Month: July 2015

ATX Spotlight: Have A Nice Weekend

July 31, 2015 brian.gray Leave a comment

Will I see anyone out this weekend? Seems everyone I know went to Lolla to photo and party. I want to Lolla, but not really. I reckon I’ll be at GvB at Mohawk. On to the week ending jam.

I hate covers and remixes. …usually.

I insist the best remix of a song is the Sasha remix of Doves‘ “Jetstream“. This Have A Nice Weekend post brings you another of those cover/remix exceptions. Our friends Night Drive have done a cover as the next yearly installment of their Summer Cover series of Perfume Genius‘s track “Queen”. You can download it off the embed. That synthy hook you love from the original song finds new life.

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Spend Friday With The Parlor

July 31, 2015 RayRay Leave a comment

Altamont, NY based The Parlor has been the recipient of some major praise from online music critics recently. Their style is this sort of breezy, while quirky bit of pop music genius. Below is a sample of their sound with new track “Wishes in the Sheets”. Hopefully you’ll find something to enjoy here as we ease into the weekend.

Wahzu Wahzu is due out September 18th via B3nson.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/176285649″ params=”color=ff9900&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_artwork=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

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New To You: Hazel English

July 31, 2015 nicole.baumann Leave a comment

When it’s summertime and this hot outside, sometimes I seek refreshing musical escape from the heat, usually in the form of breezy indie pop. Hazel English, who is currently based out of Oakland, has got the perfect antidote to the heat with “It’s Not Real.” The track is light in all the right places. The vocals have a Cults-esque sugar to them, but also soar with a bit more subtlety. The guitar and drums and synth sounds sort of mesh together in the mix for a hazy take on surf and classic indie rock, but then they separate out over varying moments of the song so you can appreciate them all. It’s a great light and airy track, one that will certainly get stuck in your head for the next few days.

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Smooth Minimalism From Willis Earl Beal

July 31, 2015 nicole.baumann Leave a comment

The internet is abuzz with this track already, but as hard as I tried not to fall into the hype, the song got me in the end. Chances are you’ve probably heard of Willis Earl Beal, but did you know he was about to release another LP called Nocturnes on August 28th? “Survive” is a track from that upcoming record, and it’s s simple yet vivid track from the gentleman. Clearly the vocals are in the spotlight, and their power and strength can be heard throughout the song as Beal winds his way through the lyrics. Check it out.

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Nice To Meet You: Arbes

July 30, 2015 RayRay Leave a comment

Arbes is a trio of youngsters making some interesting pop music out of Australia. I know very little about the band at this point since they are so fresh on the scene, but I do know the music is speaking to me today. Many will hear the enchanting female vocals on a song like “Beach Side” and immediately compare the band to the likes of Beach House. Though it’s fair, the band also add in these tricky little guitar parts to give everything a more upbeat and groovy vibe. Stay tuned for more from this young trio as they plan to release their debut EP on cassette this Friday via London’s Sports Day Records.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/216118272″ params=”color=ff9900&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_artwork=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

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Another Sweet Jam From Gardens & Villa

July 30, 2015 nicole.baumann Leave a comment

A little bit ago Gardens & Villa announced the release of their upcoming record, Music For Dogs, and gave us a new single of their swirling electrified pop music. They’ve returned again with another new track from that record, called “Everybody.” Whereas the last tune they shared pushed into a garage-y soundscape at points, this tune is more straightforward synth pop; its pulsating synths provide a tone of paranoia and anxiety, which is doubled up by the fast paced falsetto vocals. Later on more piano comes quickly as the band spirals carefully out of control in this great synth pop jam. Look out for Music For Dogs, out August 21st on Secretly Canadian.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/216743872″ params=”color=ff9900&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

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New Stuff From Chad Valley

July 30, 2015 brian.gray Leave a comment

I am a fan. We are fans. Hugo Manuel’s Chad Valley project was a side deal from the band Jonquil. When I caught Chad Valley doing a fill-in set during SxSW several years ago, I forgot who I was there to see. I’ve since seen Hugo a few times as Chad Valley and once with Jonquil. Left happy each time.

So Chad Valley is back with a new song called “True”, the first single from Entirely New Blue, a ballad to dance pop bliss. Cascine is releasing the album and pre-orders are up now for for a midd-to-late September ship. Along with the album news, Chad Valley is headlining a North American tour, including a stop in Austin at Red7 on October 22.

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Laid Back Rock From Air Waves

July 30, 2015 nicole.baumann Leave a comment

Air Waves, aka Nicole Schneit, has been making indie rock tunes of varying styles over the years, and she’s got a killer new single to share with you in the form of “Horse Race.” What I’m really digging on this track is the way that the subtle and mild vocals juxtapose so nicely with the harder elements of the song, like the steady electric guitar and the ubiquitous piano. One moment the vocals combine with the other musical elements for a laid back feel, and the next the guitars and piano and percussion seem to amp up a bit, while those vocals stay cool and calm thanks to a bit of help from Jana Hunter. Really, it’s a great indie rock song, and it’s got me excited for the release of Parting Glances, which is due out September 18th via Western Vinyl.

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Get Down With Small Black

July 30, 2015 nicole.baumann Leave a comment

It’s a Thursday, so naturally you’re itching for the weekend to hurry up and get here already. What’s a better way to channel yourself into the weekend vibe other than some slick dance music? Small Black have got you covered there with this new single, “Boys Life,” which is taken from the band’s upcoming release, Best Blues, and is filled with enough synthesizer to let you make believe it’s Friday night already. The track pretty much immediately launches into the groove, with a somewhat minimalist tone to it: though there’s a lot going on, the soundscape seems spacey other than the constant percussion blasting through in waves. Then the track really kicks into full swing and you really can’t help but shimmy along. Take a listen below and look out for Best Blues out October 16th from Jagjaguwar.

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More New Teen Daze

July 30, 2015 brian.gray Leave a comment

Much like grocery shoppers in Austin a decade ago, Teen Daze has gone organic. The latest track off the album Morning World (due 8/14) to be unveiled on the intarwebs is called “Along”. It has a dreamy light-hearted version of Pink Floyd feeling to it. It is pretty, it is different. Is this the sound in his head that synths filled before he pull it off musically or just a mindshift…

We’ll see what happens to the older material, will it be updated to be earthy, when Teen daze comes through town to play Stubb’s Jr on 9/30.

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