A.A. Bondy Finally Returns

Man A.A. Bondy is one of my all time favorite songwriters to come out during the rise of our website. He has always had a knack for simple, yet emotional and powerful songs capable of evoking real feelings. For eight long years we haven’t heard much from Bondy, until he dropped two new singles late on Friday afternoon. The first one, entitled “Killers 3”, is just an absolute beauty in songwriting. It’s Bondy at his best with a slow burning, atmospheric track featuring some sick organ playing. He’s also released a new song called “Images of Love” with a bit more of a dancy vibe to it which is certainly a cool change from the songwriter.

A.A. Bondy will release new album Enderness on May 10th via Fat Possum Records.

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Show Preview: Gold Leaves, AA Bondy @ the Parish (11/13)

Date Sunday, Nov. 13th
Location The Parish
Doors 800 pm
Tickets $15 from Frontgate

One of the shows I’ve been anticipating since it was announced is this show featuring two of my favorite bands, AA Bondy and Gold Leaves.  AA Bondy is touring behind his new record Believers, but more importantly is the appearance of Gold Leaves.  Their record, The Ornament, has been playing around my house since it was released in August on Hardly Art, and it is still going strong.  It’s comprised of beautifully ornate pop tunes, which I’m sure will sound remarkable inside the Parish.  It’s got great sound, and with these great bands, you won’t want to miss this show.

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

Download: Gold Leaves – The Ornament [MP3]


A.A. Bondy – Believers

Rating: ★★★½☆

For years now, A.A Bondy has been riding the waves of undiscovered artist; while garnering some devoted fans, he hasn’t exactly achieved instant fame and success of the independent world. However, as per the intrigue of his last album and the original detailed work of his very first effort, this hasn’t seemed to hurt Bondy in the slightest; he is still a master at his folksy craft.

There isn’t a song on this album more dauntingly beautiful than “Skull and Bones,” which crops up third in the listening experience. From the moment it begins, there is a foreboding feeling instilled by the effervescent bass and guitar combo. It’s an unsettling sound that gives a sense of instability and then A.A himself jumps in with those cautionary vocals that add to the darkness of this twisting song.  At a little over three minutes long, it jumps right in and grabs your focus right from the start, and then pulls you further and further in, and by the time the looped vocals of the chorus flood your ears, you can’t help but notice the elegant poignancy that the track dangles out there for you to snatch up on repeated listens. A.A Bondy knows this, and includes a short, cleansing song after it, as to break away from its quiet resonance and move back to his more traditional folk style.

This is a lovely change for Bondy, and though it’s unparalleled on this album, it is certainly not the extent of good songs to be found on Believers. You have late stunners such as “The Twist,” that is just dripping in delectable folk elements and yet it still has a quick pace that doesn’t allow it to be as heavy as earlier songs. This pacing allows it to sink in slower, and not become a bogged down album. By no means is it fluffy pop fuzz, but it is not so thick that it becomes a drag to listen to.

For a third release, this album is very consistent, at least at first glance. It seems that Bondy is just destined to remain under the radar in his work, which is not necessarily a bad thing, as he is currently a man with three solid albums, each of which with its golden moments. This being said, I can definitely see Believers becoming more with time as it ripens in the minds of listeners. Regardless, it’s still worth a good listening to; time will tell if it will be something extraordinary.

New Tunes From A.A. Bondy

One of my favorite singer songwriters A.A. Bondy has a new song floating around the web these days.  The new song, “The Heart is Willing”, can be found below for your streaming enjoyment.  Apparently it’s part of a new album from Bondy entitled Believers that’s due out September 13th on Fat Possum Records.  It really baffles me how this guy still manages to fly just below the cusp of being huge.

[audio: https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/aabondy-theheartiswilling.mp3]

A.A. Bondy @ The ND (8/13)

Date 8/13/10
Location The ND
Doors 9pm
Tickets $12 @ Frontgate

The incredible A.A. Bondy is making another appearance in Austin at the ND this Friday.  Joining the talented singer songwriter on the stage for a dual headlining show is JBM.  The ND website also has veteran Austin act Milton Mapes listed as opening the show, but I can’t seem to confirm that with the band.  Confirmed – MM won’t be there.

