Chill New Tunes from Soltero

I’ve been looking for something just like this new tune from Soltero for a couple of weeks now.  The Brooklyn group just released their new album, 1943, and it’s full of some ridiculously good songs that I can’t stop playing over and over. For me, my first hook was the similarities to the delivery and the writing style of D. Berman of Silver Jews, but there’s a bit more of a mellow jangle going on in these tunes.  This song starts off slow for a few seconds, but just wait until it delivers the subtle hooks that made me fall in love with this new album.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Soltero-Rescue.mp3]

Download:Soltero – Rescue [MP3]

Solid Rocker from Young Guv + the Scuzz

As if Ben Cook wasn’t busy enough with Fucked Up and Marvelous Darlings, he’s gotta keep his own project, Young Guv going right?  Well, he’s joined up with some of his favorite musicians in Toronto, deemed the Scuzz, and recorded A Love Too Strong 12″, which will hit stores on July 31st.  It’s always interesting to listen to Cook’s work, as it definitely has a softer side than one would expect from the guitarist in Fucked Up.  This song reminds me of The Replacements a little bit, although there’s a softer edge to it overall–even with the Scuzz backing.  I’m pretty stoekd to hear the final product because this song is just killing it on my stereo right now.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/01_Heal_Over_Time.mp3]

Download: Young Guv + The Scuzz – Heal Over Time [MP3]

New Jams from Seapony (+ New Album)

We were fortunate enough to have Seapony play at our SXSW party this year, so we’re happy to hear that the band are already about to return with a new record, titled Falling (odd title considering the release date is September 11th).  It will, again, be released by the hard-working folks over at Hardly Art, and I’m really loving this new track.  Jen’s voice sounds really good, but there’s a directness to this track that is quite striking; there’s less of a shoegaze element to the song, though you can still find a bit of the group’s endearing haziness.  I can’t tell you how excited I am for this record.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Seapony_WhatYouWanted.mp3]

Download:Seapony – What You Wanted [MP3]

New Tune from Papercuts

Unless you’re living underneath a rock, you realize that San Francisco is probably one of the biggest scenes in the indie rock community.  Luckily for all of us outside the city, we can get our hands on the In a Cloud II compilation, featuring new unreleased tracks from a lot of great bands; the comp comes to us via Secret Seven Records on July 17th.  My personal favorite track from the comp is the one featured below by Papercuts, one of my favorite bands from San Francisco–check that, period. It’s got that chilled out vibe Jason’s known for, with a warm trickling melody that evolves slowly. There’s tons of great tracks on this collection, so be sure to Pre-Order it now.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/06-Hey-Jaqueline.mp3]

 

 

Great Cover Tune from The Yellow Melodies

This post is about two things really: a great new discovery, and one of my favorite bands, The Television Personalities.  I just discovered The Yellow Melodies, a Spanish band in the midst of several EPs paying homage to TTP, this one called How Television Personalities Learned to Love.  The original version is one of my favorite tracks, but this cover adds a bit more of a nice jangle, rather than that post-punk art-rock we got from the original act.  For me, I’m just now discovering The Yellow Melodies, and I’m grateful, as they’ve got slews of albums for you to enjoy.  Also, I just got a reminder of how much I love going back to my Television Personalities catalog.  Here’s both songs, so you can compare and fall in love.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/10-14th-Floor.mp3]

Download:The Television Personalities – 14th Floor [MP3]

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/03-14th-Floor.mp3]

Download:The Yellow Melodies – 14th Floor [MP3]

Mellow Electronic Jam The Deer Tracks

It’s Monday, and while my body recovers from Chaos in Tejas, let’s throw something a little bit more chilled out in your direction.  This Swedish group is currently in the middle of releasing a trilogy of albums titled The Archer Trilogy–Part 3 should be out later on this year.  One of the reason’s I like the group so much is that I can see similarities to other electronic duo’s like the Knife, but this group has a sound completely all their own; it’s always good when you can build on influences and take your own direction.  The Deer Tracks is set to come to the US (though not Austin) in June, so keep a look out for them in your town.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/W.mp3]

