More From GRMLN

What’s left for us to say about GRMLN at this point? The dude has possibly earned more praise on our website than any other artist in the past. Recently, we were sent a great new track called “Half Moon Bay” which showed a move towards a more hazy, shoegaze sound. With this new single, “Do You Really Want to Stay?”, we see a delve even deeper into the haze filled, pop music world. It’s yet another hit in an ever expanding catalogue.

We are told GRMLN will be releasing a new EP sometime in June.

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Mesmerized By This New GRMLN

GRMLN, currently out of Osaka, Japan, has received a slew of positive praise on ATH over the last several years. It’s crazy because we’ve seen the group go from a post-emo sound, to a more garage rock sound, and then even to a more polished Strokes style sound. Well it seems like we are headed back in time a bit as this new single “Half Moon Bay” harkens back to the beginnings of the band with a more dream pop/mellowed out vibe. Personally, I love it when a band becomes known for one thing and then throws us all for a loop with something totally different. I’m loving this one.

A new album is coming from GRMLN soon with a release date not yet announced. Stay tuned.

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New GRMLN is Catchy As Hell

You can say it all you want, but you’ve all been waiting for someone to pull off the Strokes with the same infectious quality the band had…especially in their first two releases. Lucky for you, GRMLN seem to have done it perfectly, and while it might be a touch of a rip-off, I’m still going to blast it super loud. I mean, that swagger in the vocals with those guitar-monies working in the background…don’t tell me you’re not excited by the execution alone! Look for the band to release their latest offering, Discovery EP, this Friday, filled with expected hooks and repeat listens.

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Another Rocker from GRMLN

gremlinsGRMLN continue to grace these pages with their impressive tunes. They jump right in with distorted guitars and a rolling drum beat, pushing forth with speed into a power-pop realm, punked up.  If the whole new album sounds like this, it’s likely to gain lots of tractions.  The songs we’ve been presented, along with this one, have a catchy sensation, though the guitars help those who are looking to keep it real on their toes.  This isn’t your emo brother’s GRMLN; they’re hear to rock a little bit harder. Look for Soon Away on September 16th  via the folks over at Carpark Records.

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GRMLN Announces New LP

grmlWith the last GRMLN album you could turn it up, get caught in the huge riffs and the rest faded away.  It’s a sound that plenty of people employ nowadays, but I’ve really been gravitating towards this guy’s sound.  There’s a bit of Weasel residue in the writing style, which isn’t bad in my opinion, but all indicators point towards a darker subject matter on Soon Away.  It’s a a great sound that resonates with young and old alike, so prepare yourself to enjoy another album from the band; it’s being released by Carpark Records on September 16th.

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Top 50 Albums of 2013

albums banner 2013 procMaking our year-end list of Top Albums is never something we take lightly.  We realize that it’s rather arbitrary in the grand scheme of things, but we realize that our role is to at least toss out our opinion, however meaningless it may be. In the long run, we had to take the tastes of several people, and whittle it into a list of 50 great albums that we think are vital to your listening experience.  We know it’s a matter of personal tastes, but the records below are reflective of our tastes and our site, so don’t get mad, they’re just opinions. But, feel free to tell us where we went wrong, or what we might have missed.  If you click on the album titles, you can also read our full reviews of each album, save the ones that we didn’t get to in time. Sorry we don’t like Kanye.

50 – WampireCuriosity
49 – Dot DashHalf Remembered Dream
48 – Mantles  – Long Enough to Leave
47 – The Appleseed CastIllumination Ritual
46 – Bad SportsBras
45 – Part TimePDA
44 – Dick DiverCalendar Days
43 – Math and Physics ClubOur Hearts Beat Loud
42 – Veronica FallsWaiting for Something to Happen
41 – Eat Skull – III
40 – The Lonely WildThe Sun as It Comes
39 – The Love LanguageRuby Red
38 – Gun OutfitHard Coming Down
37 – Cate Le BonMug Museum
36 – Daughn GibsonMe Moan
35 – Andre ObinThe Arsonist
34 – ArpMore
33 – Gap DreamShine Your Light
32 – The Black WatchThe End of When
31 – Ty SegallSleeper
30 – The StevensA History of Hygeine
29 – Of MontrealLousy with Sylvianbriar
28 – Mirror TravelMexico
27 – Local NativesHummingbird
26 – Girls NamesThe New Life
25 – GRMLNEmpire
24 – Small BlackLimits of Desire
23 – AudacityButter Knife
22 – Mikal CroninMCII
21 – Chelsea WolfePain is Beauty
20 – FoalsHoly Fire
19 – Radical FaceFamily Tree: The Branches
18 – Youth LagoonWondrous Bughouse
17 – Terry MaltsNobody Realizes This is Nowhere
16 – Shout Out LoudsOptica
15 – Kurt VileWaking on a Pretty Daze
14 –  BraidsFlourish//Perish
13 – Crystal AntlersNothing is Real
12 – TyphoonWhite Lighter
11 – Ski LodgeBig Heart

