Smoke Bellow Announce Open For Business

It seems like the year’s been packed full of acts brandishing their own interpretation of what indie rock is/was, so you’ve got to look to your favorite labels to see where its going, like with the latest from Trouble in Mind. Today the label announces the release of a new LP from Smoke Bellow, and while pieces of the sound collage are definitely familiar, the presentation feels fairly unique, albeit one in line with current trends. It’s almost what one would call no-punk or no-pop; it’s got that sort of arty presentation, with stabbing guitar lines, rhythmic pulse and a kind of off-beat nature about it…sort of reminds me of one of my ATX faves, Deep Time. Don’t be confused, there’s still delectable pop bits in here, just tossed out in a fashion that’s not as easy to consume, but ultimately as rewarding. Open for Business drops on September 17th.

American Friend Release Debut Single

For quite awhile now I’ve been touting Jana Horn (she dropped a song on Slack Capital 3 too) as one of Austin’s great voices. This past Friday, one of her projects, American Friend, released their debut single. She’s joined by Adam Jones, of Deep Time, for percussive elements, definitely building in some textures to thicken up the sound around her guitar and vocals. “His Energy Runs Backwards” might be the most traditional of the two tracks on this 7″, with the fragility of Horn’s voice carefully treading above the instrumentation; Jones jumps in the song’s latter half to join too. “Cancer City” shows the duo really moving beyond the boundaries of the genre, incorporating a squawking clarinet (courtesy of Carl Smith) to the intoxicating mixture of guitar and drums. Definitely something you should invest your time in today, if you so choose.

Show Preview: Tele Novella Release New Album @ Barracuda Tonight

teleIt’s Halloween, or so it has been for the last few days, but it all culminates tonight. What better way to celebrate than by donning your favorite costume and catching Tele Novella as they release their latest album into the world; it’s a stunning piece of pop, btw. Plus, the band has worked hard to decorate Barracuda and create a haunting atmosphere. Still, you have to show up early as some of the best bands in town will help kick the evening off: Deep Time, Big Bill and Pollen Rx. This is one of those shows where you get to have fun with your friends, dress up in costume and enjoy some of the best rock n’ roll the city has to offer. Hope to see you there!

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Revisiting Deep Time – Band to Appear at Bill Ball 2 (10.8)

deepThis Saturday is Bill Ball 2…and while that’s important in and of itself, I think it’s high time someone devoted the proper attention to Deep Time‘s 2012 self-titled album on Hardly Art. I mean, the band is playing this weekend, and they’ll likely play a good amount of these songs there…which is all the more reason for you to attend.

I’ll throw in a little bit of my history with the album, as well as a track by track discussion of each tune! I’m making a declarative statement in saying this is the best album to come out of Austin in the last decade. Read more

Chaos in Tejas Pick: DIIV @ Mohawk

DIIV Whiner

Date 5/30/13
Location Mohawk
Doors 7pm
Tickets $10 @ Frontgate

Chaos in Tejas is here and the little festival that could has some nice lineups to choose with starting out this evening.  An ATH approved pick for the evening would have to be the headlining DIIV show at Mohawk (despite their whiney behavior during SXSW).  The remainder of the lineup is also solid with Deep Time and SURVIVE on the outside stage and Troller, ((Pressures)), and Phantom Lakes inside.  Start the weekend off right with some great indie pop music.

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Contest! The Babies @ Mohawk (12.14)

Date Friday, December 14th
Location Mohawk
Doors 9:00 PM
Tickets $8 from Mohawk


We’re drawing to the very end of what has been a great season of rock n’ roll, and what better way to wrap things up with a visit from The Babies.  The part Vivian Girls, part Woods, super group blasts into town fresh off the release of their very excellent Our House on the Hill.  Their music alone would be reason to go to this show, but we’ve also got the benefit of some incredible openers, namely Deep Time and Gal Pals.

Interested parties can enter our contest for a ticket with accompanying +1.  Simply leave a comment about anything you want, and we’ll pick a winner the morning of the show.  Good luck!

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/thebabiesrunmeover.mp3]

Download:The Babies – Run Me Over [MP3]

Top Ten Austin Albums of 2012

It’s that time of year folks, when we here at Austin Town Hall try to convince you that we know what’s what in the world of music.  We’re starting things off with our list of Top Ten Austin Albums of 2012.  We purposefully left out EPs, just focusing on the Album as a whole, since that’s our favorite form of media.  Before you read this, please know that this is just the expressed OPINION of ours, and you’re definitely cool to disagree. Let us know your thoughts, and make sure your favorite Austin bands send us their hits in 2013!
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Video: Deep Time – “Gold Rush”

Deep Time is an ATH Favorite.

Given the strong opening set at the recent Mynabirds show and their show tonight at The Mohawk, it should come as now surprise that we would want to share a video they released for the song “Gold Rush”.

The video was directed by Cassandra Hamilton and features frivolous ghosties playing on the left coast. Moreover, this is one of my favorite songs by the band so please check it out.

Embed after the break…

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Friday Show Round Up @ Austin, Texas

Man, there’s tons of good local acts doing their things all over the great city of Austin, so I just wanted to highlight a few of the must see acts…you can pick your favorite, or hop all about.

Deep Time w/ Hidden Ritual and Blackgum @ Mohawk  — $6 — Doors @ 9 PM

Calm Blue Sea opening for Ours @ Emos East — $15 — Doors @ 8 PM

Mother Falcon w/ Les Rav and Shakey Graves @ The Parish — $10 — Doors @ 8 PM

The Preservation w/ Bobby Jealousy and Major Major Major @ Frank — $6 — Doors @ 9:30 PM

Here’s a hit by Deep Time and Calm Blue Sea to get you in the mood:

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/05-Homebody.mp3] [audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/2-15-the-hunt-1.mp3]
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