This is fine.
Everyone has a love/hate relationship with SXSW. We’re all so happy at the beginning of the week only to hate life come Monday. We here at ATH want to provide some recaps from our week of music and we’ll be doing that with some personal reflections from each member of our staff. Follow the jump for more from me.
Here’s a new(ish) song from New York based group Slow Country called “Yes You Have”. The groups two core songwriters Boyd Shropshire and Chase King have combined to create a sort of psychedelic country similar to Mark Kozelek’s work in Sun Kil Moon or Red House Painters. Well maybe if it wasn’t quite as friggin’ depressing… This new song appears on a new album from the group The Late Great Slow Country which is out now on Wonderland Records.
[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/slowcountry_yesyouhave.mp3]Download: Slow Country – Yes You Have [MP3]
Being a Shins fan at this point in my life has put me in an odd position. I always prayed and hoped that the band would be more animated/more rocking in the live setting, and after last night’s performance at ACL Live, it seems they’ve accomplished that feat; I’m just not sure if it’s what I really want. Read more
The hot mess that is SXSW is officially over, though the effects are still lingering, and may for some time. We’re all different people here at ATH, so we wanted to offer you our varied opinions on the festival, so read on about my personal reflections on the fest… Read more
More SXSW interviews! Yep it may seem nuts to some, but we’re crazy around these parts and we like to provide as much coverage as humanly possible. This here interview comes your way from lo-fi indie group Radiation City. Questions are coming your way from founding father of RC Randy Bemrose. Check it out after the jump.
Well, the madness that is SXSW has officially begun, but just before we sign off for a few days officially, we’ve still got some awesome acts we want you to pay attention to as you finalize those plans for the week. Here’s some interview answers from Canadian group Library Voices, who released a great album, Summer of Lust, last year. Read on for the group’s responses…. Read more
Michael Italia’s probably not a household name, not just yet. With that in mind, 2012 seems perfect for his project, Young Magic, to break through to the masses, as he’s already gotten a lot of attention from the press. We were fortunate to catch up with him before he headed to SXSW to get a brief glimpse inside his mind. You can check out his SXSW dates after the interview. Thanks again to Gloria for setting things up! Read more
It’s Monday of SXSW and we’re getting geared up to finally get out of the house and see some much needed music. Before we do that, we wanted to share a few tracks today that caught our ears recently for those of you that might still be stuck at work. This tune, “Lying in State”, comes from brand spanking new Queens based band Island Twins. It’s a fuzzy pop tune with a female lead vocal most similar to old school Rainer Maria or even Radical Dads at times. However you label them, hope you enjoy the tunes and stay tuned to the May 1st release date of their self-titled debut LP.
[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/IslandTwins-LyingInState.mp3]Download: Island Twins – Lying In State [MP3]
I’ve always been a big fan of Jonquil. At times their music is pop with dance inducing rhythms, but then they can just be more of a straight up rock n roll band. Either way, I find myself listening to the band when looking for something unique to pass the time. Band member Robin McDiarmid took some time to answer our SXSW questions and his answers can be found after the jump.
Last year we brought you lots of news about Parlovr, one of Montreal’s hottest act. It looks like 2012 is going to give us more of the same; the band is set to release another album, Kook Soul, on Dine Alone Records on May 15th of this year. What I like about our first listen to the new music is the lack of immediacy in the following song. It’s not hitting you over the head, but instead, the band builds their sound slowly, erupting from time to time with spirited pop moments. It’s a slight change in direction, but one you’ll surely love if you just take the time to stream the track below.
