Pop Tune from Sun Hotel

sunneeI’m pretty sure the award for longest song title of 2015 is going to go to Sun Hotel, but dammit if it’s not just a great song to listen to any time of the day.  There’s an urgency in the guitar playing, and something I’m finding quite relatable in the way the vocals are delivered; it sort of reminds me of a calmer version of art-rockers Ought.  Sadly, it sounds like their new effort, Rational Expectations, might be their last as members are slated to move on to new projects; I’ll still enjoy this when it comes out via Community Records on February 3rd.

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Mellow Folk from River Whyless

riversAs I speak, the weather here in Austin has grown increasingly frigid (which I abhor), so I just want to bundle up and jam to something warming (wearing out my Sturgill Simpson LP).  This River Whyless single should definitely do the trick, offering up some ornate folk music.  From the picking of the guitar to the burst of cymbal crashes, you can tell that there’s been great care put into each touch on their new work.  It’s the sort of music that provides emotional warmth while allowing for the lyrics to carry your mind away. Look for their self-titled EP on January 20th via Backwoods Nation.

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Listen to Keath Mead, Please

kmEver feel like listening to the Velvet Undergound, yet you wanted something even more warbled and warped? Then perhaps you’re going to enjoy spending some time jamming to Keath Mead, who seems to have reimagined “Sweet Jane” in a more pristine fashion, yet wrapped it in some oddity of fuzz and scrambled tape samples.  It’s a track that achieves so much in so many ways that I’m pretty sure I’ll just kick it with this song for the rest of the day.  I’m really excited to see what he does with his album Sunday Dinner come February 24th (Company Record Label).

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Divers Bring Out New Single

dvrsThe guys in Divers talk of walking the fine long between indie rock and punk rock, and listening to their new single, you can hear them straddling that strange divide.  Opening this tune is this jagged guitar and furious punch; it reminds me of Les Savy Fav at their most bombastic.  But, those moments subside quickly and move into a safer world where Win Butler would feel most protected..or one of those Hold Steady cats. It’s definitely something I enjoy, though I’m not sure where it falls in my life. I guess we’ll see when their album Hello Hello falls on February 17th.

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More Expansive Pop from Cats of Transnistria

transcatsIt’s difficult to capture the attention of modern listeners, especially with shorter attention spans and what not.  That being said, I beg you to really spend some time with the latest from Cats of Transnistria.  The song below changes landscapes from within the song, moving through gentle stages towards into more discordant moments, and then a return.  Their Away EP has been nothing if not captivating, allowing me to really sink into my listening experience as I indulge in this version of constructionist pop music; the EP is out next week from Soliti.  You can also check out the accompanying VIDEO.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/2-San-Francisco.mp3]

 

 

Yesterday’s Hits

We here at ATH like to bring you tunes that you may not hear elsewhere, spending lots of time scouring the internet for the best jams so that you don’t have to. However, that doesn’t mean we still don’t like to report on some of those bigger name bands we already know and love. So in this new feature we’ll group together some of the tracks that blew up in internetland yesterday and give you the necessary details so you can stay hip and fresh. We also rated the tunes with our special scale so you know which is the best new shit. So listen up kids.

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Beech Creeps Offer Noisy Pop Sensibility

creepinClearly, one can press the distortion pedal and let the guitars ring loud; we’ve seen that quite a bit over the last few years as noise and shoegaze have made their full return.  But, Beech Creeps do it with a style that really exemplifies the band’s natural inclination towards writing pop songs.  The guitars swell throughout the track, and that’s all well and good, but the slightest vocal touches seem to turn the song from something dangerously monstrous into a hook-laden burst of noisy joy. You’ll be able to hear more of the same, hopefully, when the band drops their self-titled full length on March 3rd via Monofonus Press.

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Show Pics: We Partied @ Holy Mountain (1/5)

Lego KittehWe had a couple of excuses to throw a party. It was Free Week. Our friend Pooneh had a birthday. We had merch to sell.

The lineup was all kinds of ATH favorites; Young Girls, Slow, Jonly Bonly, Shivery Shakes and Grape St. As it turned out, Grape’s St‘s Brendan also had a birthday. Isn’t that great. Shout out to Holy Mountain‘s winter diorama.

Pinata. Confetti Eggs. Drink Specials. We were surrounded by friends. Couple comments after the break with a ton of pictures…

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Dark Space Pop With Princess Chelsea

prinOk, so I was a little put off by the name of this artist while I was sifting through the internet looking for sweet tunes to share with you, as someone that goes by the name of Princess Chelsea doesn’t seem like they would be someone that would appeal to my listening taste. However, this is one of those instances where you truly can’t prejudge on name alone, and need to listen to the music behind the moniker. “No Church On Sunday,” the new track from New Zealand’s Chelsea Nikkel, is sure to catch your attention. It starts out with Nikkel’s piercing vocals, and buzzingly atmospheric guitars that build up to this great explosive ending. While this track is new(ish) apparently Princess Chelsea has quite a discography for you to explore.  So get to listening.

Check Out Planes On Paper

the ruins

Planes on Paper are a duo from Washington State that have been together since 2012, making folksy indie pop ever since. In that time they released an EP, The East End, and now are back with another little mini-cd/EP called The Ruins. The track I have for you below, “Monolithia” is a song from this effort by these two. It’s got glorious harmonies that will lure you in, while the bluesy guitar riffs coat the whole thing in an effortlessly melancholy light. Take a listen and see if you dig it, and then head over here to buy it from the band. 

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