10 – GamblesTrust

Admittedly, this album makes nods to folk troubadours of Christmas’ past, but what grabbed me from the moment I heard this record was the sincerity in what’s being created.  In leaving us with a stripped down listen of folk tunes and incredible poetry, we’re asked to look into the history of American songwriting tradition; it’s been awhile since it was executed so well.

9 – The GrowlersHung at Heart

I’d put this album on any list for one song alone, “Someday.”  But, it just so happens that the rest of the album maintains the sensation that’s established on the opening track.  I’ve heard it referenced as a surf-psych opus, but what’s been assured in my mine is what an incredible listen we’re all be treating to when we put Hung at Heart on our record players.

8 – Wax IdolsDiscipline & Desire

Hether Fortune seems to scare people.  Her work is in your face, never making an excuse for who she is or what she believes.  That attitude carries on into her music, allowing listeners to experience a musical world void of any pretense.  The songs on this album are angular, dark and abrasive; the vocals have Hether dominating the scene of modern lady rock warriors.  If you don’t dig it, she doesn’t care, but I do because this record rules.

7 – Parenthetical GirlsPrivilege

While many of the songs on this effort leaked out before under various EPs, the whole masterpiece exists in the way it was tied together as a complete work.  It’s operatic and grand at every corner, but it’s also undeniably a pop record.  The emphasis might revolve around the more artful spectrum of pop music, but this is an album you can play for everyone in your family, and they’ll all find themselves swept up in the wonderment of Privilege.

6 – The NationalTrouble Will Find Me

What else really needs to be said about The National.  They consistently make great albums that are lauded then often overlooked, but we didn’t want to do that to one of our favorite acts.  I mean, if they played 8 shows in 8 days, we’d be at every one, and the DJ set after party.  Their accolades and recognition are warranted, and it’s especially clear on this, their latest release.

5 – LegsPass the Ringo

When listening to Pass the Ringo, I thought of one thing: this is the sort of record that makes a small label, like Loglady Records, a household name. It’s spun around garage rock and psych rock structures, whilst still maintaining an accessibility that few people working in that genre achieve.  Some albums can play in the background of your house, and might be happy to do so, but Legs created something that made me stop and listen at every turn; I’m thankful for that.

4 – Warm SodaSomeone for You

Someone For You came our way in January.  On my record player, it hasn’t left since.  This is one of the most rewarding power-pop records I’ve gotten my hands on, and trust me, I’ve gotten my hands on a lot of great records. Each song is filled with innate hooks and garage rock grit, encouraging you to tap your toes for the entirety of the record.  You’d think after a full year our interest would have waned, but with time we’ve only grown to appreciate the record even more.

3 – Coma CinemaPosthumous Release

At the moment, there’s not too many people releasing music that’s the quality of Mathew Cothran and Coma Cinema. There are elements of the bizarre, similar to the work of early Elf Power, yet there’s this intimacy that artists like Eliott Smith were able to create with their listeners.  You wrap that up and put it in a package of pop sensibility, and you have an album that can’t be ignored.

2 – Bubblegum LemonadeSome Like it Pop

In today’s musical climate, we buy into the fact that artists have to be doing something strange, or something that’s vastly different from their peers.  But, in the grand scheme of things, we often forget what it’s like to take enjoyment out of the music.  This album was one of the many reminders that music, when it’s good, can be quite special.  Every song here is a single, and worth your time; it’s the best thing Laz has done, and I feel like he’s just really getting started.

