Top Live Shows in Austin in 2012

Our year end coverage begins with the three chiefs over at the ATH offices reveling in what was an incredible year in Austin, musically speaking.  Tons of rad bands blew us away with their live sets, and, well, there were just tons of bands.  I think we did more show coverage this year than in previous years, but as always, the great thing about our site is diversity.  We’re also linking back to our full reviews and photos of some of these nights, so you can get more of a feel of our thoughts, not to mention, checking out Brian’s great photographic 2012. Read on for thoughts on live acts from the three main contributors.
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FFF 2012: Saturday In Pictures

Ahhh. Home, sweet home. Back on the pit to bring you nine kinds of performance shots.

Saturday’s shots include Residual Kid, The Young, Gold Fields, Brendan Benson, Daughn Gibson, The Helio Sequence, Braid, The Spits, Surfer Blood, Tanlines, Paul Banks, Real Estate, Wavves and PiL. More from around the fest, of course. Fun was had by all, just bummed that I missed shooting Refused from the pit. It was “too busy”.

Click through to feed your eyes…

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Mac Demarco – 2

Rating: ★★★★☆

Earlier this year everyone raved about Mac Demarco after the release of Rock N’ Roll Night Club, which had Mac scatter-brained, musically speaking.  He’s back already with his first proper full-length, 2, focused and ready to take aim at your most intimate chill session.  If you need that will help you unwind, then turn on the subtle genius of Mac.

Almost immediately, I was won over.  “Cooking Up Something Good” is a catchy little guitar ditty, opening with a funky guitar line that almost seems off-key at points–in fact I’m positive he bends those strings out of tune.  Still, you wouldn’t be able to escape the relaxed atmosphere Mac Demarco offers you from the get-go.  Following that laid-back vibe is “Dreaming,” a tune that’s coated slightly in the atmospherics of Demarco’s guitar.  There’s something about his voice that draws you in, even with its lack of polish; it’s got a smooth delivery, yet it resonates as if he’s singing from your couch.

My ears can’t help but think of 2 as the perfect counterpoint to Real Estate‘s Days.  Where as that band pleasantly spun harmonies around bright guitar sounds, Mac seems content to slow things down with a similar guitar sound and a more intimate approach.  “The Stars Keep on Calling My Name” definitely has that twang in the guitar, but the slower pacing, if that’s possible, allows for the listener to sit back and absorb the melody, rather than pursue a more passionate sound.  That’s not to say that Demarco isn’t passionate about what he’s doing, or that you won’t feel an emotional draw, but rather that he seems more content to be your friendly couch-crashing troubadour. One listen to “Still Together,” the record’s closing number and you’ll completely understand my sentiment.  The tune features a quiet guitar strum and vocals that strain to reach the right pitch.  Those little imperfections demonstrate that 2 is created by an artist in his own world, but one that’s willing to let you be a participant.

There’s also some of that clever electric guitar jamming that made Mac Demarco so mesmerizing, even though he spins it in his own way.  He uses it to open “Freaking Out the Neighborhood,” and then sinks into his groove to offer more of a croon with the guitar sinking further into the background.  The added touch of backing vocals helps perfect this tune too. But, for me the most special moment comes during “My Kind of Woman,” featuring a swirling guitar that wraps around Mac’s voice, and the faint hint of a female vocal counterpart.  Here you’ll find the song a slow trudge of what one can only describe as pretty sounds–and that’s never a bad thing.

I hate comparing musicians to others, especially if it really has nothing to do with the artist at hand, but I’m going to say that Mac Demarco seems poised to make a Kurt Vile-ish run at the masses.  As a songwriter, he seems to be equal in his output, and 2 is a representation of a musician you can’t really put in one place.  We’re witnessing the unique birth of a man who’s got a true craftsman’s style to songwriting; he’s just getting started, and I couldn’t be more pleased with the outcome.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/03-Freaking-Out-The-Neighborhood.mp3]

Download:Mac Demarco – Freaking Out The Neighborhood [MP3]

Fun Fun Fun Fest Lineup Is Here!

Sorry for the major delay on getting this information out to you guys as I’m sure you’ve seen this information elsewhere by now.  For those of you that haven’t already heard, the Fun Fun Fun Fest lineup was leaked last night via Bingo tournament.  As you can see via the poster to my left, the lineup once again blows most festivals completely out of the water.  Somehow the festival goers manage to get great reunion bands like Run DMC, The Promise Ring, Braid, Refused, etc. along with up and comers like Real Estate, Surfer Blood, Dum Dum Girls, etc.

Without a doubt, this will be an awesome festival just like it is every year.  You can scope the full lineup on the poster or check it out over on the official website.

Don’t forget that the special PIP passes are still on sale!

Anyone care to offer their sentiments on the lineup?

