Month: November 2014

I Was A Tourist In My Own Town

Formula OneI know FFF9 is upon us, but I would like to reflect on Formula One. It is something you here on the news. It is what many of you mistakenly call that thing out there on the east side of the airport. A long time fan, F1 weekend is just like a music festival to me. It is three days of party and day-drinking. But F1 weekend, with help from Transmission, has actually been able to provide a bit of music festival to go with the festival of speed.

You see, having Circuit of the Americas in Austin is a rather special thing. It is the only track to host Formula One in the United States and that means nearly a half-billion worldwide viewers know where we are and what we do. It hosts MotoGP, Tudor United and World Endurance Championship. It also has a big-ass music venue and that cool Loch Ness monster looking tower. Like I said, it is kind of a big deal. COTA is also nice enough to host Fan Fest downtown. This year, I hit night one with the Haloween crowd Friday and was lucky enough to check out Duran Duran Saturday. You will get a few DD cause I already posted the big gallery, but you will get plenty of Broncho, Devotchka, De La Soul, crowd shots and stuff from the track. I skipped Kid Rock, though regretting that a little. O_o

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Alt-Folk From Astronauts

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astronauts

Astronauts is the project of London songwriter, Dan Carney, who has had quite the busy year. Earlier in 2014, he released not only an EP, but his first debut album, Hollow Ponds, under this name. Now, before the year is even out, he’s given us more to love with Four Songs EP. While this EP came out earlier this week here in the States, now is never a better time to discover this quiet style that features a culmination of soft folk elements and harsh electronic ones that will steal your heart with gentle melody. Listen to a track from the EP below, “Only Son.” It’s a great way to start off your Thursday. And when you’re done listening to that go check out their single “Skydive–” it’s also pretty special.

 

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Time Travel With Empathy Test

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empaWhen it comes to synth pop, it’s always hard to say no. So when I heard this new track from London’s Empathy Test and was immediately taken to the 80’s with its shimmery sound, I new I needed to share. While it does have a retro melancholy vibe to it– the band mentions Depeche Mode— it also has enough electronic detail to bring you right back to the present, a-la Chvrches and Purity Ring. Regardless of what bands “Here is the Place” is reminiscent of, they’ve already released their debut EP, Losing Touch, and are slated to release another, Throwing Stones, on Stars & Letters Records on December 9th of this year. Have a listen and get taken back.

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Touch of Pop from Tam Vantage

tomThose of you in the know of the Aussie pop scene might be aware of Tam Vantage; he’s previously worked in Pop Singles and ATH darlings The Stevens.  But, he’s got a new project working under his namesake, and it’s delectable pop bliss for pretty much every listener.  I like the slight bit of inflection that’s in his voice, fitting perfectly into the light-hearted approach to his guitar work.  I swear, there’s something going on in that Melbourne water; I’m in love with everything that city produces. For now, there’s just this grand single, but I’ll keep you on the up and up with more announcements as they come our way.

Fun Fest Interview: Mineral

mineralFun Fest weekend is here kids and ATH is just about ready to kick this thing into high gear.  Before we wrap up our pre-festival coverage, we’ve got one more interview coming your way from one of our favorite all time Austin bands Mineral.  Founding father and vocalist Chris Simpson was nice enough to answer some of our tough questions.  I tried my best not to be a fan boy… Follow the jump for one of my most anticipated interviews of the festival season.

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Listen to the New Lemuria Single

Earlier this fall we caught a quite exceptional set from lemuriaLemuria over at Mohawk, and I’ve been thirsting to hear more music from the band ever since that night.  Luckily, this track popped up just the other day, and it’s worth sharing with you all. I really love the approach the band takes on this tune, revealing a classic alternative rock sound, which was produced by Mark Ryan of Marked Men.  Plus, if you pick this up (December 16th), as you should, then you’ll get a 40 page comic book alongside your purchase…so you’ve got to appreciate a little differentiation on the sales side…that and this song’s great. They’ll also be back in Austin at the end of November.

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Show Review: Manchester Orchestra @ Emo’s (11.4)

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man

Just when it looked like we were going to skip that whole fall season thing, last night’s rain and cold front had us grateful for the change in venues from the Scoot Inn to Emo’s. This same rain didn’t prevent people from getting there early to catch the opening act, even despite the 6:30 door times. It was a night of appreciation for beauty in simplicity, where opener Chris Staples did his part to warm the crowd for the elegance of Manchester Orchestra. Read on for a brief synopsis of the evening. Read more

Happily Listening to Bruising

bruisedDon’t let the name, Bruising, fool you.  There’s nothing bruising or dangerous about this beautiful track from the UK outfit.  Sure, there’s some cascading guitar parts that might throw off a little bit of an edge, but for the most part, there’s nothing but sugar here.  Just listen to the main vocal, or the harmonies that join in carefully as the song unfolds; if you do so, I think we’ll be on the same page, right? This is our first listen to the band, as they’ve really just jumped into things, so I’ll give you a heads up on more to come in the future.

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Orange Cassettes Go Back to 2002

oranjeOkay, so maybe they don’t go all the way back there, but seeing as the members of Orange Cassettes are from Elefant and Radio 4, that seems like a solid time for the bands to really be making a wave.  But, with that out there, the duo has comprised some music that moves forward while still wearing the patches of the not so distant past. The tune below is definitely begging to get a nice club remix, though I miss the brash quality that Radio 4 seemed to bring to the table.  The single is being released digitally by Ring the Alarm, which is calling all parities to action…seems like that action here is to just shake it.

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Here’s A New Black Watch Tune

bwatch-320x320You know what’s going to make your day a little bit better? You’re going to have to listen to this new track from The Black Watch in order to make that happen.  The band are prepping the release of their new LP, Sugarplum Fairy, Sugarplum Fairy; it’s just a year after the most excellent The End of When (you better have that LP!). Listening to this first single, there’s a hint of Bobby Pollard in it, though I still love the crisp twang of the guitar that’s in the background.  Pop Culture Press will be releasing the album in late January, but I’ll remind you closer to that date, as this is sure to be another successful long player from the group.

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