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.

In the spotlight
December 3, 2009 Alta Mira

Capital Region up-and-comer Alta Mira is throwing a party Saturday night to celebrate the release of its new self-titled CD, but it's not all about Alta Mira. This show features a number of prominent artists; Railbird, Matthew Loiacono and Matt Durfee.

In fact, the event is billed as "the Alta Mira CD Release Experiment."

There will be cutting-edge 360-degree video being filmed, and large-scale sculpture and light-based installations will be interspersed throughout the venue. Collaboration will be the underlying theme of the evening.

That and music. Recorded at Barefoot Studios in Massachusetts over a two-year period, the new album shows that the band -- Tommy Krebs (drums, mandolin, piano, vocals) Hunter Sagehorn (guitar, banjo, slide, piano vocals) August Sagehorn (bass, vocals) and Joe Michon-Huneau (vocals) -- have taken it up a level since 2007's "Fables and Fabrications."

From the riveting "Tambourine," soothing "Sinker/Or," sinister "Slumberjack" and the layered "Harder The Fall," as a unit Alta Mira has grown far more compelling and intriguing, as singer Michon-Huneau has come into his own with his impassioned delivery and conviction.

At a recession-friendly $10, this could be the party of the year. Don't miss it.

When: 8 p.m. Saturday
Where: Revolution Hall, 425 River St., Troy
Tickets: $10
Info: 274-0553; http://www.revolutionhall.com/

-David Malachowski

Alta Mira and Indian Ledge Records in conjunction with Guthrie/Bell Productions are working with filmmakers, friends, musicians, maniacs, and artists to present a truly unique experience that is being dubbed “The Alta Mira CD Release Experiment”. The event will present collaboration on a grand scale and feature an eclectic mix of music from Alta Mira, Railbird, Matthew Loiacono, and Matt Durfee. The Revolution Hall in Troy, NY will be transformed into a space that excites your ears, your eyes, your taste buds, and your touch. Oh, and it will be a great place to party too! The fun kicks off at 7PM, and $10 will get you into the show, and a copy of the new Alta Mira CD! There will be plenty of contests and surprises awaiting participants that night too.

The experiment doesn’t stop with basic procedures… everyone in attendance can play a part in the operation. We are excited to be working with IPIX, a company from Cohoes, NY that has patented some extremely unique technology. IPIX will be filming 360 degree video of the release experiment. We intend to compile the footage into an interactive documentary of the affair. Viewers will be able to revisit the experience as an engaging film where one can zoom in and out, walk around onstage, and turn around on the screen with the click of a mouse, essentially creating a different experience every time you “participate” in the video.

Large scale sculptural and light based installations will convert the Revolution Hall into a venue for the delight of your senses. Melanie O’Malley and Alta Mira will be the masterminds behind the installations and have been concocting objects and working at the drawing board to create a visually and sonically pleasing environment. Melanie recently had a hand in the wildly enjoyable “Paper Girl” project in downtown Albany where enthusiastic artists hand delivered art to an unsuspecting public via bicycle. Melanie also participated in the Flux event at St. Joseph’s church in Albany. At the Rev Hall, Alta Mira’s contributions will take the form of a radiant stage design, and their choices of exceptional musicians to share the stage truly complement and accentuate the collaborative night. You may want to bring your sunglasses. Ok no more hints for now.

Musically we can only say that you are sure to hear some beautiful folk, intricate rock, wacky psychedelia, acoustic finger picking, mandolin, banjo, keys, harmonica, sing-alongs, tambourines, and a whole slew of other music-making devices. There will be poetry galore in the form of delicate vocals and some primal, emotionally charged wailing. The only thing we know for sure is that the bands will deliver something new and exciting.
The Alta Mira CD Release Experiment is a follow up to the release event for the Alta Mira “Fables and Fabrication EP” in late 2007. If you were lucky enough to get into that sold out show at Red Square you will remember how exciting the event was for both the ears and the eyes. December 5th is going to be even bigger and better. Indian Ledge Records believes the release of a great CD requires a grand kickoff to celebrate all the hard work that has gone into making the music. You won’t want to miss it.

IPIX is a super cool company that creates 360 degree interactive video. The technology is really just astounding. Basically viewers are able to navigate around the video screen and zoom into areas you want to investigate further, turn around and check out a different section of the room. So in actuality if you wanted to see what kind of shoes Tommy wears behind that drum kit you can zoom right in and walk right up to him.

IPIX is going to be shooting 360 degree video on December 5th at the Revolution Hall for the Alta Mira CD Release Experiment. If everything goes as planned we hope to come away with some awesome documented footage of all the acts and shenanigans from all in attendance. We are very excited IPIX is going to film the experiment!

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.

Albany, NY - October 10

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 released to the public on Dec 5th at The Revolution Hall release party in Troy, NY. More details about that event will follow soon. You can sign up to preorder the Alta Mira album and receive a special gift when it arrives at your door by sending a quick message to Alta Mira www.myspace.com/altamiralive

You can also join the online community for Indian Ledge Records and Alta Mira here:

www.IndianLedgeRecords.com
www.AltaMiraLive.com
www.myspace.com/indianledgerecords
www.reverbnation.com/indianledge
www.facebook.com/altamiralive
www.Twitter.com/indianledge

Robot Frank has been working hard on the new Alta Mira website.. please check it out! http://www.altamiralive.com