5/11 Elvis Perkins @ The Parish

ep_03On a quiet Monday evening, The Parish continued its recent tradition of well-produced shows as they put on a solid bill, with ATH favorites Other Lives and Elvis Perkins joined by his new band Dearland, supplying the talent. An orchestral grab bag of instrumentation ranging from cellos to trombones, to flutes, a harmonium and organs were laid upon the stage foreshadowing an ambitious evening of unpolluted musical ability in front of a very attentive audience.  Follow the jump to continue reading our review.

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Elvis Perkins @ The Parish (5/11)

elvisperkinsElvis Perkins will be bringing his brand new band Deerland to The Parish on Monday for what should be a nice evening of music.  Mr. Perkins will be joined on the stage by Oklahomans Other Lives.  Doors for this show are at 8pm.  Tickets are on sale now for the low low price of $14.  Here’s latest single from Elvis Perkins in Deerland “Shampoo”.

[audio: https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/elvis-perkins-in-dearland-shampoo.mp3]

Download: Elvis Perkins in Deerland – Shampoo [MP3]

Other Lives – s/t

otherRating: ★★★★☆

Other Lives have gone through exponential changes since their early debut under the name of Kunek.  Back then, the band was known for enchanting audiences, willing them into a silent submission.  The power of the band still exists, though their self-titled debut [of sorts] shows that the band is willing to crawl out from beneath the Radiohead similarities into their own bright future.

We can get that comparison out of the way immediately; the only resemblance the band has to Thom Yorke’s posse is in the resonance of singer Jesse Tabish at certain points, but that is probably where you must draw the line in the sand.  Sure, the sounds are familiar, but they are approached with an entirely new set of lungs that allows for the band to breathe on its own.

Take, for example, “Black Tables” which begins slowly with a darkened piano progression, as strings wrap themselves tightly around each note, clearing the way for Jesse Tabish to lay down his lyrics. Almost two minutes pass in the song where there is little else besides the piano, strings and vocals.  Then, at the 2’48 mark in the song, the drums kick in, and the song takes off like a rocket blasting into the atmosphere of dense sounds.   This is precisely where Other Lives will take you, as they don’t rest on the traditional songwriting strategies.  Instead, they create an album full of miniature movements; these movements sometimes exist within songs themselves, often changing on the spur of a movement.

“E Minor” is one of the highlights, well, if you were to pick up a particular highlight, as close listeners will hear the strumming on the guitar as the piano playfully meanders through the background.  Tabish’s voice hits a different pitch at several moments, exposing his versatility.  This immediately followed by “Paper Cities,” which seems to broach the subject of war, or at least the loss of certain aspects of a modern society.  One could consider this a single, if the band were capable of creating something as basic as a single, but even this song seems to go beyond those expectations of traditional singles.

The band even has the ability to throw a more light-hearted tune in the end when they offer up “AM Theme.”  Sure, it maintains the solemenity of the earlier tracks, but there is something brighter bubbling beneath the surface of the song itself.  Perhaps the brevity of the tune allows for it to open up quickly, before its able to branch off into something more epic; it does go into the song “Epic,” however, which ends the album.

This album is sure to be an eye-opener to many, as the band gradually begins to pick up fans along the way.  It’s an interesting listen to say the least, and one that changes with each song.  Other Lives have created an album of diverse sounds and uniquely moving muiscal movements.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/03-black-tables.mp3]

Download: Other Lives – Black Tables [MP3]

Delta Spirit @ Emo’s Show Review

other

Saturday night was probably not the most enjoyable evening on which to catch a show, as it was freezing cold here in Austin, but many brave souls opted to push through the wintry weather in pursuit of a good evening of music.  Those in attendance were able to catch Dawes, Other Lives and Delta Spirit honing their skills on stage. Here are our thoughts on the evening.

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Delta Spirit @ Emo’s (2/28)

deltaspirit_pressphotos12Emo’s second sweet lineup of the weekend comes on Saturdy which features Delta Spirit, Other Lives, and Dawes.  Tickets for this show are on sale now for only $11 from Ticketweb.  Doors open at 9pm with music starting up at 10.  You can also preview the show with that Delta Spirit Daytrotter session we told you about earlier this week.

[audio: https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/06-paper-cities.mp3]

Download: Other Lives – Paper Cities [MP3]

Other Lives

It’s Friday afternoon, you’re painfully waiting for 5 o’clock and Austin Town Hall wants to throw a new band your way. Maybe your brain isn’t working anymore from the stressful week almost behind you, but why not take some new music to your pre-pre-halloween party this weekend? Today we bring you, Other Lives, who hail from Stillwater, OK. The band, formerly know as Kunek, will be dropping their debut self-titled EP on the 21st of October. Here’s the single from that EP “Paper Cities”.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/paper-cities.mp3]

Download: Other Lives – Paper Cities [MP3]

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