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/24-Braid-Killing-A-Camera.mp3]

Download: Braid – Killing A Camera [MP3]

Show Preview: Real Estate @ Mohawk (4/11)

Date 4/11/12
Location Mohawk
Doors 6:30
Tickets $13 @ Frontgate

With all the killer shows going down this week, you’re really gonna have to pace yourself so you don’t lose your job.  One of the many superb shows this week that you better get to is going down on Wednesday at the Mohawk and features great indie bands Real Estate and Twerps.  This is surely going to be a show you won’t want to miss.  Also stick around for the aftershow on the inside stage featuring Keep Shelly in Athens and Jonquil.  Duh.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/03-Its-Real.mp3]

Download: Real Estate – It’s Real [MP3]

Albums Of 2011

We’ve already brought you our songs of the year and Texas albums of the year, so now it’s time for the much anticipated albums of the year list.  I’m sure many of you will notice some big names off the list and you will be ready to plead your case about why we are wrong.  We’ll hear ya out… Feel free to drop us a comment with your own list or just to debate with us.  Follow the jump for list.
50) The New Tigers – s/t

49) Secret Cities – Strange Hearts

48) AM & Shawn Lee – Celestial Electric

47) Rural Alberta Advantage – Departing

46) Blue Skies for Black Hearts – Embracing the Modern Age

45) Geoffrey O’ Connor – Vanity is Forever

44) Dum Dum Girls – Only in Dreams

43) Destroyer – Kaputt

42) Obits – Moody, Standard and Poor

41) The Rosebuds – Loud Planes Fly Low

40) Tim Cohen – Magic Trick

39) Bad Sports – Kings of the Weekend

38) Chelsea Wolfe – Apokalypsis

37) Chad Van Gaalen – Diaper Island

36) Male Bonding – Nothing Hurts

35) Crystal Stilts – In Love With Oblivion

34) Cold Cave – Cherish the Light Years

33) Devon Williams – Euphoria

32) Okkervil River – I Am Very Far

31) Sonny and the Sunsets – Hit After Hit

30) Smith Westerns – Dye It Blonde

29) Wax Idols – No Future

28) Grooms – Prom

27) Cut Off Your Hands – Hollow

26) The War on Drugs – Slave Ambient

25) Ducktails – Ducktails III

24) Papercuts – Fading Parade

23) Atlas Sound – Parallax

22) Mind Spiders – s/t

21) Craft Spells – Idle Labor

20) Yuck – s/t

19) The Joy Formidable – The Big Roar

18) Comet Gain – Howl of the Lonely Crowd

17) The Drums – Portamento

16) Snowmine – Laminate Pet Animal

15) King Creosote and Jon Hopkins – Diamond Mine

14) The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – Belong

13) Girls Names – Dead to Me

12) Light for Fire – s/t

11) Other Lives – Tamer Animals

10) Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues

9) Iceage – New Brigade

8 The Antlers – Burst Apart

7) Seapony – Go With Me

6) Pure X – Pleasure

5) Cloud Nothings – s/t

4) Real Estate – Days

3) Gold Leaves – The Ornament

2) The Twerps – s/t

1) Wye Oak – Civilian

So that’s it ladies and gents, we are officially putting an end to 2011.  What do you like and what do you not like?  Let’s hear it.

Show Preview: Real Estate @ the Parish (11/16)

Date Wednesday, Nov. 16th
Location The Parish
Doors 800 pm
Tickets $13 from Frontgate

I have no idea how this show hasn’t sold out as of Monday night.  Opening the night is Big Troubles, who’ve released their Romantic Comedy just recently, and it’s done fairly well with the fans, not to mention this writer.  That alone warrants attendance, yet the big headliner is Real Estate. These kids have pretty much dominated the news headlines all over the Internet since their inception, and the band’s October release of Days, got all sorts of praise.  This is the type of show people dream about, so go on and get yourself a ticket.  Oh, and to top it off, it all gets played through the amazing sound of the Parish; now if I could only get them to lower their beer prices!

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/03-Its-Real.mp3]

Download: Real Estate – It’s Real [MP3]

Real Estate – Days

Rating: ★★★★½

With the release of their self-titled album, Real Estate practically made themselves a household name among the indie rock cognoscente.  Not that their second release, Days, is upon us, things look even brighter, with a more refined sound filled to the brim with such pristine pop moments that it’ll be hard not to give the group recognition.

Opener “Easy” instantly brings the jangling guitar lines to the surface, leaving room for sailing melodies to burst through.  But, the ensuing track, “Green Aisles,” which is a bit of a long jaunt, really emphasizes the inherent warmth in the sonic craftwork of Real Estate.  Guitar lines gently glide, as if the band’s dialing in sunshine from within their recording space.  It all seems so effortless, as if the group’s been doing this for years…and they probably have.

“It’s Real” might have won over fans immediately upon its release as the lead single, but it’s just another sign that Days was perhaps designed with the longevity of the tracks in mind.  Soaring “oohs” might be a bit over-utilized by musicians in this pop spectrum, but there’s a hardness to the steady drumming that makes it more than just your average fare.  Still, other tracks are equally as successful within this recording, clearly willing to be played through your stereo for years to come. “Out of Tune” is perhaps my personal favorite, seeming to resonate in the past of California popsters of years gone by.  Despite two solid verses, this track holds onto a bit of guitar noodling, which, having listened to it on repeat a dozen times or slow, still sounds incredible (and not like “jamming” at all).

I’m sure that someone’s going to call the band out for creating a sound that doesn’t offer enough differentiation for your modern listener, but “Wonder Years” is a track that breaks out of the mold.  For one, it seems that Alex Bleeker might have taken over the vocal duties, giving a new quality to Real Estate. The more you let this song unfold, with its “doo-doo” humming and odd background solo, the more you just fall in love with the track.  It’s be nice to see more such moments coming from the trio in the future.

All in all, it’s hard to say anything truly negative about the entirety of Days.  Yes, it doesn’t grab you by the throat forcing you to fall in love, but it does more in being an unassuming collection of some of the most endearing pop tunes we’ve heard.  That alone should be enough to encourage you to pick up this latest release from the group, but if not, then the fact that Real Estate is sure to continue to be on everyone’s radar/blog/podcast for some time will eventually force your hand; give in now; you’ll be grateful you did.

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