This is fine.
Our friends over at GvsB alerted us to a new tune that will be coming out on JJ‘s new album JJ n° 3, which hits stores March 9th via Secretly Canadian. Based on the adoration by all the blogs last year, this should be an album you’ll want to check out. I can’t help but feel as if the harmonica changes their dynamic on this tune, but in a good way, I assure you. Grab a listen.
Download: JJ – Let Go [MP3]
UK band Good Shoes got a lot of great press after the release of their last album, but they’re ready to make huge waves with their newest record No Hope, No Future, which comes out on January 25th. Â The rhythmic bounce in this song makes it perfect for a Friday tune; it reminds us a lot of our favorite UK band the Mystery Jets. Â Maybe they’ll both hit the U.S. together! We can only hope, but for now, let your feet tap! Â Or head to their site for a preview of 4 songs off the new album.
Download: Good Shoes – Under Control [MP3]
In this week’s edition of From the Closet we bring you the band Beulah.  I was fortunate enough to catch them for the second time on their final tour for their album Yoko.  Needless to say, I was quite a fan of the group; their blend of sunny pop fused with horns and perfect backing vocals just fit that time of my life.  I still travel back in time with their classic record The Coast is Never Clear, which everyone really needs to have in their collection; you won’t find a bad song on the album.  Luckily, though Beulah have gone away, main man Miles Kurosky is heading back into the world with some new tunes.  He just released a new EP titled  The Desert of Shallow Effects via Majordomo and available through iTunes, and he’s got a new album slated for March. Based on his output with Beulah, it’s bound to be chock full of great tunes!  So lets travel back in time with Beulah, and relish in the simple of days of sunny pop with no pretension.
It’s been a long time since I’ve really visited the music of Omaha, but now that I’ve heard Thunder Power, it’s time to revisit the great scene in that town. Thunder Power is releasing a new split EP titled Hearts Intersect, which will hit stores March 2nd. Take a listen to the track, and see if you can get back in the swing of that old Omaha sound.
Download: Thunder Power – Heartifact [MP3]
I’ve been following this on Twitter all afternoon, but I’ve seen it confirmed in several locations, so I’m going to express my sadness for the passing of Jay Lindsey of Jay Reatard. Those who know me, know I love his music, and I posted about him any chance I had. It really is a sad day.  Thanks for the tunes Jay, may you find peace in the hereafter.
You know if you’ve been following our site that we loved the Blood Brothers, then moved on to loving Jaguar Love. Now we’ve got another family relative of Blood Brothers, this time from former lead singer Jordan. His new group Past Lives isn’t quite in the same world as his former band, though their first single “Hex Takes Hold” did have some of the vocal memories. This new one, however, slowly trods along, almost as if they are playing with some slo-core stylings. You be the judge. And if you like it, grab Tapestry of Webs on February 23rd.
Download: Past Lives – Deep In The Valley [MP3]
It seems that Owen Pallett has finally shed his video game moniker, suggesting to some that this album would show a wee bit of maturation for the orchestral singer/songwriter. Â Now that we have the name cleared, let’s rest assured that Heartland is not an album about growing up, as it’s clear that Owen still holds true to a great deal of the playfulness he’s presented us with in the past, which makes him so endearing.
In the past, we’ve found Owen balancing minimal instrumentation atop his clever sequencing of violin loops. Â Such stylistic flourishes brought great moments such as the trumpet blast on “This is the Dream of Win and Regine.” Â Now, while he hasn’t abandoned the symphonic approach, not at all, he seems to be playing with more instrumentation. Â Take “Lewis Takes Off His Shirt,” for example; a song which features orchestral backing, yet the strings sing to hang lightly in the background, allowing Owen’s voice, along with electric beats to push the song forward. “The Great Elsewhere” is similar in that it provides an electric organ as its background, reminiscent of some great work by DJ Shadow, just with Pallett’s voice cresting on the wave.
It says a lot for the artist when their voice can carry the entirety of a song, and such is Owen’s vocal skill. Â “Keep the Dog Quiet,” which seems like a brooding scene in Fantasia, is wholly held up by his vocal performance. Â He plays with his vocal range, not always trying to rise to the highest octave, an act which seems to bring a more complete balance to song itself. Â But, in the end, in the last minute of the song, you can tell that Owen clearly has the chops to cut it in the music business outside of the muddied waters of independent music.
Still, for those die hard fans who loves the string arrangements as presented during the Final Fantasy years, rest assured you will find what you seek. Â The opening track, “Midnight Directives,” picks up where the last album left off, reminding of us of where Pallett once was in his career. Â Yet, you might find a further maturation in the classical sound he’s created when you get to “E is for Estranged.” Â Gentle piano work accompanied by strings makes this one of the most beautiful moments on the album, not to mention one of the more special moments in Owen’s career.
Some might find it hard to dive right into the sound of Owen Pallett on Heartland, yet it’s a taste that takes time to fully absorb into your musical soul. Â At a time when we’re enthralled with lo-fi and ambient electronic tunes, Mr. Pallett brings a refreshing touch to the musical world. Â If you grew up playing an instrument, especially the band nerd types, this album is for you. His touches of classical music alongside pop music provide listeners with a certain sense of cleansing, one that we should all cherish as we begin a new year.
[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/05-Lewis-Takes-Action.mp3]Download: Owen Pallett – Lewis Takes Action [MP3]
The great thing about reading solid print magazines, like The Big Takeover, is that they always put so much work into their magazines. With that, you inevitably discover new things, much as I discovered Britain’s The Lucy Show. While I’m not sure why they named their band after Lucille Ball, I do love the fact that they re-released Undone, which has loads of great songs. Take a trip down memory lane with me, and enjoy The Lucy Show.
Download: The Lucy Show – Undone [MP3]
| Date | Wednesday, January 13th |
|---|---|
| Location | Emos |
| Doors | 900p |
| Tickets | $10at the door |
Lets face it, Adam Franklin is a very busy man. Whether he’s playing with Interpol’s Fogarino in Magnetic Morning or he’s reuniting with Swervedriver, he’s got a pretty solid schedule. Somehow he found time to get with his new project Adam Franklin and Bolts of Melody, to tour the states. He’ll be joined Wednesday night by local buzzworthy bands Ringo Deathstarr and My Education. You won’t want to miss this legend!
[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/adamfranklin-seizetheday.mp3]Download: Adam Franklin – Seize the Day [MP3]
| Date | Tuesday, January 12th |
|---|---|
| Location | The Ghost Room |
| Doors | 10:00p |
| Tickets | ??? |
British singer, and now Austin resident, Nic Amrstrong will be starting his month long residency at new Austin venue The Ghost Room. This will give you a great chance to check out one of the great voices in Austin, as well as getting a glimpse/feel of the new venue, which is said to offer a $5 Pearl Beer and Jack Daniels shot special.  For those of you unfamiliar with Nic, here’s a sample of his music to encourage you to make it out.
[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Nic_Armstrong-The_Finishing_Touch_128.mp3]Download: Nic Armstrong – The Finishing Touch [MP3]
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