Preview: John Wesley Coleman + Plantation Band @ Hotel Vegas (Tonight)

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jwcSeems like a no brainer to me. It’s Wednesday, you’ve been locked in the house hiding from rising water, but the skies look to give us a break tonight, which means, you should grab your friends and go out. So why not enjoy the show over at Hotel Vegas that includes perennial Austin powerhouse, John Wesley Coleman. He’s the songwriter everyone loves, and he’s the one you deserve. Plus, our own Plantation Band will be opening the set, offering up their dark take on country vibes. And, to top it off, you get a nice little bit of non-local music via Vancouver’s Ballantynes. Go out tonight, go to this show.

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Yesterday’s News: Another Taste of Tim Presley

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timpresleyNot sure what Tim Presley could do that I wouldn’t adore, at the moment. His White Fences work has been great, but starting with his work with Cate le Bon on Drinks, he’s really fleshed out his sound. I hear bits of Talking Heads in this new track, especially in the notes he’s hitting with his voice. Of course, there are definitely some little guitar fuzz freak outs momentarily popping out, but I love the little turn into a tinkering piano piece just after the 2 minute mark. His new record, The WiNK will be released by Drag City on September 16th…and you can bet I’ll fawn over the whole thing…at least if it’s as good as this number.

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More Dark Tunes from Ritual Howls

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ritualThis is some dark stuff here, and I dig it. Ritual Howls, who are releasing their new album, Into the Water, this Friday, are here to brandish another bit of dark post-pop. I love the way the band really relies upon their musicianship to allow for the song to unfold at its own pace, rather than hit you overhead with a hook (a la the Killers). This allows you get lost in the corners of the song, as the guitars carefully dance in hidden corners and the drums hit heavy in the distance. Look for their new LP this Friday via Felte…and a tour along the West Coast come October.

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ATX Spotlight: New Album from Wild Bill and the Lost Knobs

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wildbillYou hang out in Austin long enough, you’re bound to catch a whiff of Wild Bill and the Lost Knobs…one of the more eccentric country/folk acts about town. But, while Wild Bill’s known for his creativity, one should listen to the production and storytelling on the band’s latest single for their forthcoming LP, Scumbags of the Rodeo. You’ll hear wonderful slide guitar, female accompanying vocals…all hinting at that badd-ass boogie Bill and his crew bring to the table. It’s your job to help Wild Bill get himself off that ledge, and the best way you can do that is by supporting the band and grabbing their new album. They’ll also be celebrating its release on September 16th over at the ABGB…so mark your calendars.

Cover art above done by Billie Buck of Sailor Poon…for more WBandtheLK street cred.

Show Review: Parquet Courts @ Mohawk

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Parquet Courts shirts 8 15 2016Covering all the shows in this town is trying sometimes, so we sent our good friend Phil Baier, of Summer Salt, out to cover US Weekly and Parquet Courts at Mohawk last night. Here’s what he had to say.

“It’s muggy as fuck,” said Ryan Fitzgibbon, guitar player of Us Weekly.

“It’s kind of the perfect weather for this,” said fan in the crowd.

Both were right. The steady rain complemented the dystopian drizzle of Us Weekly. They played discordant mid-tempo music with hardcore punk vocals, yelling lyrics like “set me on fire” and “American hate.” The packed crowd loved the dark forces behind the band, and happily nodded as the sun went down.

Right when Parquet Courts started, the rain picked up. Their perky chords quickly initiated wet crowd surfers, leading to the retreat of skittish old people (and Chaco wearing me).

Playing songs mostly off Human Performance, they sounded just as crisp as the record. Their guitar sound was as expected, D. Boon (The Minutemen) style with the treble all the way up, bass all the way down. Andrew Savage and Austin Brown’s signature voices kept the energy going, even in the “muggy as fuck” weather.

Brown and A. Savage’s stage banter was a sarcastic loathe towards Texas, targeting wall building, the death penalty, lack of Uber, sports, etc., but no one took it offensively.

The edgy vibe matched their trademark sound, noisy yet damn catchy. They thanked all their friends for coming, and didn’t play an encore.

Another Great Ballad from Suntrodden

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suntroddenStaring out the window and all I see is a dampened landscape and more rain. But, at least I have this wonderful new track from Suntrodden to give me a little bit of sunny vibes. It’s a pretty gentle bit of pop music, structured simply around strumming guitar and calming vocals; there’s also a lead guitar that works beneath the rhythm to provide a bit more depth to this track…as if it needed it. Hopefully you find this track able to lift your spirits a bit, then you can keep your eyes peeled for Suntrodden II, which is slated for release in October of this year.

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Preoccupations Air New Video For “Degraded”

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Preoccupations (FKA Viet Cong) are going to be releasing a new album soon that matches their new name, and if it’s anything like last year’s debut release, then we’re going to be in for a treat. From the sound of the singles they’ve released thus far, I believe my excitement is well motivated. Today, they’ve put out a video for the second single off Preoccupations, which is called “Degraded,” and is a three minute collection of visually stimulating images. The track itself is great– it has the dark swirling post-rock energy that Preoccupations does so well, but takes a more streamlined approach than what we heard from this group in the past. Take a listen below and hear for yourself;Preoccupations will be out September 16th via Jagjaguwar… preorder it here.

P.S. Vinyl snobs should know that Secretly Group has started a Secret Society that sends you a new exclusive colored LP every month, and Preoccupations are part of the launch. Check that out here.

 

Something Different From PWR BTTM

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unnamed-52You should have acquainted yourself with the New York duo known as PWR BTTM already, but in case you have somehow fell off the face of the earth, now’s your perfect chance to get back on. “New Hampshire,” is a different side of PWR BTTM than we’ve seen so far, relying mostly on the delicate vocal performance and quiet instrumentation, arguably different than the loud glitter punk that I’ve come to associate with the act. Regardless, you should take a listen to this song right now.

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ATX Spotlight: New Gospel Truth Coming Soon

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gospeltruthI’m dreading the arbitrary year end lists already, and particularly when it comes to Austin acts. It seems that every band I enjoy in town has released something…and we can now add The Gospel Truth to that list. They’ve just released this crushing number from their upcoming album, Jealous Fires, which has me excited to hear the entirety of said record. I’m particularly sold on the guitar work here, churning out these unsteadying riffs that are emphatically met during the chorus with smashing cymbal work. And the vocals…at times they have this echoing distance, then they draw you in with what’s almost a close spoken whisper. Just another winner in a town where the music scene is dying. Look for the release via 12XU on September 16th.

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Darkened Rock from Axis: Sova

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axissovaSometimes you press play on a song, and you marvel at why it hasn’t exploded in the blogosphere…that’s precisely what I thought when listening to the new Axis: Sova. I mean, the song has this dark pop sensibility that offers up hidden hooks…that alone warrants my attention. But, further listens offer up scuzzy rock n’ roll with a modern edge, which seems like all the rage with the kids these days. The latter half of the tune even looks into the popular sounds of 70s, so I’m perplexed as to why a million people aren’t talking about it. Regardless, you can change that by pressing play below. And if not, at least look for the new record, Motor Earth, on October 14th via God? Records.

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