Wednesday, the greatest day of the week since Friday; catchy, right? Hope all of you are doing well and have been adjusting to the changes of the season by hitting up some new venues and going to some shows! I know you have, since I have seen a lot of you and met even more of you.
This week, I am going to write about a band that I actually discovered live before I ever heard any of their recordings, and I fell hard into their sound. They go by the name of Mount Sharp, and they reside in Brooklyn, New York. I actually caught them a few weeks back on a random Friday night at the Asbury Lanes. They played a show with some great friends of mine named Owel, who, as we all know, are a Local Radar alumni and favorite. The weather was beautiful, the place was packed, and the tone was set right for a musical love affair to occur. Indeed, it did. Haven’t heard of Mount Sharp? It’s all good; I am new to the fanbase as well. However, I must say there is now no turning back, for I am all in on this one. Let’s learn more about them, shall we? I will be honest, I don’t know too much about them other than I love their live set, their EP is amazing, they look cool, and I basically want to know all of their deepest and darkest secrets. Is that weird? Okay, cool, I didn’t think so either. Let’s proceed.
Mount Sharp have been around since roughly 2012 hailing from Brooklyn, New York, the unofficial cool capital of the world, and they consider themselves in the “fuzzcore” genre, which I totally dig. Their Facebook will tell you they sing songs about “science and bad decisions,” but their live set will tell you a hell of a lot more. Their new EP, Wild Fears, is available now, and I recommend it to become an addition to your playlist as soon as possible. Whenever I become a fan of music live first, I always have weird expectations for recordings. What I mean by this is if a band is that damn good live, how amazing must their sound be when it’s touched on? Well, the answer is THAT AMAZING. I am not saying this group is breaking boundaries in the music world, or taking things to a completely new level, but they understand their sound, and have perfected it.
Start off with the first track on the EP, “Crazy Eyes.” Everything about this song screams amazing to me, for I am smitten by the lyrics (take a listen and you will understand). I love the tone of the vocals on this track, as it almost reminds me of one of my favorite female vocalists, Bethany Cosentino, or as you may know her as the singer of Best Coast. Trust me, this is a compliment in the highest regard. She has a very haunting voice that could sound amazing even with reverb. The tone is unique and it can send chills down your spine (trust me, I’ve heard it live, it does). You should also check out “Serial Killer,” which does a complete 180 on your eardrums, in the best way possible.
I love this EP in its entirety and I don’t want to give too much away since I want you to listen for yourself. Basically, Mount Sharp have that “it” factor. It’s a perfect lo-fi mix that really suits the sharp sounds and lush vocals. They all feed off of one another, live and recorded. The guitars have this California recoil that is easy to identify and understand, yet hard to imitate (so don’t even try it). As stated before, I think the lyrics of all of their tracks make a statement and will get embodied in your brain. My personal favorite is “Whisky Ginger,” but don’t let that be your deciding factor; you should pick a track for yourself. As simple as their sound may be, it’s some damn powerful art.
You can learn more about Mount Sharp and stream their EP on their Facebook page at facebook.com/mountsharp. Wild Fears is also available on vinyl, so I may have to go pick that up as well. They have a show on Wednesday, Oct. 22, at The Rock Shop in Brooklyn. There are a lot of great bands on the bill including Whisky Bitches and more. More information on this event can also be found on their Facebook page. If you’re looking for something fun and fresh, and not too heavy-hearted, they are the group for you. They have a funky style, an edgy sound, and everything you need to fit right in your pocket.
I will be back next week with another local act of your liking, so keep on sending away! You can reach me at maria@theaquarian.com; I love to get new submissions each and every day! I am expecting by this time next week for you all to be as big as Mount Sharp fans as I am, and I have a feeling that won’t be a very difficult task. Enjoy the rest of your week. Until next Wednesday, keep rocking!