Download:The Deer Tracks – W [MP3]

More New Music from The Intelligence

Summertime (I’m a teacher) is perfect for me to catch up on listening to records I’ve gotten that I haven’t given my full attention to, yet. This new album from the Intelligence is high on my list, so as they break out more great tracks for everyone, I’ve always gotta share.  Today this new single hit the web, and it’s more of a steady strum, as opposed to the jittery number they released earlier–that is until you get a little bit of swagger in the last minute of the track.  You can pick up the band’s new record, Everybody’s Got It Easy But Me, on June 19th via the good folks at In the Red Records.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/04-Techno-Tuesday.mp3]

Download: The Intelligence – Techno Tuesday [MP3]

Exitmusic – Passage

Rating: ★★★½☆

Exitmusic is a New York City band consisting of Aleksa Palladino and Devon Church that combine to create stormy electronic pop. Using layers of sound, these two are big on emotive music, hoping to generate forms of sound that moves their listeners in some way. A few years back they released the From Silence EP, which dubbed Exitmusic as dark, enigmatic and swirling. Passage, their recent effort, looks to refine these hooks and build ups to something with a bit more control.

If you aren’t careful, the first song will swallow you whole in its drama. Pushing six minutes, “Passage” goes a lot of places, exploring big build ups to drastic cut offs in the waves of sound that crash over one another. The track starts out on a quieter note, until it begins to build to one of its first crescendos and you can start to see the unbridled power that is created when these two come together, giving all they’ve got. Everything comes together in a cathartic build, and then suddenly all falls away in an explosive burst of sound that seems like it would fit as perfect background music to a movie montage. It’s a beast of a song, but Extimusic tames it to a manageable one, teetering on the edge of out of control with cymbals crashing and vocals peaking.

As far as songs on Passage go, the first track is by far the most dramatic in nature, and thankfully. While it has its place, if every song was as pushing as the opener, this album would feel distant and maudlin. This tightrope walk between accessible and melodramatic is the very substance of this album. You have songs like “The Modern Age,” on which Palladino’s vocals are close and easy to listen to; they are powerful, yet subtle in their confidence. The build on this song is manageable, easing into and out of climaxes with the help of soft percussive elements and hooking guitars. On the other side of this spectrum, Exitmusic lose themselves a bit on album closer, “Sparks of Light.” This number drags on, the echoed vocals and dull instrumentation leaving me a little bored.

However, there are still a number of catchy, cathartic songs that live up to the delightfully broody name that these two have earned for themselves. Depending on your personal state of mind, these songs may coat you in layers of glorious ambivalence, or murky heaviness. See for yourself.

Magical New Pop Number from Dylan Shearer

Not being from San Francisco, I haven’t been let on the great secret of the city: Dylan Shearer.  Luckily, that changed today when this exquisite track landed in ye olde inbox. Dylan’s got a new record titled Porchpuddles, which is being released by Empty Cellar Records on June 19th.  Sonically, it harkens back to the earlier days of pop music, with a smooth approach to the delivery of the vocals and the music itself.  You get the feeling that this song sounds best in some sort of coffee house with hordes of people swaying as they sit cross-legged on the floor.  Pleased to meet you Dylan.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/SideA_01_Afterwhile.mp3]

Download:Dylan Shearer – Afterwhile [MP3]

More New Tunes from Beachwood Sparks

Seems like summertime is perfect for guitar noodling and mellow jams, so I’m happy that Beachwood Sparks has been able to return to the fold as we go deep into the hot weather.  After getting back together, the group has recorded Tarnished Gold, which is being released by Sub Pop on June 26th, and trust me, it’s a gem of a record.  I’m not that well boned-up on my classic rock, but I hear that shaky ground between Neil Young and the Grateful Dead (I know, sacrilege for us indie kids).  Sometimes you just can’t ignore a good hit.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Beachwood-Sparks-Sparks-Fly-Again.mp3]

Download:Beachwood Sparks – Sparks Fly Again [MP3]

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