Austin Town Hall

Here it is.  I know you’ll hate it; I know you’ll disagree, but that’s not the point in making an arbitrary list.  We here at ATH worked really hard to fit in the tastes of the four of us, and when we decided upon our Top 50, it really boied down to simple math.  What albums did we love when they came out?  Do we still enjoy spinning those records months later? If they’re in the Top 50, then the asnwer is probably yes.  I mean, our Top 2 records came out in January, and still play a vital part in my weekly listening.  There’s no disclaimer here.  We are who we are, we like what we like, and we hope that’s okay with you. If not, drop us a line and let us know where we went wrong.

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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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You know we love raving about Literature, who’ve recently departed Austin for Philadelphia, so I’m happy to share with you the A-Side to their new Tie Dye 7″, which the band is putting out via Square of Opposition Records (it’s up for pre-order right now!).  When the song starts off, it’s got that catchy jangle that made me love their sound, but what’s interesting is that as the song begins to fade out, they add a new layer to their sound.  It’s a wayward sounding group harmony with just a bit of fuzz on it.  Oh, and if you didn’t buy their debut Arab Spring, you need to get it HERE since I only have about 10 left!

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Download:Literature – Tie Dye [MP3]

Our boys in Literature have had a pretty solid year thus far, having released their debut Arab Spring LP with us earlier in the year.  They’re back at it again with the new Tie Die 7″, which will come out via our partners for the LP, Square of Opposition Records.  On the B-Side for the release you’ll notice that the urgency of the power pop the band used in the past has receded slightly, allowing for their melodies to take their time coming through the song.  In what’s already been a banner year for the band, they continue writing great songs, maintaining their spot as one of our favorites. Oh, and if you haven’t bought their LP, you can still grab a few HERE.

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Download:Literature – Apples [MP3]

Well, everyone else is doing it, so why don’t we?  We’re going to toss out our top five albums of the year, except we’ll be doing it with our four main contributors, so hopefully that’ll mix things up a bit.  Obviously, we’re only half-way through the year, so things are subject to change, and by things I mean our minds.
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The day is finally here! We’ve had some tweaking to the site in the work behind the scenes by our excellent partners, Paravel, and I’m here to announce the first update.  I hope you know by now that we’ve started a non-profit (aren’t they all) record label, and our first release was Literature‘s Arab Spring (partnered with Square of Opposition). It’s a great record that has gotten lots of national press, so you should definitely check it out (and buy it!).  You can purchase the album directly from us by going HERE.  There’s also a little tab on the lower right of the home page, and we’ll be updating it with all our releases.  If you prefer to get your vinyl in a non-Internet environment, it’s all over Austin at End of an Ear, Waterloo and Trailer Space. Here’s a few great tracks to stream so you know exactly what you’ll be getting. Keep an eye out for more updates on the site, and on the record label!

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If you follow this site, you’ve got to know my affinity for really well written indie-pop tunes, so I was pleased to come across Pet Milk through the suggestion of Literature front-man, Nate. Apparently, the Philly group carries with them some members of Brown Recluse (a solid band on Slumberland), but Adriane’s vocals on this recording provided a nice little twist to the band’s sound, giving it a hint of warm sexuality.  Still, you’ll find my favorite musical trademarks like heavy-handed guitar jangles and anxious drumming; be sure to stay tuned for the great end to to the track.  You can find tons of songs from the band over HERE, but don’t forget to donate a little bit to the band’s efforts!

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Download: Pet Milk – Phantom Lovers [MP3]

It’s been a great couple of weeks for Austin artists (depsite Michael C.’s hatred); releases by Whitman, Zoltars, Literature and leaks of songs by Eastern Sea, Little Radar (coming tomorrow) and now Deep Time. Formerly the group was known as Yellow Fever here in our fair city, but as they’ve signed to Hardly Art, it’s time to move on up in the world–and move in new directions.  As Deep Time, the duo will release a self-titled debut as a sign of new things to come; it’ll be in stores on July 10th. I really like the sound of Jennifer’s voice on this track, and it’s definitely a stronger (if only in production) sound for the group. Congrats Austin…seems like you’ve got a lot going on afterall.

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Download: Deep Time – Clouds [MP3]