Austin Town Hall

Oh schnaps!  The week of SXSW music is finally upon us tomorrow and our heads are literally about to explode.  Just so you know, we’ll be fairly m.i.a. until next week since we’ll be out and about discovering new bands.  Next week, expect some crazy coverage with interviews, photos, and reviews of anything we find interesting. Until then, a few deets for you SXSW goers:

- Don’t forget to RSVP to our party tomorrow.

- Be sure to download our March music sampler to rock out to while you wait in that Fader Fort line.

- Also be sure you load up our handy SXSW guide on your fancy iphone.

- New sponsor alert! We also just got word that Zico Coconut Water will be on hand handing out all kinds of free Coco water.  Tassstttyyyy.

- Keep it real!

While his longtime rock band Longwave takes a short break from the music world, Steve Schiltz has been working hard to make a name for his new project Hurricane Bells.  This band/side project from Schiltz has been in the works for a few years and just saw a debut LP, Tonight is the Ghost, drop late last year.  That album, while similar to Longwave in some aspects, tones things down just a bit and the songs feel a lot more like a solo record.  Schiltz has since put a band together and plans to stop in Austin during our SXSW music festival.  We had the chance to email Steve a few SXSW oriented questions before his band makes it into town.  You’ll see a musician who is passionate about the industry and hopes you don’t know him as “that band on the New Moon soundtrack”.  Follow the jump for full interview.

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As tomorrow is St. Patrick’s Day and I like to pretend that I’m part Irish, let’s celebrate with a new digital single from Scots Broken Records.  This track, “Lies”, actually appeared on a single a few years ago, but has just now been made available for free online.  You’ll find that it fits right in with the themes of tomorrow’s heralded day.  If you dig, you could also check them out on Wednesday at one of the following free SXSW parties:

Rare Party @ 4th Street Fort (216 E 4th st.) – 12:30am

Dirty Boots Showcase @ Wave Bar (408 E. 6th st.) – 3pm

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Download: Broken Records – Lies [MP3]

So SXSW music starts tomorrow and you still aren’t to sure about who to see?  Well, you can make the decision easier (or harder?) by downloading a free SXSW music sampler from music website Amie Street.  The sampler features 22 tracks from the likes of Fool’s Good, Flying Lotus, Born Ruffians, and tons of others.  Check check check it ouuut now.  Disclaimer: You will be required to sign up for an account on the site.

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It’s heating up around Austin with SXSW right around the bend and with spring weather here, wildflowers across the state spring to life.  Nevertheless, Seabear is coming through town to cool things down a little. Icelandic septet Seabear, led by soothing songster Sindri Már Sigfússon, is set to release their nature-infused sophomore album, We Built A Fire. Iceland is renowned for its otherworldly landscapes and ethereal musicians (i.e. Bjork and Sigur Ros), but this record hits a familiar chord closer to home.

The release is premium indie-folk and shows the “Icelandic Beck” at his whimsical, yet haunting best. Although based in Iceland, Seabear’s lyrics are all in English; which makes it a surprise that this year marks the band’s first trip through North America, starting with SXSW. Beginning as a lo-fi solo project for Sigfússon, Seabear has expanded to a full 7-member band with the emphasis on the collective creative process. Their first release, The Ghost That Carried Us Away, was a much more intimate release with delicate, orchestral arrangements containing many indie-folk gems. Similarly on their latest, there’s no shortage of them. This time around, mutual input in the writing process was the modus operandi and what materialized is an improved confidence in all the parts. This translates into a stronger sound and superior effort as a whole.

Sigfússon songwriting talents (whose last solo effort came under the moniker Sing Fang Bous) is in full bloom starting with the opener, ‘Lion Face Boy’. His voice is a force, both full and soft simultaneously, driving the tempo throughout the track and ultimately the extent of the record.  ‘Fire Dies Down’ is a more up-tempo and moving track, displaying the rest of the group’s expanded instrumental vocabulary.

The pseudo title track and first single ‘I’ll Build You A Fire’ is a stand out track with wonderful harmonies. On Sigfússon’s 2009 solo tour, he was joined by headliners and fellow Icelandic indie poppers múm, and it’s obvious that a little rubbed off. ‘Cold Summer’ begins with a poignant piano intro. Then the vocals and cello drift in and out like a summer breeze over an Icelandic meadow. The depth and soothing nature of his voice prove to once again be the driving force followed by the country influenced ‘Wooden Teeth’; which is one of the more joyful moments on the record. This country influence continues into ‘Leafmask’ with a guitar intro displaying true country roots, before Sigfússon slows things down and emerges with one of the more impressive vocal tracks on the album.  After ‘Softship’, the album loses a little momentum and becomes more introverted before the back and forth crescendos and decrescendos of ‘Warm Blood’.

