This is fine.
SXSW is meaningful time to all of us here at ATH. It allows us to now only see some great bands, but to also meet some truly amazing people from all over the globe. One of our dear SXSW buddies hails from Glasgow and originally turned us onto Catholic Action a few years ago at a showcase he helped put together. Today I am pleased to share this short interview from the band prior to their appearance in Austin next month. Hit it after the jump.
Lake Ruth have been on a run of undeniable pop hits since 2018’s split with Pale Lights. Last year they had a great 7″ as part of the Slumberland Records 30 Years Singles Club…and now they’ve got a new 10″ coming out on Kleine Untergrund Schallplatten. This song has this naturally playful bounce, but all that really just sets the scene for the vocal performance from Allison Brice. She’s sounds so incredibly timeless, like she could score the soundtrack of any of your favorite movies from the last century. This song just casually sneaks into your brain and you’ll probably find it living there the rest of the week….then you can thank me later.
Every year, for the last forever, we’ve teamed up with our frienemies over at Side One Track One to throw a great big Austin party on the Sunday before SXSW music gets going. It’s a celebration of Austin acts…something of great importance to us…as the rest of the city is about to get swept up in whatever the next big thing is. Plus, John at SOTO is the curator at 101x Homegrown, so you know he knows his stuff…and rumor has it that we run a label…so maybe that’s cool too? The party takes place Sunday, March 15th over at Hotel Vegas; this year we’ve got a wide variety from Mobley to Lola Tried to Blood to Zettajoule to BLXPLTN…and so many more. Click HERE for more info! See ya’ll then!
It’s a dreary day here in Austin and I think I’ve got just the thing to fit in with, and hopefully improve, your Monday mood. It’s called “bbs in the grass” and comes by way of our friends in Vermont based outfit Bleach Day. This one has a bit of a groovy vibe to it, with tons of pop sounds to really engage the listener and catch onto all the subtleties of the music. A little R&B, a little funk, and tons of pop goodness.
Bleach Day will release their sophomore album as if always on March 6th via Birdwatcher.
Every few weeks (two to be exact) Fika Recordings shares new music with us from the forthcoming Little Hands of Asphalt LP. Last time out, I think I finally clicked on why I love the way Sjur crafts his songs, even going so far as to compare the tunes to my favorite John K. Samson. Here, there’s one track that still has that inclination, but on “Writing About Music,” there’s great arrangement work that really builds on the song’s emotional pull; I love how it’s almost broken down to bare bones before bounding off with buoyant strings and rolling drum work to close the song out. We’re still about a month away from the March 27th release date of Half Empty, and I’m every bit as excited…hope you are too!
Part of the fun in SXSW is discovering new bands both before and during the festival as you see where the wind takes you. For me, Kentucky based scream pop group GRLwood is one of those new bands and I’m already really digging what I’m hearing. From the small sampling of music I’ve listened to today, I can tell that this band must put on one hell of a live performance. Hit the jump to read their responses to our SXSW questions.
Admittedly, I probably wouldn’t have stumbled upon Elrichman had he not been a core member of Ducks Unlimited (who put out one of my favorite EPs). But, those familiar with that band will be careful to rush to the expectation of jangles, as the vibe here’s entirely different. The song begins rather artfully, almost as if there were notes taken from the likes of Dirty Projectors. But, there’s this huge swell of emotive pop that comes crashing down during the chorus that really changes the song’s infectiousness. Those courses get followed by these minor little pop excursions that sound super familiar (does it sound like the Zombies to anyone else?), so be sure to listen to the track as it twist and turns the pop knife into your ears. Heaven’s Mayor will be out on April 24th via Bobo Integral.
Who doesn’t love a good pop rock outfit from Scotland? Certainly not us, and certainly not you! Vistas are the latest Scottish outfit to bring huge choruses and big riffs overseas to SXSW. They’ll soon be releasing Everything Changes in the End, so let’s get to know the band a little bit before they hit the States…and before they drop that LP!
What on Earth is in the water over in Australia this week!? I’ve covered Sweet Whirl, Brain Drugs, The Great Divides, RVG…and now we’ve got the announcement of a new EP from Go Get Mum. The band have the muted jangles, akin to work from peers like Dick Diver or the Lucksmiths, but this song for me is all about the vocal work (which I’m assuming is Izzy). There’s this assuredness lurking in the melody, like the voice knows there’s nothing better in the world at this very moment; I love the slight pitch change right at the chorus (“When you go please mop the floor”) as the rest of the band joins in with backing vocals. What a great song to wrap up a great Aussie week…leading to the question and the title of the band’s new EP, Ok Now What…it drops March 20th via Meritorio Records.
Philadelphia based Beach Slang has long been a favorite around the ATH offices. Through some turmoil in the past, founder and leader James Alex has managed to persevere and create some killer tunes over the years. Of course this means we were overjoyed to have Alex answer our SXSW interview questions this year. You can find his answers after the jump.
