Stereogum X Amazon MP3 Friendly Deals #10: Grouper's Dragging A Dead Deer Up A Hill
Every few weeks, Amazon.com lets us select one recent release from its MP3 store to go on super sale (up to 75% off normal prices). Hopefully you'll be able to add these must-own LPs to your library without breaking your budget.
People kept asking us what happened to our Amazon Friendly Deals. Finally they're back by popular demand, starting with one of last year's best, perhaps below-too-many-radars albums, Dragging A Dead Deer Up A Hill. It's the third collection by Grouper, aka Portland-based conjurer Liz Harris. Dragging's her first to inspire Animal Collective's Merriweather Post Pavilion. More importantly (yes), it's also her first step in a quietly majestic new direction.
Dragging is a perfectly executed collection of smeary late-night lullabies. Harris's past full-lengths -- Way Their Crept and Wide -- were noisier and dronier than Dragging. She's also upped her vocals in the mix. Old fans will still dig it -- the shifts aren't too radical -- but now there are actual new fans. You might think a bit of fellow Oregonian Valet, though with bedroom-recorded Cocteau Twins or Dead Can Dance atmospherics instead of acid-dripped psychedelics. It opens with "Disengaged," which finds us crashing and rumbling into darkness, before Harris emerges with a quiet lullaby, a hush that remains for the duration of the deeply beautiful 45-minute journey. The final track's called "We've All Time To Sleep," but Harris's nocturnal whisper gains resonances and detail with each listen -- like a rural midnight landscape slowly coming into focus as your eyes adjust to its crags and furrows -- so you'd do best to stay awake. Really, it's sorta perfect.
Today we're making Dragging A Dead Deer Up A Hill available at Amazon MP3 for the price of $1.99. In case you need a refresher:
Grouper - "Heavy Water / I'd Rather Be Sleeping" (MP3)
If you want to continue exploring Harris' sounds, feel free to check out the non-album track "False Horizon."
Posted at 1:16 PM in Friendly Deals, MP3
Tags: Grouper
Whoo-hoo for Grouper! Let's hope the Animal Collective crowds show her some respect.
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I'm so happy to see Grouper getting the exposure she deserves. It's always great to see local acts get national recognition, but even the Portland camaraderie aside, this album really, really affected me. Glad to see it featured.
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yay, she deserves some exposure; I love this album
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Awesome.
I'm so stoked to be seeing her at a small venue Friday!
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Heh. Potland.
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That is a sweet deal, and a deeply touching album.
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Yay! Thank you thank you thank you!
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The deals may be price-friendly but they're not Brit-friendly *insert unsmiley face*. Amazing deal though. Grab this one while you can...
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They're back! Yes!
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I am just really excited you guys brought this back. Thank you!
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I've been meaning to but this album but never got to it...until now, Thank you very much!
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Sounds like the Microphones...i like.
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I saw her at the New Museum. Her live show is really really terrific. Any chance Stereogum want's to hook me up with the literal vinyl LP version of this album because you have to put down a mortgage to get one on ebay....but it's worth it.
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I saw her play at The Smell on Sunday...and it wasn't a good performance. Love the album and hoped she'd be great. Granted she went on at 11:50 pm. Her performance reminded me of early Cat Power performances: major stage fright, refusing to acknowledge the audience in any small manner, blasting through a 35 minute set just to get done, major technical glitches. I could go on yet I think it would rather unfair since Grouper started out as a solitary lo-fi 'bedroom' project. All I know is I am selling my Animal Collective ticket for their show in LA because they kinda bore me and she possibly won't resolve her issues before the show at the Wiltern.
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