This is fine.
Free Energy busted out their self-titled 7″ off DFA recently, and we brought you that track, and all its glam-rcok swagger, but we’re here now to throw you the other side of the coin. “Something in Common” is the B-Side, but it’s completely different, wearing the tag of maybe an Albert Hammond Jr. pop influence, which knowing us, is sure to win our hearts. Get into it.
Download: Free Energy – Something In Common
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From the depths of the Glasgow music scene burst forth another band in 2003. Since then, The Twilight Sad have slowly been building up a reputation for their melodic rock meets shoegaze, creating beauty surrounded by squalling guitars. Fourteen Autumns and Fifteen Winters won over many critics, and the world was eager to see if Forget the Night Ahead could keep the band riding the wave of popularity into the hearts and ears of everyone.
As “Reflection of the Television” opens the album up, you can see the screaming feedback you can see that the band still has some of their traditional elements in place. But, you will also notice that those elements no longer live in the foreground of the song, as they did on previous efforts. Singer James Graham now has his vocals standing before you for all to see, and while it dramatically changes the aesthetics of the release, you still catch onto the power of music.
“I Became a Prostitute” is the band’s first single off this album, and you can see that it definitely has a presence that can rise above the indie status. Like Glasvegas, it’s a grandiose number full of wave upon wave of guitars accompanied by Graham’s vocals, which just so happen to crash atop the song as well during the chorus. All in all, it’s a softer approach to writing than the group took in the past, but for most listeners, you will find that it’s equally as effective.
Fortunately for us, this album is longer than their previous affairs, despite the fact that each song reaches well beyond the mark of 3 minutes, with most running near the five minute mark. However, the dynamics of the atmospheric guitar flourishes combined with Graham’s new vocal presence do make some of the songs blend into one another, making it hard to differentiate between the album’s best numbers. Don’t take this to mean that there aren’t standout tracks in abundance.
“That Birthday Present” is a clever song, with the majority of the tune relishing in the bouncy guitar work. All this comes to light even though this also happens to be one of the noisier songs on the record. The Twilight Sad at this point seem sort of like a cross between M83 and Mogwai, except they rely upon a more traditional songwriting structure. It allows their songs to breathe, instead of wallowing before they fade into obscurity like other bands that implement noise attacks.
“Floorboards Under the Bed” is different than most tunes you’ll find in the groups catalogue. It seems to wear the influence of tour-mates Frightened Rabbit, but then it fades into a piece of tinkering flare. Albeit an interesting opening, the song quickly disappears into the back of your mind. All the build up will lead you into the final three tracks. Of the final three, “The Neighbours Can’t Breathe” is the stand out, although the closer, “At the Burnside,” has an emotional appeal, with a hint of Glaswegian balladry wrapping it all up.
This album has some really beautiful moments, more than way out the few weak points. The Twilight Sad are able to build upon their own sound, pushing the shoegazing into the realm of a more pop-centric world, and Forget the Night Ahead wins because of its ability to step into these new realms, encouraging the band to become more than just another stagnant noise-rock act.
[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/reflection-of-the-television-1.mp3]Download: The Twilight Sad – Reflection of the Television [MP3]
Daytrotter really made my day this week by throwing up a session with Cursive. Not only do they include a song off Domestica, which is my favorite album by the group, but they included several unreleased covers that you likely can’t get anywhere else…one of them is “Love Cats!” Why not go check it out.
Download: Cursive – Modern Love [MP3]
Also, Daytrotter ran a Rock Plaza Central post a few days back , which is also worth the visit.
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Let’s face it, Nic Thorburn just churns out the tracks, time and time again. Last year he threw Arm’s Way at us, and then backed it up with another solid outing under Human Highway. Now, his buddy Jaime Thompson, another ex-Unicorn, has rejoined Islands to record Vapours.
One thing you’ll notice as soon as you press play on this disc, or touch the needle to the record, is that the guitar has seemingly disappeared. Sure, Nic and Jaime have always had an affection for oddities included upon their work, but after all the guitar work Nic put into his last few releases it seems odd that he would leave it off. “Switched On” just seems like a collection of drum loops with Thorburn’s vocals patched atop. Don’t get me wrong, the vocals are great as usual, with Nic’s unique inflection and range, but there’s just a lacking of punch.
