Mountain Man: Tiny Desk Family Hour

Stephen Thompson | When Mountain Man began a decade ago, it consisted of three close friends arraying their voices in a resplendent blend, often without so much as an acoustic guitar for adornment. Today, the configuration remains exactly the same, except that all three members - Alexandra Sauser-Monnig, Molly Sarlé and Amelia Meath - have developed strong solo identities along the way. Sauser-Monnig also records wonderful folk-pop songs under the name Daughter of Swords, Molly Sarlé released a magnificent single under her own name earlier this year, and Meath is the singing, dancing half of the transcendent synth-pop powerhouse Sylvan Esso.
So when Mountain Man showed up for a softly joyful set at NPR Music's Tiny Desk Family Hour - recorded live at Austin's Central Presbyterian Church during SXSW on Tuesday night - it was almost like seeing four acts at once: three solo, one collective. Choosing a single excerpt was a fool's errand, so here are three: the breezy a cappella "AGT," from 2018's Magic Ship, as well as Mountain Man arrangements of Sarlé's "Human" and Daughter of Swords' "Grasses."

[@loserbiotch2]

I have another job interview today-this time it’s a big one! Still watching to calm the nerves a year later

[@blindjohn2969]

the tempo ramp at end of first song so cool

[@HenryZion]

You can just see Amelia make eye-contact with someone in the crowed; a wink, hair twirl, and a smile. You lucky bastard.

[@micky_knuckles]

I love it!!

[@jono4708]

That was me!!! A nod is as good as a wink to a blind horse.

[@loserbiotch2]

this may be silly but i have a job interview this morning and i was such a bundle of nerves but i stumbled across this and it really took me out of my body for a few minutes and let me calm down

[@stagnantmilk]

kortnee good luck for your interview!

[@cypeman8037]

That's what music does. Good luck.

[@loserbiotch2]

update: I got the job! thanks mountain man 💕

[@stagnantmilk]

kortnee congrats!

[@SoilentGr33n]

@@loserbiotch2 Awesome, was gonna ask how it went.

[@hamzasr6501]

oh my god. they're so talented. i cannot believe genuinely how amazingly skilled they are and beautiful they sound. its so out of this world

[@sumarah85]

hahaha amelia flirting at 1:16!! :)

[@haru9369]

their voices create depth and space

[@zwick6890]

Reminds me of the muses from “O Brother Where Art Thou”- anyone?

[@JeSuisYeya]

ZWICK 6 exactly

[@amandafeliciano542]

Yesss

[@koyote2e511]

One of all time fav movies thanks for the liking of, a reminder to dig it out of archives

[@AdamA-wg1ko]

Yeeeaaasss queeeen

[@Ellier215]

Yes.

[@layanerizzo176]

there's something about their voices that demand your attention... i cannot listen to them and do anything else but be present.

[@rabonour]

Pump it straight into my veins. That first number left me speechless.

[@flyingcheff]

Love them. I especially am intrigued by the fashion choice of the gorgeous dress and baseball cap, fabulous!! Exquisite voices and humans!

[@SoilentGr33n]

Saw these sirens when Feist toured Metals with them. It was fucking fantastic.

[@nataliemscrzysxycoolharris9623]

*THAT HARMONY!!* ♥♥♥♥♥

[@CalebCrouch]

Such beautiful harmonies

[@CollinMacQuarrie]

the girl at the end has an AMAZING voice! I could seriously listen to her for hours!

[@Specificpickle]

This is so amazing I love them. Eagerly awaiting Sylvan Essos new album!

[@erikaveganvixen7540]

Epic as always!! The raw talent is real with Mountain Man!!!

[@RobertF-]

Three beautiful women singing angelically...
Let's call the group Mountain Man

[@mmcneal0290]

Just taken to an ethereal place! Bless y’all🙏

[@graemeroberts2935]

They are so beautiful.

[@darkroomignite8264]

They NEVER disappoint. Converted fan forever. ❤

[@zeedevil4409]

Beautiful harmonies

[@WelfareChrist]

They did an amazing job on this set love these girls so so so much

[@jonathansanders9816]

Beautiful music.

[@ovaryacted]

I just feel blessed they came together.

[@blahber222]

thank u NPR omg

[@fakeplasticmike]

Lovely!

