This is fine.
As the end of one of my busiest weeks in months came to an end, I was really excited to see Frankie Rose over at Red 7. The show also featured several rising stars such as Dive and The Young, so we couldn’t complain, especially after all the work put in to make the venue more enjoyable.
Read on for our thoughts and check out Brian Gray’s photos.
RayRay and I have long adored Mystery Jets, regardless of their sonic changes throughout the years, so I never get tired of hearing from these dudes. And, to top it off their new album Radlands, which comes out April 30th, was recorded while the band spent time here in Austin (it’s even reflected in the album art). It seems the band has found a great groove with this new record, showing their progression as a group while still maintaining that fantastic pop sensibility that made me such a huge fan. Just give one listen to the chorus alone, and you’ll be as excited as I am for this new release.
Download:Mystery Jets – Someone Purer [MP3]
During a busy week in town, musically speaking, Brian and I jumped at the chance to catch one of our favorite acts, Terry Malts, as they returned to town. We moved beyond our exhaustion, and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, rocking out til the bar closed.
Read on for some quick thoughts on all the bands and check out Brian’s photos!
The last week or so has seen the Austin Interwebs go a little haywire, with Austinist vs. Michael Corcoran in a debate on the status of Austin as anything more than mediocre. We only talk about music, so we’re not going to worry about the discussions on traffic or eateries…we’re just looking at the music here. I grew up in this town, and I’ve been actively participating in the music scene since 92′, so I feel more than qualified to hold a discussion here. I do want to say that I actually think both parties make some valid points, which sort of leads me to think that there’s a lot of us in Austin, music or otherwise, that realize our town could make some improvements–whether they’re all the same or not doesn’t really matter, as we should be working together to unify the scene.
The following list is compiled of things that stood out to me in both articles (linked above), or that I just sort of came to on my own terms as an active participant in the “scene.” They’re ordered into a Top 5 to stick with our occasional Friday theme, but the order is irrelevant for the most part. Please feel free to comment on these things, as I think the best thing for our city and music is to have some actual discussion about it rather than make accusations–that’s just a dick move that gets us all nowhere.
In a week of packed shows, Wednesday was definitely full of shows, from Spoon to Real Estate to Bowerbirds to Keep Shelley in Athens, and we found ourselves at several…actually, all but Spoon. Read on for a few brief notes on Twerps and Real Estate, and Brian Gray’s excellent photos.
I’ve raved to everyone about Wax Idols; their album No Future was one of my favorite records of the last year. Now, while the group is working on their new album (rumored to be on Slumberland) they’ve got a awesome stop-gap 7″ for you on Suicide Squeeze. The title track, “Schadenfreude” is a jagged guitar rocker, with singer Heather spinning the pop goodness just as you would expect. There’s a little bit of that brattiness that makes her such a furious frontwoman, but the chorus alone is worth the cost of the 7 inch. You should definitely pay attention to this too underrated group.
Download: Wax Idols – Schadenfreude [MP3]
Every time I listen to Deer Tick, I definitely get the feeling of listening to early Lucero–not a bad thing at all. They’ve got that same attitude of country-tinged pop song writings with a little bit of a punk rock attitude in everything they do. It makes for a listen that a lot of people can get behind, which is good considering the group is hitting the road in support of their new Tim EP. This EP includes four new songs, and even a date in Austin on 4/29, so we’re happy to offer up this track today in hopes it’ll lead you to a pleasant weekend.
Download: Deer Tick – Born At Zero [MP3]
| Date | Saturday, April 14th |
|---|---|
| Location | Red 7 |
| Doors | 1000 pm |
| Tickets | $8 from Transmission |
The former Dum Dum/Vivian Girl Frankie Rose hit the ground running this year with the release of her album, Interstellar. It showed a definite focus, highlighting Rose’s warm vocals in the gently constrtuced pop structures. That alone is enough to make you hit up this cheap show, but, you can also catch Dive, a new favorite of ours. The group features members of Beach Fossils, and they should be pushing their upcoming album for Captured Tracks. Oh, and that’s not enough? Well, catch Cheap Curls…another former Dum Dum Girl kicking off the night. Seems like a great place to spend a Saturday evening.
Download: Frankie Rose – Know Me [MP3]
Middle spot in a busy night of music photography, Bowerbirds headlined a show at the Parish. Dry the River opened, but I only caught the last two songs due to shooting Real Estate and Twerps (more on that to come).
Once again, good booking for The Parish to highlight the subtle tones and layered organic melodies. And good lights help the mood. Head past the break to check out the shots of the show from a band that delivered one of our favorite albums so far this year.
After almost forgetting about the band, I’ve gotta say that I’m really digging this new tune “Even the Blind” from London based outfit Echo Lake. The song has this beautiful mellow quality to it, but then will punch you in the face with a sudden burst of energy. This song and nine more will be available on the band’s upcoming LP Wild Peace available June 26th on Slumberland Records. Check it out and enjoy.
[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/04-Even-The-Blind-2.mp3]Download: Echo Lake – Even The Blind [MP3]
