This is fine.
I hope you’re all taking full advantage of Austin’s Free Week, despite the chilling temperatures. There’s tons of great bands left and right, not to mention DJs and dance parties. It’s a special time of the year when the music community gives back, so we’ve got to be there to show our love, right? Here’s my list of things to hit up on Thursday, though it’s just one man’s ideas. Read more
Man, after the New Year, it’s time to get things on the site rolling. We’re taking this week sort of slow, but mostly because we’re dedicated to getting out on the town to cover Austin’s Free Week. It’s like SXSW, with Austin bands! Here’s my picks for Wednesday night, but please, if you’re an Austinite reading this blog…go support the scene and the musicians that make it all worthwhile. Read more
In what has been a banner year for Brothertiger and its label, Mush Records; the two have teamed up to offer up a new single, filled with remixes for your late night holiday parties with friends. This new single has remixes by Digits and Germany Germany, with the label offering it all up for free just by visiting their site. Here’s the single below, but be sure to get over to Mush and get the full compliment of remixes to brighten your Thursday. It never hurts.
Download:Brothertiger – Reach It All [MP3]
A few weeks ago I brought you the lead jam from Birdskulls AA Single, which is being released by our friends over at Art is Hard Records, so I’m happy to return with another track off the single. The sound of the guitars has a definite familiarity, but on this run through, I’m finding the underlying growl of the vocals more intoxicating with each listen. While the pace might not be as quick as previous track, “Mispresume,” you can see the group pushing themselves to reinvigorate a classic alterna-jam sound, fueled by grit and their undying passion.
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I love when you spend all day browsing through new tunes, and suddenly you stumble on something that just absolutely fits your idealized vision of the day. For me, I this new song from Swiss Alps, which is from their recently released EP, is exactly where I found my heart. I began my day in a bit of rain, so the dark quality of the recording was perfectly fitting, but I can’t help but envision the brightness pushed through by those sharp jangling guitar lines. If you like what you hear, I suggest getting involved with the band a little bit and picking up their new tunes!
Download:Swiss Alps – Penpals [MP3]
With the recent release of Our House on the Hill, the Mohawk was filled to the brim to catch the Babies in action. A line-up fueled by Austin acts only added to my personal anticipation, so we happily made our way out on the town.
Read on for our thoughts and photos…
Just a few years ago, Merge Records ran a 3-disc retrospective on the career of Big Dipper…Boston’s nerdy power-poppers. Inspired by the reception, the band went back into the studio to record Big Dipper Crashes on the Platinum Planet. It’s filled with their trademark jangling cum twangy guitars and a bit of nerdom in the lyrical content. You just don’t get better than bands like this, at least if you’re asking me. Oh, and if you needed further proof of their excellence, they’ve got the full support of Robert Pollard…and that guy is a pretty big deal.
Download:Big Dipper – Lord Scrumptious [MP3]
As we get closer to the release date of the upcoming album from Widowspeak more tunes are slowly coming to light. Musically, my first listen to this track made me think the band would be much more forceful, and sonically, I think I’m right. But, Molly Hamilton’s voice still has that sultry hushed tone to it, even while an edgy guitar cuts in and out of the track. I get the feeling that the group is really going to just throw their hands in the air and seek any direction they desire on Almanac. You can get your hands on the record come January 22nd of the New Year.
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Sometimes you just need to grow your hair out and revel in the industrious glory that was the 90s alternative rock scene; you know, before alternative became a bad word. Bear Ceuse are a band eager to live in that nostalgic period, though with the revitalized careers of Superchunk and Dinosaur Jr, it’s not really a throwback at all. The guitars have just the right amount of distortion, especially during the screaming guitar solo, and the vocals are calm and collected. It’s the perfect way to introduce you to the group that will be putting out Don Domestique via Medical Records on February 26th of next year.
Download:Bear Ceuse – Entertain Me [MP3]
Those of you looking for a sprawling bit of carefully orchestrated pop are going to fawn over Academy Songs, Volume 1, the newest record from Florida’s Holopaw. On their latest single, the vocals are what seem to draw me in, going back and forth between a careful whisper and a rising bit of force. This is one of the more gentle tunes on the record, which will see a release from Misra on January 15th. The band carefully builds the sound, with lightly rolling drums filling in the negative space with perfect precision. It’s slow opening only makes the emphatic release of tension more special as the song continues to unfold. This release can’t come soon enough.