[@JC-jo9bo]

Beautiful

[@teriscallon]

that was so lovely

[@1967Nettie]

Beautiful

[@benjaminedwards8133]

Pure gold

[@gregormiller4037]

Very nice harmony, wonderful song. Thank you.

[@DeadEyeDann]

Mountain Man is SO good.

[@AquariusCrystalwave]

Beautiful ❤️

[@OmJhody]

give me a goosebumps

[@suezoluznatti]

Perfeito..eu sou rapper e curti muito o estilo 😍😎

[@kylesaloka1563]

Almost reminds me of a female Crosby Stills and Nash.

[@diaspo]

A couple of centuries ago, these sirens would have been burned at the stake for witch craft. They put a spell on me, and I'm theirs.

[@chrisf6216]

LOL Thank you for describing what they did to me, too. Thank you NPR/TC and, of course, MM!

[@Sooper35]

Ahhh I remember discovering them from Feist a while back.

[@walterthemusician8741]

I love this! I would have loved to be in the audience! I'm a new fan.

[@NolaFlash]

WOW!

[@stanervin6108]

HARMONY!!! 🎙🎼🎶🎵

[@rosieheller8989]

So lovely! Will the whole concert be available?

[@superlady2960]

beautiful-ness, wonderful-ness

[@melissapursley5095]

Such talent to be able to portray the human conditions so delicately

[@jblairhoward]

I’ll never make into heaven, so this’ll more than fill that void.

[@tjpj1919]

Reminds me of A Mighty Wind

[@aagantuk7370]

Badass

[@demetriusz8465]

I really want to know about the mic and the recording setting of npr

[@chris_anna4702]

It's just crazy how good the sound is! Would prefer that to a lot of albums.

[@jaron_a_mo]

Underrated

[@raymondlawson2301]

👏

[@okbo-y]

仲良さそうですね。😀😌🤓

[@TotusTuusMaria1984]

I appreciate their sound and their talent but not my thing.

[@chris_anna4702]

Even if it's not your thing your comment is really nice 😊 wish everyone would be that nice laying a comment on a thing that's not their thing

[@amandafeliciano542]

Thank you for the acknowledgement and respect, I feel the same about other acts and never understand why others are so ugly sometimes!!

[@deidrehollifield8937]

Amelia made eye contact with me for a solid minute at a small show in Asheville nc and I ascended lol

[@deadboy4991]

finally

[@adellacroce]

I love you

[@VictorSteiner]

Hey that‘s the singer of Sylvan Esso on the left. Interesting that she does such different music, too.

[@latiamcdaniels5808]

I THOUGHT that was her!!!!?!?!?!

[@thomaskittock2866]

She did Mountain Man before Sylvan Esso I think.

[@amandafeliciano542]

She did indeed!!

[@reubentyler-wilkinson8218]

Anyone else get massive Tracy Chapman vibes from the second song?

[@isabellaliedtke6361]

Reuben Tyler-Wilkinson i do!

[@mrLancelot]

👍😚❤

[@tsopuaifa]

5/5

[@isras6702]

Isn't one of them the Gal from Sylvan Esso? They are #dope

[@Drabee]

yes, amelia

[@amandafeliciano542]

She was from Mountain Man first!! ;)

[@slystonedtuna4741]

Guess Who's Back. Sweaty As Hell

[@ClarissaGiles]

SlyStonedTuna I wanna be her friend so bad 😍❤️😍

[@joeyhyland]

I wish I could sing

[@vapeissue8682]

if i had the power to let you free i woulf

[@erikaveganvixen7540]

Ermahgerd gersberms!

[@k.a.a.s.5776]

YOU HAVE TO DO MAC AYRES NEXT PLEASE LORD JESUS

[@arnoldoce]

turn on the air conditioner grief

[@josephmacisaac3432]

A church, a mic stand, a guitar, and three subarus

[@marcosnikolic3131]

what wait, ihve just died?

[@frankhenderson7820]

Why they ass not at the tiny desk tho like ya post to this id why the world is f up cause people change the not needed any help

[@noah8923]

I can smell em through my computer

[@isabellaliedtke6361]

noah8923 why say that? 💚

[@noah8923]

@ataricombat How did you pull that from a joke? Is that a preset response you told yourself to say when something offends you? Well its not a generic response and it doesn't fit. Do you want to try again?