New Matador Signing, Majical Cloudz

Autosave-File vom d-lab2/3 der AgfaPhoto GmbHMatador Records continues their push to diversify their catalogue by adding Majical Cloudz, the songwriting project of Devon Welsh.  The label will be releasing the Impersonator, the new full length effort, on May 21st.  It takes time for this track to open up to you, much as I expect it will take time to absorb the music within the album…I mean that in a good way.  Electronic flourishes slowly trickle in just before Welsh’s deep voice slowly unfolds.  I like the almost operatic quality of the voice; it’s not too over the top, yet it’s far from ordinary.  I think people are really going to find something to sink their teet into here.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/majical_cloudz_childhoods_end.mp3]

Download: Majical Cloudz – Childhood’s End [MP3]

Don’t You Just Love Kurt Vile

dse_9896webI just absolutely love Kurt Vile.  While some artists I adore seem to be hit or miss, this guy just doesn’t ever seem to write a bad song, let alone a mediocre one.  His latest single features those smoky vocals and light guitar sound, occasionally stopping for some careful strumming moments; I even like the stuttering vocal of “away-ay-ay-ay” that he throws in there.  His new record, Walking on a Pretty Daze, will be released on April 9th via Matador Records, and I guarantee that it’s not going to get a bad review from anyone, unless they’re crazy folks.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/kurt_vile_never_run_away.mp3]

Download: Kurt Vile – Never Run Away [MP3]

Wake with Kurt Vile

homepage_large.104606d2I can almost assuredly say that by the year’s end, everyone at the ATH offices will have admitted at one point or another that Kurt Vile‘s upcoming record, Wakin on a Pretty Daze, is one of our favorite album’s of the year.  It seems outrageous, I agree, but such is the power Kurt holds over us, especially with this new single he’s just released.  There’s something to his simplicity in songwriting that maximizes his emotional draw between himself and listeners.  It sounds like almost anyone could write these songs, but no one could do it so effectively.  The album is out on April 9th via Matador Records.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/kurtvile_-_wakinonaprettyday.mp3]

Download:Kurt Vile – Wakin On a Pretty Day [MP3]

Yo La Tengo – Fade

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Okay, so you know Yo La Tengo, the alternative band who has only been around for about thirty years and have released twelve studio albums? No? Well, crawl out from that cave you’ve been living in and get with things! This band has been putting out quality indie rock for a lot longer than most, and Fade is far from a disintegration of such merit and raw talent that this band possesses.

On the first song of Fade, “Ohm,” you have a fine example of the Velvet Underground-esque style of endless looping of the gritty guitars to start things off right. It’s a long track, pushing seven minutes, but the persistence of the song keeps you intrigued for its duration. The mild gang vocals slide in amidst some heavy hitting percussion, contributing to add up to a fuzzy, beast of a number, which sets the band up to launch right into yet another album filled with music that is simply easy to listen to—you can easily find yourself lost amidst the subtle vocals and the overall gentle sound.

While the first song is a bit grungy, it really doesn’t give way to the rest of the album is going to go; the first track is the grungiest number you’ll find on Fade. Immediately after, on “Is That Enough,” while the fuzzy guitars are still present, the string work lightens up things quickly. But as far as the lighter tracks go on this album, stronger songs are to be had later on, such as “Stupid Things.” Fifth on the album, it’s about the peppiest of songs to be had, with Ira Kaplan’s vocals coming at you, echoed and foggy in the verses and sweetly soaring through the choruses. Meanwhile you have a steady upbeat carrying things on jollily. Another unmistakably strong song comes at the very end of the album with “Before We Run,” which incorporates the string work from before, the persistent buzz of Yo La Tengo, and the deep vocals of Georgia Hubley. Similar in length of the first number, the last track on Fade provides for a wonderful ending to the simplicity and comfortable tracks on this album, complete with some magnificent horn work to round things out.  

While the majority of the tracks are easily accessible, Fade can also be lost track of when listened to. Sure, it’s a great record to listen to when you’re just laying around or on an afternoon drive, but it isn’t really the kind of album that persists you to listen to it. Fade doesn’t beg for your attention, but it makes good use when it gets it.

Bombastic New Tune from Iceage

I’m busy working on getting the site ready for tomorrow, and this pops up.  I’d post it tomorrow, but by then it’ll be old news; it’s too loud to post bright and early in the morning.  Iceage will be releasing their newest effort, You’re Nothing, via Matador on February 19th, and this track here exemplifies some of the changes we heard when we caught the group this past summer at Chaos in Tejas (they’ll be playing again this year).  I can appreciate the discord, but sometimes I wish this band would just clean up the recording a bit, leaving me with just some shiny hardcore gem. This will do for now.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/iceage_coalition.mp3]

Download:Iceage – Coalition [MP3]

Brand New Tune from Esben and the Witch

Wow, I didn’t expect this to come out so soon, and I didn’t expect to be so enamored with the newest tune from Esben and the Witch.  The group announced yesterday that their new album, Wash the Sins Not Only the Face, will be coming out January 21st via Matador Records.  Opening with a ringing guitar, then moving in with the vocals; from here the song ebbs and flows, leaving the guitar to echo and dance in the background.  I’m glad we’re slowly starting to hear great new sounds for the new year, assuming we make it that far (damn Mayans).

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/esben_and_the_witch_deathwaltz.mp3]

Download:Esben and the Witch – Deathwaltz [MP3]

AC Newman – Shut Down the Streets


Rating: ★★★★☆

I know that through his association with The New Pornographers AC Newman often gets stuck in that middling ground between Neko Case and Dan Bejar, but his third solo effort, Shut Down the Streets, is a statement of sorts.  It demonstrates his knack for writing incredible pop songs with lush arrangements, built for longevity in your record collection.

