This is fine.
We’re keeping up our preliminary SXSW coverage, hoping to get as many names out there, and as much info out there for artists as we can. Today we’ve got our little interview answers from Paul Jacobs, the Canadian songwriter. Read up on his answers, then pencil him in as an artist you’d like to see when you hit up SXSW. You can check out his latest album, Pink Dogs on the Green Grass after the questions!
Our friends in Rad Gnar definitely have kept themselves busy throughout the last year, and I’m going out on a limb and tossing this new single as one of the best tunes they’ve put together. There’s a little moog action running through, so grabs on to a little of this sort late 90s emo or even-Rentals vibes in there. But, for a band dedicated to keeping the spirit of punk and skating alive, they still manage to spin a bit of heavy riffage and guitar-mony work into their songs; this gives the band the perfect balance of hard edge and sugary sweetness, keeping you coming back time and time again. Look for the Dead Strings EP from the band this today!
Man, there’s a seemingly infinite amount of great tunes coming out this week, and while I know a lot of this has bounced around, one of the charmers I hit upon is the latest from US Highball, the Glaswegian pop outfit readying their new LP for Lame-O Records. “Double Dare” is the perfect way to jump into the new album, toying with the jangling riff work, though still hyper-reliant upon the combined melodic focus of Calvin and James. Tossing in a synth solo mid track just illustrates the band’s willingness to really take a spin and have some fun with their craft. I’m a sucker for this chorus too, particularly when that drum rolls across the background. A Parkhead Cross of the Mind is slated for release on March 25th.
Well our SXSW prep is in full force now as you may have noticed from the slew of interviews we’ve been posing over the last week or so. We don’t plan on slowing down our coverage until the very last day before the festival, so buckle in and get ready to hear about some bands that need to be on your radar (if they aren’t already). Today I am pumped to share with you some interview responses from Athens based outfit Vision Video. You’ll find the full interview with some new music after the jump. Hit it.
New Austinite Matthew Davidson, aka Twain, has a new track out there, and with it, we can only hope that it signals a new LP on the horizon. There’s something special about Davidson’s songwriting, something that feels naturally cinematic in nature. Through the verses on this song, there’s something both wistful and spritely, setting up the vocal meandering of the chorus, where Matthew clearly flexes his voice for the audience. Honestly, his range is all over this track, stretching to his unexpected notes here, settling into angelic moments there, all letting us rejoice in his craft. This single is out now via Keeled Scales, so let’s hope we get something more real real soon!
Danish quartet Kindsight will be dropping their new full-length, Swedish Punk at the end of March, and they’re teasing us with another delightful single today. Nina Rasmussen dominates the verses, sneaking in with these vocals that feel like a sunnier Juliana Hatfield. But, for all Rasmussen’s endearing notes, the band still kick up some bite when you get to the chorus, shattering the pop faade with an emphatic burst of noisy fury; the drums pound and the guitars are nothing but sheer noise, with Nina cutting through it all. It’s a great mix, keeping Swedish Punk in my mind as the band’s breakthrough performance; it hits on March 25th via Rama Lama Records.
Cola‘s album announcement is yesterday’s news, and it came with this great video here, so I couldn’t just ignore it. That, and well, I’m a huge Tim Darcy stan, so it definitely is fitting over here. Honestly, this doesn’t feel too far off from Ought, those there’s a little bit more softness on the notes here, hints at sunnier melodies lurking. Darcy’s performance in the chorus feels a touch like Travis Morrison, adding emphasis without really stretching his pipes too far. All of it feels like the next logical step for Darcy and his new band, as you could feel him toying more with melody as Ought progressed. But, there’s still this bit of wildness in his songwriting, and if he keeps that, Deep View‘s going to be a surefire hit; it’s out on Fire Talk on May 20th.
This is the best Wednesday news I never expected! New Jeanines! The band today announce Don’t Wait for a Sign, doing so with a spritely pop ditty to hum in your head all day. There’s this timelessness in Alicia’s performance here, her voice rising and falling, always hitting the perfect pop notes. Those looking for the perfect piece of indiepop won’t find a better tune nodding to the past and living in the present of the genre. The brevity is perfect too, as you can circle back and fall even further in love with each repeated listen, as I’ve been doing the last hour or so. Don’t Wait for a Sign is the fifth release from Slumberland Records this year, and the fifth that’s certainly going to end up on my shelf; the hits just keep on coming.
Well just in case you weren’t ready for SXSW to kick off in a couple of weeks, you’ve clearly seen that the ATH crew is more then ready. We’ve been dropping these interviews every day for the last few weeks now with no plans of slowing down until the bands stop responding or the festival week arrives. Have you started planning yet? Today I have the Glasgow based outfit Walt Disco who should be on your radar on the music side of things for SXSW week. They were kind enough to answer our little questionnaire and you can find their answers after the jump.
Really enjoying these fresh Coach Phillips tunes from their new Double A side single, and perhaps there’s a few of you who might feel the same? The band are playing in the same sandbox as Hovvdy or the like, breaking bread with old emo tendencies and dipping it in the wine cup of present bedroom pop. On “Parker Dam” the band take their intimate moments and throw in some punctuated riffs, giving off a heaviness, then layer the vocals with Jess Kim’s backing voice, which buoys the track. “M. Hurley” is a little bit more along the lines of the traditional, playing over carefully strummed guitar notes; I love how this tune has a nice vocal shift, albeit a brief one, but it adds a nice tough to the solemnity of this track. Enjoy both the tunes below, and look for an EP in the near future!
