Hallelujah the Hills arose from the ashes of Boston's late lamented
the Stairs. When
the Stairs collapsed at the end of 2005, lead singer/songwriter
Ryan Walsh and drummer Eric Meyer announced the formation of their new band. Named after Adolphus Mekas' 1963 cult comedy,
Hallelujah the Hills settled on an initial lineup of
Walsh and Meyer,
David Bentley (cello, guitar), Joe Marrett (bass), and Matt Brown (synth, samples, guitar, melodica). Trumpeter Brian Rutledge joined a few months later, and
Elio DeLuca replaced Brown on keyboards in early 2007. Incorporating elements of
Guided by Voices' lo-fi power pop, the woozy marching band music of
Neutral Milk Hotel, and the off-kilter warblings of
David Byrne,
Hallelujah the Hills' live shows quickly won accolades from The Boston Phoenix and Salon.com. That ramshackle democracy can be heard on the band's debut album,
Collective Psychosis Begone, released on Misra Records in June 2007. ~ Andy Whitman