Quiet Tune from It Hugs Back

10339324_10153356917913502_2714167228139630560_oIt’s been some time since I’ve heard from London’s It Hugs Back, but perhaps that’s my own ignorance.  The group was one of the first acts that I caught on to when shoegaze came back into the spotlight, but for their new album, it seems like they’re stretching the sound quite a bit.  Personally, I was drawn immediately to their lead single, “Somnolence,” which stretches out into five minutes of really elegant, yet soft, pop music. I love the way the vocal carefully sits atop the entire track, as if its just resting there. If you’re into it, you can grab Slow Wave now.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/201994622″ params=”color=ff9900&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

More From Jack + Eliza

jack:elizaLush male/female harmonies and retro surfy guitar? Sign me up. Jack + Eliza may have already grabbed your attention with their single “Oh No,” that Ray shared with you a little while back, but if not, now is the time to discover these two and get on board. I’m loving really everything about this track; the way the vocals seem to dominate the whole track with one harmony crashing into the next effortlessly while the guitar riffs give you that ‘boat dock at sunset’ vibe. I can’t stop spinning this song and now I’m properly excited for the band’s debut full length release of Gentle Warnings, which is out August 7th.

 

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/212689321″ params=”color=ff9900&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Los Colognes Bridge Country and Indie

loscoloLos Colognes are a group of gentleman from Nashville who have been around for quite some time, but in recent years redirected their focus on to refining their sound. They’ve got a new album on the horizon called Dos which is due out September 4th via Theory 8. From the sound of this single below, “Backseat Driver” it sounds like we can expect the band to walk the fine line between jangly indie rock and bluesy alt country. The vocals are slightly Dylan-esque while the honky tonk piano blazes through and trades off with the electric guitar.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/178588150″ params=”color=ff9900&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Painted Palms Deliver Another Hit

paintedpalmsI am getting behind this new Painted Palms record in a big way. The previously released track had a slower groove to it, quite reminiscent of Jagwar Ma. “Tracers” brings more of the dance party using beachy vocals and digital pop goodness, quite reminiscent of Cut Copy with Yaz‘s synth punctuations.

Horizons was recorded with some former-DFA wizardry from Eric Broucek and will land on September 4th via Polyvinyl

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/211505971″ params=”color=ff9900&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Shelf Life Sounds Pretty Stellar

shelfsFor the last several years I’ve had a penchant for bedroom pop, wrapped in warped tape sounds, mixed with oddity a la Coma Cinema. This project from Philly’s Shelf Life reminds me of that, though the recording is a bit stronger, relying more upon the craftsmanship of the songwriting than on the process of lo-fidelity. The project is set to have its debut, Everyone Make Happy, released in September via Lefse, and this first single indicates a pretty remarkable start.  Tracks like this don’t just spring up every day, which is why I’m going to fawn on this all day long. You with me?

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/204069025″ params=”color=ff9900&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Breezy Indie Rock From The Walters

thewaltersThe Walters come out of Chicago with their sea-breeze indie rock and in they come off the release of their debut EP last year with this new single, “Hunk Beach.” At first, the song sounds pretty mild: while the guitar licks hint at a little fire from the band, the vocals are soft. They remain this way as the gentlemen serenade you with their harmonies, but don’t be too fooled, the track really kicks up towards its close and blossoms into a full on beach rock jam.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/212123520″ params=”color=ff9900&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Show Preview: Heathers @ Holy Mountain (7.2)

heatherA lot of talk this week will be about Blonde Redhead and Mono, but I think there’s a show that you don’t want to overlook, which will be a smaller scale show, but equally as good. We’ve been on the path of Heathers since they first started popping up in the small world of indiepop blogs, and I’m excited to see them play live…not to mention that they just released a new single; it’s like an indiepop version of the Replacements. They’ll be joined by Baby Bleu, Popper Burns and Good Talk, so you’ll get a nice dosage of great local acts too…plus it’s cheap, so save your money for beers at the Holy Mountain bar. Take a listen to this great new single.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Heathers-Tanker.mp3]

More From La Luz

luzesYou ready for the new La Luz to hit? If not, this song should pretty much seal the deal on the fact that the band have solidified their sound, leaving them as one of the bands you’ll fall in love with this year.  The latest single opens with this semi-Spaghetti Western psych maneuver, but quickly settles into this dreamy bit of soulful pop. Touches on guitar and keys are really light, creating this effect of that’s almost like floating; it’s very light, accentuated by the vocals being carefully placed atop it all. On August 7th you’ll be able to get your hands on Weirdo Shrine courtesy of Hardly Art.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/199700247″ params=”color=ff9900&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

ATX Spotlight: Pleased to Meet Pleasers

pleasersIt’s been a pretty awesome week for new Austinite Matthew Melton; we ran a single from some of his solo work, and now we’ve got his new project, Pleasers.  We should probably give a shout out to his bandmate Ben Tipton too, who is responsible for a great deal of rock n’ roll goings on in this city.  Together they have united, crafting a nice blend of Melton’s power pop songwriting and a little bit of punk rock, all in line to prep a new 7″ that will hit later this summer on Southpaw Records. Keep an eye out here guys, and don’t listen to the people saying the city is dying, as bands this good just keep popping up.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/209457268″ params=”color=ff9900&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Talking Bush Nails It

talkingbushIf you notice something is coming out through Shelflife Records, chances are high that it’s going to be damn good. Such was the case when I found Talking Bush and their brand spanking new Ordinary Unusual EP. Talking Bush is the project of a young Russian gentleman whose sound evokes that of The Smiths mixed with a little bit of dream pop. Right now, I’m currently having a hard time figuring out which track I want to post from this EP, so you’re gonna want to head over to their soundcloud and then the Shelflife page to pick this bad boy up.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/212646989″ params=”color=ff9900&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

 

1 1,004 1,005 1,006 1,007 1,008 1,440