This is fine.
Montreal’s Land of Talk have a new EP headed your way, but it won’t be the easiest thing to find in the world, so you should probably get it from Saddle Creek Records while you can. The Fun and Laughter EP features four new tracks, and several videos. We’ve got one of these new songs to offer you today, so enjoy, and don’t forget to get your hands on this while you can.
Download: Land Of Talk – May You Never [MP3]
Having started in 2000 in Johannesburg, South Africa, and only releasing an EP (Mystery EP, recently reissued by Secretly Canadian in March) the BLK JKS (pronounced “Black Jacks”) have built up quite a substantial buzz stateside in the recent months in anticipation for their debut album, After Robots. After several listens to After Robots I have to tell you, that buzz was justified.
BLK JKS will initially be compared to The Mars Volta, but to write them as a prog-rock doppelganger would be unfounded. Sure, the frenetic pace of the music is there, but the guitar work of Lidani Buthelezi and Mpumi Mcata is way more focused and stable than Omar Rodriguez-Lopez could ever hope to be and Buthelezi’s vocals is an even mixture of Tunde Adebimpe (TV on the Radio) and Nick Urata (DeVotchka) rather than the caterwauling of Cedric Bixler-Zavala. (This paragraph just won Scrabble)
Having lived in Africa (Nairobi, Kenya and Mwanza, Tanzania, specifically) for a considerable amount of time, the beats and rhythms showcased by BLK JKS encapsulates the frenzied lifestyle that exists most major metropolitan areas on the continent: it’s dirty and hot, but vibrant and alive. In the songs ‘Molalatadi’ and ‘Banna Ba Modimo’, I can see the streets of Nairobi, with heavily armed police officers and feel the tear gas stinging the back of my throat. These songs are punctuated by the 9-piece Hypnotic Brass Ensemble (Mos Def, Erykah Badu) which adds an extra layer of urgency.
The other seven songs in this collection run the musical gamut from jazz (‘Lakeside’) to dub (‘Skeleton’) and even hints of folk (‘Tselane’). Throughout these changes in style one thing remains constant: joy. These songs are played with a verve that, I assume, could only come from group of individuals that grew up with the specter of apartheid looming throughout your country. These nine songs have a spirit not found in the majority of the music we easily label fresh and groundbreaking, they feel like they were poured out on to tape not because a new record was due, but because they had to be. Music needs more of that.
Between the success of District 9, Charlize Theron’s appearance on Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis and the release of BLK JKS After Robots, South Africa is having a pretty good month.
You can also catch these guys live October 12 @ Emo’s. Tickets for that show will be sold at the doors for $10.
[audio: https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/molalatladi.mp3]Download: BLK JKS – Molalatladi [MP3]
We all have our hobbies. Whether it be collecting records, knitting, or making graffiti stencils, we all have something that steals away our time and makes the monotony of everyday life a little more bearable. But sometimes our hobbies consume too much of our time or, God forbid, our hobbies become just as monotonous as our day job. You must take a step back and to see what you loved about that hobby in the first place.
For this Friday Top Five we will take a look at several bands that have for one reason or another taken a break. These bands have never formally broken up; they have just gone on extended hiatus.
Read more
The band that brought you one of the best albums of the 90s (that being There’s Nothing Wrong with Love), Built to Spill, is up to their old tricks. They’ve got a new album heading our way on October 6th titled There Is No Enemy, not to mention a show lined up for October 24th. Here’s the recent track, “Hindsight.”
Download: Built to Spill – Hindsight [MP3]
From the ashes of the band that helped Rob sell 5 copies of their Three EPs comes The Aliens. That’s right, the former Beta Band members are trucking along, and now Aliens have a new album titled Luna heading our way at the end of October. We’re here to offer you a listen.
Download: The Aliens – Sunlamp Show [MP3]
Rating: 
With Break Up Pete Yorn and Scarlett Johansson have made something unique. Is it a deconstruction of the anatomy of a relationship? No. Is it a transcendent pop record that balances sweetness and heartbreak? No. What Scete Jornsson (will this catch on?) have made is quite possibly the whitest record ever to be put on a five inch disc (The Proclaimers can now breathe easy).
Is it possible for Pete Yorn to be any less inoffensive than what he already was? Apparently so. This is also two more vanity projects than what Scarlett Johansson needed. First she ruins the songs of Tom Waits, and now she, over a two day recording session (is that something to be proud of?) has put down some of the most boring vocal tracks I have ever heard.
I will give two songs their due: the opening track, ‘Relator’ is actually a catchy pop song, and it gave me hope (and earned the album half a star), but only gave way to blinding whiteness. The closing track ‘Someday’ gets noticed because it means that this listening experience is finally over. This album is perfect for buying a caramel macchiato, if you love Jack Johnson, or if you need something to listen to while killin’ time waiting for DMB.
So boring.
[audio: https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/pete_yorn__scarlett_johansson-relator.mp3]Download: Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson – Relator [MP3]
| Date | 9/12/09 |
|---|---|
| Location | Space 12 |
| Doors | 7pm |
| Tickets | $12 From Undertow |
We here at ATH are long time fans of Will Johnson and his work in and out of Denton band Centro-matic. We say this because Will is making another stop in Austin at Space 12 on Saturday night and we think you should check it out. If you aren’t familiar with Space 12, it’s a non profit community center on the east side focusing on bringing the arts to the east side. Opening support will be provided by Liz Durrett.
[audio: https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/will-johnson-closing-down-my-house.mp3]Download: Will Johnson – Closing Down My House [MP3]
This new tune by Philly songwriter Kurt Vile has been all over the internet the other day and we just can’t resist posting it on the ol ATH. It’s a dirty little guitar heavy tune that’s simple yet somehow memorable at the same time. You can hear this track “Hunchback” and more on upcoming album Childish Progidy out October 6th on Matador Records.
Download: Kurt Vile – Hunchback [MP3]
Long before you had the trendy Britpop scene that exploded with the likes of Blur and Oasis (though Pulp was clearly the best!), you had another scene, sort of the Godfather scene to Britpop. It was Madchester, rooted in the town of Manchester (where the best team in England plays). The style combined a little bit of house DJ music with straight rock n’ roll. And head of the movement…The Stone Roses.
Not only did they release one of the most flawless albums of the 1980s with their self titled Stone Roses debut, but they did it whilst creating an entirely new mode of fashion (baggy), which I suppose we can blame for the invention of Jncos. Hands down, this was the first Britpop group to make it big, but like most bands of that ilk, they quickly faded into obscurity.
We bring you the group this week, as this marks the anniversary of their debut, and as such, that album is getting the Redux treatment; it’s been remastered, and it includes a selection of demos and unreleased songs to boot. Trust me, this band deserves your love, so go dig in the closet and break out The Stone Roses.
[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/09-Made-Of-Stone.mp3]
| Date | 9/11/09 |
|---|---|
| Location | Mohawk |
| Doors | 9pm |
| Tickets | $8 from Transmission |
We give a lot of mentions to Throw me the Statue on this here website and we always try to post when the band is stopping in our town. So Friday night is the band’s next Austin show and it’s really cheap! Opening acts are The Brunettes and recent Dead Oceans signee Nurses.
UPDATE: Our reviewers are all tied up tomorrow night so this means you have a chance to win a spot on the guest list for you and that special someone! All you have to do is leave a comment or tweet us with a mention of the show and we’ll pick a winner. Winners receive one guest list spot with a +1 and will be picked at 3pm tomorrow. Make sure you leave a valid email so we can get in touch with you after the contest. Do it!
[audio: https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/04-ship.mp3]Download: Throw Me the Statue – Ship [MP3]
