Spaceman

Grey

alt-bluegrass tune about the perils of student loans

The Ballad of Sallie Mae

Bubble Gum

How Did It Get Dark So Fast?

Release date: 12/2
Media inquiries: alyssa@riotactmedia.com

"Picture Picture" features Kishi Bashi on violin and vocals from HEIDEMANN.

TALL TALL TREES -THE SEASONAL EP
The banjo has seen a resurgence in popularity in contemporary music lately, but there is no one who approaches the instrument quite like NYC based musician, Mike Savino. Performing under the name Tall Tall Trees, his music has evolved from a four piece band into a one man psychedelic folk orchestra over its 6 year lifespan. Savino has been turning heads with his innovative banjo skills, looping, bowing, and drumming his way into the hearts of listeners around the world, including a recent appearance at the legendary Newport Folk Festival.

Savino has been touring for nearly two years nonstop in support of his 2012 album "moment" and as a member of indie pop virtuoso Kishi Bashi's band.  Tall Tall Trees' latest release, "The Seasonal EP" is a precursor to an upcoming full length album, funded by fans through the PledgeMusic platform and sees Savino employing the skills he been honing on the road performing his energetic and oftentimes frenetic one man shows. 

Produced with his longtime friend Kishi Bashi in his Athens, GA studio, "The Seasonal EP" is four songs, three original and a reimagining of Animal Collective's "My Girls". In an effort to capture the sound of his live show, most of the sounds heard on the EP are created with one instrument, a hyper-modded banjo Savino has dubbed the "Banjotron" along with some guest appearances from Kishi Bashi, Philip Mayer on drums, and additional vocals from Brooklyn electro pop singer HEIDEMANN. Each of the four songs exploit the wide palette of sounds coaxed from his extensive pedal board and feature Savino's innovative banjo drumming technique. A spirited performer with a sense of humor and a love for improvisation, Savino will rarely play a song the same way twice, keeping his audiences guessing night after night. 

2015 will see the release of a new Tall Tall Trees full length album which Savino has self-proclaimed to be "one of the most insane banjo records known to man". 

Tall Tall Trees - "Picture Picture"

Say Something Real!

My Girls (Animal Collective Cover)

Heart Says Go

Lonely Weekend/The Elk

Highwire

Vacation

Alaska

Wake the Moon

Men and Mountains

Nothingless

Waiting on the Day

Tall Tall Trees is the musical id of songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Mike Savino, a pioneer in the realm of experimental, DIY banjo music. Accompanied by his trusty Banjotron 6500, a highly customized, electrified banjo and effects pedal setup, Savino has wowed audiences since the 2009 debut of his self-titled album with his eclectic and innovative blend of psychedelic folk, rock and world music. His work seems to actively evade comfortable definition, upon first listen one will recognize the tenderness of Cat Stevens, the melancholy introspection of Elliott Smith, the anthemic psychedelia of Pink Floyd, and a deep abiding respect for Earl Scruggs. Savino often performs solo, showcasing his fleet-footed loop pedal mastery, as well as alongside long-time collaborator and fellow innovator, Kishi Bashi. Tall Tall Trees latest release, A Wave of Golden Things was released in 2020 on Joyful Noise Recordings

Savino, who self-records and produces his music, abandoned the heavily-layered textures of 2017’s Freedays for a more organic, stripped-down approach, leaving his distinct voice and thoughtful lyrics as the centerpiece.  Despite the sparse arrangements, Savino still manages to evoke the sonic imagery and pastoral landscapes that have often been hallmarks of Tall Tall Trees albums. Each of the eight songs that make up A Wave of Golden Things suggest a world unto itself, from the cosmic country-tinged, “Ask Me Again,” to the sprawling underwater lullaby “Deep Feels.”Opting for an immersive experience over a traditional studio, Savino set up residence and a mobile recording rig on a hemp farm in the Appalachian mountains outside of Asheville, North Carolina, where he now resides. Recorded in just under three weeks, with much of it arranged on the spot, the album maintains a sense of immediacy, celebrating raw performance over perfection. “I’m giving up on my expectations, let them go and see where it takes us,” Savino sings on “Expectations,” almost seeming to revel in this experimental process. 

Savino’s voice, left unadorned, can be simultaneously gentle and strong, at times sage-like in delivery. On the album’s closing title track “A Wave of Golden Things,” his soft spoken meditations on mental health reflect a new maturity in his song craft and singing. As the song develops, Savino’s voice gains confidence and his whisper becomes a fragile cry, neither full-throated nor fully secure, but at home in a warm bed of upright piano and echoing tape delay. “We all need a little peace and love right now,” he sings as if he’s at the end of his breath. Reflective of the dark and challenging times of today, Savino’s message is ultimately one of hope and finding peace of mind in the chatter of the modern world. The last chorus reaches towards a transcendent beauty in the darkness, and makes a promise: “a wave of golden things, it waits for you.” 

-David Gilbert

Tall Tall Trees

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