Month: July 2019

Black Marble Signs with Sacred Bones

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I’ve loved a lot of music, but one of the acts I always tried to turn folks onto was Black Marble; I’ve even used these here pages to support the project. It seems that promise is finally coming to the forefront, as today they announced their signing to Sacred Bones Records. Chris Stewart, the man behind the project, has altered his craft for this new LP; he’s admittedly pushed the vocals to the front and sort of stripped them of various effects that accompanied his earlier works. And, while this began to emerge on It’s Immaterial, the beats here are pretty sharp, yet also really sparse, letting you focus on their intent as the lyrics sink into your skin. The new LP is titled Bigger Than Life and it will be out on October 25th! There is also a scheduled tour date at Austin’s Levitation festival too!

The Parlor Share Dream

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I’m really captivated by the Parlor, especially having spent some time listening through to their latest single. Upon first listen, it felt delicate, but also teasingly simple. I knew, knowing a little bit about the band, that there had to be more to things, so I pressed repeat and sat in with an attentive ear. In doing so, the beats became the central heartbeat of the song; the guitar work began to emerge like little electric pulses in the brain, shooting off this way and that, all the while building this careful backdrop for Eric and Jen’s vocal performances. This track appears on a two-track single from Five Kill Records, but the duo have a lot going on behind the scenes; I suggest also revisiting 2018’s Kiku.

Young Guv Shares Patterns Prevail

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Ben Cook’s been rocking Young Guv tunes on the side of all his other projects (Fucked Up/No Warnings) for quite some time, and this year he’s made the jump to Run for Cover Records. His new record sounds like what we’ve come to expect, albeit with a little more power behind it; this new single steps write into that mold immediately. As soon as things kick off, those guitars burst in, rattling your speakers, with the slightest hint of pop sensibility. His voice here sounds a lot like Elliott Smith penning an ode to Teenage Fanclub…which is a huge compliment in my book. Guv I comes out on August 2nd.

Golden Ghost Returns with The Big Sleep

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Laura Goetz took some time off from writing music as Golden Ghost, traveling through various locations for the past seven or so years. But, she’s returned to songwriting with the story of Little Rabbit’s journey across lifetimes and universes; first with the Big Sleep: Prologue and now with The Big Sleep: Future. Immediately, you’ll be drawn into the narrative by Goetz’s voice, fragile and familiar all at once; it’s like a storytelling tractor beam drawing you in like only the best librarians could. Beneath that voice you’ll find the ornate fingerpicking style of guitar play that makes Laura’s craft so endearing, accented by emphatic synth notes and a feathery piano. Both the music and storytelling take you to a place where you can lose yourself and let go, which is perhaps the best lesson Little Rabbit can teach us. This new LP will be released by Epifo Music on August 16th.

The Gerbils Get Reissue Treatment

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Amidst all the playlists and streaming platforms we often forget out history, our heroes. One such grouping, and one adored by so many, is Elephant 6. They’ve kept a low profile while we’ve all fawned over “premieres” and festival sets by DJs…but they’re making waves once again. They’ll be releasing some new music, but also going back and unleashing some old gems, like this Gerbils LP, Are You Sleepy. The band featured several members of Neutral Milk Hotel…but listening below and you’ll hear they had a sound all their own. Some of the guitars even feel like they’ve got that Flying Nun churning guitar sound, while the fuzzy pop sensibility offers up its own charms. This reissue will be out on August 9th, and you can order it HERE; it’s time we all go back to our heroes.

Funky Indie Rock Track From L’Resorts

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Vincent Kircher (of Jaill) and Martha Cannon (of Lady Cannon), came together with a crew of Milwaukee’s finest to form L’Resorts, who are making funky garage-esque indie rock tunes. “Highs and Lows” is the band’s latest offering of a killer tune, with dueling vocals that remind me a bit of The Dutchess and The Duke. The fuzzy guitars are nicely juxtaposed with lighter elements (what sounds like marimba if I’m not mistaken) and pop sensible choruses with “Woahs” for you to sing along. The group has an album that just came out last Friday, and if you dig what you hear below, you can check out the rest of the album on their Bandcamp page.

Another Revisit with Possible Humans

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Everyone raved about Everybody Split when it came out, but it was a super limited release for Possible Humans, barely making its way overseas. Now, however, we’re all getting a chance to get our hands on that heralded LP, thanks of course to Trouble in Mind. Today they’ve shared a video for “Lung of the City,” which mostly features live footage lurking on the horizon why we’re shown footage of a graveyard; it matches the ominous tone of the song’s lyrics…while it’s okay to not be scared to die alone, it’s ultimately an inevitability. I love how this song just sits really open; there’s that vocal hook of the chorus, but most of the track’s about the band’s ability to flex their musical muscles. The reissue of the LP will be out on August 2nd.

New Ty Segall Tune

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I feel like Ty Segall has earned the right to sort of carry his own torch, play by his own rules, so it seems like his new album First Tastes will have him taking some artistic liberties. For instance, this latest single is almost entirely just a vocal performance, but even in that, Segall still has the ability to captivate. According to Ty, this track was a fevered reflection on his childhood, which enabled him to work with his newest band member, Shannon Lay (a wonderful force in her own right). I appreciate Ty’s willingness to step into some new territory, so we’ll see how it all fits in with the new LP when it drops on August 2nd via Drag City.

Hear the Latest Single from Mary Bryce

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Mary Bryce is one of the stellar voices in the Austin music scene, and recently she dropped this stunner. The first minute or so is mostly a vocal performance, with Bryce working over some carefully orchestrated string work; the song would be successful on this level alone, but it’s just the beginning. A nice percussive touch jumps in, elevating the track and forcing Mary to rise above it all to show her voice still owns the show. Another striking performance that just continues to grow the legend of Mary Bryce beyond the confines of our fair city.

Show Pics: The Head And The Heart @ Red Rocks

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When I go abroad, meaning when I leave the Austin city limits (cwutidid), I like to check show calendars for the strange new land I am off to to see what bands coming through the same town I am to give me a reason to bring my camera with me. For my trip to Denver last week, I hyper-focused on arguably the most iconic venue in the US, if not the world, Red Rocks. Luckily, friends of the program from way back, The Head And The Heart (a band I have shot in the past at one of our iconic venues Stubb’s) were rolling through Denver at the same time, so the emails went out and I crossed my fingers. The approval to shoot meant controlling excitement while I was in day-job meetings; I was going to shoot at a bucket list venue for most concert photographers.

Read on for the story and plenty of pics.

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