Jangling Post Rock from Lower

lowerShifting guitars open up this track with a bit of a jangling ring, before the brooding kicks in from Lower.  That brooding comes in via the dark croon of the vocals, with just a faint hint of a pleasant meldoy hiding at the end of each syllable.  Meanwhile, the guitars are still ringing and the drums are pounding; it creates a pretty striking effect, making all of us at ATH on alert for the release of the band’s debut album, Seek Warmer Climes; it’ll be out on June 17th via Matador.  Here’s a video for the below single: VIDEO.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/softoption.mp3]

Download: Lower – Soft Option [MP3]

 

Enjoy This Track From Teleman

teleman2014I’ve been enjoying this infectious new tune called “Mainline” from Teleman since it came my way via the email wire yesterday.  As far as singles serving as an introduction to an album, I can’t really imagine a better one than this.  The crunchy, driving guitar blends in well with the almost chant like chorus that is transitioned to nicely.  I’m also finding it hard to not stomp my feet along as a I jam out to this one.

New album, Breakfast, is due out June 3rd on Moshi Moshi.

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Post Rock Soccer Ode from Dark Blue

dark blueFirst, I was surprised to see that Jade Tree was still releasing music; I used to love that label, but somehow completely forgot them.  But, for myself and the other lads at ATH, we profess our eternal love of soccer daily, and it’s all the reason to share this number from Dark Blue since it’s been labeled an ode to the sport and hooliganism (which I don’t support). Even if you don’t like soccer, surely you’ll appreciate this lead single from the band’s new 7″, which has this nice croon resting on top of noisy guitar riffs.  The vinyl version of this 7″ will come with a cover of John Cale‘s “Hungry for Love;” it will be released July 15th.

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Vorn Releases New Album

vornVorn is one of those musicians that you never know precisely what you’re going to get.  His seven album career, spanning over 15 years, is both prolific and creative, and his new album, More Songs About Girls and the Apocalypse, is yet another notch in his famed music-making belt.  There’s elements of power-pop, twee, psychedelic and even some hip-hop flavored tunes.  Personally, I appreciate his creativity within the songs, not merely stopping with just one simple idea, but daring to move in and out within each song.  You want to hear one of New Zealand’s most interesting musicians? Take a listen to some Vorn.

 

New Album from Bishop Allen

bishopallen_largeSome songs are impossible to ignore.  They immediately grab you, holding you tight, spinning you in whirlwind of pop.  That’s precisely the feeling I got when I listened to this brand new track from Bishop Allen.  If you look at the cover art for the band’s upcoming record, Light’s Out, you get the sense that the band was pursuing the same thing, putting some young kisd on the cover dancing up a storm.  It’s the sign of something delightfully catchy coming your way at the end of the summer, August 19th to be exact; it’s being released by Dead Oceans.  I dare you not to like this song.

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Impressive New Tune from Vaniish

vaniishThe more tracks we get from Vaniish, the more excited I am for the unleashing of their new album.  The band’s made up of members, past and present, of Soft Moon and Wax Idols, and that pedigree alone would be enough to catch my interest, but the songs are solid too.  Their latest single, “Search and Replace” offers a wall of noise and a devilish beat behind it, then moves forward holding onto an edgy bit of post punk.  You know I love a song that hides its attraction to pop music behind some noisy bits. Their debut Memory Work will be out on June 10th via Metropolis Records.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/05-Search-and-Replace.mp3]

Download: Vaniish – Search and Replace [MP3]

 

New Music from Eric D Johnson

edjWe loved the work of Fruit Bats, so it only makes sense that we’re following closely the path of the band’s Eric D. Johnson.  Press release says that he acknowledges that these are not the happy songs that most people might associate with his writing, but I still find that there’s a brightness to what he’s creating.  I love the way his voice rises up, meeting the notes he’s crafted at each turn; it’s one of the staples of his songs that we’ve adored for some time. He’ll release a new album under the EDJ moniker on Easy Sound on August 5th.

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Ticket Giveaway: Protomartyr @ Holy Mountain (5.30)

chaosChaos in Tejas and Transmission are bringing some incredible bands into town this week, and we’ve got yet another chance for you to win a pair of tickets. Under Color of Official Right is one of the most rewarding listens this year, and the group dominated the SXSW post-hype machine with several great performances.  You’ll get a chance to see the band perform in a fairly intimate setting over at Holy Mountain, supported by two incredible local acts: Xetas and Simple Circuit.  Just because you love Protomartyr doesn’t mean you can’t get there early to catch these two remarkable bands too.

It’s the midway point in the year for all intents and purposes, so leave your Favorite Album of 2014 (so far) and I’ll pick a winner that most closely aligns with our tastes.  Contest ends Thursday at Noon.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Scum-Rise.mp3]

Download: Protomartyr – Scum, Rise! [MP3]

Great New Track From Big Deal

jpegBig Deal came onto our radar last year with a ton of solid tracks that we shared with you as soon as we had them.  Today news is coming that the band have even more new music this year and plan on releasing a new EP this summer.  This great new track “Always Boys” is yet another example of the power created by this band.  A slow build up leads to an intense, loud, power driven pop tune.  We hope that you enjoy this one as much as we do.

New EP, Sakura, is coming on July 15th.

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Late to the Party: Carnival Youth

10379877_319202781561504_1879389632014875846_oWith endless emails coming in every day, and my own hunt for great songs outside the press, I’ll admit, I sometimes find that great music escapes me.  Luckily, I was able to revisit this sweet bit of swelling pop from Carnival Youth, and now I can’t get enough of the track below.  What amazes me as much as the track itself is that the band hails from Latvia, a country that rarely, if ever, gets musical coverage, so I’m glad to shine a little light that way; I’ve got old ties to the country.  Just listen to this track. Listen to the bounce and let yourself get swept up in the beauteous emotion of the song.  It’s off their Never Have Enough EP, which is as great as this tune below.

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