About Me
AVAILABLE NOW - CLICK ON THE ALBUM COVER! If you want the deluxe 8 panel fold-out digipak version of our record w/ lyrics and beautiful art, click on the image of the album cover above.Want a digital version? Well, you could steal it - but we both know that would be totally wrong. Your parents raised you better than that. Click here to buy 'Of Others' on itunes . We'd prefer to sell it to you on emusic - hopefully that link will be forthcoming. Anyway, it would be awfully nice if you didn't steal it but you can decide that on your own. Let your conscience be your guide. Just think about Ben's babies as you download it illegally.mt.st.helens - of others 'snake pipe' t-shirt - available now in girl, small, medium and xl sizes - American Apparel Charcoal Gray Shirt - please note girl & xl size shirts are available in extremely limited quantities. Small ladies, big dudes - take heed.
$10PPD - Please specify size when ordering.mt.st.helens' third album, "Of Others", offers a more refined and concise version of their compelling, guitar driven sound. Having cut their teeth in the early part of the 21st century at the Fireside Bowl, Empty Bottle, Schubas and Bottom Lounge (and many stateside tours); mt.st.helens have stuck it out and cultivated a small but devoted following.
"Of Others" draws from influences as diverse as Unwound, Shudder to Think, Ride and Boards of Canada but the result is far from derivative. Guitar player Michael Sprague has constructed a cadre of masterfully spare guitar leads that are at once striking and hypnotic. Guitarist / vocalist Quinn Goodwillie's (of acclaimed local group Sleep Out) powerful voice has increased in range and fortitude and is greatly bolstered by the stalwart rhythm section of Jason Sprague (Bass) and Ben Geier (drums).
After the demise of their beloved former home, Divot Records (Haymarket Riot, Sweep The Leg Johnny, Braid), msh have signed on with Chicago's Two Thumbs Down Records, home of Driftless Pony Club, May or May Not and Dialogue. TTD will release "Of Others" in August of this year. Former member Matt Fast, of local group Rollo Tomasi, will be re-joining the band this year and handling third guitar, keyboard and percussion duties.Press:Chicago Reader - excerpt from Sharp Darts feature article by Miles Raymer, 9/13/07 -"...all the guys in the band are pretty clean-cut these days. But talk to them for five minutes or so and the Black Flag references start to slip out. They’ve abandoned punk-kid fashion, sure, but not their dedication to punk’s DIY ethic—and they prove it with the kickass posthardcore rock on their new album, Of Others, due this week on local label Two Thumbs Down."Chicago Tribune - excerpt from feature article by Andy Downing, 8/31/07 -" ...the band used the additional time to its advantage -- refining passages, continuing to write new material and toying with random instruments they found in the studio, including several vintage organs. The resulting album is loaded with spiky guitar riffs and serene interludes. One song, "Omission," even sounds as if guitarist Michael Sprague ran his instrument through an industrial-strength blender. "This is really an album where [Sprague] could stretch his legs," says Goodwillie.
Songs such as "The Time of Low Volume" (which actually sounds better the louder you play it) and "Centicorn" reveal a band where the members feel intimately familiar with one another's playing styles. Goodwillie notes that it was important for everyone to learn it was OK to hold back at times, saying, "Just because you can finger tap doesn't mean you have to."Chicago Tribune - Metromix Pick for 8/31/07 - "Yet another reason to be proud of our local music scene, mt. st. helens keeps the groove going with atmospheric indie-rock that's melodic without being cloying."
