Mountain Man: NPR Music Field Recordings

As a gaggle of videographers, musicians, industry types and hangers-on stepped gingerly through tall brush to enter a dilapidated section of Fort Adams in Newport, R.I., you couldn't blame us for feeling like unwitting participants in a horror movie. Standing amid hundred-year-old rubble as the 2011 Newport Folk Festival clattered merrily in the distance, we were either going to capture two breathtaking minutes of music or get eviscerated by maniacs as part of The Newport Witch Project. Thankfully, we made it out with the footage you see above.
Like a ray gun that shoots weaponized gorgeousness, the Vermont trio Mountain Man fit an awful lot of moony harmonies into this all-too-brief performance of "Sewee Sewee." As a self-explanatorily named group called The Seeger Clogging Allstars clomped away behind them, Mountain Man's three members - Molly Erin Sarle, Alexandra Sauser-Monnig and Amelia Randall Meath - sang and stared sweetly into each other's faces. If the scene above once seemed destined to devolve into a grisly horror movie, at least we had a choir of angels on hand to escort us into the afterlife.
See more Field Recordings: www.npr.org/ser...
Producers: Mito Habe-Evans, Mike Katzif
Audio Engineer: Kevin Wait
Special Thanks to: Stephen Thompson
Executive Producers: Anya Grundmann, Keith Jenkins.

[@pumpkinrott6472]

I can't get over how lovely this rendition is💜🩵💙💜🩵💙

[@whaddyagonnadoehhh]

I wish I could get this version as a single 😍

[@reginamiles1822]

I absolutely love this song. Beautiful. I let my sons listen to it this morning and one of my sons lifted his eyebrows in sheer interest/surprise. He's three. Lovely

[@shininghappyperson7]

I love Sylvan Esso to death, but these harmonies are outstanding!! Lil Mountain Man Renunion plssss

[@alabastermontague6841]

Echo Mountain sessions ===> yes, they're singing Sylvan Esso songs, but that's not a bad thing. (And Alexandra and Molly were side-stage at Shakori Hills in September.)

[@lisasullivan8952]

They released an album, Magic Ship and are touring now!

[@BrianSchoedel]

These ladies are amazing with their harmonies.

[@es47112]

Very nice, I just wish there was more, I could listen to you guys all day. please post more...

[@seramarie76]

beautiful song. beautiful harmonies. beautiful.

[@martyjava7064]

I love MM, ever since I saw them with Feist. They are a very talented bunch of young ladies.

[@missmyoldhandle24]

This song is a meditation

[@KristinaLynnx]

i think i have watched this minimum 20 times today

[@BrianSchoedel]

Sill love this after all these years...

[@MikeBeeTV]

I love so much that Amelia Meath went on to form Sylvan Esso, one of my favorite bands of all time.

[@poetepouete]

i love this recording so much ! beautiful and amazing singing and harmony

[@ThomasRWood]

This is still my favorite version of this song. I'm sorry to say that all the shaky camera/warp stabilizer really kind of kills the actual video. But what a lovely recording.

[@sujaytv]

i swear the shakiness/stabilization didn't appear until after i read your comment.

[@mshartz5]

Great song! Something to think about though...old folk mountain music was truly unique. These people had not heard music from the radio nor were they taught music in school as they did not attend. These mountain people in the Appalachia literally created music from never hearing it, and passed it on from generation to generation. Hence the total originality of it. Since 1920 it has been spreading, and it is magnificent. Keep on spreading.

[@HouseJawn]

Not true. Appalachia music is descended from the music of the British isles,, northern Europe and Ireland. No culture grows up wholly musically and culturally isolated

[@thehalfninja1]

In my humble opinion.. Whatever floats their boat. It's not taking away from their performance in my eyes.

[@pianomatteo]

Well they are like completely in love with each other. Lol. Amelia refers to the other two as the "wives"

[@keithklassen5320]

Am I making shit up, or is the shortest one just super in love with the guitarist?

[@lizropes7823]

Keith Klassen lol have you heard that girls side band, slyvan esso. SOO good.

[@keithklassen5320]

I have, yes. It's good, but I far prefer Mountain Man; I'm a sucker for those close, clear vocal harmonies!

[@ShaneRichey]

I feel like I just witnessed an intimate moment I wasn't supposed to see.

[@Ephebiphobe]

I think Amelia ("the shortest one") just has that kind of love and magnetism to her :) She probably gives those eyes to strangers and inanimate objects

[@moink2552]

I think because she's the lead for this song and also because the subtleties in her voice are fucking incredible. Pay close attention at the end when she let's her vocals carry on in the last note and then Amelia's face is like her heart is breaking. I agree the she is magnetism personified too.

[@nicoleraymond6268]

This is still one of my favorites

[@kopterkojak]

Magnificent harmony.

[@doncarrier]

Thanks to NPR for expanding my horizons. I love it!

[@charlotte7955]

Sewee, sewee, sewee We traveled far on the this road we're on From the great plains through the tall blue grasses of the lone range Cool green caroline You made my bread and wine I held your hand in mine From a rocky stand I watch your bare feet climbing over salty land When the light grew dim I said now it's time for you to come in Cool green caroline You made my bread and wine I held your hand in mine Sewee, sewee, sewee

[@CKM-88]

Not just for the obvious but, my few listens over the years, there is so much good in this, like, quality

[@NewMadrid01]

Simply beautiful. The harmonies were amazing

[@peacefuloutlaws]

I have to say this struck and emotional chord with me. Great stuff

[@ladycormix4456]

Kacey is giving goosebumps here

[@abbygoff1347]

She is concentratng on the harmonies. Side bar: pretty sure that these three aren't ever really worried about "eye babies" in a video.

