Black Mountain

Could Black Mountain be the best indie band in Vancouver.  They released their third LP with success and every time they play they sell out and their international accomplishments are unquestionable. Their third production is called Wilderness Heart and it has a big shark in the cover that was designed by the keyboard player. The music is still like a psychedelic Black Sabbath minus Ozzy plus Amber. Its heavy psychedelic rock that reminds of the 70s heavy bands like Deep Purple or even led Zeppelin, but evolved to the twenty first century.  Their looks are really seventies as well. Space riff acid trip rock and roll. The band is composed of Stephen McBean, Amber Webber, Matt Camirand, Jeremy Schmidt and Joshua Wells.

Since forming in 2004, Black Mountain has released three LPs, Black Mountain (2005), In the Future (2008), and Wilderness Heart (2010), and two EPs, Druganaut (2004) and Bastards of Light (2008) on the Jagjaguwar label. Leader Stephen McBean also heads another similarly named band, Pink Mountaintops, who are the more experimental side of McBean’s musical abilities. Although I still like their self titled album better than the other ones, as generally is the case with a lot of bands that I like, I think Black Mountain are so well established and their talent is well corroborated by fans that easily could be the best band from Vancouver this year. The new album even has some ballads like Sadie but others like Wilderness Heart reminds of the first album punch.

Their self-titled album was chosen as one of Amazon.com‘s Top 100 Editor’s Picks of 2005. In the Future was a finalist for the 2008 Polaris Music Prize and was also nominated for “Best Alternative Album” in the 2009 Juno Awards. The song “Stay Free” from In the Future was featured on the Spider-Man 3 soundtrack. The band recorded the album in Los Angeles, Seattle, and Vancouver. They worked with two producers, D. Sardy (Nine Inch Nails, LCD Soundsystem, Spoon) and Sunn O)))/Boris veteran Randall Dunn.

The band is also involved with social issues, I don’t know if  three members of the band still work for (Insite) an organization that meets the basic living requirements of the chronically poor, drug addicted and mentally ill near Vancouver’s Main & Hastings intersection, in the Downtown Eastside neighbourhood. In an interview, the band said: “After work we all try not to think too hard about the effect it has on our lives. It keeps us grounded.”

What do you think is the best indie band in Vancouver?