#46: Forest Fallows "Hotel Radisson" - Small Albums Best 100 Tracks of 2024

[Repost from Small Albums; December 9, 2024]

#46: Forest Fallows "Hotel Radisson"

OUR FAVE 100 TRACKS OF 2024

Life after "Monsoon Twilight": Checking in with Forest Fallows

[Repost from Nick Prevenas, via Substack; November 13, 2024]

If you want to get a sense of whether “Sound Tucson” is your kind of music book, give this 2023 essay a read. It’ll take you about 6-8 minutes (maybe longer if you choose to listen to the song embedded in the Bandcamp CMS). We’ll be here when you get back: Monsoon Twilight Amid a Wave of Destruction: Forest Fallows’s “Lightly Down”.

In late 2022, the fine folks at Bandcamp solicited pitches for Resonance, the site’s series of personal essays “exploring our emotional relationship with music.” If there was a Venn diagram comparing the tone/feel of these essays with the tone/feel of my book, it would be an overlapping circle. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to write about one of my favorite songs (Lightly Down) from one of my favorite local records (At Home) by one of my favorite local bands (Forest Fallows).

Even though the album is about 10 years old at this point, it still sounds every bit as fresh and exciting as it did when I first heard it. There is an unstuck-in-time quality to the kinds of songs Alex Morton and Mike Barnett write together. There are no production tricks or trend-chasing tendencies that would tie their music to any specific moment. In the essay, I wrote that Forest Fallows has “the wooziness of a Kurt Vile record was superimposed on top of Real Estate’s jangly hooks.” I assumed for years that “At Home” would be a one-and-done experience – one pristine record from a band that comes and goes as intermittently as a gentle breeze.

But then came “Palisades”.

The Bandcamp piece got back to Alex, Mike, and James at Fort Lowell Records. Their kind words about my essay really struck a chord in me. Music – and the appreciation of it – can be a two-way street. If someone creates something that matters to you – particularly independent creators – try to find a way to communicate that to them.

They were eager to let me know that they were close to completing the “At Home” follow-up that had been nearly a decade in the making. They sent me an early copy with hopes that I would review it, but the words escaped me. I truly, honestly didn’t know what to say. What if “Palisades” didn’t hit me the same way “At Home” did? I am a completely different person in 2024 than I was when I first heard this band in 2014-2015. What if I couldn’t muster the same kind of enthusiasm? I didn’t want to let them down.

It can be hard to look back on the person you used to be. The vast majority of “Sound Tucson” was written several years ago – pre-fatherhood, pre-COVID, pre-everything. You ever glance at an old high school yearbook photo and think “who WAS that person?” You ever listen to an old mixtape/mix-CD/playlist and wonder what the hell you were thinking? The future can be terrifying because of the unknown, but the past can be equally terrifying because of everything you now know about yourself.

But you have to get over it.

I finally listened to “Palisades.” Again and again. It doesn’t pack the same wallop “At Home” did for me, but that hardly matters. I came into it knowing (mostly) what to expect. “Palisades” is more playful than it’s predecessor (check out those cheeky synths on “Saturday Rose”) but it is still a woozy/jangly delight. This music is a warm blanket and two hands around a warm mug of hot chocolate.

I’m listening to it as I review the “Sound Tucson” manuscript to update references, dates, double-check name spellings – you know, the fun stuff. I was worried this process would have the same “yearbook photo” quality and I would delete the Word doc from my hard drive in a fit of embarrassment. I’m thrilled to tell you that I’m having the opposite reaction. I can’t wait for people to read it.

New album: Forest Fallows || Palisades

[Repost from Add to Wantlist; by Niek, August 9, 2024]

Decade-long musical partnership between Mike Barnett and Alex Morton pays dividends on latest LP

Tucson-based bedroom recording project Forest Fallows, comprised of Mike Barnett and Alex Morton, release their sophomore album Palisades today. They’ve enlisted the expertise of John McEntire (known for his work with Stereolab, Tortoise, and Modest Mouse) to produce the record.

