Last Week’s Jams (8.14 – 8.18)

Okay, so I’m back in school and coaching women’s volleyball, which of course meant we couldn’t dare draw near the 40 or so tracks we covered the week prior. But, that being said, there were some really special tunes, and some of my favorites popping up in here. Blue Ocean and Seablite announced new LPs, while the Smashing Times dropped another stellar single to whet our appetites. Local favorites Single Lash and Sun June both announced new releases too, so it was a pretty solid week. Oh, and that Optic Sink jam was so good, we might have accidentally overlapped and posted it twice! Stream below!

Single Lash Announce Ladida

I’ve been screaming from the ATH mountaintop about Single Lash years; they’ve been one of the only true gothic leaning bands in town…and they’re just absolutely huge live. With news of Ladida hitting, I really couldn’t wait to have some time to press play, and sit with the weight of this tune. There’s this heavy resonance here, with the band’s patience paying off huge dividends as it lets you just soak in the vast depths; I feel like its the musical equivalent of a late night bubble bath by candlelight. Rodolfo’s drumming is stellar, pounding out those machine gun fills, and Nicolas’ voice continues to mature with time, giving me chills when he delivers the line “ooh, what times is it there” with a faint quiver. They release Ladida on October 13th!

Single Lash Drop New Single

Some bands just magically come across like they’re too big for the stage; they seem cinematic…and that’s the case with the work of Austin’s Single Lash. Sure, you could file them under shoegaze/dream pop, but there always seems like their sound is beyond mere classifications. Nicolas’ voice, for starters, has this sweeping dramatics, though the slight quivers also make him seem vulnerable; both gentle and brave. This tune also is filled with these ever so slight shifts, brimming on the verge of becoming a wall of noise, but with enough restraint to bring it back and focus on the work at hand. Just dropping this here because I love love love this band.

Nathan’s Top Austin Albums of 2018

In the year’s end, those who “write” about music claim our superior tastes by spouting off about our favorite releases. I figured I should start off all the shenanigans with a list from our home base, Austin, Texas. Below you’ll find a list of my favorite releases from the confines of our fair city.

Let it be known that we released albums by Marmalakes, Feverbones and David Israel (and an EP by Blushing), but those will not make this list for the sake of favoritism…though they’d all obvious take the top spot…duh. Read more

Listen to More Single Lash

There are several really great albums that came out of Austin this year, but one rising near the top (in my eyes) is this new Single Lash. The band just dropped another tune, and it’s one of the more remarkable numbers we’ve heard from the group. Opening with a distorted guitar coming in bursts, stripped away to reveal Nic’s voice, then back in again. The wall of hazy distortion eventually becomes omnipresent, serving as the white noise on which Nadeau paints his voice. There’s a subtlety to the chorus in this number too, an effortless venture floating and disappearing beneath the atmosphere of the track. Then the band sticks around to texture the back half of the track with haunting musicianship.Providence comes out on October 26th via Holodeck.

Single Lash Drop Another Single

I’m really hoping that Single Lash takes off with this new album, as I’ve fancied Austin act’s aesthetic for some time. I love the balance exhibited in the latest single, working carefully between delicate moments of brooding pop and noisier sonic exploration (akin to the gaze). Nic’s voice is perfectly placed here, fragile and deep in tone; it has this billowing effect that’s matched by the group’s efforts…and it all works even more perfectly with the shadowy video elements. Providence, the group’s new album, will be out on October 26th via Holodeck Records.

Single Lash Ready Prepare You for Providence

Single Lash might be one of Austin’s most under-appreaciated acts; they quietly released a beautiful LP back in 2016, and now they’re prepping Providence for you. The shoegaze element that resonates with most folks lurks in the background of this song, though I’m drawn to that cleaner guitar cut that seemingly dances its way through. But, Nicolas’ voice has this deep seductive quality that’s hard to ignore; it’s both powerful and soft at once, letting the guitars ring around his every note; it’s almost as if he’s calling to you through the noise in your speakers. I love the sublime fade out offering more of a shimmer as the tune turns to its close. Look for the album to drop on October 26th via Holodeck Records.

Celebrate the Release of Blushing’s Weak EP @ Cheer Ups (1/27)

We’re really really excited to kick of the label side of ATH with our first release of 2018: Blushing‘s Weak EP. It’s a heavy dose of dreamgaze gems, all organized into a handy 12″ record. Several tracks have already garnered raves from the likes of DKFM Radio to the esteemed Gold Flake Paint, so clearly they’ve got something you need. Plus, if you’re in the Austin area, you can catch the band live at their release show at Cheer Up Charlies on Saturday night. It’s a pretty solid bill, with Ringo Deathstarr and Single Lash among bands filling the evening out. Just because we love you, we’re streaming the album below for you, in advance of its Friday release. You can grab the vinyl version HERE or the tape HERE.

Show Preview: LSD and the Search for God @ Cheer Ups (10/21)

There’s a special show awaiting Austinites on Saturday evening over at Cheer Up Charlies: LSD and the Search for God. The band is probably one of the quintessential modern shoegaze bands; they’ve garnered praise since their inception in 2005, with the release of Heaven is a Place further cementing their status. But, don’t rest on your laurels here, as the rest of the line-up is fleshed out with some of the finer shoegaze/dream pop acts in town. You show up, as you should, and you’ll get sets from She Sir, Single Lash, Krista Van Liew and Ringo Deathstarr…might not be a better place to be on Saturday night. Stream Heaven is a Place below. More show info HERE.

Show Pics: Night Drive Release Party @ Cheer Up (6/16)

We are in the throws of the longest days of the year and while it will get a bit hotter, it won’t get much hotter that last Friday. The hotness was overcome.

Night Drive threw a party at Cheer Up Charlies and we were all invited as long as you contributed $5 at the door. Isn’t that nice. Four bands, a DJ that popped jams, so many friends and even some family. Attendees got to see Keeper, Orthy, Night Drive (duh) and Single Lash with Lambda spinning jams in between.

If you click through, you will be rewarded with many images. You will be able to read more words. Thanks.

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