1 – Magical CloudzImpersonator

This album is about Devon Welsh.  From the first instant I heard his voice, it took hold of me. Throughout the year, Impersonator, consistently played on my radio. His voice was mesmerizing, captivating audiences on several occasions in Austin, convincing us to be as quiet as a mouse, so as to hear every note.  The unique quality of the album will reward listeners for years to follow.  It made us believe in great music again.

 

GRMLN – Empire

adventureWeird_LP_11183_newRating: ★★★★☆

Some records are perfectly fitting for the time of their release, leaving you with an album for that particular season.  For me, the first full-length from GRMLN is definitely going to be one of my most played this summer.  Empire has the energy, the hooks and enough variance to keep it in constant rotation.

It’s fitting that Empire opens with “Teenage Rhythm” as this track most likely resembles the youthful exuberance of most teens, at least in the overall mood. Guitars start chugging while the drums immediately come in pummeling your ears, all building up to the adolescent shout of “get out get out” in the chorus.  It’s a track that makes it difficult to turn your ear the other way.  It leaves plenty of room for the following number to jump in with a bubbling undercurrent of bass lines.  “Blue Lagoon” has more of a ringing guitar sound, and it’s here where I first noticed how easy it is to sing along to the lyrics.  Who doesn’t love to bob your head and sing?

GRMLN, which is the primary work of Yoodoo Park, makes it difficult to skip a single track, even when writing a review.  “Hand Pistol” seems to blend the cocky swagger of Waaves with the hooks of Surfer Blood, though sounding entirely like it has its own personality.  You’ll hear a clean guitar cutting through the background, while a heavier guitar plays up front.  Then the attitude is switched up for a more indie pop appeal with “Coastal Love,” which has a slight effect on the vocals.  It’s a cleaner bent, which offers a bit of a breather from where Empire was dwelling for the last few tracks.

Now, I don’t want to sit here and tell you these are the greatest songs that man has ever written, but damn it if you’re not just going to have fun listening to this release.  “Do You Know How It Feels” has a great vocal throughout, and the energetic delivery of the guitars had me hooked instantly.  Then you skip ahead a few tracks to bob along to “1993,” which might just be the my favorite track on the album. It’s youthful, yet the musicianship is perfectly executed at every turn, displaying the blossoming skills of Park right before our eyes.

You can listen to this record, and almost immediately fall in love with it.  The songs throughout are fairly simple, yet they’re structured around hooks and melodies that grab hold of your eardrums, never letting go.  GRMLN has constructed the perfect seasonal listen, which due to current temperatures, is absolutely perfect.  Empire is fun, it’s catchy, and it’s something that might endure beyond the summer, keeping us warm all year long.

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Download: GRMLN – Do You Know How It Feels_ [MP3]

 

Yet More New Music from GRMLN

grmlnIs this album here yet? Every single time I get a new track from GRMLN I get excited by the prospect of the fun to be had when Empire finally hits stores on June 4th. Personally, the further we get along, the more I see a similarity in the hype that surrounded Wavves when Nathan first broke onto the scene. And just like those raucous tunes, the songs, including the one below, are filled with energy and brevity, giving us the perfect blend of brevity and pop goodness.  Carpark will be releasing the album, and you can be sure that I’ll have good things to say about it!

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Download: GRMLN – Do You Know How It Feels_ [MP3]

Another New GRMLN Track

grmlnIt seems like every couple of weeks we get a new tune from GRMLN, and I’m totally cool with that, especially when they’re as hook-laden as the following song we’ve got for your listening pleasure. We’re nearing the June 4th release date of Empire, the debut LP from the group, and I’m getting excited.  Some part of me feels like there’s a Foutnains of Wayne ode in here, just propping up a solid rock tune with a powerful chorus.  It’s actually sort of a rarity nowadays, so I’ll gladly take a revisiting of one of my favorite genres.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/GRMLN-Hand-Pistol.mp3]

Download: GRMLN – Hand Pistol [MP3]

Jamming Out with GRMLN

1840We’ve written about GRMLN before, but I’m even more excited about the band after hearing this latest track.  It’s a lot more upbeat and in your face, with an edgy guitar kicking off right from the start.  The vocals have this bit of power-pop delivery while the drums pound in the background; there’s even a riotous breakdown at the end of the tune. If you’re in need of a record you can just blast as the wind blows your hair back, then you’re going to want to get your hands on Empire when it is released by Carpark Records on June 4th.

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