The synergy of the decade-long musical partnership between Barnett and Morton sure is palpable in this collection of songs, and I am enjoying it a lot. I believe the press release is spot on by highlighting that the new album is “a blend of the production and style of the 60’s and 70’s with the quirks of 90’s indie and post rock.” It’s a warm sound that is far from dull, a sound that is familiar yet full of surprising touches and sidesteps.

The relaxed nature combined with the creative genius, multi-instrumentalism and stylistic variation makes Palisades the kind of record that’s perfect for early morning listening. It may as well lighten up your daily commute or provide the soundtrack to your daily strolls. Palisades is a subtle and lush record, and it is out now on vinyl at Fort Lowell Records.

Forest Fallows: Palisades

[Repost from Here Comes the Flood; by Hans Werksman, August 9, 2024]

Mike Barnett and Alex Morton have an uncanny knack for creating purring psych-pop melodies. Palisades, the new album by their Forest Fallows project, is a collection of carefully crafted tracks with surprisingly off-kilter rhythms, creating a playful game of tension and release.

The album flows like a brook making its way through forests and meadows, speeding up and slowing down where boulders and smaller rocks are slowly smoothed over. Shout out to producer John McEntire (Stereolab, Tortoise, Modest Mouse) who made the transition of a lo-fi labour of love sound to a richer, multi-layered approach, an easy one. Forest Fallows will still be an underground act after this release, but they have casts their nets a bit further and came back with the spoils to keep them going.

Palisades is released via Fort Lowell Records (Coke bottle translucent vinyl, digital).

Tracks:

1. Better Each
2. Reservations
3. Clams Casino
4. Saturday Rose
5. Ain't Gonna Last
6. Just Another Day at the Ace Lounge
7. Hotel Radisson
8. In Light
9. Another World
10. Palisades (ft. John McEntire)

OUT NOW: Forest Fallows "In Light" [Digital Single]

The fourth and final single "In Light" from Forest Fallow's sophomore album Palisades is available now on all digital music platforms. Enjoy!  —— For fans of Animal Collective, Ariel Pink, Atlas Sound, The American Analog Set, Beach Boys, Broadcast, Mac DeMarco, Destroyer, Drugdealer, Ducktails, Esquivel, Goth Babe, Richard Hawley, JPW, Lauds, The Ocean Blue, Peel Dream Magazine, The Radio Dept., Radiohead, Real Estate, The Sea & Cake, Stereolab, Sugar Candy Mountain, The Sundays, Kurt Vile, Yo La Tengo, Wild Nothing, and Woods.

LISTEN NOW | PRE-ORDER VINYL LP NOW

OUT NOW: Forest Fallows "Palisades" ft. John McEntire [Digital Single]

The third single "Palisades" from Forest Fallow's sophomore album of the same name Palisades is available now on all digital music platforms. Not only is the entire album Palisades mixed by engineer John McEntire (Stereolab, Tortoise, Modest Mouse), but the title track also features John McEntire on the drum kit.  Enjoy!  —— For fans of Animal Collective, Ariel Pink, Atlas Sound, The American Analog Set, Beach Boys, Broadcast, Mac DeMarco, Destroyer, Drugdealer, Ducktails, Esquivel, Goth Babe, Richard Hawley, JPW, Lauds, The Ocean Blue, Peel Dream Magazine, The Radio Dept., Radiohead, Real Estate, The Sea & Cake, Stereolab, Sugar Candy Mountain, The Sundays, Kurt Vile, Yo La Tengo, Wild Nothing, and Woods.

LISTEN NOW | PRE-ORDER VINYL LP NOW

What Rules Wednesday / TRK: Forest Fallows-Hotel Radisson

[Repost from Small Albums; May 7, 2024]

Sometimes I find a project that sounds like the creators know me and know EXACTLY what I want to hear, and Forest Fallows is one of those instances.

The warmth but never overheat of summer air blows gently as Mike Barnett and Alex Morton strum soft chords, and sing like the fur of a rabbit in a straw hat.

Flute flutters that break up the quiet undercurrents layer just enough, but don't pull from the slow blinking eyes of car windows passing something monumental on the side of the road.

This new single follows up "Saturday Rose," with yet another splash in the same cooling pool. A tiny bicycle bell rings out off time, and falls back to sleep. Saxophone ends the track like a frosted pastry in an open window.

