Austin Town Hall

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Since they released their first 7″, the name of Free Energy has hit all across the blogosphere, garnering hype as a straight ahead rock ensemble a la Thin Lizzy or Cheap Trick.  Backed by the production talent of LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy, no one had any idea how far this band could really go. Finally, Stuck on Nothing is upon us, and it lives up to all the accolades for the most part.

That first riff off “Free Energy” hits you hard, with a little rock emphasis thrown in by the excessive cowbell. It’s easily the most hook-laden on the record, and it’s one you could easily find lying on mainstream radio channels alongside the likes of Weezer.  Sure, that seems frightening nowadays, but you know you liked the blue album too!  I mean, its filled with the exact same sort of mediocre guitar solos in the middle.

They don’t stop bringing you their cookie-cutter rock moments for the first several tunes on Stuck on Nothing.  Despite the originality in the opening minutes, you’ll find that songs like “Dream City” just have that sort of hook that you imagine your parents got stoned to during college, which probably means you did the same in high school at some point. But, you’ll find that the band is just more than a nostalgic throwback once you get to “All I Know.”  Yes, it does have a very similar riff aesthetic, but slowing down the pace of this track reveals that Free Energy can grab your attention without being overtly in your face all the time.

From here on out, the record begins to really hit its groove.  The band discarded the balls out fury they opened the album with, opting instead to push their sound just a little bit further by working on those guitar solos, and in fact, in doing so, they’ve made the rhythm guitar moments sound a great deal more effective.  It’s this sort of song construction that creates ultimately more enjoyable moments than those fueled by cock-rock.  Sure, you can hear all sorts of Thin Lizzy over “Young Hearts,” but Free Energy somehow manage to make it all their own (most likely due to a singer that is not Phil Lynott). “Hope Child” is another step into the band developing their own sound entirely.  They take the classic guitar stomping moments that have been present throughout, but they throw a bit of California punk vocals atop the whole mix.  It’s an effective move, one that makes the band sound a infinitely more relevant in today’s musical climate.

As you can see, the one thing that the record really lacks is excessive creativity.  That being said, no one is going to deny that you’re going to have a whole keg worth of fun jamming to this record all Spring long.  Occasionally it’s okay to let go of all pretense and just let your hair blow in the wind, and Free Energy is here to be that band for you.  Stuck On Nothing brings you exuberance for days, and as the sun comes out in March, could you ask for more?

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Download: Free Energy – Free Energy [MP3]

Prismo Perfect are a French band whose tunes have been catching our ears as of late.  The band has only been around for about a year now, but are hoping to use their DIY spirit to make a name for themselves in 2010.  Below you can find a downloadable copy of their song “Summer in the Kitchen” which will hopefully spark your interest in these guys.  They have a sort of 90s garage/70s psychedleic throwback type sound to them that we’re really digging on.  You can hear more on their myspace page or read more about them on their blog.

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Download: Prismo Perfect – Summer in the Kitchen [MP3]

Chicago band Califone have been around the music game twice as long as most of the young start up bands you’ll be checking out during SXSW.  They’ve been touring the world/country, releasing countless albums, and generally working their asses off since around 1997/98.  Always adapting and changing their style, Califone have come a long long way since their beginnings over 10 years ago.  Don’t even try to label these guys either, as their music changes stylistically so often that you can’t mark them in any specific genre.  Needless to say, I’m pumped about waiting in line for these guys.  Prior to their arrival in Austin, we had the opportunity to send lead singer Tim Rutili some SXSW questions.  Follow the jump for the questions.

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MGMT are coasting right now.  They’ve got the adoration of every one, and their new album hasn’t even hit the streets yet.  But, we finally have a track from the new record, Congratulations.  You’ll want to keep close track of these guys this year, as this track indicates they’ll be huge by the year’s end. Grab yourself a listen and lets us know how you feel. (via Fader)

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Download: MGMT – Flash Delerium [MP3]

This incredibly poppy little number from Swedish band The Sweet Serenades has been creating quite the positive buzz around the interwebs.  The song appears on the bands debut LP Balcony Cigarettes, which is currently only available via digital download on itunes in the US (physical release stateside coming soon).  You can also check out a quirky video of the new song via youtube.  I digs.

Update: After the song popped up on our radio, my mother informs me that the song was on a recent episode of Grey’s Anatomy. We’re going mainstream!

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Download: The Sweet Serenades – Die Young [MP3]

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Riding the waves of praise since the release of their last album, The Midnight Organ Fight, Scotland’s Frightened Rabbit are poised for their breakout album.  They’ve amassed a large following built on their recordings and a knack for delivering powerful shows to audiences across the globe.  The Winter of Mixed Drinks finds the group middling between intimate club group and powerful arena-ready rock band.

