New Noise Magazine is happy to be heading into the holiday with a relaxing song from San Francisco’s own Carta. Today, their music video for the song “Madeira” is unveiled in a glossy, sparkling fashion. Behind the flutter of lights is the band, hazy and graceful much like the song’s attributes. “Madeira” finds Carta pushing into a dream like state, using ethereal vocals and a soothing atmospheric approach to the atmosphere of the song. The vibe driven song is off of the band’s upcoming record, The Sand Collector’s Dream, out July 28th via St. Marie Records. While waiting to wander off into the void of waht that full length will hold, listen to a small snippet with “Madeira” below.
“Possibly detailing a terrible vacation to the Portugal archipelago of the title, simultaneously propulsive and drifty, and taking influences from Yo La Tengo and Stereolab, ‘Madeira’ is further push into Dream-Pop territory, the adventures of a man undone.”
Pre-Order The Sand Collector’s Dream here
Carta began as a bedroom recording project in 2002 by Kyle Monday, Jason Perez, and a revolving cast of San Francisco musicians. Ambient instrumental songs developed organically from looped guitar melodies, which also served as metronomes in the absence of a drummer. As members joined and left, the desire to perform the songs in another setting grew, so the duo became a real band with bassist Ray Welter and drummer Sonny Culbertson. They honed a set of material for live shows, including some songs with vocals (supplied by supplemental keyboardist Sarah Bell).
Carta functions as a collective, trading off instruments, and even trading off vocals. Bassist Sacha Galvagna does most of the heavy lifting, but Kyle Monday and Jon DeRosa take lead on a couple of songs. Yet it’s the vocals of Odessa Chen, blending with the men in a series of duets, that steals the show. Their voices blend together like a Lee Hazlewood with more ‘haze’ and a Nancy Sinatra with more sin.