Austin Town Hall

Feel like I started out the day with sort of a soft touch, musically speaking, so I want to make sure you all get your dosage of rock n’ roll as the day draws to a close.  This sprawling track opens up gently, then blasts off with noisy discordant guitar work.  Whilst Ovlov definitely exemplifies a louder edge, there’s still an element of accessibility that breaks through with the delivery of the vocals. After working hard for several years, the band is finally ready to unleash Am, their debut album; it will be out on July 2nd via Exploding in Sound Records.

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Download: Ovlov – Blue Baby [MP3]

It’s that time of year, where students are going home for the summer, while the rest of us wistfully long for such days, hampered by the mundane details of every day life.  But, when pop music rears its head, we’re all on the same page, all letting our minds drift gently towards a common sentiment of peace and relaxation.  That’s just the sensation I got as I listened to the latest track from Young Hunting, who will be releasing their debut album, Hazel, via Gold Robot Records on June 11th.  Pretty sure I can’t find a thing wrong with this track.

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Download: Young Hunting – Wrecking Ball [MP3]

Okay, short and sweet here.  We’ve already shared new songs “So What” and “Waste Away” from Brooklyn based outfit Dead Stars so it’s clear that we enjoy the rock n roll mentality of this group.  Today we have a 3rd new song by the band called “Fractured” that should give you one hell of an idea as to what this band is all about.  Power chords, heavy choruses, and rock n roll.  I can get behind that.

Once again, new EP High Gain is coming out physically on June 4th via Uninhabitable Mansions.

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Download: Dead Stars – Fractured [MP3]

Nice little surprise out of ATH IT Department favorite Mint Julep, this was teased and then posted over on their Bookface page. I’ll let ehm do the intro…

While writing our forthcoming album, “Broken Devotion”, Hollie and I took a bit of a detour to write this song for fun and welcome in the summer. We are offering it as a free download. Hope you enjoy it!

It is a freebie download and way better than anything on the alleged album of the summer (RAM sucks). “Soon The Sea” has a very Stars-y feel to it and will be in heavy rotation.

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Download: Mint Julep – Soon The Sea (Soundcloud Page) [MP3]

Clearly I’m in the mood for upbeat tunes today, and this one is definitely another to add to my list for the day.  Honeymoon is a duo from LA, who are in the process of working on a full-length release.  While their at it, they’ve leaked this new song, which shows them dabbling with various elements from across the musical landscape.  It all revolves around pop, but they branch across varying genres to include space-age oddball moments, but also reach across varying decades for touchstones.  Give it a listen and let me know what you think.

I’m waiting for this rain to clear away, so in searching for that, I’m also searching for some sunny music to carry me through these rough couple of weeks.  That’s how I discovered Beach Vacation, who’ve got their Maritime EP ready for release from Dufflecoat Records.  The sound of the guitar opens the track in exactly the right direction, with a swinging sensation that immediately provides joy for the listener. There’s no reason not to listen to this track and get excited about the group at hand.  You need something to cheer up your day, then come here and jam to Beach Vacay.

Is this album here yet? Every single time I get a new track from GRMLN I get excited by the prospect of the fun to be had when Empire finally hits stores on June 4th. Personally, the further we get along, the more I see a similarity in the hype that surrounded Wavves when Nathan first broke onto the scene. And just like those raucous tunes, the songs, including the one below, are filled with energy and brevity, giving us the perfect blend of brevity and pop goodness.  Carpark will be releasing the album, and you can be sure that I’ll have good things to say about it!

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Download: GRMLN – Do You Know How It Feels_ [MP3]

Those of you following the indie pop world with a keen eye know that one of the best little labels is Manic Pop Records from Minnesota.  The label is quickly making a name for itself by releasing gem after gem.  One of their upcoming releases is this new 7″ from Chicago’s StarTropics.  I can’t get this tune out of my head right now.  At the beginning, I thought it had this Drums affectation, just basing that off the rhythm section, but it then begins to explore a more gentle sonic realm.  You can pick up the By My Side/Tempest 7″ on May 22nd.