Their self-titled album was chosen as one of Amazon.com's Top 100 Editor's Picks of 2005. In the Future was a finalist for the 2008 Polaris Music Prize and was also nominated for "Best Alternative Album" in the 2009 Juno Awards. The song "Stay Free" from In the Future was featured on the Spider-Man 3 soundtrack.
In 2005 the band opened for Coldplay on their Twisted Logic Tour for three weeks, with their final opening in San Diego.
In September 2010 Black Mountain performed in an amphitheater located in the woods of Oisterwijk at the Incubate (festival) in Tilburg, Netherlands.
Leader Stephen McBean also heads another similarly named band, Pink Mountaintops, who are the more experimental side of McBean's musical abilities. Black Mountain is the front line band for Black Mountain Army, a collective of musicians, artists and friends in Vancouver. In an interview the band said "Black Mountain is just the five of us. The Black Mountain Army… which has kind of gotten blown out of proportion, it was kind of just a joke, because everybody thought we were this hippie collective, like we all lived in one house. But it’s basically just our friends at home in Vancouver, just our extended family of creative people that we know."
Several members of the band have, for as long as a decade, worked for organizations that meet the basic living requirements of the chronically poor, drug addicted and mentally ill in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside neighborhood, such as Insite. In an interview, the band said: "After work we all try not to think too hard about the effect it has on our lives. It keeps us grounded."
Wilderness Heart was named as a longlisted nominee for the 2011 Polaris Music Prize.
March 11, 2014 The Black Mountain song "Wucan" was featured on season 2 of the FOX drama "The Following" during the eighth episode entitled "Messenger".
The Black Mountain song "Druganaut" is featured in a June, 2014 Father's Day commercial for J.C. Penney.
Constellations
Black Mountain Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ain't nobody else
Upside down
Ara ara ara- Ara ara ara
Electric howl
Staring out the sky
Don't get outta your head while we're off losing our minds
All alone, I'm floating with myself
Don't get outta your head while we're off losing our minds
The lyrics to Black Mountain's song Constellations can be interpreted as a representation of someone feeling isolated and disconnected from others. The line "Tangled up alone, ain't nobody else" suggests a feeling of being trapped and unable to reach out for help or companionship. Furthermore, the mention of being "Upside down" may symbolize a feeling of being disoriented and unsure of oneself.
The repeated phrase "Ara ara ara" could be interpreted as a call for help or an attempt to communicate with someone, but the lack of a response suggests a feeling of being unheard. The reference to an "Electric howl" adds to the feeling of distress and confusion.
The line "Don't get outta your head while we're off losing our minds" could be interpreted as an admonishment to stay grounded and present, despite the chaos around them. However, it could also suggest a sense of wanting to escape reality and "lose their mind" with someone else.
Overall, the lyrics to Constellations convey a sense of loneliness, disorientation, and a desire for connection and escapism.
Line by Line Meaning
Tangled up alone
Feeling disconnected and confused, with no one to turn to
Ain't nobody else
There's no one around to provide comfort or guidance
Upside down
Feeling disoriented and uncertain about the world around us
Ara ara ara- Ara ara ara
Vocalization that adds to the emotional and existential turmoil in the music
Electric howl
Intense and visceral reaction to the chaos and confusion
Staring out the sky
Engaging in introspection and trying to find answers by looking up and around
Don't get outta your head while we're off losing our minds
Stay focused and grounded while we experience a collective breakdown
All alone, I'm floating with myself
Feeling disconnected from the outside world and trying to find solace within oneself
Don't get outta your head while we're off losing our minds
Stay present and don't get swept away by the turmoil happening around us
Don't get outta your head while we're off losing our minds
Repeated refrain as a reminder to stay mentally strong and centered amidst chaos
Contributed by Bentley P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.