[@mk196a]

beautiful harmony

[@mayonaiseizationable]

How beautiful.

[@malibu64]

hella abusing the replay button... was disappointed that the track on their album sounds nothing like this

[@KateKrauss]

HOPING FOR A REUNION--!!

[@ajconvery489]

They just released a new album... check out the song "AGT"

[@mshartz5]

Just realized I have favorited this not twice, but three times...

[@CAl3vara]

Videos like this make me feel like Fry from Futurama "Shut up and take my money!"

[@Nowatermelons]

The girl in the middle is in love with the girl with the guitar.

[@aspiresk8boarding]

This certainly does not suck

[@jclemenzi]

the siren...

[@notanotherrcchannel]

Chills every time.

[@ceriand]

I remember this before the KZbin motion compensation made this nauseating to watch........

[@beanotherbrick]

So beautiful

[@MetalHeadAZ]

beautiful

[@SSizer-tu3yf]

JUST DISCOVER YOUR GROUP!!! Love your music too goooood

[@jhall2511]

Interesting. I liked the eye contact - maybe not the shoulder shrugging at the end.

[@IamDarkStar2012]

Like three angels... WOW!

[@dajosee]

After a lifetime of Pop and the Top 100, this is the escape I was hoping for

[@TheRyanduranduran]

Wow they blow me away more and more

[@AlexSucasacaPacsi]

Beatifull song...I Love it...enserio que me encanta este tema..saludos desde Perú

[@Jarlsgaard]

I think these three women were back up singers for Feist in a couple videos I've seen.

[@deladonics]

It would be great if I could watch this video, and not get "My lip gloss is poppin'. My lip gloss is cool." stuck in my head for the next week and a half.

[@JeredtheShy]

This is a very important historical document. Can we put this on a gold record?

[@reuelnai]

Really? That was my favorite part of the video. Everything about the second singer's body's language says, "I am engaged in a passionate act." What's not to love about that?

[@TomRock81]

I'm not going to nitpick about their video location or if one starred at the other and all that bullshit, this is pure and simple great harmony. It relaxes the hell out of me. Sounds great

[@maistvanjr1]

So great.

[@izzie833]

That hat is RIDICULOUS

[@RMur01]

Beautiful version!!

[@philliphoward4065]

Omg, they all bathed.

[@philnoll]

It’s a union of souls.

[@aftermath66699]

Running bare foot threw the sand On the beach they call grand When a babies hand block's out the sun And suddenly a scene just outta reach With in old shoe box Marked fun fun fun in big letters On the front Holds lost lives Yellowing monochromatic dreams That were never true not really Just a day in the sun But one time Memories are sins Of the mind Once seen Will never be forgotten Even in the forsaken times Its there for good All of time so A parting glass For Auld ang sine

[@jahac18]

Chills.

[@neptunesweetheart]

I love them so dearly! Great as usual.

[@krace89]

I agree, she's special

[@Alaskaxena]

love love loooooove this trio

[@SLASHA__]

"What's going on over there?" "They're clogging" "That's cool"

[@teriscallon]

Loved that!

[@guspecunia5887]

singing angels!!!

[@RMur01]

@bennyp22388 yeah! they're on the Metals tour with her.... unreal show!

[@HelloImCorey]

:27 seconds. best part of the song

[@ZeriMelodik]

Great and Wonderful. I LOVE IT.

[@inner2358]

Juste magnifique !

[@UndMasMut]

YES

[@gwenlanter4243]

0:25 Oh boy.

[@Lulupo0p]

Wonderful....

[@SLASHA__]

what's the name of this song? it doesn't actually say it anywhere!

[@justagirl5948]

o.m.g

[@MrJoealesi]

eye babies??? Great!

[@folexangegeheim]

Fantastic!

[@crhl95]

Please get Mountain Man to do a Tiny Desk Concert!

[@rodriogq]

your wish has been granted! aaaaa

[@mattqluna]

@bennyp22388 They are and they have an album that is amazing.

[@legaralith]

One problem: it's way too short! More pleasekthanks

[@apunk015]

The female fleet foxes?

[@ceriand]

@nprmusic Please reupload with the original shaky real video

[@reuelnai]

And furthermore, whoever was holding the camera appears to be on my side of this dispute. Is the camera paying attention to anything else?

[@merdufer]

Amazing as usual. Amelia is too cute XD

[@lilrolterBigBluesMama]

So beautiful ***** ♪ BigBluesMama ♪

[@pbearh]

wow amazing. but hey m listening without watching the video =D

[@ColonelBLRZ]

Really cool

[@ladycormix4456]

Wow, holy wow

[@donho1950]

liked that a lot thanks.

[@itsbhuppi]

I was looking for a man named mountain man and landed here

[@Mustardette]

Nice. If you liked this, then check out The Unthanks, a group from Northumberland, England.

[@charlesjmudd]

They're clogging !!!

[@popesinbengal]

really cool

[@ghillzballer]

Haha ive watched a lot of their videos and I always feel bad for the girl in red because no one ever makes eye contact with her!

[@mwambak1438]

good observation, i always thought that.

[@elizabethsmith9624]

It’s obvious they treat her as less than because she isn’t as cool as them

[@joethepotter]

Wholly Cowabunga!

[@mglenwright09]

whoa!

[@Nuala41]

I LOVE this :)

[@Bcasey11]

i'm not cool enough to talk to these girls

[@popesinbengal]

Brendan Casey same!

[@abbygoff1347]

Sewee Sewee

[@yulite94]

2:11 - great

[@Orbithateshislife87]

2024 ❤

[@Cristerrr]

yall are literally three song birds