DSD November 23, 2017: "Mountain" - LA River Bend
Shaun Cordingley
Welcome to the "Daily Song Drop": theguysfrom.com's song of the day feature where our resident indie music writer and former DJ Shaun Cordingley features a song every weekday that he feels you need to hear. If you enjoy the track, please share it, so we can keep on talking about great new music!
Mountain - LA River Bend
LA River Bend are a Los Angeles based alt-folk/rock band who recently released their second single "Mountain", and it's a track that you really need to hear rather than me trying to explain it; check it out below:
Structurally, "Mountain" is a densely layered, complex folk-rock track which really needs to be listened to more than once to start to get a full sense of everything that LA River Bend is doing here. On it's surface, you get a sort of chill, folksy (almost old fashioned roots-rock) feeling, but then you start getting hit by new, varied melodies and (occasionally three-part) harmonies, a cello (yep. cello), and then, somehow, a combination of all of the above.
Now, as a former cellist myself, I'm always a sucker for when I catch one in an indie track (and having a full time cellist is a quick way to my heart), but what I love is the way that LA River Band uses the instrument--in "Mountain" it serves not only as a part of the sweeping soundscape, but it's occasionally the bassline, or replaces the vocals all-together to keep the emotional through-line of the track going. "Mountain" is perhaps the most cleverly produced track we have had on the Daily Song Drop in a long time, because as I did mention above that it is a complex track, it does not feel cumbersome or complicated for complications' sake; every part feels like it not only should be there, but that it needs to be there to help them tell a story.
"Mountain" by LA River Bend is an excellent example of a song from a new band who have not only the technical ability to shine, but the ability to make intricate, beautiful alt-folk rock that stays emotionally grounded.
If you enjoy "Mountain", be sure to check out their beautiful, more traditional folk debut single "SUMMER WIND", and keep an eye out for their upcoming EP Run These Hills
For what feels like the first time ever, both the October 2017 Apple Music Playlist and the October '17 Spotify Playlist have every track we talked about on them.
That also, for some reason, meant that it was a list that took a little time for me to get together, but once I got the first few songs figured out (always tricky trying to nail down how to start) everything seemed to click right into place.
If you're looking for any of our past playlists, be sure to check out a Friday DSD feature, or serach for theguysfrom on either Apple Music or Spotify!
See you tomorrow for our next Daily Song Drop!
-S (@Shauncord)
The Guys From do not hold the rights to any "Daily Song Drop" songs, it is more our hope to expose our readers to new and different music that we are enjoying, or re-expose them to artists they may have forgotten about.
Above the description of the song will be the song name, followed by the artists' name linked to their website, so you can fall down the rabbit hole, finding and supporting what you dig.