This is fine.
English indie-folk hit maker Johnny Flynn is prepping his second release entitled Been Listening for release on Transgressive Records early in June. I’m getting on the hype machine for the new LP after spinning this new track “Kentucky Pill” a few times. That lil diddy with the backing horns over the strummed mandolin have been stuck in my head all day.
Download: Johnny Flynn – Kentucky Pill [MP3]
Rating: 
To begin, I knew very little about Kristian Matsson and his project The Tallest Man on Earth. But, his second album, The Wild Hunt, will not only change that for me, but for many listeners across the globe. It’s easy to place the Swede’s work in a certain genre, even under a certain association with a famed folk hero, but throughout the duration, Matsson makes this album all his own, creating a beautiful piece of work to be played over and over again.
You’ll start The Wild Hunt with the two things that will stick with you eternally: incredible finger-picking and the uncanny resemblance to a young Boy Dylan. The former is one of those things that enables Kristian to pull out every single emotion from his tunes, carefully plotting where his fingers go with ease. The latter is something that might plague him, which is unfortunate, as every song on here stands on its own merit, creating a great collective song cycle.
A lot of folk music has the capability to seem redundant, especially when you feel as if you have heard the singer before, but a few deviations make The Wild Hunt rise above typical folk revivalists. For one, his songs are rather short, in comparison to similar artists. It allows him to make really succinct songs such as “Thousand Ways” or “Troubles Will Be Gone.” These songs will breath fresh air into your listening experience, and they’ll leave before you grow tired of hearing them blend into the next number. Then there is the tiniest vocal inflections he puts into his recorded performances that make Kristian stand out in what can sometimes be branded a stale world. Every slight move up or down on the scales, or every little yelp allows the vocals to stand on their own, rather than live in a world of comparisons.
Listening to this album time and time again, I found it difficult to discover a favorite track, as each listen, each mood evoked something different for me. At first, it was “King of Spain,” which comes off like a folk song written by a steam engine. On top of that, the subject matter of the song wins me over with its nod to the Iberian Peninsula. But, “You’re Going Back” took me in a different direction. It has hints, at least in the song structure of a lot of old punks who’ve turned to country, such as Chuck Ragan, with it’s throaty yell of “driver please don’t go that f**cking way” near the last minute of the tune. Here you find The Tallest Man on Earth getting carried away with his own passion, and that definitely makes each song a winner in my book.
Fortunately for me, this album came across my desk while I was in search of something calming, yet something challenging. The gentle moods created by songs like ‘The Drying of the Lawns” fit perfectly into what I needed at the time. Then I looked back at the whole of The Wild Hunt, and I found that each song had something to offer, and nothing to throw out the window. The Tallest Man on Earth has made a complete record worthy of repeat listening, now and forever.
[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/06-King-of-Spain-1.mp3]Download: Tallest Man on Earth – King of Spain [MP3]
I’m sure you’ve seen this new National song floating around today, but we just love this band too much to not throw this thing up. New song “Afraid of Everyone” is now the second single that the band has made available from their upcoming LP High Violet. That May release date better get here fast before I pee my pants.
Download: The National – Afraid of Everyone [MP3]
Coming through Austin this Wednesday is Ninja-Tune artist Bonobo hailing from Brighton, UK. Following the release of his 4th full length album, Black Sands, DJ, multi-instrumentalist, and producer, Simon Green (aka Bonobo) took a moment to answer some questions for us. Follow the jump for the interview.
Hardly Art band Golden Triangle might quite the stir during SXSW… So we have to pay attention to them right? Right!? Shortly after their trip to Austin, the band is prepping a highly anticipated split 7″ with Seattle boys The Fresh & Onlys. That tasty little vinyl is hitting stores today and features this new track from Golden Triangle “Cold Bones”. I am getting into this tune more than anything I’ve heard from the band so far. I’ll be buying this one.
Download: Golden Triangle – Cold Bones [MP3]
Let’s be straight here. Austin is the shit. No seriously, this is the best city in the world. You know it you not cool people who don’t live here… I say this because this post is only possible because of the great place we live in. One night and too many options for live music. Most cities would die to have these kind of choices in a month span. We get em all in one night! Here they are for tomorrow night:
From The Mind Of Adi – English Teeth, The Georgian Company and Followed By Static @ Mohawk ($5 cover. Doors @ 6pm)
White Rabbits & Here We Go Magic @ The Independent ($13 tickets. Doors @ 9pm)
Julian Casablancas & Funeral Party @ La Zona Rosa ($20 tickets. Doors @ 7pm)
Bonobo, Yppah, & Jesse Brede @ The Parish ($15 Tickets. Doors @ 9pm)
Where you gonna be?