“No You Don’t” also has a danceable jive all over, which will no doubt get you moving your shoes, but the minimal guitar work makes this seem like an entirely electric affair. Still, you’ll find that the electronic affair clears out enough space for “Vapours” to enter the room. It comes across as the first song to fully utilize the guitar, miming the sound of Albert Hammond Jr., intentionally or not. And as the album winds its way to the end, you’ll find that more traditional songwriting does take place, just don’t expect it to be nearly as prevalent as the last effort; this may be good, as many people thought the last one was a bit too self-indulgent.
“Tender Torture” is personally one of the more rewarding songs. Washing over the song is a mass collection of samples and beats, but Nic maintains his domineering presence throughout, and you just can’t ignore the man’s voice. It’s one of the most remarkable, and he pushes it through various different notes, both high and low on this tune.
And really, up to this point, all the songs are pretty enjoyable, each offering various things for various listeners. Upbeat danceable songs countered with mellow electronic soundscapes. Honestly, it’s really reminiscent of Kevin Barnes move after he changed up from Satanic Panic in the Attic and then went to Sunlandic Twins. Could this be a climatic change for Islands as it was for Of Montreal? Only time will tell.
But, one thing going against this record is the way that it drags on towards the end. It suffers from an odd sequencing, much the way Arms Way just wore you out by the end. All in all, this new Islands effort is something that you’ll find rewarding, and ultimately you’ll uncover various secrets for you as a listener as time goes on. Vapours is an album that shows the group who always seem to change, still changing; only time will tell how this will pan out for the group.
[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/Islands-Vapours.mp3]Download: Islands – Vapours [MP3]
Man, this song seemed like it was everywhere today, popping up on Pitchfork and Stereogum, so lets just throw it out there…what a rad song. Fresh and Onlys have just released their album Grey-Eyed Girls, and you can’t help but love some of the tunes off this one. It’s chock full of solid hits, which definitely makes the album worthy of your purchase. Check it.
Download: The Fresh And Onlys – Dude’s Got A Tender Heart [MP3]
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After speaking with Kip, we realized that this EP was something to really look forward to, as this entire EP includes new songs from 2009 darlings The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. You can’t not want more tunes from these guys can you? So here we have Higher Than the Stars, song by song.
This EP opens with the title track, “Higher Than the Stars.” It opens with a noticeable keyboard programmed atop the steady drumming and hazy guitar. Kip’s vocals are extremely soft here, almost kept to a whisper. You’ll find that some of the guitar tones are really bright, which is what makes the group a pop band afterall!
Following the opener is “103.” This is the track that most closely resembles the group’s stylings on their debut LP. Once again, you can heat the march of the drums, and instead of the hazy guitars, this time around you get more of that earth-shattering atmospheric guitar sound, with a nice little solo blaring through it all near the end of the tune.
Personally, “Falling Over” is where it’s at on this EP. It’s got a lot of that classic 80s jangle-pop mentality, but with the influence of someone like the Happy Mondays, bringing in a little bit of dance into your clasic guitar song. The chorus is perfectly fitting to the concept of the song, placing it squarely in the past–for some reason I hear someone like New Order or the Pet Shop Boys rocking this chorus.
Our fourth track is somewhat of a new nostalgic approach. It’s less jangle-pop than previous records, and it demonstrates that The Pains of Being Pure at Heart are more than just one trick ponies. The lack of clarity on the guitar here recalls the likes of The Stone Roses or Teenage Fanclub. It’s an American Britpop song.
For the final track, you get a little remix of “Higher Than the Stars,” done by St. Etienne and Lord Spank. It doesn’t add too much to the original track, other than a steady dance beat, and a little bit more time. It’s not an awful track by any mean, just dismissable in comparison to the previous four tracks.
