Friday Top 5: ACL Departure Soundtrack

I have a feeling that like most of you out there, the headliners for ACL aren’t the real reason for going to the festival. At first glance, this year may be a bit weak, but even early walk-ins will find excellent acts like Cults, Telekinesis, The Head and the Heart, The Antlers, An Horse, and so on. The middle of the lineup is great with Cut Copy, Kurt Vile, Smith Westerns, The Moondoggies, TV on the Radio, The Walkmen, Broken Social Scene, Empire of the Sun – I could go on. The headliners are left with the task of clearing the venue, the triggers for the long walk back to the car, the soundtrack for a mosey. Here are my Top 5 (anticipated) songs from this year’s Headliners to make me head out.

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New Track from CoverGirl

You know that if something sounds good, the odds are that it is probably going to end up in the hands of Captured Tracks.  They’re at it again, grabbing onto new UK up-and-comers, CoverGirl.  Listening to their first single, you can tell that the band’s got a few things to figure out, but even if they don’t, there’s a great quality to their introduction to the masses.  At first, there’s a bit of indie haunting, but as the pace begins to pick up, you can hear some audible chaos.  It’s definitely got a foggy dynamic, and only time will tell where these guys will end up, sound-wise. For now, just sit back and enjoy.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/01-Paris-Burns.mp3]

Download: CoverGirl – Paris Burns [MP3]

Great Dream Pop from The Notes

It seems we get a lot of surf-pop and dream-pop nowadays with male singers, and I’m definitely okay with that, but I don’t mind having a swinging female voice maneuver in and out of these tracks as well. The Notes, like Seapony, do a great job of doing just that, and this British bunch has just put out their brand new album, Fearless, which you can grab for FREE, if you so choose. The title track’s got a little bit of haze, a little bit of noise, and a slew of pop bubbling beneath it all. Give these guys a chance to win you over this Friday.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/the-notes-Fearless-02-Fearless.mp3]

Download: The Notes – Fearless [MP3]

More New Music from Blouse

Portland-based Blouse have been making their way around the Interwebs with a slew of recent 7″ releases, the most recent coming on Sub Pop. As it stands now, the band’s signed up with Captured Tracks for the release of their self-titled debut, which will be released on November 1st.  This latest single begins with the quality of a warped recording, but if you can withstand that, there’s some blissful pop moments surfing thoughout the song, making for an elegany little listen.  Game, Blouse(s).

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/05_Videotapes.mp3]

Download: Blouse – Videotapes [MP3]

More New Music From Matt Pond PA

Matt Pond PA continues their extremely hard working ethic with more and more music coming your way.  This new tune called “Someone’s Daughter” is a beautiful track that really conveys that intimate style we’ve come to know from the band.  The song appears on the soundtrack for the new film Lebanon, PA which is scored by band members Matt Pond and Chris Hansen.  For now, we’ve just got a stream for you and are hoping to offer a download soon.

[audio: https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/01-Someones-Daughter.mp3]

More New Music from Twerps

If you’ve been following us, you surely know about my love for Twerps, a band who I’ve fallen in love with ever since the great folks over at Chapter Music introduced us to them. Their sound has definitely grown, coming across with that warm Oceanic pop feel, and even cleaning up the production a bit.  There’s a quality that seemingly gives their songs the feeling of floating music from afar, as if you’re hearing their music dance across the Pacific.  You can grab this song, as well as the rest off their self-titled record on October 18th here in the States via Underwater Peoples.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/The_Twerps_-_Dreamin.mp3]

Download: The Twerps – Dreamin [MP3]

Show Preview: Japandroids @ Mohawk (9/8)

Date 9/8/11
Location Mohawk
Doors 900p
Tickets $12 @ Frontgate

One hell of a rock show is going down this evening on the Mohawk inside stage.  The short but stacked lineup features rock n roll music from Japandroids and Bass Drum of Death.  Needless to say, this show will be loud and a whole lot of fun.  Be there.

[audio: https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/02-young-hearts-spark-fire.mp3]

Download: Japandroids – Young Hearts Spark Fire [MP3]

Jacuzzi Boys – Glazin’

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Jacuzzi Boys first appeared back in 2008, when they released an EP that presented their garage rock style and followed this with their debut album, No Seasons, in 2009. Now, two years later, they are back with Glazin’, their true sophomore effort, which is chock full of garage rock noises, such as buzzing guitars and wild percussion.

The first track, “Vizcaya,” is a short and sweet introduction to the bands sound. At roughly two minutes, you just get enough of Jacuzzi Boys to know where they are headed on this album. The vocals are sharp and twangy, shuffled amidst the buzz of the guitar and the furious pacing of the song.  For a song with so much crammed into it, it’s a great thing that it’s so short, because it quits itself before the song becomes overwhelming. Such is not the case for third, and title track, “Glazin.’” Even upon first listen, you can feel the repetition of at the end, which is definitely a sign that it has gone on for too long, and it’s easy to seek it out on repeated listens.

This is a bit of the precursor for the rest of Glazin’ in its entirety. There are some songs that really standout as the album comes to its close, but the majority of the tracks in the middle all sort of mesh together into a big ball of garage rock, which by no means is a bad thing, but it isn’t an album made for active listening. The songs are short enough that they jump quickly from one to the other, but this also makes it difficult to discern the differences between songs; those little nuances that are supposed to come with variation. The result is that the repeated sound fails to hold the attention of its listeners, but if there’s one thing I could advise you, it’s to stick around for the end, in which Jacuzzi Boys bring back the variety.

The last two songs, “Los Angeles” and “Koo Koo With You,” both showcase the best of the garage rock sound as well as a different side of the band. The second to last track is one of the most intriguing all out jams on the album. You have the trademark sound, but some gang vocals jump in and will have you grooving along. Then Jacuzzi Boys switch things up at the end, with the catchy last, and acoustic-y, number. Gone are the buzzy guitars, for the most part, and present is a softer touch to this album, which, albeit, might have been better placed somewhere in the midst of the rock as opposed to at the end.

If you’re a hardcore lover of garage rock in any form, then Glazin’ should be a real treat for you. If not, then you should be able to find some tracks that may tempt your fancy on this casual effort.

New Oddball Jam from Prussia

Detroit’s Prussia are one of those bands that you’ve got to give a chance in order to fully sink your teeth into their catalogue.  They combine odd shifts in mood and tempo, utilizing all their instruments to craft genuinely interesting chamber pop masterpieces.  The group is in the middle of releasing a set of 10″ singles, and we’ve got a premiere of one of the tracks of the second 10″ from the Poor English collection.  You can grab the first single now, but the second one, with the song below, won’t be available until September 13th.  I’m extremely stoked by the music these guys are crafting right now, and you should be too.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/prussia-sleeper.mp3]

Download: Prussia – Sleeper [MP3]

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