a backseat to the Sagehorn brothers’ intricate playing.

Posted on December 31st, 2009 (2:27 pm) by Andrea Martin

Original Link: http://www.nippertown.com/2009/12/04/cd-alta-miras-alta-mira (Indian Ledge Records, 2009) We first heard Alta Mira three years ago, when they were sharing the stage with the haunting Lisa Germano at Valentine’s Music Hall. We immediately became fans. A year later, the young quartet released their debut disc on Indian Ledge Records. The EP “Fables and Fabrications” caught a lot of ears and garnered the band lots of great press. Now they’re finally unleashing their first full-length album. It’s about time. And it’s worth the wait. Alta Mira’s sound is difficult to pin down. It’s certainly not any kind of straight-forward rock formula. It’s complex, intoxicating. This is challenging stuff. Joe Michon-Huneau’s passionate, open-hearted vocals immediately leap to front-and-center, while drummer Tommy Krebs and brothers Hunter and August Sagehorn (on bass and guitar, respectively) mold the songs with intricate, imaginative arrangements like seasoned sonic sculptors. Tempos and moods shift 180-degrees in a heartbeat. And back again. Is it art-rock anchored in funk? It shimmers as much as it shakes. It’s delicate, yet dynamic. It’s purposefully disorienting. There’s genuine drama here. Take, for example, “The End of My,” which sounds something like Jeff Buckley singing an incredibly contagious Marshall Crenshaw song backed by the Police’s Andy Summer. And that’s followed by the compelling, yet understated instrumental “Interlude.” The band’s sound has drawn comparisons to such diverse influences as Radiohead, Incubus, the Beatles, Talking Heads, Verve Pipe, XTC, Jerry Cantrell, the Mars Volta, Tool, the Sea and Cake. They’re all right. And all wrong. Alta Mira’s music unfolds at its own pace to reveal its altogether unique inner beauty. Alta Mira celebrates the release of their self-titled album debut at Revolution Hall in Troy on Saturday (December 5). They’re calling it “The Alta Mira CD Release Experiment,” and the festivities includes art installations, interactive 360-degree video and music by Alta Mira, Railbird, Matthew Loiacono and Matt Durfee. Doors open at 7pm. Admission is $10, which includes a copy of the new CD.

WEXT-Exit 97.7 November CD Spotlight: Alta Mira

Local 518 band Alta Mira's self-titled debut took nearly two years in and out of Barefoot Studios to record, but the wait was worth it. The result is an album full of poetic, intricate, textured and time-shifting art rock. The complete album package will be available to the public on December 5 at the album release party at Revolution Hall in Troy, NY but you can secure your copy now when you support the eclectic music mix of Exit 97.7 - WEXT.

Alta Mira It’s been two long years since Metroland named Alta Mira the region’s Best New Band, and so there’d been some speculation that the category might carry a curse similar to that of being featured on the cover. [Ed.—We have determined the curse to be a myth.] As it turns out, the quartet had simply been cloistered away at Barefoot Studios in Massachusetts honing material for this, their full-length debut, the inaugural record for Albany upstart label Indian Ledge Records. Thankfully, all that attention to detail has paid off, as Alta Mira is a powerfully mature offering that doesn’t shy away from either art-rock grandeur or radio viability. Vocalist Joe D. Michon-Huneau doesn’t hesitate to display all that his sterling pipes can do, with a post-emo penchant for musical theatrics that ranges from Jeff Buckley confessional to Cedric Bixler-Zavala virtuosic. But as much as Michon-Huneau dominates the disc, brothers Hunter and August Sagehorn (guitar and bass, respectively) shape it. Standout tracks like “Sinker/Or,” with its Sea and Cake lilt, and “Slumberjack,” built on a bed of fuzz bass, prove that the band are hiding some serious chops behind their economic songcraft. Like a post-Radiohead Andy Summers, Hunter prefers to play delicate time-signature games with his brother and drummer Tommy Krebs rather than take a solo, and “Harder They Fall” succumbs to outward because-we-can prog-rock. Dig the hazy “Interlude” for what the instrumental trio can do by their lonesome. Graced with the kind of masterly production that used to be reserved for major-label acts, this is a serious disc from a band with serious aspirations. More than shake a curse, this one should set Alta Mira up for loftier superlatives. —Josh Potter

Original Link - http://www.exit977.org/cdspotlight/2009/1109altamira.htm Local 518 band, Alta Mira's self-titled debut is our November 2009 CD spotlight. Get a copy when you support the music. Alta Mira spent nearly two years in and out of Barefoot Studios in Massachusetts laying down the tracks for what would become their debut full length album. The self titled LP is a follow up to 2007’s “Fables and Fabrications EP”. Alta Mira has expanded upon their perfectionist ways and has created a layered, sonic album that combines their growing knowledge of precise studio practices with the expertise of the production team. The band partnered with Grammy award winning Studio Engineer Corin Nelsen at Imaginary Road Studios and the final mastering was completed by world renowned Bob Ludwig at Gateway Mastering. Nick Cosimano, CEO of Indian Ledge Records says "After two years of hard work, I am extremely proud to announce the release of Alta Mira's first full length self titled CD. Nothing good comes quickly, but all of Alta Mira's work has paid off, and we've got something quite unique on our hands." Alta Mira’s music can be described as poetic, intricate, textured, time shifting, art rock. Alta Mira’s songs challenge listener’s ears, emotions, and expectations. Singer Joe Michon-Huneau’s poetry and storytelling brings you on a journey that is colorfully painted by the bands ability to dynamically illustrate a soundscape. Michon-Huneau delicately prods you at the end of the album to “Go back to your sitcom stars. Just go. Get back to those daytime drama wars. I know they’ll miss you, too.” as if slyly and socially remarking on his separation anxiety. He reminds us that we the listeners have been taken out of our comfort zones into Alta Mira’s world for the past 52 minutes. The songs are intricate blends of organic drumming by Tommy Krebs thrown down in bursts and rolls that make you wonder if he has three arms. Lyrics that are beautiful, powerful, melodic, and at times disturbing from Joe Michon-Huneau sift their way in and out of the lead roll like Indian sprints from high school track practice. August Sagehorn’s elaborate bass playing meanders through the rhythm and melody while keeping a solid foundation for brother Hunter Sagehorn’s guitar, which is sometimes agitated and coarse and other times elegantly bare and soothing. The complete album package will be available to the public on Dec 5th at The Alta Mira Release Experiment at The Revolution Hall in Troy, NY.

http://www.indiemusictech.com/music_marketing_for_indie/2009/11/5-music-...

The Future of Music Coalition has put together a great video primer on Net Neutrality everyone should watch

Original Link: http://futureofmusic.org/blog/2009/10/26/net-neutrality-video-primer