This is fine.
Fascination is the first of two new EPs from The New Division. Title track video is embedded; this song is strong. The current release includes a bad ass instrumental track “Glass Jaw” and the smopoth synth-pop goodness of “Hope”, while “Faceless is an EP only track. Modus follows next month, with “Tonight” up to stream. I dig the multi-EP idea to get some tracks out there when ready, but a full LP is due at the end of the year, all on Kunkel’s Division87 label.
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.
“Hope” is the latest single from the pending album House of Sugar due on Domino in mid-September. (Sandy) Alex G was a highlight for my ACL last year and now there is this lovely song, at odds with some of their material that features teeth gritting vocals and big chords. “Hope” is a mostly acoustic affair with layers added from a number of sources.
Good show last night, good shows this weekend, but going to watch the footie in Houston. This week’s HANW track is from Missions, the second single from the pending Holodeck Records release Subcreature due August 2nd. It is an Italian disco synth laden piece of bliss with buried vocoder vocals. Zone out for a bit at the office and dream of tallboys and new vinyl smell.
What an amazing endeavor…
Drift is a weekly series from Underworld where they collaborate with visual artists and fellow musicians, creating new music, tweaking old sample sets and constructs left stranded on the console. all culminating in an album due in October. I’ve been highlighting some of these weekly updates on their Youtube channel. “Border Country” is so very good and it is a musical collaboration with [Phase], a producer, engineer and visual artist.
The evolving build to 5:48, like I said, amazing.
I’ve streamed the track below and “Traffic”. Giving the rest a listen, a quick forty-seven minutes. But so far, ANIMA is what I was hoping it would be. Nathan will probably hate it, but I am definitely looking forward to zoning out in a field with a few thousand friends at ACL.
Operators is on tour right now. I saw them live. You should, too.
Current touring lineup is Devojka, Sam Brown and Dan Boeckner. It is a tight trio across the front of the stage letting you pick if you want drums, guitar/vox or synths front and center for your earholes. I will ruin any form of review by just telling you it was so good. The collision of this band, visuals from the display screen behind and outstanding sound in the venue made for a fantastic night for fans.
DOOMSQUAD, a Toronto trio of two sisters and a brother, laid down quirky disco grooves in their opening spot as a bonus.
Click through as needed…
Blue Wave was one of our favorite records of 2016. Radiant Dawn is well on its way to getting the plays from all of us at ATH to make the top albums of 2019. Operators is Dan Boeckman’s currently active project; Dan is a very nice person to meet and talk to about music and all the other things. Devojka, Sam Brown, and Dustin Hawthorne make things whole and this band puts out an amazing level of jam live. I am salivating at hearing them fill the speakers at 3Ten. Get tickets here or at the door, a sample below from the previous tour of one of my favorite jams.
What’s up y’all? I went ahead and put you all on the guest list. You’ll just need to provide your ID at the door. You’re welcome.
Hot Summer Nights 2019 edition is July 25th through the 28th to celebrate the Red River Cultural District, free things and summer. Let’s sweat together.
I went to see Night Drive last week. They played the hits, they played new stuff. I got some intel. Rodney says they are working through the last bits of studio time to put together the next record. Now, will it be a really tight LP or a big EP? TBD, but the new songs I heard were fantastic. They carried an additional weight and had some interesting progressions and chord foundation shifts occurring over the mandatory synth pop bliss.
Honorable mention goes to Kae Astra. Eyes on her for the future, ethereal, but big voice.
Kae Astra track share and photos after the break.