Seabear brings the tempo back up for the final track ‘Wolfboy’, completing one of my favorite releases of the year. We Built A Fire is thought-provoking music while physically moving to boot, and we can only hope their tour is so successful they return with more dates for years to come. Amazingly, this time around Austin gets 4 (yes 4!) chances to see them. You will not want to miss at least one of these free sets:

March 17th @ Epoch Coffee (221 W North Loop) – 7:15pm

March 18th @ Scoot Inn (1308 E 4th st.) – 1pm

March 18th @ The Hideout (617 Congress Ave.) – 1am

March 20th @ Cafe Mundi (1704 E. 5th st.) – 2:45pm

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Download: Seabear – I’ll Build You A Fire [MP3]

It’s as if these incredible Scotish bands just keep pouring outta the country!  A band that sometimes gets lost in the depths of the Scotish scene is Edinburgh boys We Were Promised Jetpacks.  Now their sound will sometimes sound a bit similar to country mates Frightened Rabbit or The Twilight Sad, but they’re still able to stand out on their own.  I’ve also heard that these guys bring the noise in the live setting, so you’ll definitely want to check them out when they stop in town for SXSW.  Prior to their arrival in Austin, we had the chance to speak to guitarist Michael Palmer about his band.  After the jump you’ll find his answers.

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When Beulah called it quits many thought this might be the last we had heard of Miles Kurosky.  He hid under the radar for a little bit, but the instrumental orchestrations within his mind eventually won out, encouraging Miles to take to the studio once again. The Desert of Shallow Effects is his first solo album, and while it doesn’t stray too far from his previous works, it serves as a reminder that he still has the ability to craft amazing pop gems surrounded by big band moments.

The album opens with a slow burner, “Notes From the Polish Underground.” Miles doesn’t do too much to push the energy on this number, instead choosing to let the horns and piano flesh out the song.  It’s reminiscent of his work on Yoko, which left Beulah on the quieter side of California pop. But, he moves on quickly with “An Apple for an Apple.”  Seconds into the song, you get a ringing guitar, one that comes in and out of the song.  Here is the Miles that fans will fall in love with all over again.  Instruments abound, production wise, but it’s his warm vocal drenched in a faint moment of backing vocals that celebrate the exuberance we once associated with the singer.

While this record has moments where Miles brings back that passionate mini-yelp, such as “I Can’t Swim,” energetic moments are clearly not all that will define his return to form. The Desert of Shallow Effects also utilizes his softer side to great effects.  ”She Was My Dresden” is really just a song for him to strum along while you are soothed by his vocals.  What’s relevant about this song in regards to his past is his focus on first-person storytelling it’s one of the few songs on this album where his feelings are the sole focus of the work.  In contrast, he has other slow turning songs like “Housewives with Knives” and “West Memphis Skyline” where he looks at writing from the third-person perspective.  Despite the change in lyrical content, these quieter moments also show that he’s polished his songwriting in this style, fusing his own distinctive writing with his lush orchestration.  Perhaps time has allowed him to clear the cobwebs a bit, and construct sublime moments all over.

Suffice it to say, The Desert of Shallow Effects is a triumphant return for Miles Kurosky.  Sure, he does seem a bit undecided on precisely where he wants to go now that he’s back in the music game, but what remains central to this album is that he can still create amazing songs, use his friends to provide great backing moments, then carry you into momentary bliss.  We should all consider ourselves lucky that such a wonderful voice has returned to the music scene to warm us over with his sunny chamber pop tastes.

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Download: Miles Kursoky – West Memphis Skyline

Miles will also be playing the following SXSW shows:

3/17 @ Red Eyed Fly – 3:20 PM   3/18 @ Emos 9 PM  3/19 @ Home Slice Pizza – 5:15

We’ve long been admirers of Liars; they seem untouched by their peers, always exploring their own sonic pallet.  Luckily, they have an incredible live show to back up their ridiculously respectable musical chops.  You’ll all get a chance to glimpse them in Austin this week (if you’re here, that is).  But, to top that off, we’ve got a killer contest brought to you by the friendly people at Mute Records that will allow you to win a package with all the band’s works, and a bonus disc of their latest, Sisterworld, with reinterpretations from the likes of Thom Yorke and Devandra Banhart.  Leave us a comment with your favorite SXSW moment, and we’ll select 3 winners!  Contest will end Tuesday, March 16th 12 PM CST. Good luck.

Make sure to make it out to these SXSW dates:

3/18 @ Insound Day Party – 4 PM  & 3/19 Billions Showcase – 1 AM

We bet that closing set at Antones will be one of the best moments of SXSW!