Austin Town Hall

I love writing about the bands on Matinee Recordings; it makes it so easy as they almost never miss.  The newest installation to their storied stable is Dublin’s September Girls, a five piece group specializing in bringing a blend of atmospheric post rock and girl group harmonies.  It’s pretty much a perfect blend of all your favorite things, uniting noisier pop with your tendency to wax nostalgic about a more pure rock n’ roll sound.  You better get your hands on it now, as the history of the band shows that there music is being gobbled up quickly all over the globe, so chances are this 7″ EP won’t be around for too long.

If you’re looking for a band that lives somewhere between Fresh and Onlys and Wavves, then let me introduce you to No Monster Club!  The group came to my attention as I was following one of my favorite smaller labels, CF Records.  They’ve recently helped this Irish trio put out a small small run of their newest LP, Dublin, and it’s a pretty solid introduction to the band.  Below you’ll find a rambunctious bit of garage pop filled with infectious hooks and a bit of disregard for hi-fi recordings.  Maybe it’s just me, but I can’t get this jam out of my head.

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Download:No Monster Club – Be My Bone [MP3]

One of my favorite sounds, musically, is the combination of a gentle male voice juxtaposed with an appropriately matched female harmony,  so I was lucky today when I came across Nick Carswell & The Elective Orchestra, a group that employs such tricks. The band released their album The Word not too long ago, but it’s just now making it to my computer, and I’m grateful for that.  Just wait for the drums to kick in near the end of this song, rolling you towards the melodious end of the track.  Sure, it’s an unassuming little pop ditty, but sometimes those are the best.

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Download: Nick Carswell & Elective Orchestra – Folks Like Us [MP3]