Category: News

Missing I Was a King

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iwasakingIn the last few weeks, some of the bands I thought were gone have come back (It Hugs Back/Crayon Fields), so I went in search of what was up with one of my favorite acts, I Was a King.  First, I noticed they had recently released a song they’d worked on with Robyn Hitchcock. It’s a beautiful tune, indicative of the growth they’ve made since their early days as a band. Also, and I’m not sure if the two are related at all, but the band has also announced they’re in the studio with Norman of Teenage Fanclub and Joe Perince…looks like we’ll have a new LP form the band soon. Here’s that lost track that’s just appeared.

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Crayon Fields Are Back!!!

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thecrayonfields01It’s fair to say my love affair with heralded Chapter Music officially began when I discovered The Crayon Fields. I’m pretty sure I trolled the band, got them to play one of our SXSW shows at the Ghost Room, and fawned over anything they did.  Still, the band’s been relatively quiet as a whole since 2009, though various members like Geoff O’Connor have been plying their trade at solo work.  Today, we can rejoice rejoice rejoice; the band is back with a new offering, perfecting the beautiful adherence to pop that brought me to them long ago.  There’s some great production value on here too, filling in the space with synth work and female backing vocals; it’ really fleshes out a near brilliant sound.  They’re releasing No One Deserves You via Chapter on September 25th, so be on the lookout.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/213630961″ params=”color=ff9900&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

American Culture Share New Demos

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americancultureA few months ago, I fell in love with American Culture and their record, Pure American Gum, in all its noisy rock and roll glory. I’m pleased to share with you some raw demos that the band has crafted in the wake of that album. Below is just one of the rough cuts that American Culture has put up on their Soundcloud page, but to me the song sounds pretty great as it is. It’s got that fuzzy, ultra lo-fi production quality to it that we’ve come to expect from the band as well as the hybrid of crisp electric guitar riffs cutting through the whole track. Enjoy the bonus tracks.

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Ultimate Painting Bring The (Sanctioned) Blues

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ultimate paintingAs Ultimate Painting prep to release Green Lanes on August 7th via Trouble In Mind, they’ve shared yet another solid single with us from that upcoming record. This time around, the duo have got a hooky little number with “(I’ve Got The) Sanctioned Blues,” which has sunny guitar riffs that patter through the whole track. Simultaneously, the vocals are bright and crisp as they sing about life under a conservative British government. Check out the tune below and enjoy the sun bleached psychedelia from these gentlemen.

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Wand Moves To Drag City/ Shares New Track

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wandFor what is going to be their third full length album in a little over a year, Wand has returned with a new single as well as news that 1000 Days will be released through Drag City. This single, “Stolen Footsteps” is an eerie psych track that hinges on a mellower sound than we’ve heard from the group, but one that definitely caught my attention. If you watch the video, you’ll hear the subtler sound, but then there’s Cory Hanson’s enticing vocals that hook you in while fuzzy synths ground the song. Get ready for another great release from these guys coming September 25th.

[youtube]https://youtu.be/V0MleuDItII[/youtube]

More New Girls Names

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girlsgirlsgirlsAdmittedly, I think I’m partial to the Girls Names debut, Dead to Me.  There was something in the simplicity of the songwriting that the band now seems to have discarded for the most part.  Their newest single, like their 11 minute 12″ tune from earlier this year, goes beyond simplicity, filling in space with sonic exploration.  Still, what I’m liking from this new effort is the band’s adherence to pop tropes within the confines of their new direction; while it borders on a touch too long, there’s still evidence of a pop song in every moment. It’s our first listen to the band’s new album, Arms Around a Vision, which will be out in October via Tough Love.

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ATX Spotlight: Reservations

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reservationsAfter seeing Reservations live a few months ago, I’ll admit they’d slipped my mind a bit, but when I saw that these locals were getting ready to release their debut full length album and had their lead single up for release I was brought back to the reality that this three piece outfit is something to shout about. The music video below is for the song “Planet” and it features stop action creatures who appear to have been enslaved. Regardless, the song that accompanies the music video is the main attraction in my eyes. Lead singer Jana Horn commands the track with her delicate yet utterly transfixing vocals while crunchy keyboards, subtle electric guitar and bombastic drums create the perfect electro-folk track. Once you hear this song you’ll be excited for Taking Time, which is out July 24th.

*If music videos aren’t your thing, the song is also here on soundcloud.

 

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBeNWSnQBxw&feature=youtu.be[/youtube]

School In The Middle Of Summer!

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theschoolWell, lucky for you, not exactly. More like Cardiff pop band The School have released a killer single (for free!) from their upcoming record Wasting Away and Wondering that’s due out September 4th from Elefant Records. Now, a few months back I shared with you another great single from these folks and here we see the continuation of the perfect indie pop retro sound from the group, including a nice little string breakdown near the end of the track and horns throughout. “Do I Love You?” has got that sunny Camera Obscura meets She & Him and the music video is a perfect demonstration of what I wish I looked like dancing around my bedroom to this sunny pop song.

Show Preview: Elvis Depressedly + Mitski @ Mohawk (7.8)

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Elvis DepressedlyThere’s a great deal of shows coming through town this week, and it just so happens that one of my favorite acts is on that list, Elvis Depressedly.  I first caught on to the act via my love of Coma Cinema, which is Mat Cothran’s solo project.  It’s all part of the lo-fi pop movement, though there are definitely some more abstract and strange movements going on within the project. They bring their new effort, New Alhambra, which has been well-received, especially by me!  They’ll be joining friends Mitski on stage, along with highly-touted newcomers, Eskimeaux. Doors will open for this gig at 8 PM, and you can grab $12 tickets HERE.

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Brand New Ought!!!

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11722334_1145353692148677_3832218857719001327_oOught caught me off-guard with their brilliant blend of art rock and post punk on their debut, More Than Any Other Day.  It was probably one of the most refreshing albums that came out last year, and they’re back again with brand new music for you. If you were lucky enough to catch the band on their tour spree, then you likely heard this song in their live set, and it’s a great recorded version, though it gets an entirely different presentation in the live setting. The new album is called Sun Coming Down, and it’s set for a September release via Constellation Records.  Seriously folks, this is probably one of the best young acts around.

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