The Onion - 8/30/07 -"The members of Chicago group mt.st.helens spent what seemed like an eternity finishing up their third album, Of Others, only to be chastised by their moms for its cover. It’s a dark photo of what appears to be guitarist Matt Fast in a black mask holding a chalice in one hand and probably a bible in the other (edit from MSH – it’s not a bible). The shot is unsettling in a David Lynch way, but it matches the off-center vibe of the album pretty well. Of Others, officially released at their record release show 8/31/07, is an impressive mix of angular D.C.-style post-punk with shoegazer guitar washes. The blend has unsurprisingly earned the band comparisons to Shudder to Think and Ride, though it’s style gets roughed up considerably live."Transform Online - "Better than 99% of other albums this year - Each of the 10 tunes comes loaded with gigantic choruses, innovative structures, and abundant creative flourishes that make for a continually rewarding listening experience. Every song is a winner here, but “Massive Dosage†and “Interruption†immediately stand out as two of the catchiest and most clever songs of the year, fusing huge brain-invading melodies to insistent, urgent rhythms and expert guitar work. It’s always a thrill for me when a band can seriously rock out and simultaneously write terrific melodies, and Mt. St. Helens have that down to a science."Space City Rock - "Somebody somewhere is in their room with mt.st.helens' latest CD Of Others just playing on repeat, and they're thinking, "mt.st.helens is the greatest," in typical cult follower, rabid fan fashion. And then they're scratching their heads and wondering why the rest of the world isn't getting it. If you're looking for instant gratification and accessibility, move on -- this CD is not for you. (Consult your FM dial for your area's conglomerate-owned stations polluting your frequencies. Sorry, that's some Houston bitterness seeping out.) But if you want something to dig into and study and even broaden your musical horizons, grab Of Others , because there's nothing like it stored on your iPod."Absolute Punk - "Yeah, Pitchfork gave the special treatment to On Time, Always a while back, but I’ve never met a person that actually reads Pitchfork. Also, when you release albums so sparsely, it’s quite difficult to keep any steam going. Especially these days. Heck, I’ve already deleted 24 of the 47 albums inhabiting my “Best Of†list. But there is something mysterious about this band, something almost frightening. MSH don’t make their secrets readily available, either. Here indie roots are encased in post-punk grunge-isms and off-key wailing, which, admittedly, works really well. "Gapers Block - "Because of a three year recording hiatus, Of Others showcases a band that's been recharged, delivering a record that bows to the abrasive energy of Unwound but is tempered by the psychedelic flourishes that have become part of Mt St Helens sonic thumbprint."Skratch Magazine - "I suppose it’s a tribute to mt.st.helens’ creativity and songwriting prowess that they seemingly are unclassifiable genre-wise. On OF OTHERS, the five-piece can bring the heaviness (“City Of†and more notably the most straight-up hardcore-punk moment, the minute-long blast “Centicornâ€) and bouncy punk (the staccato “Want Out†and “Massive Dosageâ€, which features a nifty bass riff and the uber-cool line: “All the world’s a stage and I am a target / All the world’s deranged or I’m an alarmistâ€), but more often than not craft songs that veer in and out of trancelike, atmospheric beauty and harder edges"AZLTRON - "The eclectic inspiration, non stop guitar wizardry and flat out structural inventiveness found in "Of Others" carves a special place in my heart for them."Chicago Tribune - 01/11/07: On the Town, concert pick - "Like a jam band for the ADD generation, this local group shreds something fierce, serving up a constantly undulating rock 'n' roll groove."Pitchfork
- "Mt. St. Helens craft convincing, explosive guitar-driven rock that only gets better with increased volume"Allmusic.com - “With the arrangements of distorted guitars and throaty bellows provided by vocalist Quinn Goodwillie, mt.st.helens are rare as a band who successfully pull off a sound that's both experimental and catchy at the same time. They stay focused as musicians who just want to rock out without taking themselves too seriously as "artists." Lost At Sea - "Close your eyes and imagine that you have just found yourself riding a train with a brain full of psychedelics and in the background over the sound of the tracks all you can hear is a blurred loop of 1950's department store music. During the first track of You Are a Ghostly Presence, lasting all of twenty seconds, this will be your experience. However, when that twentieth second drops you had better be ready because Mt. St. Helens has already erupted onto the scene (no pun intended) and turned your confused but sustainable train ride into an all-adrenalin pumping free ride. "
