Month: October 2021

Farewell Horizontal Share I’ll Miss This Headache

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I’ve been jamming a lot of Farewell Horizontal as of late, and I feel like you should too. I don’t want to minimalize their talent, but I feel like the duo have a sound that seems fairly simple; there’s no frills or necessary ambiance to disguise missteps. Their songs are just pure, unfettered pop rock. They’ve got these huge riffs that have just the right amount of distortion to make you feel like you’ve got morning fuzz on your teeth, but not outlandish enough to lose sight of the song’s melodic inclinations. There’s this faint little shift in the intonation on Pat’s vocals in the opening lines that just gets me every time I press play. Don’t be afraid to indulge on the good old rock n’ roll. Be sure to give their new album You’re Not an Empath a solid listen or two!

Show Preview: IDLES @ Stubb’s 10/25

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Shows are back, y’all, and in full swing. We’ve got a bunch of touring acts coming to the ATX in the next few weeks…looking at you Levitation 2021, but also some great bands to catch while they’re in town before hand. This Monday, we’re welcoming IDLES to Stubb’s, who are known for their raucous post-hardcore/punk sounds and wildly entertaining live shows. They’re just about to drop their fourth studio album, CRAWLER, on 11/12, and they’ve released the single “The Beachland Ballroom” for us to preview the latest effort. Now, this show is sold out, but I’m sure if you scramble you can find a way in. It’s bound to be an evening of fun, mayhem, and exceptional tunes.

22 Halo Announces New Album

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You ever fall in love with a band on the very first track you hear? Well, admittedly, I didn’t know much about 22 Halo until today when our friend Jon over at Lost Sound Tapes shared that he’d lined them up for a new tape. And, so I pressed play. Sweet seductive discord! Those crisp guitar notes rang out immediately, united almost instantly with thudding rhythm and heavy vocals, and I couldn’t pull myself away from the tune at all. Then there’s a counter vocal, balancing the track with this perfectly feathered vocal that takes some of the more angular notes and forces them to feign smooth. They seem like one of those bands very much caught up in the current music climate, yet wholly unique, so I’m here for it. “Ripple” is just a tease at what’s to come with Garden Bed, out October 29th via Lost Sound Tapes!

Bridge Dog Share Former Life Single

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Sydney’s Bridge Dog claim to adhere to a musical model that’s equal parts Belle and Sebastian and Pinkerton-era Weezer, both which I’m totally behind as well. Today we’ve got the first single from their forthcoming EP, and it’s exactly as you expect, sprinkling in these subtle vocal melodies behind these heavy guitar riffs and a wash of keyboard notes. Come to think of it…this feels like the promise of the Rentals fulfilled, and that’s about as high as a compliment as I can give. I love how the fuzzy riffs done interfere, knowing their place in the mix, which leaves us with this perfect little bite of a pop song. More news on the EP to come real soon!

Benz Shares Cave In Track

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I’ve heard a few tracks from Ebba Salomonsson’s Benz project, and they’ve been stellar, though I’m always late to the game on posting them, and then I forget. But, with her latest, “Cave In,” I just couldn’t pass up on the opportunity to get this one out into the world. The pacing of the tune is intoxicating, perfect for late night drives under starlit highways or maybe that time when you float in space with Shatner. There’s a delicacy to Ebba’s voice that just pulls you deep within to the song, even as things begin to get a little more exploratory, with rougher edges that rattle your speaker. A lovely tune from the lovely This Could Be the End EP, out November 5th via Rama Lama Records.

Japan Review Share Channel Waves Single

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I’m not sure if Japan Review is on everyone’s radar just yet, but I’d really like to continue to push for the band’s inclusion in your listening rotation, thus why I’m here dropping this new single. From the get-go, you get this sampled machine gun drum beat, working in unison with this wall of guitar noise, clouding the horizon for the listener. Then Adam O’Sullivan drapes his voice carefully in the empty space, and while there’s a quiet softness, he seems pained, or tired (like us all). Still, the song’s not done there, moving into a more melodic moment for the chorus, then opening up in the track’s back half for sonic exploration of striking ambient noise. I’m totally in love with Kvetch Sounds; it’s out on October 29th via Reckless Yes.

Chime School Share Wait Your Turn Video

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Thursday feels like a good day to visit a Slumberland release, so why not begin with a band on the meteoric rise in the jangling pop realm, Chime School. So far, the singles from Andy Pastalaniec’s project are perfectly defined, but I feel like this is one where you really get the feeling that this could just be the beginning of something huge. There’s little bits of layering in this that sort of walk a fine line between nostalgic 70s 12-string guitar ballads and the hazy underbelly of early 90s Britpop, though spinning that kaleidoscope still hints at the purity of classic indiepop. No matter which way you spin Andy’s songs, it’s like unwrapping a gift individually wrapped for each listener’s experience. Chime School is out on November 5th.

Fest Pics: ACL 2021 In Review

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We are a little bit clear of ACL 2021’s two weekends. We dealt with the mental gymnastics required to attend both weekends during a pandemic. Proof of a negative test or full vaccination likely meant that Zilker Park was the safest place in Austin. But then again, a lot of people are liars.

So difficult to let go of being safe, yet so easy to get caught up in the moment.

Let’s get on to some thoughts a few photos.

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Rural France Share Hosepipe Ban

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We’ve been pretty supportive of Rural France in regards to their forthcoming RF LP, and today they’re sharing another single to tease us along before next week’s official release. According to the band’s Tom Brown, the riff had been bouncing around in his head for years, until one day he hit upon just the right line to tie it all together, leaving us with ‘one of those nostalgic, sad summer songs.’ Brown alludes to the Beach Boys, but in looking at more modern iterations, you can faintly hear the Wrens in this; things sound like they’re jumbled, stacking layer and layer, then all of a sudden your ear locks into the melody and you’re swept away. If ever a song encapsulated the dictionary definition of sunny wistfulness, this has to be the one! Look for RF next Friday via Meritorio Records.

Sarah La Puerta Announces Strange Paradise

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Former Austinite (now New Yorker) Sarah La Puerta was long a staple of our music scene, through various projects, but perhaps most notable was as part of the old lineup of Tele Novella; she also graced us by sharing a tune for our Slack Capital 2 project with Eric from Big Bill. Anyways, she’s just announced her debut solo effort for Perpetual Doom records, and dammit if the open single doesn’t just knock it out of the park. Upon my first listen, I thought there was this simplicity to the craft, which allowed for the vocals to really sparkle; there’s this classic beauty to her sound here, something so effortlessly timeless. Still, go back and listen to the track, you can hear little quiet bass bubbles, ornate guitar flourishes and an evolving electronic ambiance. It all makes for a powerful statement that is sure to be fulfilling upon its November 12th release!

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