This is fine.
French pop band Phoenix are finally offering some new music for their fans to check out. The new track available for download is called “1901” and will appear on the band’s upcoming album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix due out May 25th. Anyone got some thoughts on the first new material in a few years?
Download: Phoenix – 1901 [MP3]
Daytrotter continues to pump out solid in-studios with a set by Delta Spirit that dropped last week. The band plays 4 new songs all of which have never been laid to tape. Check it out now.
Download: Delta Spirit – Not Wasting Time (live) [MP3]
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The Black Lips have recently gotten more acclaim, or seemingly so, for their exploits off the stage. They’re followed around like the Paris Hilton of the indie world, but the questions that follow should really pertain to the quality of their music. It’s clear that their a ramshackle bunch of lads, but when that carries over to their music, can we follow along? 200 Million Thousand attempts to answer that question.
It’s really hard to find a ground from which to approach this album. Sure, the obvious psychedelia surrounds the band, not to mention the garage quality that has been there from the beginning of the band’s climb into our record collections. All these qualities point to an album worthy of critical acclaim, but only if the band can bring it all together.
Here, they don’t quite execute. There are some clear misses on the album, such as the vocal quality. Every time this band releases an album, it seems as if they shy away from the singing being a focal point. When you come across a song like “Starting Over” or “Old Man,” it seems as if they might unleash some hidden vocal talent, but its just not there. The rest is hazily smothered in shadowy production, disguising the vocal for the most part.
Then, you come face to face with the fact that the band finally seems to have gotten a cohesive sound together, but the sound just doesn’t quite seem original. It’s shrouded in the past of bands like The Velvet Underground and The Rolling Stones. Are they trying to be ironic by miming some of the most heralded acts around or is this an honest representation of who the band truly is as a group? The answer is certainly difficult to come by, so one must take the songs into account.
“Drugs” is a California surf-pop romper, fueled by the twang of the guitar. Even with the shotty vocal effects, you still can feel the catchiness of the song as the group sings in unison. And of course, that is followed by the super “Starting Over,” which may very well be one of the best songs that we hear all year. There is an inexplicable quality to the song that wins you over as soon as the guitar comes in during the opening moment.
Interestingly, there is also a soul tinge on this record, which may display some of the more banal qualities of the group as a whole, but the power of such songs is undeniable. “I’ll Be With You” is the song you expect to hear when watching a scene from the Enchantment Under the Sea Dance. It’s got that classic Buddy Holly guitar sound, but with a more juvenile approach to songwriting. It’s earnest, and it deserves appreciation.
At the end of the album, you have to take the Black Lips for precisely what they are: a gaggle of ruffians eager to write soulful psychedelia that they hope wins your heart. It might not be the most original piece of work to ever come our way, but rest assured there are a bunch of songs here worthy of high praise.
[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/10-old-man.mp3]Download: The Black Lips – Old Man [MP3]
Twenty-eight years ago today Kurt Cobain’s uncle gave him a choice of either a bike or a guitar as a present for his 14th birthday. Kurt chose the guitar. As the front man for Nirvana, he would spearhead a cultural shift in rock music by bringing underground rock overground with the album Nevermind. DGC records hoped to move 250,000 copies. It went on to sell millions and symbolically dethroned Michael Jackson from the #1 spot on the billboards. Suddenly the hair metal bands and carefully crafted pop icons that dominated before Nevermind’s release looked dated and ridiculous. Nevermind was more than just an album, it was a pivotal moment in rock history. Follow the jump as we unveil our Top 5 Forgotten Nirvana Songs.
Yes you are reading the heading of this post correctly… Pop Unknown are reuniting for a show at Mohawk on Saturday night! The long forgotten band will be playing along with locals Crash Gallery and Jets Under Fire. Doors for the show open at 8pm.
Download: Pop Unknown – Head in the Sand [MP3]
What better way to end a pretty great week than by throwing a little Robert Pollard out to the masses. This tune comes via his new band Boston Spaceships, who are set to release their new album, The Planets are Blasted on Guided by Voices, Inc. February 27th, but the album is already available for digital download. Enjoy this tune; enjoy your weekend.
Download: Boston Spaceships – Big O Gets an Earful [MP3]
An always solid Austin band, Li’l Cap’n Travis, are playing a set at Club Deville this Saturday. You can catch the guys along with other locals The Lennings and Blaise Fair. Show starts at 9pm.
Download: Li’l Cap’n Travis – Sugar Buzz [MP3]
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With the release of their second album, Labyrinthes, our favorite francophiles, Malajube, were poised to hit the United States running full steam ahead. The question everyone wanted answered was whether or not they would convert from their first language to a more commercial language, one that would surely break them into the independent scene in the neighboring country. The answer, dear reader, is an emphatic “no!”
They open the album with the epic “Ursuline,” which has a certain sense of urgency once the songs gets going, but just as you expect the band to push over the top and rush through the song, they scale the entire number back, slowly leading you towards the outro of the song. It’s a statement the listener must respect, as the band has the capabilities to lead you wherever they wish.
Still present this time round is the organic sound. Usage of gang vocals, both brash and soothing go in and out of the record. Pianos, guitars, drums and extemporaneous instruments/sounds are also used indiscriminately. It’s a sound that one has come to expect from our northerly neighbors, as they seem to rely a lot on the soundscapes of fellow Canadians, Broken Social Scene. This time around, the band sounds a lot warmer than on Trompe L’oeil.
Yet, through it all, the band sound just like something you would listen to on something like KEXP. The guitars are driving, providing the pace of the record, but the band can pull that sound away from you immediately, resting, instead, on atmospheric “oohs” and “ahhs.” Clever combinations of sound come within each song, which is precisely why this band garners the interests of fans today.
And you’ll come across songs such as “Heresie,” which will win you over in a short span of time. In fact, the coupling of the aforementioned song with “Dragon de glace” is probably one of the more special moments you find on the album. It’s a mellower Malajube than the one presented on the earlier part of the album. It’s a pleasure to come across a band that puts out an album where to layout of the songs on the album shows a strong thought process, as if they wanted you to listen to the album all the way to the end.
But, the one detractor, as alluded to earlier on, is the fact that the band, while respectable, maintain their allegiance to their native tongue. It’s not that the vocal element is not appealing, as one can take a certain emotive quality away from the songs, but its the lack of a connection between the band and most listeners. Musically, the band can take you many places, but a lot of people will want to connect with the lyrical content, and that is simply not possible for people versed in English. It’s the one miss on this album, though for many, it’s a pretty big miss.
[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/06-les-collemboles.mp3]Download: Malajube – Les Collemboles [MP3]
No we’re not talking about the Vega from Street Fighter, or Lou Vega, rather the VEGA spelled in all caps. VEGA is the new project from Alan Palomo who used to front Denton, TX based electro/pop band Ghosthustler. We’ve always been big fans of the dance beats produced by Ghosthustler so we were excited to hear about this new project from Mr. Palomo. VEGA sports a lot of the same 80s oriented electronic beats you may be familiar with, but with a unique take on things. An album/EP is expected from the new project sometime this year.
VEGA will be in town for our little festival in March. Check with the official SXSW website for official times and dates.
[audio: https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/all-too-vivid-originalmix.mp3]Download: VEGA – All Too Vivid [MP3]
While I admit that I know very little about the instrument the kalimba, I do know a great deal about good voices. This song from Laura Barrett features just one of those great voices, accompanied by a lot of really unique instrumentation. The song comes from Barrett’s Victory Garden set to be released on Paper Bag Records February 24th.
Download: Laura Barrett – Blue Bird [MP3]
