Single Premiere: Matthew Melton

Melton1 copyAll of us here in Austin were pumped when we heard about Warm Soda moving to town.  Of course this would mean we often get a first listen to new tunes before anyone else as is the case today.  For a bit of a twist, creative mind behind the band, Matthew Melton, is going solo for this effort.  Below you can find our exclusive stream of Melton’s new single called “Too Many Hearts Lack Lovers”.  Once again we are treated to some garage influenced pop music, but with an almost psych style twist from who is now one of Austin’s best up and coming songwriters.  Carry on friend.

Southpaw Records will release this track via 7″ single on September 15th.

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ATX Spotlight (?): Warm Soda Ready New LP

warmNot quite sure if we can claim Warm Soda as one of our own, despite the band living in Austin, but seeing as we’ve always loved the band, I think we’ll take em.  They’re readying their 3rd LP, and it seems that Mr. Melton is slowing things down, perfecting his blend of power-pop for the masses.  He’s still got that warm fade on his vocals, the guitar lines are there, but it’s a calmer approach that’s most notable (I still love it).  Look for the band’s new LP, Symbolic Dream, to hit stores on May 4th via Castle Face Records.

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ATX Show Preview: Adam and the Cola Kids vs Ramesh (2.5)

RameshTONIGHT! Man. What to do? There’s two incredible shows going down, and it’s hard for me to pick just one; maybe I’ll just scramble back and forth between the two. Take your pick…classic indie pop or garage-influenced power pop…either way you’re going to win if you go out tonight.  So, you can hit up Holy Mountain for the softer side of things.  The Columnist, Charm Bracelet and Missions all open things up for Ramesh.  I love Ramesh, as a person and a performer; he manages a great stage presence that’s as inviting as it is exciting.  We even helped released his debut LP last year, so pick one up if your in attendance.  But, I also adore the work of Warm Soda and Those Howlings, who are opening for Adam and the Cola Kids at Hotel Vegas. Those Howlings will use this as a release to their new album. So pick a show, either show, but go out and have fun kids.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/RAMESH-The-King.mp3] [audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/06-Waiting-For-Your-Call.mp3]

ATH Curates SXSW Playlist

sxswfm_LOGO-stacked-4CI’ve been fortunate with this site, and such fortunes continue with some friends reaching out to have me curate an hour of music featuring SXSW Official Austin acts that I wanted to rest of the world to know about. It also features my horrendous voice, though only for like 30 seconds total. I kind of went all over the map, trying to be as diverse as possible within the realm of my own tastes.  The little show will run three times today on SXSWFM (9 AM, 3 PM, 9 PM), which is a great place to get to know some of the artists, not just the Austin ones.  Here’s the artists I chose to include: Flesh Lights, Sour Notes, Jess Williamson, Roger Sellers, Mirror Travel, Shivery Shakes, Grape St, Ramesh, A Sinclair, Love Inks, Hundred Visions, Abram Shook, Ssleeperhold, The Zoltars, Warm Soda and The Eastern Sea. Just doing what I can to give a little love to our friends.  Special thanks to Brett and Rory for this rad opportunity.

Top 50 Albums of 2014

TOP 50 ALB 14These lists are everywhere, so you’ll be excused if you just roll your eyes and skip on. But, that being said, we always seem to be way off the mark when it comes to our Top 50 Albums of the Year.  Sure, we have some of the sure fire hits on this list like Angel Olsen and Sharon Van Etten, but don’t even read on if you’re look ing to see where Run the Jewels made it…they’re not there. Sorry not sorry.  So, if you’re into arbitrary lists by people who like to push their own agenda, then this list is for you! Read more

New Music from Matthew Melton

140110-warm-sodaMatthew Melton of Bare Wires and Warm Soda fame, and currently of Austin, Tx, has made great power pop records, no matter what band he’s using.  But, he’s got a pile of recordings that couldn’t quite fit into those acts, so he’s releasing another solo record with Southpaw Records.  Our first listen to this work shows Melton displaying much of the same style he’s come to be known for, wrapping up his vocals in a guitar sound that walks the line between bedroom and garage rock.  This new effort is titled Outside of Paradise, and you can only grab it from the label or from Matthew himself.

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Show Preview: The Oh Sees @ Hotel Vegas

Thee Oh Sees

Date 11/11/14
Location Hotel Vegas
Doors 7pm
Tickets $20 @ Eventbrite

For those of you who didn’t quite get your fix this weekend, Hotel Vegas has an awesome show going down tomorrow night that kicks off pretty early for you working types.  Drag City mainstay Jack Name kicks off at 8pm with the recently reunited (did they really even break up?) The Oh Sees taking the stage at 9pm.  Following the headlining acts outside is a stellar lineup of locals inside featuring Warm Soda, Hundred Visions, and A Giant Dog.  Kick off the week right!

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Sat/Sun Austin Weekend Show Spotlight

austinAs I said yesterday, there’s tons of places you can find yourself this weekend for a good old fashioned music concert.  But, maybe you need a suggestion or two as to where you wanna go? Well, I’m here to point you in the right direction, based on my extremely biased opinion.  Feel free to ignore these options, or play everyone’s favorite game of Where’s Norman Wanklord? Here’s the list. Read more

Thus Far….Albums of 2014.5

docIt’s still rather early in the year to start talking about best records of the year and what not, but as we’re midway through 2014, every one is doing it…so why not join in the fun.  But, with this in mind, remember that these lists are arbitrary, and if anything, pretty meaningless in the long run; you never know if your thoughts will change in six months…and really, they’re just like, our opinions man.  We’ll have two sections…one for national albums and another section of Austin albums released up to this point in 2014.   Read more

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