This is fine.
Thomas Bartlett is a New York based keyboardist, currently backing up The National on tour. But, as most touring musicians do, he’s got his own gig on the side, Doveman. This new track is really quiet, almost inaudible, but it makes the beauty of the arrangement jump out in the end. Expect the album to come your way later this year.
Download: Doveman – Breathing Out [MP3]
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From the ashes we shall rise, or at least the former members of Unicorns, Alden Penner, and Arcade Fire, Brendan Reed, believe this. They have risen from their past with the formation of a new group, Clues. Their self-titlted album is out now on Constellation, and while it may not demonstrate the brilliance the two are capable of creating, it has some moments worthy of highlighting in your music catalog.
You see the Unicorns resemblance immediately, as the opening track “Haarp” begins with a quiet little whisper before slowly picking up the pace. As the pace is quickened to a steady trot, the tension rises, and even the guitar styling is so similar that you would swear that this is a B-Side from Penner’s former mates. This is either a complaint for those who loved that project, or an place worthy of garnering interest among new hordes of fans.
It would be great if we could discard that reference, but unfortunately we cannot; as of this point in time, Penner is being marked by the success of Nic Thorburn. While you can find similarities in the playing styles of the two former Unicorns, it seems that what sets Clues apart from the past is the jaggedness that he seems to hold onto. “Approach the Throne” is full of just that, as the choppy guitars hammer away. It’s not the sort of pop sensibility of Islands, but one should be happy is set to making his own mark here. “Cave Mouth” similarly shares the affinity for disjointed melodies and angular guitars, with the lyrics being turned down in the mix so that the music takes the focus.
There are moments that do approach chasing that pop sensibility, or at least the ballad aesthetic. “You Have My Eyes Now” and “Ledmonton” are just a few songs that show the slower side of things; these songs unfortunately don’t encourage the listener’s attention span, which render them, sadly, as throwaways. Not throwaways necessarily, but the mellow moments are not very successful here, though “Ledmonton” does sport some chanting choral moments near the songs ending.
Oddly, the Arcade Fire influence is not really here, unless you tie it all in to some of the zany moments that exist throughout. But it’s clear that Reed’s style of drumming was not the founding influence that broke his previous band.
In the end, you wonder whether it’s fair to judge a band by it’s members former labors. Is such a judgment just? Probably not, but that is the unforutunate truth in dealing with Clues. You look at the sparkling moments here, and look back to their past; you look at the dull moments and wonder where this band will go. Truth is, only time will tell.
[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/06-perfect-fit.mp3]Download: Clues – Perfect Fit [MP3]
The ATH crew rushed from prior arrangements to get to The Parish on Monday in order to catch a good evening with some of Canada’s finest, along with one of California’s best. It was a great show for a Monday night and all bands involved wowed the crowd. Follow the jump to read our thoughts on the show and see some sweet pics.
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A few years back, California’s great Grandaddy decided to break up; they cited lack of financial success despite critical acclaim as one of their reasons for going away. Many heartbroken fans were happy to hear that Anti Records had signed frontman and lead songwriter, Jason Lytle, to a record deal. His album, Yours Truly, The Commuter, is exactly what you would expect from a man who left California for Montana in search of a new muse and new inspiration.
Opening the album with the title-track immediately brings back all the memories of your old Grandaddy record collection. Electronic blips and keyboard steadily build before the percussive element joins the fray. Furthering the song with simple strings (samples possibly) and Lytle’s familiar voice marks this album as the return of one of indie rock’s great voices.
If one were to go on song titles alone then we would be led to believe that Jason came to Montana in seach of new horizons and a return to a different type of focus that would create inspirational songs once again. In so many ways, he does seem to have regained his form on this album, but it’s that retreading of old tricks in his bag that seem to work the best for him.
“Brand New Sun” discusses the departure for greener pastures, and the simple acoustic song is filled with what one can only assume are laser noise created by martians, or Lytle’s keyboard. “Birds Encouraged Him” is simply a beautiful song; it’s one of the better songs in the Lytle catalog. Very light percussion accompanies the acoustic fingerings here, and string arrangements allow for the song to create a more atmospheric element; this is all added by the electronic whizzing of space noises.
Jason even decides to break out the rock element on this album with “It’s The Weekend.” Chugging power chords create a bouncing song that begins just as soon as it really ends, closing with Jason mellowing out on piano before zooming out one last time. But, it’s the softer element on this album that seems to take precedent.
A piano ballad appears courtesy of “This Song is a Mute Button.” It’s one of the simpler songs on this record, but it reminds you of how personal songwriting can be for the likes of Jason Lytle. And it’s followed by another spectacular number in “Rollin Home Alone.” Using string arrangements really seems to bring out a lot of the vocal melodies in Lytle’s voice, and the arrangement of the song is equally beneficial. You’d find difficulty not including this as one of your favorite songs of the year.
It’s refreshing to note that not a lot has really changed in the capabilities of Mr. Lytle. He still fuses guitar and electronic elements as breezily as in his days of Grandaddy, which not only makes you nostalgic for the good old days, but grateful he’s returned with an album as good as Yours Truly, The Commuter.
The great thing about Austin is that we get the benefit of having our local promoters put together amazing weeks of shows, and this week, Chaos in Tejas proves just that point. Sure, the bands might be a little bit on the harder/faster/heavier side of things, but there are some great bands; just check out these names: Ted Leo, The Thermals, Harvey Milk, Propaghandi, Strange Boys, Times New Viking, The Business and The Shaky Hands. All bands that deserve your time and attention…not to mention the other great bands that will grace the stage along the whole Red River district. A detailed list of shows and venues can be found here.