OUT NOW: Forest Fallows "Hotel Radisson" [Digital Single]

The second single "Hotel Radisson" from Forest Fallow's sophomore album Palisades is available now on all digital music platforms.  —— For fans of Animal Collective, Ariel Pink, Atlas Sound, The American Analog Set, Beach Boys, Broadcast, Mac DeMarco, Destroyer, Drugdealer, Ducktails, Esquivel, Goth Babe, Richard Hawley, JPW, Lauds, The Ocean Blue, Peel Dream Magazine, The Radio Dept., Radiohead, Real Estate, The Sea & Cake, Stereolab, Sugar Candy Mountain, The Sundays, Kurt Vile, Yo La Tengo, Wild Nothing, and Woods.

LISTEN NOW | PRE-ORDER VINYL LP NOW

OUT NOW: Forest Fallows “Saturday Rose” [Digital Single]

The first single "Saturday Rose" from Forest Fallow's sophomore album Palisades is available now on all digital music platforms.

LISTEN NOW | PRE-ORDER VINYL LP NOW

Pre-Order Forest Fallows Sophomore Album

Forest Fallows, the bedroom recording project of Mike Barnett and Alex Morton, has teamed up with John McEntire (Stereolab, Tortoise, Modest Mouse) to produce their sophomore album Palisades, a mellow, vintage-esque indie record. Based in Tucson AZ, their sound is a blend of the production and style of the 60’s and 70’s with the quirks of 90’s indie and post rock. Their influences range widely from pop outliers Steely Dan and Gerry Rafferty to underground visionaries Tortoise and Michael Nau.

For fans of Animal Collective, Ariel Pink, Atlas Sound, The American Analog Set, Beach Boys, Broadcast, Mac DeMarco, Destroyer, Drugdealer, Ducktails, Esquivel, Goth Babe, Richard Hawley, JPW, Lauds, The Ocean Blue, Peel Dream Magazine, The Radio Dept., Radiohead, Real Estate, The Sea & Cake, Stereolab, Sugar Candy Mountain, The Sundays, Kurt Vile, Yo La Tengo, Wild Nothing, and Woods.

PRE-ORDER VINYL RECORD NOW

Monsoon Twilight Amid a Wave of Destruction: Forest Fallows’s “Lightly Down”

[Repost from Bandcamp; by Nick Prevenas, Illustrations by Joey Yu, June 13, 2023]

Each year, just after the scalding convection oven summers of Tucson break, but before we drift into autumn—which is just “Summer Part 2” and, like most sequels, less intense—Tucson, AZ experiences an alternately gorgeous and terrifying series of rainstorms that soak the sandpapery Sonoran landscape. Monsoon season is responsible for the vast majority of Tucson’s annual precipitation, and the locals greet it with open arms, knowing that we will surely perish without it. We are running out of water. Monsoon season is essential to our survival.

Yet monsoon season is also an unpredictable destructive force that brings flash flooding, downed power lines, and inevitably dozens of stranded vehicles caught tempting fate near Tucson’s underpasses.

Monsoon season is simultaneously beautiful and humbling. It’s our annual reminder that we are all at the mercy of Mother Nature. She will save your life and tear it apart on a whim.

It took a band called Forest Fallows to accurately capture the essence of monsoon season.

Mike Barnett and Alex Morton formed Forest Fallows as a side band for songs that didn’t fit into their main projects. As of this writing, Barnett serves as the frontman for Mute Swan, one of Tucson’s most popular psychedelic-influenced bands that has more than a few songs that compare favorably to Tame Impala or King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard. Their Locals Only set was among the highlights of the Matt Milner-hosted era on KXCI, Tucson’s listener-supported radio station.

Mute Swan shares a certain haziness with Forest Fallows, but Barnett’s songcraft truly shines alongside Morton’s folkier/poppier sensibilities. It’s as if the wooziness of a Kurt Vile record was superimposed on top of Real Estate’s jangly hooks.

It’s the kind of record that could have sold a few thousand copies in an era when people still regularly purchased physical media. With the right record label and promotional push, Forest Fallows could have earned a respectable font size on several summer festival lineups. As it stands, it’s a low key gem that will surprise crate-digging freaks who find themselves in Tucson-area record shops such as Wooden Tooth or Old Paint with cash to burn and curiosity to quench.

