Month: December 2014

Soft Number from Edwyn Collins

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Edwyn CollinsI think I’d probably put Edwyn Collins in my Top 5 of all time songwriters.  His work with Orange Juice impacted a lot of my listening habits, past and present. So, his 2005 struggles with multiple strokes was quite sad, but listening to his road back has really been something quite special.  This year, a documentary came to light called The Possibilities are Endless, concerning Edwyn’s road back.  He’s been fortunate enough to be able to write music again, thus his ability to craft this tune, which is part of the soundtrack to the documentary; it’s available via AED.

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Top 100 Songs of the Year

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Top Song 14The more lists we run, the more the numbers seem made up, especially considering we run about 30 songs a week. So, we just organized a list of our favorite 100 songs, all being equal, no numbers involved. But, for those of you who want a listening experience, we created a playlist with all the available tracks Also, we each picked two songs to highlight for you, so you know where we’re coming from. If you’re looking to find out which release a particular song comes from, we put those in bold following each song.  Just jam this list today.  Read more

Checking In with The Ocean Party

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oceansEarlier in the fall, news of a new album from The Ocean Party trickled in, getting me excited, as I love the band and their work.  But, for some reason or another, I completely forgot about it, and didn’t even remember it was coming out until last week.  Since then I’ve been spending a lot of time listening to their latest LP, Soft Focus, which got a US release from the hardworking Jigsaw Records. So, since I completely forgot the album, I figured you needed to listen to it…also because it’s kind of a slow music week.  So, no need to hear myself talk, I’d rather hear your thoughts on this LP.

Energetic Rocker from These Arms Are Snakes

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these-arms-are-snakesPickings are slim at the record stores this week, unless you’re grabbing some leftovers from mini-Record Store Day.  But, one thing I want to pick up is this new 7″ featuring These Arms are Snakes.  For one, the group covers The Lost Sounds, which is one of those acts I wish people still cared about.  On the other hand, the flip side of the 7″ has a cover of the Gun Club by Coathangers, who I’ve been obsessing about all year.  Both songs, or covers, are right up my alley, so you can be sure that this will be in my little nerdy tote bag when I leave the shop.  Will it be in yours?

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The Pop of Paul Cook & the Chronicles

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paulydI’ve long chronicled (see what I did there) the work and career of Paul Cook, and I’m happy to say that I can always find something enjoyable in his work. He’s a trust worthy pop songsmith, so when he passed over his new EP with request to run a new tune, I couldn’t deny him. There’s subtle touches in his work that elevate his songs above your average fare, like the female touches that come through the background during the latter half of this number.  If you like what you hear, his Night Fires EP is available for free HERE.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/01-Night-Fires.mp3]

Download: Paul Cook & the Chronicles – Night Fires [MP3]

Show Pics: A Night Out In Austin (11/29)

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Night DriveI love the shows that happen during the Thanksgiving weekend. Students are home, it is usually local bands hanging out with friends, perhaps getting back from the road or just popping up to keep sharp before heading into the studio. Last Saturday was just that kind of night with two of my favorites in Night Drive and Shivery Shakes at Cheer Up Charlie’s and Holy Mountain, respectively. As a bonus, I got to see The David Ruffins and Ishi and so many friends that things degraded into full on shenanigans. Yes, shenanigans, full on. #lightpaintingcockandballs

Back to the music, The David Ruffins sounded like Austin “in the day”, Ishi brought the kimono-beard dance party, Night Drive made a point to engage every single person in the crowd before heading off to the studio (yay!) and Shivery Shakes sounded super tight after a stint on the road.

Click through and let me take on a visual journey…

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New Track From The Soft Moon

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15408a93-08d7-4e3f-b05b-2dc72648dac4Our friends at Captured Tracks sent over news of The Soft Moon‘s latest album. The album is called Deeper and will be released March 31st. Along with this news comes a stream of the lead single called “Black”. Way too soon. I have to wait four months? I broke my SxSW rule of not seeing a band twice with these guys (erm, guy in that the band is actually Luis Vasquez).

Deeper is the product of isolationism in a new country and if this lead track signifies anything, it may be the best yet. Dark, sparse but huge, bottled aggression…

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Sorry I Missed This: Corners

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kornerAgain, the end of the year brings to your attention a lot of great hits, and I was lucky to catch this on the ever changing line-up that is Burger Records.  Corners are this sort of synth-glam-post-punk phenomenon coming out of that LA place, and what they’re creating is really something.  There’s a bit of hipness to it, but there’s also this vibe that they could really give a fuck…making for a great listen.  Their LP Maxed Out on Distractions is out now courtesy of the above mentioned folks, as well as Lolipop Records. The jam below is the one I keep gravitating towards the mostest.

Enjoy Some Crepes…the band

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creepsThis song from Crepes is something really special for you on a Tuesday. If it helps grab your attention, Mikey Young of Total Control and Eddy Current Suppression Ring handled the mastering on the band’s new work…and you know that guy’s no slouch.  But, similar Melbourne acts, there’s a different side of pop coming from these guys, offering a slowly unfolding picture that brings a bright bouncing harmony to the chorus.  Right now they’re just starting to catch on, but things will really take off when their debut EP is released in early 2015…says I.

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