“I’m Not Talking” threw me at first, opening with a few electronic flourishes before the guitar and the rest of the lush orchestration joins in.  It all builds brilliantly, making way for AC Newman‘s voice, accompanied by Neko, to resonate with the listener.  There’s something about listening to that distinctive voice that makes his songs so familiar, but even when the vocals subside, there’s beautiful music in between, which demonstrates the progress he’s made on this effort. In the past, his voice has really stuck out as the sole instrument on his solo recordings, but much care has been placed on the construction and arrangements of these tracks.  “There’s Money in New Wave,” might sound mostly like a guitar strummed ballad, but tiny touches of percussion and string accents bring out the best in this song, making it more than your standard fare.  Oh, and the high pitch of his voice always warms my heart.

But, I can see a lot of people saying that Shut Down the Streets is marked too much by the influence of Newman at the moment of writing this record, himself citing psychedelic-era singer-songwriters.  With that being an obvious influence, I think it actually crafts a broader sound that benefits both the album and the listener.  In the past, there’s always been that difficulty of escaping your main gig, or side gig (whatever he prefers to call it nowadays), with many songs seemingly coming across as polished demos for New Pornos. You won’t get that when you listen to a song like “You Could Get Lost Out Here,” which is an expansive song that unfolds at the typical pace, though brimming with twinkling electronics, eclectic percussive moments and quieted guitar picking.  It’s like AC’s fronting the soundtrack to Peter and the Wolf…with more pop sensibility of course!

Still, if you’re a true AC Newman fan you’ll find heaven in songs like “Wasted English,” a tune that features more vocal accompaniment from Case.  It’s got an accordion that serves as the main backbone here, rather than the guitar, which is present, though distant.  Or you might enjoy “Hostages” for its bounce and spirit, and again, Neko’s appearance. You see, I think he’s always had these tracks inside, but he just need a little help finding a new way to flesh the songs out.  For the most part, Shut Down the Streets is very much what you’d expect from Mr. Newman, filled with splendid melodies/strong ballads, yet he’s differentiated himself slightly.  He’s added a more complete sound by throwing in all the accompaniment at his disposal, filling out an album that’s both warm and rewarding, listen after listen. Surely his best to date.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/a_c_newman_not_talking.mp3]

Download:AC Newman – I’m Not Talking [MP3]

Shut Down the Streets is available now from Matador Records.

Afternoon Delight with AC Newman (+ Neko)

You know, I feel like I beat the world over the head today with some rock n’ roll, so I figure we could close out the day with a little touch of perfect pop from our beloved AC Newman.  The singer has teamed up with his New Pornos bandmate, Neko Case, combining for a mellow little pop ballad that’s sure to give you a spritual lift as you try to wrap up the world’s longest Friday.  This track will be featured on Newman’s upcoming record for Matador Records, Shut Down the Streets, which will hit the stores on October 9th. Hope everyone has an awesome end to your Friday. Be safe out there folks.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/A.C._Newman_-_22Encyclopedia_of_Classic_Takedowns22.mp3]

Download: AC Newman – Encyclopedia of Classic Takedowns [MP3]

Cat Power – Sun

Rating: ★★★½☆

Cat Power, or rather, the woman behind the moniker, Charlyn Marie Marshall, is essentially a staple in a great deal of self-professed indie music fans. Since as early as 1995, Cat Power has been releasing albums, though the success of Marshall has been debated over the years, as her live performances showed signs of her degradation from problems with alcohol. That was back in ’06; in ’08 Jukebox surfaced and showed signs of revival, though far from a knockout record. Now it is 2012…has this front woman and backing band put the “power” back in their name?

Starting things off on a wonderfully groovy note, “Cherokee” opens on a bubbly note. Simmering in its slow, rolling drumbeat and its angled guitars, it slowly builds, layering sounds so that you focus on Marshall’s purr of vocals, whose transfixing, yet subtle elements blow other female vocalists (i.e. Lana Del Ray) out of the water. The tone of the track is kept pretty mellow throughout due to the steady percussion, but the vocals push it further and further, each chorus swelling. Marshall spits her words out quickly, relying on assonance to aid her in the flow of the lyrics and you’ll be singing along with her, joining in on the chill and yet stimulating opener. Akin to that hiss you hear when you twist the cap on an ice-cold soda, “Cherokee” is a sure sign of good things to come.

A similarly catchy number that follows a song later is “Ruin,” on which the fluidity is still present, but the song comes across with more a pop sound due to piano sounds, and a more casual approach to the percussive elements. The instruments all bleed into one another, and yet have their place at some point at center stage in the song, which is owed to the tone that the group has established early on in the album. As the album progresses, Cat Power hits you back to back to back with effortless, yet stylistically complex tracks that allow for total immersion in the music a quality that felt a little lost on past efforts.

So the answer to the question aforementioned is yes—Marshall is on point in her songwriting and the instrumentation on Sun enhances the seductive, but never lewd, prowess of such a front woman.  Fans of Cat Power will rejoice, while newcomers will find another artist to enjoy; it’s a solid enough of an album to induce interest in the entirety of the songs created by this band, which is what any already established band can hope for.

New Gem from AC Newman

I’m not going to lie to you; I think AC Newman is perhaps one of the best songwriters around.  Sure, a lot of people agree, especially when you throw him with New Pornographers, but I feel like a lot of people overlook his solo efforts (sadly!).  On October 9th Matador Records will be releasing AC’s 3rd record, Shut Down the Streets, and hopefully you’ll listen to this song below and realize just how awesome his songwriting is.  Personally, his voice alone, with its tiny inflections, gets me every time.  Listen here, and try to argue with the gifts of this dude.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/a_c_newman_not_talking.mp3]

Download: AC Newman – I’m Not Talking [MP3]

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