A Place To Bury Strangers – Transfixiation

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placeRating: ★★★☆☆

The noise, the noise, the noise! For more than a decade now, these New Yorkers have been dishing out a steady supply of loud and rambunctious rock music. But you already knew that, or you should, as they’ve become somewhat of a staple band when it comes to experimental post-punk revival noise rock. Transfixiation is far from short on the loud and punch-you-in-the-face rock and roll, but does it push A Place To Bury Strangers past where they’ve already been?

They open up with simmering “Supermaster,” which has the band’s dark post-punk grit toned down to a pop level, giving it a newfound accessibility that was missing before. This song plays with the concept of bursting forth into the explosive rock that we know the band to be capable of, but instead, they stay treading water just below of the surface. Oliver Ackermann’s vocals stay low in the mix, and the whole song crawls along forebodingly, building up the suspense as squalls of electric guitar slice through the mix. Alluringly, this song piques your interest and sucks you in before APTBS ever really launch in.

But not to worry, “Straight,” the second track up has the band taking this newfound pop accessibility to a different level. This song is a great middle ground for the band; neither too hot nor too dull in terms of gritty noise rock or a watered down version of their original sound. Instead, it takes the band to a different level, combining the grit with the streamlined to make for quite an enjoyable track. There are other tracks on Transfixiation that fit this mold in the best way, like late burners “We’ve Come So Far,” or “Fill The Void.” Both of these songs combine a newfound pop sensibility to the mix while maintaining the band’s core sound, and open up the band to a new hybridity we had scarcely seen before. Other times, you get the band holding on to their loud roots unabashedly. Take songs like “Love High” or “Deeper,” in which the grungey elements are in full force.

So, the answer to the question I posed at the beginning of this review is both a yes and a no. There are some tracks on Transfixiation that clearly stick out and sail above the classic noise they’ve come to be infamous for. However, part of the album feels so steeped in feedback and coated in grit that you’ve already gotten to know; a half step in a different direction rather than a full step. It’s up to you to decide if that’s a good or a bad thing.

 

Can Metz Live Up to the Hype

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metzHonestly, Metz was a hot commodity a few years back, and I feel like their resurgence is perfectly timed.  I’m weaning myself off (a little) from the mild folky tunes of Winter doldrums, and looking forward to getting my rock on, so this is fitting.  Musically, the band’s as dangerous as they’ve been before, though there’s a bit of a change in the vocals that’s slightly new.  To me, this track feels like a post-hardcore blast of rock, which is perfectly fine, but I’m interested to see what the rest of Metz II sounds like; it’s being released by Sub Pop on May 5th…and for the record, I’m buying into the hype.

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ATX Spotlight: Decisions Decions Are Ready to Rock

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228747_1088522405580_3663907_nDisclaimer.  I’m friends with Stuart from Decisions Decisions. Disclaimer. Stuart was also in the Rise, who I think any old-school Austin music fans fawned over.  His new band has that same tenacity, living somewhere between the realm of post-punk and hardcore. The vocals border on angsty scream, though they have a bit more control, allowing the actual lyrics to shine through the track.  The band have just uploaded 8 new songs to their Bandcamp page…and they’re worthy of your time, if rocking out real loud is your style.  Check it…and I’ll keep you posted on upcoming shows.

Introducing: Mumrunner

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mumsthewordThought I was pretty in with the Finnish scene, but Soliti always has to keep me on my toes.  They just tossed out this excellent single from Mumrunner today.  Honestly, this might be one of my favorite new things from the label in recent months; it’s got that swirling jangling guitar I love so well, but the vocals bring in a smoky male vocal, touched up by a nice female counterpart, and I’m in love. They’re polishing up the final touches on their newest EP, and I dare you not to immediately fall in love with this track.  I’ll keep you posted on the new EP…hopefully with a new song!

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SXSW Interview: In Tall Buildings

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tallbMan. The In Tall Buildings record is good; did you check out Nicole’s review? Well, in case you wanted to know a little bit about the story behind the album, Diver, we’ve got the inside scoop courtesy of Erik himself. This will also give you a good heads up as to why you should check out ITB during SXSW; it’s one of the shows I’m really anticipating, and I really appreciate Erik’s thoughtful answers, so read on to hear what he has to say.  Read more

Heart Beach

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tumblr_njjyzkZXey1tq4r3mo1_500I just heard about Australian based indie band Heart Beach today and I’m already stricken with their music.  This song, “Away”, is what started it all for me and I’m hoping you feel the same way when you hit play.  It’s a song that is seemingly always waiting for the beat to drop, it never really does, and I find myself loving every second of that.  Loving the guitar sounds created here too.  Check out more of their tuneage over on bandcamp.