[audio: https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/aabondy_devilsloose.mp3]

Download: A.A. Bondy – When the Devil’s Loose [MP3]

A.A. Bondy On Daytrotter

aabondyWe are going to make our obligatory Daytrotter post this week with a set by the incredible singer/songwriter A.A. Bondy.  The up and coming artist plays 4 songs from his most recent release of 2009 When the Devil’s Loose.  This track “I Can See the Pines Are Dancing” is a highlight of the set just as it was a highlight for us last year.

[audio: https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/aa-bondy-i-can-see-the-pines-are-dancing.mp3]

Download: AA Bondy – I Can See the Pines Are Dancing (live) [MP3]

Friday In Austin! (11/13)

revivaltour2009Friday is another one of those rare (or not so rare) days in Austin that comes around every once and a while that blows the minds of us music types.  The day is so jammed full of music goodness that we are dedicating a whole post just to Friday’s shows.  Which one are you headed to?

The Parish: Elvis Perkins & A. A. Bondy @ 8pm for $14.

Mohawk: Bishop Allen and Darwin Deez outside @ 8pm.  Tickets for $10.

Stubbs: Indie supergroup Monsters of Folk @ 7pm for just $35.

Beerland: Local boys Frantic Clam, Visitors, Basic & Hotel Hotel for only $5 @ door.

Austin Music Hall: Mastodon, Dethklok, High on Fire, & Converge @ 6:30 for $35.

Red 7: The Revival Tour with Chuck Ragan (Hot Water Music), Jim Ward (Sparta), Frank Turner, Possessed By Paul James, & Jon Snodgrass and Chad Price (Drag the River) for only $10.

A.A. Bondy – When the Devil’s Loose

aa-bondy-when-the-devils-loose-coverRating: ★★★½☆

A.A. Bondy began to steadily make waves with critics after the release of his debut American Hearts.  A short while later, he is releasing When the Devil’s Loose on Fat Possum Records.  It’s a record that lives up to the expectation of the record’s title, but in the most stripped down fashion that could only accompany A. A. Bondy.

Just when you think your music player is broken, the soft-spoken strumming of “Mightiest of Guns” comes into play through your speakers.  Bondy seems to whisper just as quietly into the microphone, his soothing voice calmly uttering at those lowly decibels.  Such an approach is utilized throughout the remainder of the album, to various effects.

“When the Devil’s Loose” begins, you can hear the meandering accompaniment of low-lying drums and various guitar chords that one finds on a M. Ward song.  It easily could be seen as knocking off another great, but the story telling of Bondy is what seems to differentiate his songwriting from that of Matt Ward. He seems deeply rooted in the history of Southern storytelling, and in doing such, he tells his tales with the passion of an overly involved narrator.  Even during “Oh the Vampyre,” which seems to be sort of a childish ditty, there is an element of struggle, not only in the lyrics, but in the vocals. 

Midway through arrives the standout track “I Can See the Pines are Dancing.”  One of the more intriguing things about this song is the baritone voice echoing in the background of the song.  It works well with Bondy’s silky cum gruff vocals.  It’s this sort of touch to an otherwise simplistic approach that manages to grab A.A. Bondy from the relatively mundane world of folk/Americana/etc and push him even further than some of his peers.

Listening to songs like “False River,” the album’s seventh track, you can still see these little flourishes and intricate details, and one can only assume that more will unfold as repeated listens come to be.  Walking to the end of this album, you never seem to hear the same thing twice; this is an attribute many people ascribe to great records.  However, the pacing of the album is painstakingly slow, and while some will find this aspect appealing, it’s difficult to reach the end of the album as a whole due to the distinctive style and relatively static vocals.  While those may seem to some as desperately critical aspects, rest assured that beneath the folds of every tune on here lies a secret waiting for each and every listener.  All due to the hard work of A.A. Bondy on When the Devil’s Loose.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/06-I-Can-See-the-Pines-are-Dancing.mp3]

Download: A.A. Bondy – I Can See the Pines are Dancing [MP3]

More New Music From A.A. Bondy

Last month we dropped a new A.A. Bondy track on you and now that the release date for his new album draws nearer, we have another incredible new song for you to check out.  This one is called “I Can See the Pines are Dancing” and will also appear on upcoming album When the Devil’s Loose due out September 1st on Fat Possum Records.  Also don’t forget that Mr. Bondy will be dropping by Austin on November 13th in support of Elvis Perkins at the Parish.

[audio: https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/06-I-Can-See-the-Pines-are-Dancing.mp3]

Download: A.A. Bondy – I Can See the Pines are Dancing [MP3]

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