New Music from The Wind-Up Birds

coverThere’s lots of jagged-edge guitar rock coming out at the moment, but one of the acts I like to keep my eye on is The Wind-Up Birds.  The band hails from the UK, and they’re currently preparing to release Poor Music next week.  This tune here displays the band at full-force, moving quickly into the track to unleash a furious bit of rock n’ roll.  Still, they hold onto a general pop structure, making the tune infectious almost from the minute you press go.  When you’re looking for great releases next week, keep these guys in mind.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/The-Wind-up-Birds-The-Gristle-01-The-Gristle.mp3]

Download: The Wind-Up Birds – The Gristle [MP3]

 

Little Touch of Psychedelia from Haunted Hearts

hauntedheartsLet’s face it, when you heard about the musical union of lovers, Dee Dee and Brandon (Dum Dum Girls and Crocodiles, respectively), you were a little bit skeptical right?  I know that I was, but with the latest single from Haunted Hearts, I’m starting to turn my head more towards anticipation.  In this episode, there’s this slight wash of psychedelia that’s draped over the band’s pop tendencies.  It makes for a dreamy number that’s not really stuck too far in either direction, which is why the union definitely seems fruitful, aside from the obvious happy marriage of the two.  Zoo Music will release their debut, Initiations, next Tuesday.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/147270369″ params=”color=ff9900&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_artwork=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Pop Number from Truthers

truthersWhen I first pressed play on this track from Truthers, I fully expected it to be a slow piece that unfolded over time.  But, the drums started pounding in the distance, and the track picked up a slight step, giving it this definite bounce that’s made it worthy of repeated listens today.  Once it gets going, it never really lets go either, triumphantly bursting towards the end before the tape starts to bend and stretch in your speakers. This little ditty will be released by new label, Glad Tidings from New York, so give it a listen and get your hands on this limited release.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/114491665″ params=”color=ff9900&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_artwork=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

New Single Premiere from Alphabetical Order Orchestra

919686_574433805923476_615091088_oWe’ve raved about the work of Alphabetical Order Orchestra, and we’re getting closer to a proper release from the group.  The band has been gracious enough to let us share one of the tracks off their upcoming EP today, but we’d also like to encourage you to donate to the group so you can get your name in the liner notes (plus help with future recordings). You can do that HERE. I love the feeling of this track; it encompasses a little bit of twee, but also has a subtlety that so many people will find endearing.  So many elements illustrate why I’ve adored the work of the band, from the gentle vocal delivery to the careful bits of instrumentation; it all fits so perfectly that I bet can’t but fawn over it.  Enjoy for now, and we’ll keep you posted on the release of the EP.

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

 

New Tom Vek Jam

tomvekWe’re still playing a little catch up due to our server exchange (thanks for being patient), and I’m sad I missed the chance to post about this Tom Vek track immediately.   It’s one of the standout tunes on his new record, Luck, which will be out on June 10th via Moshi Moshi.  I love how there’s a bit of a post-punk vocal delivery on this single, while the electronic instrumentation seems to work in contrast to that.  It’s one of the reasons Vek has become so interesting, drawing from various influences to create an amalgam of pop references.  Give this tune a try.

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

Download: Tom Vek – Broke [MP3]

Enjoy This Track From Balue

BaluefyrThanks to our amigos over at Fleeting Youth Records here in Austin, we’ve been hearing about all kinds of great new bands from different parts of the country.  Today we bring you new signee to the label in the form of New Mexico based pop group Balue.  The music created here is like a mixture of 1st album era MGMT mixed with shoe-gazy pop bands like Painted Palms.  Somehow these elements blend perfectly together to create some special moments like in this song “Charming Flow”.

Pick up new album Quiet Dreamer on June 24th via Fleeting Youth Records.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/150131966″ params=”color=ff9900&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_artwork=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Austin Spotlight: A. Sinclair Premiere New Single

asinclairThe time is near folks. In fact, in less than 24 hours you’ll be able to get your hands on the brand new Pretty Girls EP from Austin’s A. Sinclair.  We’ve been writing quite a bit about the group lately, as we’re really excited to see the increased output from the band, not to mention their growing maturity in songwriting.  Today we bring you a brand new song, “Throwing Up on the Ground,” which features more twang than the previous two singles the band have released.  It demonstrates the careful balance between the band’s influences and their ability to rock live.   And, speaking of rocking, the band will be doing just that, live at the Mohawk this Thursday, celebrating the release of the brand new EP; they’ll be joined by Otis and the Destroyer, Chasca, and the Docs.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/05-Throwing-Up-On-The-Ground.mp3]

 

New Music from Marvelous Mark

marvelous-markI figured we’d wrap up our week (I know it’s been slow from us) with this great new tune from Marvelous Mark.  He first came to my attention as part of Marvelous Darlings, which included Ben Cook of Fucked Up.  This new jam has him working solo, but the music’s still got the same feel.  It’s a power-pop fueled jam, holding tight to some pretty incredible melodies; it reminds me a lot of bands like Dead Stars or even Nada Surf…heavy-hitting guitars and catchy melodies.  You can pick this tune up via Bad Actors on his new Flexi 7″.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/143948188″ params=”color=ff9900&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_artwork=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Austin Spotlight: Walker Lukens Remix Premiere

Walker-Lukens-1After an excellent year with the release of his album, Devoted, Walker Lukens has decided to up the ante by releasing a six song Devoted Remixed EP.  It’s going to be a short little stop-gap in his writing process, offering up remix versions of 6 album tracks, revised, so to speak.  Our premiere brings you “Lover (Two Dudes in Love Remix),” which demonstrates the care and detail on the tracks within the EP; it’s a much sparser version of the original, leaving lots of empty space for beats and loops to move within.  The remix, as the title indicates, was completed by San Francisco production team of Two Dudes In Love. He’ll be offering up the EP on May 27th, with a special release show on May 31st at Stubbs; the show will also feature locals Ruby Jane and Hello Wheels.  Take your time with this tune, and if you’ve got it, go back and visit Devoted…then thank us later.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/145867723″ params=”color=ff9900&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_artwork=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

 

New Pop from Sherpa

sherpaA few years ago I stumbled across Sherpa, a little known New Zealand act at the time. I’ve kept my eyes on them, especially recently as news came my way that they were set to complete their new record; today is that day.  The album is titled Blues & Oranges, and I’ve spent all morning listening to every track rather carefully.  I appreciate the band’s construction, as in this song, where they carefully maneuver their way through pop structures and utilize modern touches like looped beats.  This song has a bit of an Of Montreal feel, at least in the way the vocals are delivered, which is one of the reasons it’s my favorite of the bunch…at least on my first three listens.  Pick up the record HERE.

1 1,073 1,074 1,075 1,076 1,077 1,523