This is fine.
Beat maker David Adamson and his musical project Jookabox are getting ready to release their 3rd LP this fall and we’ve got a new single from the upcoming effort. The track is called “Phantom Don’t Go” and will appear on Dead Zone Boys out November 3rd on Asthmatic Kitty. It’s got quite the catchy beat workin’ for it.
Download: Jookabox – Phantom Don’t Go [MP3]
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Los Angeles quartet Division Day have been discussed in circles of dream pop and shoegaze sine the release of their first album, and while both those genres or stereotypes find homes on this album, it remains a more focused album than their previous effort. Visitation grabs onto the reigns of their past and propels the band into a more finished product.
You can immediately feel the dark spiritual quality that persists through this record from the opening minute of “Reservoir;” distorted drums cadences collide with a trainwreck of guitar. All this meets the melodic vocals, almost as if the entire song is riding upon a crescendo. “Malachite” resembles the first song, if only in the pummeling drumwork, as the overall emotional appeal of this tune seems to crash rather than rise.
So we come upon “Chalk Lines,” which hit the Internet a bit ago, and at first it appeals to be one of the more accesible songs, though careful listens reveal various guitar squeals into the outer regions of the song’s negative space. It’s this effect that makes the band resemble a darker version of Mew; the pounding drums with meoldious vocals seem almost like mirror copies of one another.
Other areas on the album appear to veer away from the various associated genres, such as “Planchette,” which comes as close to a ballad as you might find, although the instrumentation here is extremely sparse until the rest of the band joins. It reminds you of various soundscape groups, using guitar squalor to coat the melody, along with programmed fixtures in the background.
You’ll find an interesting listen if you check out “Surrender.” It’s a more exploratory OK Computer-era Radiohead track, almost as if it’s the middling ground between said album and Kid A. The industrial appeal of the track provides some variance to the album, and it’s placement here is perfect, as it mixes up the shape of the album; this is one of the things lacking on Division Day‘s debut. Such a technique is also employed when the band makes their way to the album’s title track. Around this point, the shift seems to go away from the instruments, albeit rather briefly, instead focusing on the strength of the dynamic vocals. This song is everything you want a dream pop song to be, even with the M83 textural effects vibrating in the background.
Visitation shows Division Day finally coming into an understanding of what they do best as a group, and when they hit their stride, you see them creating wonderful moments throughout the entirety of this record. Here’s the the band’s growth and maturity, and let’s hope for prosperity.
[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/division-day-chalk-lines.mp3]Download: Division Day – Chalk Lines [MP3]
| Date | 8/25/09 |
|---|---|
| Location | The Parlor |
| Doors | 7pm |
| Tickets | Free |
Local boys Harlem have been rising to fame after their recent signing to Matador Records and we always try to make it to their shows around town. You can catch one of these shows Tuesday night at The Parlor and you won’t pay a dime! Oakland band The Bare Wires and fellow locals Koreans will also be performing at the free event.
[audio: https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/harlembeautifulandverysmart.mp3]Download: Harlem – Beautiful and Very Smart [MP3]
Memphis group Lucero have a new album coming out this October titled 1372 Overton Park, and they’ve slowly been seeing their tunes pop up all over the net. Singer, Ben, sounded great at Fun Fun Fun Fest last year, and he’ll be bring his whole group down there this year. Expect the album, and the ensuing tour, to be phenomenal.
Download: Lucero – Hey Darling Do You Gamble [MP3]
We were shutdown on Friday for this badass new ATH V2 so we missed the second wave of Fun Fest leaks. Today the third round of leaks has hit the internet so we’ll tell you about the 2nd and 3rd leaks all in one post. Second wave additions are: Harlem, Fucked Up, Alaska in Winter, and Brian Posehn. Leaks today are: Destroyer, Mika Miko, Metallagher, and Shonen Knife. These bands are in addition to the ones we leaked Thursday along with several other artist like King Khan and Shearwater who were confirmed many moons ago. Full lineup will be posted tomorrow.