Long have I followed the rise of Sweden’s The Mary Onettes. Ever since I first got a hold of their self-titled debut, I’ve been hooked on their wintery pop sounds. Their last record, Islands, ran in my stereo for months, and now the band are bringing a new 7″ to us all for Record Store Day. If you can’t get your hands on one, then you better just get the digital version, as this band continues to impress. Here’s the new tune titled “The Night Before the Funeral;” it’s one of the best songs I think the band have written to date.
Download: The Mary Onettes – The Night Before the Funeral [MP3]
Oh Schnaps! As promised last week, we’ve got even more rad show contests coming your way this week! So huge buzz band Beach House are coming to Emo’s next week. The show is SOLD OUT, and we’ve got a couple passes to give away to 2 lucky winners. Deets are as follows:
– Since the new album from Beach House is called Teen Dream, leave us a comment or Tweet us with the best song you can think of with the words “teen” and/or “dream” in the lyrics and/or title. Ex: “Teenage Wasteland” – The Who. Bonus points awarded if both words are used.
– Make sure to leave a valid email when filling out the comments form so we can get in touch with you.
– Winner will be contacted by Wednesday afternoon!
That’s about it. Simple right? Don’t forget, we always appreciate some creativity! We’ll leave a comment about who won on Thursday morning. Ready, steady, go!
[audio: https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Beach-House-Norway.mp3]Download: Beach House – Norway [MP3]
Rating: 
4 years ago, Simon Green (better known for his moniker Bonobo) changed directions. What emerged was 2006’s Days To Come; what many critics believed to be the high water mark for the project. What these critics were unaware of at the time, is that it was just Green becoming comfortable in his own skin. The release showed a different side of Green’s DJ and producing style relying on more bass heavy tunes and the obvious influence of vocals as an added element. The latter was the biggest stretch for many fans, but no one will doubt its immediate impact.
Following the world-wide acclaim from that release, Green has taken a few steps back and one huge step forward in the process. His latest from Ninja-Tune, shows the Brighton DJ honing his craft in a way that would make any producer jealous. The result is smooth, like silk covered in butter. His latest, Black Sands is a combination of every influence from his past 4 releases and is no doubt his most fully developed release to date and his best all-around effort.
The layers produced here are no strain for the listener to grasp and this makes Black Sands without a doubt his most accessible release. It’s clean and flows from beginning to end with little effort and the addition of sublime vocalist Andreya Triana is the cherry on top. Vintage Bonobo down-tempo beats begin the album in classic form with ‘Kiara’ and ‘Kong’ displaying simply, the rhythms Green has been so successful over the past decade of producing. We get our first taste Andreya’s silk smooth voice on the first single ‘Eyesdown.’ Right away it’s obvious that Green has found the voice he has been searching for to compliment his sound. He uses the vocal in a unique way, not highlighting the lyrical element, but using it as another music element. Every level feels perfectly compiled and the rhythm and vocal are viewed as one.
Directly following ‘Eyesdown’, Bonobo cuts back into their instrumental numbers with obvious proficiency. ‘El Toro’ is a playful number with a strong bass line with strings and horns playing back in forth in an audio tennis match and ‘We Could Live Forever’ continues the trend but with a little more electronic influence thrown in for good measure. Green slows things down a bit for the intro to ‘1009’, but not for long pushing through to one of my favorite cuts on the record, ‘All In Forms’. The record keeps a pretty solid tempo from beginning to end in a very cohesive manner until ‘The Keeper’ where we get our second glimpse of Triana. The introduction of piano and bass line in the intro is foreboding and plays unbelievably well against Triana’s seductive vocals. If this record has a climax it is in these next 2 tracks, ‘Stay the Same’ and ‘Animals’, which spread the best of what Bonobo has to offer in full view.
Many will argue that Green didn’t take enough of a drastic step forward from his last, but in four years, I feel it’s obvious he has reflected on where he has been and then some. Many artists can learn from this philosophy, as you can’t move forward without knowing where you came from. He builds upon his strengths, removes his weaknesses and creates some of the best jazz fusion in the world today. Bonobo will be at the Parish Wednesday, April the 14th with the full band.
| Date | 4/13/10 |
|---|---|
| Location | Emos |
| Doors | 9pm |
| Tickets | $15 from Ticketweb |
Emo’s on Tuesday night has a nice little lineup of up and coming talent featuring Temper Trap and Kissaway Trail. Can’t say I’m the biggest fan of TT, but Kissaway Trail got a lot of great buzz behind them during SXSW. Plus, what else are you really doing on a Tuesday? And hear ya go ladies, I’m finally posting this Temper Trap song you’ve been begging for.
[audio: https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/tempertrap_disposition.mp3]Download: Temper Trap – Sweet Disposition [MP3]