Overall, the wonderful thing about this release is that it gives way to a new horizon for the group. They haven’t foudn themselves stuck in one place, destined to release the same thing over and over again. It makes it rather enjoyable for us all.
[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/pains-higher-than-the-stars.mp3]Download: Pains of Being Pure at Heart – Higher Than the Stars [MP3]
| Date | Tuesday, September 22 |
|---|---|
| Location | Mohawk |
| Doors | 10:00 pm |
| Tickets | Tickets @ the Door. |
Nobunny specializes in straight garage-pop. You want a feel good evening of pogoing like you always imagined you would do for the rest of your life, then this is the evening for you. You also won’t want to miss either of the opening bands as the full line up includes Hunx and his Punk as well as Austin darlings Harlem. Surely this is a way to get over the miserable Mondays and blast off onto the land of Terrific Tuesdays.
[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/03-Mess-Me-Up.mp3]Download: Nobunny – Mess Me Up [MP3]
We’ve loved this band since the minute we caught wind of them, and now we had a quick chance to catch up with Kip on their way around the country, and into Austin for a show at the Mohawk. My thanks to Daniel Gill for hooking up the interview, and also to Kip for taking the time to give us some well-thought out answers, especially his mention of Chisel!
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You’ve all heard of the San Francisco duo, now set up to include two more bros from California to complete the band Girls. They’ve been posted about, not just on our site, but on every other web site across the web, and people have been buzzing about this record for a long time. So here we have Album, the group’s first full length, and surprisingly, they hit exactly the mark they were set up to miss.
Opening an album with one of the competitors for song of the year is never a bad way to begin, and “Lust for Life” fulfills from the start. Jangling guitars and the backbeat of beach music, create one of the catchiest numbers in 2009. And, the subject matter, though not the most poetic, seems rife with optimism, and the band are ready to “make a brand new start.”
So you slide into “Laura,” and you can see a possible drawback as soon as singer Christopher Owens opens up is album. He’s got a voice that doesn’t ever seem to hit a note, but its those imperfections that seem to make the record continuously successful. It’s reminiscent of countless indie singers, singing with the only tool they’ve got, and despite the occasional off-kilter note, their exists a certain honesty which makes it all so endearing.
Adding another element to the mix is the group’s diversity within their own lo-fi spectrum. “Ghost Mouth” is the ballad, slowly waltzing through a hazy bit of light guitars and mellow percussion. From here, they switch it up by adding a bit of art and obscurity to their own li-fi spin on “God Damned.” Then, they blast off down the stretch of California coastal highways on “BIg Bad Mean Motherfucker, kicking out the traditional surf rock. All this building to the perfect opus that is “Hellhole Ratrace.” As those who caught wind of this tune months prior to the album’s release can attest, you’ll be hard pressed to find another drawn out song, with such simple lyrics, that can draw you into it time and time again. Hell yeah it’s repetitive, but it’s so rewarding that the group might just be giving Phoenix a run for their money by releasing two great singles on one album.
Still, they never seem to be a static band, rarely staying in one place throughout the entire album. In a time when a lot of music comes off redundant on albums, this one seems to offer something new around every little corner. “Lauren Marie,” for instance, is a sparse number with little else to add to it other than Owens continuous cooing of the name Lauren Marie. Yet, you’ll take your time to listen to it over and over again. But, they continue their change-ups with “Morning Light,” with it’s fuzzy full throttle take on the straight ahead pop tune. This is precisely why Girls seem to be one of the few bands coming to us by way of the endless hype machine that can truly back up the world’s adoration by placing us into such an enjoyable listen. You’ll surely find yourself listening to Album time and time again.
[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/01-lust-for-life.mp3]Download: Girls – Lust for Life [MP3]
The great thing about the Internet is running into new bands that you deem worthy of interest, and I was fortunate enough to find another of those bands. Must Have Been Tokyo is from abroad, of course, and yet they seem like they could fall perfectly in line with everything going along over on our shores. They just released their Vice EP, and I definitely suggest giving it a listen if you can get your hands on it. Here’s a sample of said EP.
Download: Must Have Been Tokyo – Blood in the Water [MP3]
