This is fine.
So, weekend two is upon us. I thought I’d share some intel for you folks giving this weekend a run at ACL Festival 2022.
Feel free to read up on last weekends recommendations. Aside from Nation Of Language not being here, my advice stands. However, there are some new things coming, either by lessons learned or by changes to the lineup. Let’s talk ACL Weekend Two. Hit the jump for more.
Readers should not be surprised to see us covering another track from Leicester’s Dayflower, as the group have hit our site before…but I’m really enamored by the latest tune. Light cymbals and twisting guitars brought me into the fold, teasing me with a softer whispering vocal, all before the song really launches into a heaver brand of dreamy shoegaze. Chords bend and distortion rings out, seemingly riding out a storm of noisy atmosphere before slinking back to the more pensive center of the tune, which gets a bonus added backing vocal that really ups the ante on melody. This tune’s a journey of dreamy shoegaze, so if that’s your bag, then turn it up and enjoy.
Up until now, Ribbon Stage‘s new ripper of an album has been accompanied by poppy singles, albeit brandished in the band’s discordant fashion. But, while they’ve noted various indiepop darlings in their work, this new single seems to be channeling a bit of Kim Gordon in the craft; the vocals feel heavy and dark, with just a hint of indifference towards everything surrounding it. Musically, the vocals are surrounded by a swirling tornado of noise, with a subtly bouncing drum beat hooking into the show here. Just really can’t get out to say enough good things here about the group; they drop Hit with the Most next Friday via K Records.
London’s Shnake Chain are getting a lot of buzz overseas, not that we’d necessarily catch all that over here. Luckily, we keep an eye out on Upset the Rhythm, so this tune felt like the perfect wake-up call for you. Musically, the song snakes its way between dangerous punk notes and pulsating bounce, allowing the notes to playfully move all around a crowd of listeners. Musically it’s right in my wheelhouse, but taking it to the next level is Kate Mahony’s performance, wiggling and gyrating through a vocal performance that almost feels like it’s coming to you live; you can feel the sinister energy, and in that, you’re sucked into the band’s sound and performance. Sounds like an angrier Duchess Says to me. Shake Chain release their self-titled LP on November 18th via Upset the Rhythm.
This new track from Ecstatic International has been bouncing about for a few days, but I wanted to be sure I gave it some love, particularly on a Wednesday when we could all use a little kick in the middle of the work week. The band is made up of ex-members of Ex Hex and Priests, so they’ve got the indie cred resume established, but I’m more intrigued by their sound. This single flirts with a bit of post-punk that seems to rely equally on elements of punk as it does disco; it’s like a more primal version of the early Rapture. There’s some obvious references working through the tune, but I’ll let you sit back and enjoy yourself. Their self-titled EP is out there in the world via Sister Polygon Records.
Brighton based artist Paul Thomas Saunders has really altered and molded my musical tastes over the last few months with the new singles he’s been releasing. As one who usually gravitates towards louder, guitar and bass focused sounds, Saunders has thrown me for a loop with his slower, melodic and sometimes broodier take on songwriting. His latest single, “Cruel”, is a track that can take you on a sort of rollercoaster of emotion through joy, happiness and back again to simply relief. These songs are truly stunning and powerful examples of the emotional impact a songwriter can have on us all.
Saunders will release his new album Figure in a Landscape on October 21st via 7476 Records. Pre-orders are live now.
| Date | Thursday, October 11th |
|---|---|
| Location | Mohawk |
| Doors | 7:00 PM |
| Tickets | $20 from Mohawk Austin |
Our old friends in Edinburgh’s finest band, We Were Promised Jetpacks, are making their way back into Austin on Thursday night and you can count on ATH being in attendance. If you’ve never been to a WWPJP show, these lads pour everything they have into every performance and truly leave it all out on the stage. Tickets are still available via Mohawk’s website, and between you and me, this will be the best band playing all weekend (yeah I said it).
In other WWPJP news, the band just released a new EP entitled A Complete One-Eighty which features 3 re-workings of songs from their last album Enjoy the View. You can stream the 3 tracks via Youtube below or even purchase the EP on vinyl from Big Scary Monsters. The vinyl edition features remixes of each song from Manchester Orchestra, Andy Monaghan, and Zoe Graham. Let’s get it.
The hotbed of Melbourne is constantly on our minds here, continuing to impress as the sounds have taken on more risks in the recent years, like Hot Tubs Time Machine, the working project of Daniel Twomey (Lower Plenty/Deaf Wish) and Marcus Rechsteiner (UV Race). Today we’ve got a brand new single, accompanied by the announcement of Double Tubble, the duo’s new LP. Daniel’s crafted the musical soundscape, like here where you get this electronic jittering, flirting with with time signatures, warping the groove into something that moves the listener. This unbalanced washing machine of electronic pulses is the perfect backdrop for Marcus’ narration; he toys with stories both humorous and mundane, crafting this lyrical vision of Australia that connects the dots for us all. Double Tubble is out on November 25th via Trouble in Mind/Spoilsport Records.
There’s something supremely gratifying about the work of Alien Tango. Everything seems like its tied to this genre or that, giving it this familiarity, but there’s always this otherworldly approach that seems to seep into Alberto Garcia crafts. His vocals have this distinctive nature that flirts with the dramatic, while his songwriting, particularly here, flirts with brilliant pop rock. But, he allows the track to trickle, like a broken faucet slowly leaking out little pop droplets. Lyrically, he takes on a familiar tone as of late, relishing in the joy of every minute of the day, and failing to waste a single moment…so soak up this tune. Currently, Alberto is touching up the debut LP, so we’ll keep you posted as we get news!
Though Evan Uschenko just released a self-titled debut this summer under his recording moniker Ghost Woman this summer, the busy songwriting doesn’t plan to slow down and take it easy. Instead, he already has 11 new tunes ready for release on a new album with this new single “Broke” acting as the lead announcement track. It’s a groovy, psych inspired number with a chill overall feeling and mellow yet grainy vibes. Accompanying video features one crazy ass Muppet looking character getting into all sorts of nonsense (video is age-restricted so you’ll have to click out to watch).
Ghost Woman’s new album Anne, If will be out in January via Full Time Hobby. Pre-orders are already live.