The Hutchison brothers, Grant and Scott, remain the core focus of the band.  It’s Scott’s vocals that dominate throughout the record, and Grant’s drum tracks that foreshadow a blistering live show.  But, at times, it doesn’t appear as if too much musically is going on within the songs aside from these two, despite three other members now being part of the entourage. Take “Things” or “The Loneliness and the Scream,” for example, which don’t actually have too much traditional songwriting to them, at least as far as the instrumentation dictates the song.  In the latter, it seems as if the guitar is merely there to keep Scott on pace.  This isn’t a huge knock against the band, as Hutchison’s voice can carry the band alone, but it does lead you to wonder precisely what the songwriting process was during recording.

“The Wrestle” is the first song where you can hear a bubbly bass line just beneath the surface of the vocals.  In creating this underlying tension, along with a staccato-sort of guitar strumming, the vocals really pull at you.  It’s such a song where you can picture the band belting it out on stage to throngs of adoring fans who all sing along simultaneously.  These are the type of moments you came to expect from Frightened Rabbit.

Guitars finally begin to crash upon your ears when you come to “Nothing Like You,” which is the fastest song on The Winter of Mixed Drinks.  This is the sort of song that has the pacing and drum work to really win over fans in the live setting, but for some reason it doesn’t really seem to fit into the collection of songs here.  Most of the songs have a slower, almost folk approach, so it feels sort of lost.

Much should be noted of the possible influence of fellow Scots The Twilight Sad.  Many songs seem to be coated in atmospheric noise, but only as an extension of the song.  ”Not Miserable” has sort of a slow, drawn-out beginning, fleshed out by a fuzz in the background, whilst piano lines sputter along.  It’s something that leads you to focus on the lyrical content, which is perhaps a very current Scottish trend.  Then again, it seems like using atmospheric backing all about is just a general fad in the industry.

Once you finish your listening experience, it’s hard to sit down and think back to superb moments on The Winter of Mixed Drinks.  Every single song is pleasant, and some might say they are all good tunes, but none of them really achieve that feeling of exceptionality one expected from Frightened Rabbit this time around.  They filled the record with decent tunes, but leave you feeling somewhat indifferent, which is something you surely can’t say at their wonderful live shows.

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Download: Frightened Rabbit – Swim Until You Can’t See Land [MP3]

If you aren’t indulging yourself in our March music sampler (you better be), NPR music has another worthwhile SXSW music sampler available for download.  The 11 song sampler features top notch ATH favorites like Spoon, The Walkmen, Local Natives, and more.  You can read more about it on NPR or download the sampler straight from itunes.  Until then, check out the standout sampler track “Airplanes” from Local Natives.  For those of you who have yet to pick up their new album, we aren’t friends anymore.

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Download: Local Natives – Airplanes [MP3]

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Many people will recognize the name Jason Collett for his involvement in Broken Social Scene, but this is not his first foray into solo work. Rat a Tat Tat is Collett’s fourth official album, and it has all the trademarks of his previous work, while also stepping forward into a bit of playfulness that wasn’t present on earlier recordings.

Opening this album, you find Jason dealing with relationships in his own way.  ”Rave On Sad Songs” reveals his prowess as a songwriter of heartfelt tunes, something probably not accredited to his role in BSS. It’s a soft spoken song relying upon soft piano and very gentle guitar strums, which allow his distinctive vocals to tug at your heart.

Such mellow numbers were commonly featured in his last few releases, especially Idols of Exile, but as you move into tracks like “Love is a Dirty Word,” you find that Collett has gotten a little bit more lively.  As the bass line seems to shake your body, Collett delivers his idea that love is not quite all its cracked up to be.  Bouncing rhythms haven’t always been his forte, but he pulls it off here, showing that he’s got room to grow as a songwriter.  The idea that Jason is out to goof around a bit with his audience is only made stronger when you listen to “Bitch City,” which has a vocal performance reminiscent of Devandra Banhart, not to mention the subject matter.  Oddly, that same vocal effect shows up once again at the end of the album “Vanderpool Vanderpool,”  something that wasn’t noticeable on his earlier releases.

On his last record, Here’s to Being Here, we saw him exhibit a little bit of straightforward polished pop.  He still brings those lighthearted moments to this album, on songs like “Cold Blue Halo.”  There’s a fuzzed out keyboard groove that opens the number illustrating his widening set of tools, some provided by his longtime backing band, Zeus.  All that being said, the tune has a bit of foot shuffling feel to it, something sure to win out in the live setting. All playfulness aside, Collett still has the ability to write quiet numbers that find their way into your regular listening rotation on iTunes. “Long May You Love” and “Winnipeg Winds” are two songs that illustrate this point perfectly, as both have the steady stroll of acoustic pop moments attached. “Winnipeg Winds” creates an effective wind motif with the howling vocal backing that haunts the song when Jason is not at the helm.  One can assume he’s added these quiet moments to the record in hopes of keeping a perfect balance, and he succeeds in accomplishing that feat.