Download: Ted Leo – Under the Hedge [MP3]
We caught up with An Horse during SXSW for a quick interview, and now that their album Rearrange Beds has been circling aroudn, we thought we’d offer up more of their festive pop for you today. Also, this single, “Camp Out,” has just recently got the video treatment, and you should check it out here.
Download: An Horse – Camp Out [MP3]
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Brooklyn via Columbia, Missouri six-piece the White Rabbits rose to critical acclaim seemingly out of nowhere with their debut album, Fort Nightly. This time around, the band has enlisted Spoon frontman (and sometimes Austinite) Britt Daniel for production duties on their latest album, It’s Frightening. You’ll find his touch on a lot of the songs, but ultimately, this sophomore effort is worthy of your attention on musical merit alone.
One of the runners for song of the year, at least up to this point in time, opens the album. “Percussion Gun” with its dual drumming technique climbs into your ears as the tribal element of the song bombards you. But, this isn’t the only trick the band has, as the piano work provides a much needed backbone that allows the song to go beyond just a mere rain-dance.
You’ll find the influence of Britt Daniel marking “They Done Wrong/We Done Wrong.” This songs is reminiscent of pre-Gagagagagaga Spoon, with a bouncing bass line accompanied by a meandering piano. The guitar stutters along the song as the vocals arrive in that croon come falsetto that Britt uses to perfection. Now, we’re not assuming that this is just a knock-off because the song definitely warrants repeated listens; we’re just stating you can find Britt’s fingerprints on it.
“Comapny I Keep” is the slow summer jam come early. It’s a mostly acoustic number with light percussion walking along the backbone of the song. It’s the warmth of they lyrical content here that makes the song ultimately rewarding. Sure, it might not be the most exciting of this batch of tunes, but you’ll definitely find this as one of the ones worth putting on your summer mixtapes.
One of the things that’s lacking from this album, however, is a little bit of pacing. It’s not that there is poor pacing in so far as the organization of the songs, rather that the majority of the songs don’t seem to have too much movement to them, often becoming entirely too subdued for their own good. Oddly, the only songs that have movement seem to rely upon the drum stylings of “Percussion Gun” with just a softer quality to them.
Still, there is something to be said for the quiet presence of this album. It provides for the easy listening experience now that you need to focus on new projects. It’s an album full of songs constructed precisely for headphones and mellow moments in this time of your life. A decent effort, though much stronger on the front end.
[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/03-they-done-wrong-_-we-done-wrong.mp3]Download: White Rabbits – They Done Wrong/We Done Wrong [MP3]
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When legendary producer Steve Albini was rumored to be at the helm of the newest Jarvis Cocker solo outing, Further Complications, many were chomping at the bit, awaiting the arrival of something entirely special. While the album does have a lot of those elements, it’s difficult to attribute these strictly to the presence of Albini’s magical touch. After all, who can really take control of an piece of work by a man like Jarvis.
Albini’s production influence is most notable in the first half of the album, especially the first four tracks. Opener, “Angela” hits harder than anything we’ve heard from Jarvis in all his previous work. It’s a fuzzed rocker of a tune, but one would be difficult to identify this as a track that exhibits Cocker at his best. These first four songs all fall to the exact same trap; they succeed in be decent rock tunes, but they fail in the way that they are not your atypical Jarvis piece. With that in mind, we can always be thankful that Jarvis has his usual literary wit in tow, which definitely helps along those early songs.
“Hold Still” serves as the turning point in this novel, as the tone of the album takes a drastic turn, and for the most part, this is for the best. The song features Jarvis at his best, with his voice taking on the raspy crooning whisper in your ear, begging you to come hither, which was always his best vocal trick in Pulp. Present hand-claps and backing vocals bring this song back to the orchestrated best moments that broke out on Jarvis.
Of course, there is always that whimsical song that hits home with all listeners when Jarvis is rocking the mic. “I Never Said I Was Deep” is this exact song; Jarvis struts his voice in the verses, with that cocky sexual undertone we all know and love. When the chorus comes in, with the character claiming that he isn’t as deep as his lover requests, you are drawn into the magic of the song. This is Jarvis at his absolute best.
Bookending the album is “You’re In My Eyes (Discosong),” with the title alluding to the more soulful quality of the instrumentation. Not only his this the longest song on the album, but it’s one where our old friend Jarvis truly returns. This song has all the swagger you expect from Mr. Cocker, but with the feel of your favorite lounge singer. It’s hard not to love a man with such talent. It exemplifies everything that has made Jarvis Cocker one of the more interesting, and vital, musicians of the last two decades. Further Complications is just another notch on his already quite respectable belt.
[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/i-never-said-i-was-deep.mp3]Download: Jarvis Cocker – I Never Said I Was Deep [MP3]
My continuing love of Scotland is being furthered as the days go on. I’m sending our writer Corey with his wonderful fiance overseas to research the possibilities of the transatlantic move; this entire idea has been encouraged by the current musical landscape. Twilight Sad is just another incredible band, with another release slated for a September street date. Their walls of distortion are reined in on this new track, but it only raises the high expectations for their upcoming release.
Download: The Twilight Sad – Reflection of the Television [MP3]
Long-running Paste Magazine is struggling in this economy, just as we all are, and they are asking for your help. Most of us here at ATH have attended various Paste parties during SXSW, and we respect everything they’ve done for the independent music community. To top that off, while we may be contributing to the technological musical age, we still harbor great love and admiration for the traditional print format. So head over to Paste and help these guys out.