Heart Beach have their debut LP coming out on March 20th this year.[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/185477389″ params=”color=ff9900&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_artwork=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Show Preview: The Dodos/Springtime Carnivore (02.18)

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dodos-779623

Date 02.18
Location The Parish
Doors 9:00pm
Tickets 15$ Here

Now this is a show I am super excited for as both of these bands are on the heels of releasing killer albums, so you really can’t afford to miss out on this night of music. Up first will be Springtime Carnivore, the psychedelic pop project of Greta Morgan, whose debut album is filled with classic pop hooks and effortlessly reverb soaked vocals that will set your feet to dancing and your head bobbing in approval. If you’re having doubts check out “Name on a Matchbook” below and get hooked.

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And of course, who can forget the main act of the night, The Dodos, whose recent fifth studio LP felt like a trip back to their high energy sound. They’ll surely bring a setlist of new and old tracks, both of which are bound to delight. If you haven’t already, listen to “Competition,” so you’ll be refreshed and reminded of how infectiously good these guys are at making rustic pop music.

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Sonny & The Sunsets – Talent Night At The Ashram

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sonnyRating: ★★★★☆

For years, Sonny Smith, with and without the Sunsets, has been turning out a ton of youthful and light tunes, incorporating aspects of whimsy into his odd indie rock music to create a genre all its own. Talent Night At The Ashram marks yet another album for Sonny and company, but this time around, a running thread of melancholy and seriousness runs through with the whimsy, creating an album exploring the relativity of normalcy.

The overall sound on Talent Night At The Ashram continues in classic Sonny & The Sunsets style: soft indie rock with a touch of whimsy, but elements on this album make it feel slightly like a stripped down approach to glam rock, a-la Ariel Pink, but with more subtlety and nuance. The guitars are twangy and distorted, there’s a heavy reliance on piano or synth riffs that runs through and under everything, and Sonny’s vocals seem as distant as ever. Opening “The Application,” gives you a brief insight into this transition, as the song meanders along, with Sonny opening with the lyrics “I filled out the application to be a human being,” underscored by a twee synth riff, creating a rosy sound that’s juxtaposed by the solemn lyrics Sonny spins. This is where the gravity of album lies, and it works well for the band.

Sonny continues his tradition of storytelling, as most of these tracks tell the tale of some, often titled woman and her thrills and spills in daily life. You get the obvious ones, like “Alice Leaves For The Mountains,” and “Icelene’s Loss,” in which the title characters are the main focus of the songs. As you delve deeper into the album, it seems that each song talks about matters of daily life. Take centerpiece and main attraction track “Happy Carrot Health Food Store,” which listens more like a multi-act play, with its distinctive movements. The first of which gives you classic Sonny, setting up the stage with exposition of this imaginary, or perhaps real, natural health food store that you enter “through a mystical door.” This opening brings the eclectic glam rock, with clip-clopping percussion and Sonny’s faded vocals. Then you transition to the next act, where the band really kicks in and you’re greeted with vast and detailed imagery of the characters that work there, and when the band launches into its wirey guitar chorus and following instrumental break down, you’re completely hooked into this weird little play. The ending acts gives you Sonny talking with a barking dog, which, oddly enough, feels like the only natural end to this exercise in the sometimes mundane, yet meaningful nature of daily life.

Talent Night At The Ashram walks the line of sincerity and irony with a smirk and a wink, and sometimes an outright grin. Admittedly, this album takes a little work to enjoy: the music is subtle and not overtly becoming on first listen, and I found myself needing a few spins around before I could really sink my teeth into the tracks. However, once I got on board, the album really opened up and revealed that Sonny & The Sunsets somehow still have a bit more up their sleeves to give to you. Spend some time with this record and get lost in its subtleties.

 

Los Angeles Police Department Return with Soft Pop

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551494_904732099561401_6340773065914297492_nWe’re just about a week away from the February 24th release date of the new Los Angeles Police Department 7″, and so they’ve offered up another tune to get you in the mood for their dreamy pop tunes.  This tune has this great restraint, never pushing the envelope beyond the song’s capabilities, which in the end really allows for the group to hone in the track’s underlying melody.  Vocals are soft, and the drums never overwhelm, ending in this sprawling track of perfect pop blissfulness. Look for their release next week via Fat Possum Records.

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ATX Spotlight: Abram Shook Announces New Album

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Abram ShookWe’ve been behind Abram Shook since his early Great Nostalgic days, and we were especially happy to see his progression with Sun Marquee last year.  It seems that he’s not long to stay in one place, as his newest single continues to show is continually evolving sound; he includes little bits of drum samples in this track, as well as some funky guitar chops.  His ability to operate within varying genres and styles is one of the many reasons his music’s always been so enticing, which makes us even happier he’ll have another album, Landscape Dream, coming our way this year; it’ll see a release via Western Vinyl on May 12th.

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