Focus at this time is surely on the upcoming BSS release, but aside from that project, it’s clear that Jason Collett has his own style and his own agenda to push.  Rat a Tat Tat is just another record that demonstrates what a strong songwriter he is, proving that he grows stronger as his music evolves.  Sure, it’s a lot more fun than previous works, but by making that change, Jason balances out this record, giving himself more options to write great songs in the future.

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Download: Jason Collett – Love is a Dirty Word [MP3]

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If you know anything about jj, please tell me. The amount of information is limited, but is slowly emerging. We know they’re Swedish girls, so that’s a start. (pro-tip: That Google Image Search is NSFW, which I suppose is a good omen) Maybe this stereotype is exactly the reason for the group to withhold their identities, but I digress. The illusive Swedes now follow up their critical acclaimed previous release n° 2 and debut single n° 1, and while continuing their trend of numeric releases, n° 3 lacks the mystery and intrigue of the former. I wonder how long it took the group to name their newest release. However, this secrecy can only take you so far before your followers grow tired of this cat and mouse game. Prior to this release, jj had emerged from complete obscurity and seemed to thrive with their lack of human qualities. Only recently, did we finally catch a glimpse of the band in their first music video for Let Go. The video is beautifully shot, although it seems to be meaningless other than art for art’s sake.

Don’t bother looking for their MySpace, or a website for that matter. In addition, what resembles a website of Sincerely Yours, the Gothenburg-based recording label, is as basic as basic gets, with little to no information. (You can however buy a bullet-proof vest) In a world where the prospective seller has to go to the buyer, jj has the music blogs to thank. They obviously revel in their anonymity and seemingly don’t concern themselves with any sort of fame (state-side at least), which is refreshing in an annoying sort of way. On the other hand, it almost seems overconfident that the group can rely on their music to speak for itself, especially as I don’t think their music speaks very loudly. It’s the mystery following the band leading to this wave of popularity. I sense that the group rushed to release their second full length quickly following their debut, to not fall into obscurity in our rapidly evolving musical climate. To me, there’s not much substance to hold my interest following one spin of the record, and a forced second spin.

Their debut took many blogs and listeners by surprise when it showed up very high in best of lists last year, but paint me as ignorant or biased, but I’ll stick to the Icelandic pop; which seems to carry with it so much more weight and depth. It’s a very short sophomore release coming in at just over 27 minutes, similar to n° 2, whose 9 tracks spanned roughly the same length. The tone of n° 3 is distinctive from their last, where the previous was a summer anthem; this is a winter lover’s theme music, conjuring images of Swedish chalet roofs draped in ice and snow.

The constants are there, with dream pop and synthesizers as the overwhelming attribute. The group displays more dissonance, especially within the opening track My Life. It’s soft and airy much like the previous release, but is more distant and less touching. Let Go, with its distant harmonica is really the only highlight for me on a record with virtually every other track sounding remarkably similar. From their previous release, they have retreated from the drum driven rhythms to the more ambient and guitar lead melodies. The only exception is shown with the tribal percussion of Into the Light that reminds me of the title track to Ferngully.

When the denouement of the final track No Escapin’ This hits, I for one am glad that it’s just a song title., but maybe that is unnecessarily mean.  It’s not that I completely dislike it, the release holds some intriguing melodies which float in similar patterns to n° 2; however, it has lost its gleam. For you Austinites who gush over Pitchfork reviews, you’ll be happy to see jj on the schedule for SXSW. Here, you can catch the group in its physical form and here’s hoping they put on a good live show. Somehow, I think they’ll disappoint. They are also currently on tour with fellow buzz artists the xx. It’s no doubt that they’ll gather together at some point during the tour to discuss their loathing of capitalized letters.

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Download: JJ – Let Go [MP3]

Bowerbirds are a band we have given tons of love to over here at ATH, so you shouldn’t be surprised to see their name pop up when we talk about bands we want to see during SXSW.  These guys have been doing their thing musically now for close to 4 years, all the while touring the country from coast to coast.  Their sounds fall into the indie-folk category with plucked acoustic guitars, vocal harmonies, and a less is more approach to music.  Also as stated previously, we’ve seen Bowerbirds twice in Austin over the last year or so and we’ll be waiting in line to see them again.  Leading up to SXSW, we had the chance to shoot some interview questions over to leading man Phil Moore.  Follow the jump for some SXSW oriented questions with Phil.

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