This is fine.
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
[audio: https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Seabear-03-Ill-Build-You-A-Fire.mp3]Download: Seabear – I’ll Build You A Fire [MP3]
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One of the most recent signees to historic Sub Pop is a relative newcomer to the music scene. Happy Birthday, for those of you stumbling upon the band, just formed in 2008, and their self-titled album is their first official recording. This album fits nicely into the new fascination with fuzz-riddled guitar pop, though the band isn’t just a one trick pony. While the majority of the album is filled with charm, there are a few missteps that keep it from taking off.
Happy Birthday kicks off their debut with one of the catchiest tunes of 2010, “Girls FM.” Jangling guitar rings hollowly in the background as Kyle Thomas wails a bit, just before the drums are added. Once you get to the chorus, where Ruth Garbus joins Thomas, you can’t escape the sugary sweetness. Placing this song up front establishes a lot of the music as surf-pop, though the group does go in different directions at times.
One of the tricks the band employs to great effect is to have Kyle’s vocals carefully backed by the warmth of Ruth’s voice. “2 Shy” utilizes this tool, and it moves the music away from garage band to polished power-pop. Such a combination creates blissful moments for the band, and they pull it out just often enough to make it memorable. You’ll see the same elements in “Maxine the Teenage Eskimo,” which might be the secret gem of this album. It’s late in the collection, and this general sweetness comes in a bit later in the song; stay with this one folks, as you’ll be rewarded greatly.
Interestingly, there are some odd Marc Bolan-esque vocals floating throughout spots on this record. “Subliminal Message” has that trademark T. Rex guitar, and Thomas seems to channel a bit of Marc’s vocal inflections on his delivery–this actually makes for a really fixating slow jam. Unfortunately, they return to this same formula for “Pink Strawberry Shake,” at a point in the album when you’re really looking to be revitalized by something new; you might find yourself bogged down at this point.
Still, a new band has to have some drawbacks, right? Well, this is true of Happy Birthday. At times, they seem to have a little bit too much simplicity in their songwriting, which can be translated to childishness. “Zit” is just one of those songs that demonstrates some of these weaknesses; it’s a juvenile song, both lyrically and musically. While the lyrics throughout definitely hint at the unpolished quality of the group, this song takes it a bit too far. Clearly, there is room for simplicity and youthfulness, but it kind of goes too far at points on the album. This is just another factor the band will eventually work out on the next album, as they sometimes don’t seem to know when to hold back, pushing songs beyond a point of impact for the listener.
However, don’t end the album without listening to closer, “Fun.” Yes, it does use that recently popularized style of mundane lyrical songwriting, but there is a touch of real brilliance here. Some might recall Superdrag or Teenage Fanclub, and fans of those bands will surely love the ending to this album. All things considered, Happy Birthday‘s debut has demonstrated room for growth, with touches of brilliance throughout, so we should expect a solid second outing based on the charms of this beginning.
[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/01-Girls-FM-1.mp3]Download: Happy Birthday – Girls FM [MP3]
Let’s face it, everybody loves that nostalgic sound from the 90s, and the recent revival of J Mascis in the past several years can’t hurt. So, we’re excited for his new band, along with several member of Cobra Verde, Sweet Apple to release their debut Love & Desperation on April 20th. This new single is ridiculously good, and it has that dirty pop feeling only Mascis seems to perfect. It’s time you took a listen.
Download: Sweet Apple – I’ve Got A Feeling (That Won’t Change) [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.
Not far released from their stellar 2009 release Knots, Wye Oak are returning this year with new EP My Neighbor/My Creator. Below you’ll find a download of, “I Hope You Die”, which is a new single from the upcoming EP. It’s a powerful lil’ ballad that shows a bright future for this up and coming band. You can get My Neighbor/My Creator in the Merge Records store digitally on April 20th and physically June 8th. Enjoy.
Download: Wye Oak – I Hope You Die [MP3]
Way before it’s March 23rd release date, the fine people over at NPR are streaming the brand new She & Him album Volume Two. Head over to the NPR Music section for a first listen to the new tracks. Anyone care to offer a first opinion in the comments section?
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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.
[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/10-West-Memphis-Skyline-1.mp3]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!
In retrospect, it was the free tequila at that third South By Southwest party that did it. And there was that energy drink you downed, despite the fact you’d never heard of it (hey, it was free). Of course the Southern Comfort at party five didn’t help either. Nor did the eleven beers between party one and party seven (3 micro-brews, 2 Shiners, 5 PBRs, 1 new crap beer Budweiser is pushing). The fact that this unholy blend of alcohol is now fighting it out with the bratwurst and street pizza you consumed yesterday is only complicating matters. Stomach hates you. Brain not functioning. Unidentified bruises abound. Water and aspirin cannot save you. All this and your friend has the nerve to say: “I’m not hung over at all, I feel great!” Resist the urge to punch him in his stupid face. Go and put on a nice soft record. Follow the jump for 5 Albums that will help you cope with a hangover.
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