It’s also a record that almost never saw the light of day.

After finishing the bulk of the recording, Barnett and Morton hooked up with Mike Dixon of People In A Position to Know (PIAPTK) and Joyful Noise Recordings. In addition to his endlessly inventive forays into lathe cutting that test the boundaries of what a record can actually look/sound like (he has released recorded music on slabs of chocolate and tortillas), Dixon always keeps his ear to the ground for interesting songs to share with his friends. His mixtapes and PIAPTK samples are required listening, and his partnerships with countless local artists have generated compelling music packaged in the strangest ways. A scene the size of Tucson’s needs a few enterprising, hard-working people to keep the lifeblood pumping. We’re lucky to have Mike.

As fate would have it, Dixon lived next door to Barnett and Morton when they were laying down the demos for what would become their debut record At Home. Dixon offered to hook them up with distribution through Joyful Noise and help press 350 hand-stamped records on “Comfort Lime”-colored vinyl.

I was lucky enough to hear the record before it went through test pressing hell. Initial pressings were rejected no less than four times before the recording was finally reproduced at the proper speed. The initial run of colored vinyl wasn’t right, either. Dixon went back and forth with a Dallas pressing plant that shall remain nameless, as it had neither the time nor the inclination to give this album the respect it deserved.

While At Home was floating in purgatory, my digital copy kept me company throughout the first half of 2015. Sam Fader, drummer for the late, lamented Wight Lhite, is Forest Fallows’s number one super fan; he told me that he was proud to live in a town and play in a scene that could produce a record like At Home. It’s a master class in how sequencing can enhance mood, as the fully-fleshed pop songs drift seamlessly into wordless instrumentals and back again into harmonies that could make one’s eyes well up involuntarily.

In June 2016, it appeared as if this record would finally exist in its physical form. No more test pressings. No more nightmarish phone calls with the pressing plant. No more problems. All that was left was some great music and green vinyl.

Monsoon season didn’t have any idea what Forest Fallows and Mike Dixon had gone through to make this record a reality. Monsoon season didn’t care about the year and a half of hassle and headache. Monsoon season just exists.

A summer storm hit PIAPTK’s headquarters—the “lathe cave”—with full force. A chunk of its roof became saturated and collapsed. Green vinyl, much like standard black vinyl, is vulnerable to overhead attacks from torrential rain and water-logged chunks of roofing. Only a handful of copies of the “Comfort Lime” survived. Tucson’s musical history is better for it.

Monsoons typically hit just before sundown during rush-hour traffic in order to wreak as much havoc as possible. It’s a calamitous cacophony of wind and water, swirling and slamming into sunbaked pavement. And just as quickly as it arrives, it fades into a gentle drizzle, almost as if it’s apologizing for breaking anything. When that drizzle coincides with a Sonoran sunset, I call it “monsoon twilight.” It’s the most beautiful thing in the world.

The next-to-last song on the vinyl edition of At Home is called “Lightly Down.” It’s the only song that sounds like monsoon twilight. These storms don’t end abruptly. They tail off. They let out a sigh of relief, almost to signify a sense of physical exhaustion after inflicting so much destruction—exactly like the opening vocal harmony on “Lightly Down.” After a few leftover sprinkles drop to the ground, the creosote bushes unleash their distinct after-rain smell, the clouds dissipate, and the remaining hour of sunlight slowly evaporates into a pink-and-purple sunset that hangs in the air like a painting. We all stop and stare, slack-jawed and awestruck. And then it’s gone. “Lightly Down,” with its gently ascending choruses and sparse arrangements, captures that beautiful stillness that exists between the storm and the darkness.

Everyone’s life has a small, scattered handful of perfect moments, when everything lines up as if it was part of a dream. Most of our lives are spent dodging the monsoon. It lets up often enough to deliver scattered moments of unshakable beauty. You just have to know when to look and when to listen.

[END FORM]

ADDITIONAL NOTE: Fort Lowell Records is excited to share with you that we will be releasing Forest Fallows' stunning sophomore album At Best.  Stay tuned here for more information to come!  For now, enjoy At Home: