Tape Deck Mountain

Musician Travis Trevisan has never been a spotlight kind of guy. Back when he was in various North County bands, he was always happiest in the background, playing guitar.

"I really don't like being the center of attention," he said, adjusting his plastic-framed glasses. "My other bands wouldn't even let me sing."

But like it or not, Trevisan is front and center with Tape Deck Mountain, his new indie-electronica outfit from Golden Hill.

In Tape Deck Mountain, Trevisan writes dreamy, fuzzed-out lullabyes. He plays guitar, runs the keyboard and, yes, he even sings. The only other group member is drummer, Paul Remund, who also plays keyboards and sings backup vocals.

"I didn't plan on being in a two-piece," he said. "In some of my old bands, there was a lot of tension between everyone, we'd break up and I had no control over it. So, I started writing my own music, and it grew from there."

Though Tape Deck Mountain's only been around a year, it's already a favorite among local music junkies, thanks to its My Bloody Valentine-meets-Sebadoh sound.

Only Trevisan brings a thoroughly modern twist through layers of loops, remixes, distortion and some postmodern melancholy. Plus, there's something charmingly quirky about a band that released its EP, "Sparks," only on cassette.
(Side A has three songs and Side B features remixes by local music producer Keith Milgaten.)

"It was just cheaper to record on cassette," Trevisan said. "But, I don't know, I guess it gave people something to talk about."

Turns out the cassette idea worked out better than he hoped. See, lots of people have tape players in their cars, but nothing to play in them, so that the Tape Deck Mountain EP never gets replaced by another tape, never even gets taken out of their cars.

"It was cool how it all worked out, but I don't want it to become a thing," he said. "You know, Tape Deck Mountain only puts out tapes? I want to make it clear that I'll be working in all formats."

Right now Trevisan and Remund are recording songs for either a full-length album or another EP. The band also performs live a few times a month, including a show tonight at the Soda Bar in Normal Heights.

While it's not common for a new band to have such early buzz, Escondido-bred Trevisan credits his piano teacher mother for his musical talent. Growing up, she'd give him lessons, but only very early in the morning to make sure he was serious about it.

Trevisan ended up quitting, but he picked up the saxophone at Escondido High School and then he taught himself how to play the guitar.

"Music's always been a necessary evil for me," he said. "I guess I'm a frontman after all."
- San Diego Union Tribune

I knew that no one arriving after 9 PM to San Diego Sports Club (ugh, Ruby Room) would get into Grand Ole Party and Jamuel Saxon who I love was playing free at The Whistlestop, no brainer. Plus it was the CD release party for Tape Deck Mountain who'd I'd been wanting to check out. Jamuel Saxon was great again, you guys need an EP or something! Tape Deck Mountain was awesome too. Maybe because I love music made in the Northwest? Ok they make the music here but it's reminiscent of The Microphones, a scaled back Death Cab during Transalanticism and they even had a bit of artsy punk in there. It's got all the longing distant vocals and distorted rock riffs of other music made in Olympia, Seattle or Bellingham. Oh and Tape Deck Mountain is a drum/guitar two piece. I've stopped being skeptical of two pieces because of the White Stripes and have raised the bar high for the same reason. These guys were on it. Paulie is a great drummer, very intricate complicated drum beats is a MUST for a two piece. And Travis has those smooth and angsty Northwest vocals over more simple but no less interesting guitar work. Using the power of the pedals they worked together to produce a lush sound from two instruments (and sometimes a beat maker). They had all the controlled yet experimental distortion of the Microphones and enough catchy rythm and melody to provide energy and familiarity . I thought their show was rad and I can't wait for the next one. Check out Tape Deck Mountain on The Local Pyle 94/9 FM radio show on November 16th for an on air interview and music set. - sticks and stones

I like the way "Scantrons" ushers in Tape Deck Mountain's Ghost, "an album about being a ghost, thinking you're a ghost, dreaming you're a ghost, being a ghost, and getting good grades in school." You get a waft of jangling Spaceman 3 echoes via these San Diego dudes going on about passing out multiple-choice fill-in-the-bubble tests and then things shift. The group's hard to pin down across Ghost's nine songs even though they do stick to a non-clashing "mid-fi" palette that includes some of the aforementioned space travel mixed with a dirtier Americana. Texturally, their mentions of Sebadoh and the Microphones as influences make sense. When you hear the noisier moments, their sorta de rigueur MBV and Sonic Youth namedrops are sorta there at in spirit, but it's the trio's seemingly unlikely reference to Mew that you'll find popping up most audibly. See, for instance, lead track "Ghost Colony"'s triumphant burn. Before that, to get a sense of the aforementioned shifts, listen to crystalline and downcast closer "Bat Lies." (Might as well toss Galaxie 500 into the fire, too.)

Tape Deck Mountain - "Bat Lies" (MP3)

Think about Mew's "New Terrain" as this builds:

Tape Deck Mountain - "Ghost Colony" (MP3)

On Ghost, "Ghost Colony"'s followed by 13-seconds of backward ambiance called "A+" that bleeds directly into "Bat Lies." So listen now in reverse.

Ghost is out 11/17 via Lefse. - Stereogum

September 9, 2009
Tape Deck Mountain: "Ghost Colony"
"Ghost Colony"

Tape Deck Mountain will be releasing their debut full-length, Ghost, on November 17 via Lefse Records (The home of artists like the Rising Neon Indian, and recently Forkcasted Emily Neveu and Sunnybrook). From the album comes "Ghost Colony", a slow-burning boat ride on the River Styx that bounces back and forth from its militant guitar strums to a crashing, anthemic instrumental chorus before giving way to the caged howls of the coda. - Pitchfork Media

...we can't exactly be sure why every Labor Day in Dayton seems to be visited by grey skies and intermittent rain, making certain that no plans made will see fruition. Alas, it is our fate again this year...

...in keeping with the overcast conditions, we offer up new music from San Diego outfit Tape Deck Mountain. While the band's name caught our eye, their mid-fi aesthetic certainly caught our ear. It doesn't hurt either that the band's lucid guitars swirling in and out in sheets of sublime and searing sonic assault sound perfectly at home alongside some of our shoegaze/slacker favorites from late 80s/early 90s...

...The band's debut, Ghost [Lefse Records], is due out November 17... - Tape Deck Mountain

This song from San Diego's Tape Deck Mountain appeared on that Lefse Records comp we posted awhile back, but truthfully deserves some more shine because its greatness was hidden deep in that huge chunk of music. Besides being baggy, melancholic nu-grunge, all bleary bass fuzz and accordioning drums, it contains what might be one of our favorite passages of the year: "Please don't marry / That asshole Larry / I know he'll move the place you're buried / Next to me in the dirt." Succinctly conjoining apathy, rancor, and comedy into one thought. Tape Deck Mountain's first LP, Ghost, drops on November 17th. - rcrdlbl.com

Please do yourself a favor and take a listen to Tape Deck Mountain. His new album, Ghost, due out 11/17 courtesy of Lefse Records, is a lo-fi but lush and emotional work of a talented new artist.

According to his PR, Travis Trevisan lost his job about a year ago and sat at home and made music. Sometimes, unemployment works wonders. Trevisan sings in a kind of Casiotone for the Painfully Alone monotone, but the fuzzy, dour, and always interesting musical arrangements that accompany his voice range from brief Guided By Voices and Pixies-influenced rock to more expansive excursions into post-rock soundscapes.

Tape Deck Mountain will be playing some California dates this November. Check his MySpace page for details. - Illiot Gould

Tape Deck Mountain - Ghost
This, the San Diegan�s debut LP, comes out on November 17th bringing with it a handful of songs at once sweet, dark, and shoegazey. From song to song they switch from the lo-fi sounds of a Mount Eerie album and the sweeping high production of one of their cited influences, The Smashing Pumpkins. As heavy and hazey as My Bloody Valentine, I recommend �80/20? as a song that is every bit as dense as the air inside a bus whose windows are covered in condensation. - KEXP Blog

You may recognize the name from the Lefse Record Comp. I posted a while back, and if your memory is really on top of its game, you’ll remember how good the music they make is. Tape Deck Mountain is the project of San Diego native Travis Trevisan. Laid off from his job almost a year ago, Trevisan took full advantage of this free time in crafting Tape Deck’s debut album, which he claims to be “mid-fi”, a clever middle ground between lo-fi and hi-fi. As gimmickey as that sounds, it’s true. The music has this lo-fi feel to it, while maintaining some production values we often see in hi-fi music.

Tape Deck Mountain have released the first single, “Ghost Colony”, which you can find on their/his debut LP, out November 17th on Lefse Records. “Ghost Colony” has a very interesting push/pull vibe to it. The vocals are sung quietly, while heavy guitars chug in the background. The chorus explodes, but with no vocals. The loudest Travis’ voice ever gets, is not so much his voice as it is lo-fi hissing. This dynamic creates a song full of layers and dimensions, really exciting me for the rest of the disc. He/they have a couple of San Diego shows coming up, so check those dates below, along with “Ghost Colony” and the tracklisting. Enjoy! - The Tape is Not Sticky