Make no mistake about it, Voxtrot is one of those great Austin bands that seems to have disappeared for far too long, but the past year has shown some activity on their end. The band has just recently released a new 7″ titled Berlin, Without Return. It’s limited edition, and it boasts this great song, which sees the band fleshing out their sound with a little orchestral flourishes. Buy it.
Download: Voxtrot – Berlin, Without Return [MP3]
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Most people who have followed this band will surely know that the components that make up The Cave Singers have established themselves in a world outside the folk realm in which they currently live. Guitarist Derek Fudesco, for example, probably is most well known for his role in Pretty Girls Make Graves, but let’s not get carried away here, as the band are now establishing themselves as a new voice coming out of the rainy Northwest. Welcome Joy is their second album, and it builds upon the strengths of the last record, and in doing so, finishes as one of the better releases of the summer.
When the gentle strumming of “Summer Light” begins the album, you immediately find yourself lost among the foothills of the Appalachians, coated in an earthy morning mist, as the guitars gently strum. Pete Quirk’s throaty vocals are met here in this scene with additional vocals from Amber Webber of Black Mountain. You expect campfire songs from this band, but you don’t expect them to come off as beautifully simple as this one.
As the group introduces you to “At the Cut” you can here the post-punk influences in the vocal, and they seem to carry over through the song itself, giving it more than just your traditional neo-folk appeal so many people have been living with lately. It’s this interesting aspect that makes The Cave Singers so appealing to so many. They aren’t here to play the role of pretty balladeers, though their songs may come off as such; they came here to rock a bit…jangly percussion and all.
While it appears at times as if Quirk smoked too much at times, this album finds him with perfect accompaniment. Amber Webber is joined by her sister Ashley on “Shrine,” and it carries the song from something rather banal into an otherworldly country stomp towards the end of the song. This is followed by “Hen of the Woods,” which stands out as one of the great tracks on this album, among many great tracks. There’s nothing you can really explain about this song, but you’ll be sure to feel it as it comes through your stereo.
“VV” is one of the brighter songs on the album, coming in near the end with harmonious guitar parts, as light as you’ll find on this album. Oddly, this is the one song on the album that seems rooted in traditional folk writing, although the structure of the song itself towards the middle definitely has a more modern spin upon it. And as Welcome Joy draws to a close with “Townships” and “Bramble” you begin to notice the care that The Cave Singers put into the production of this album. Every inch of space seems well thought out, as if they left various places open for your mind to wonder in the woods of your own brain. To top it off, it never seems to get old; it never runs in place. An album such as this is a delight, and dare we say, a Welcome Joy, as the summer comes to a close.
[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/the-cave-singers-at-the-cut.mp3]Download: The Cave Singers – At The Cut [MP3]
Clearly an AC unit is optional this summer…
Oh Debbie Harry… You’re still pretty hot… aaaaaand you’re playing in Austin today! So without further ado, we give you the honor of making you and your band Blondie our from the closet artist this week. The track featured is “Hanging on the Telephone” which appears on Blondie’s biggest and best selling album (20 million) to date, Parallel Lines. This song is one of many singles from the album that tore up the US and UK pop charts during the band’s heyday in the late 70s and very early 80s. If you’re interested in the show tonight at Austin Music Hall, fellow veteran rocker Pat Benatar and more recent ladies of rock The Donnas will also be on hand. Tickets are still on sale and quite pricey at $70 a pop. Rock on women of rock.
Lucy the Poodle magazine is putting on quite the event this Friday night at Club Deville in Austin. The night features literally tons of local artists covering the great HOF band Pink Floyd. The lineup includes Cari and Jason of Belaire, The Hi Tones, Til We’re Blue or Destroy, The Alice Rose, The Raven Tree, Blase Faire, The Clouds are Ghosts, The Noise Revival Orchestra, and Leisure Tourniquet. Whew. As if that wasn’t enough, the night will also feature a light show, tons of free stuff, and a screening of Dark Side of Oz after the last band has wrapped up. Entrance fee is only $7 and doors things start around 8pm. Should be one helluva night. More info can be had over on the do512 or on that fancy flier.
Download: Belaire – You Really Got Me Goin [MP3]
