Author: nathan.lankford

Last Week’s Jams (8.4 – 8.8)

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All apologies are owed this week, as our playlist is rather short. I’m not sure if that’s because I’m trying to dig for the stuff not getting covered on the ‘Gum or just a slow news week the last few outings. Nonetheless, we were high on lots of rad Austin (and adjacent tunes); we had new stuff from Gus Baldwin, Day Friend, Alien Eyelid, San Gabriel and a new video from Moonkill…all repping the city/state fairly well. New Weakened Friends seems to have gathered the big hitters, especially with that Buckethead link-up! Would suggest checking out the Maura Weaver tune we premiered, but you do you folks!

San Gabriel Drops Close 2 U

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I know we are not officially at the release date of Nights and Weekends, but having heard it, I really want to congratulate San Gabriel on crafting a beautiful record that hits all the right notes. The mixture of pop and dreamy sounds seems to be a mastered craft at this point for songsmith James Bookert, but the lyrical content seems reflective too, allowing listeners to let the words resonate with their own emotions. This song hits home for me, with Bookert looking back on past relationships where the nostalgia can sometimes make you forget how unhealthy things were. Wrapping it all in this dreamy soundscape with bouncing hooks just makes the tune stick longer in your brain. You’re going to love Nights and Weekends; it drops next week!

Hey Look Listen Ready Now Is The Time

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Gwen Katherine has been toiling away for the last several years as Hey Look Listen, mixing various styles of the indie rock milieu into her own sound, and its all coming together for the new album, Now Is The Time. I love the casual opening of the first single, with a slightly lighter guitar strummed in the front while another hums discordantly in the background; it could easily pass as moderate indie fare…until you hit the chorus. Guitars begin to echo, almost as if they’re being filtered through your brain, washing against your ear drums and hitting with the line “is there something left to make it through.” Listen carefully for the beautiful solo moments around the 2:35 mark, leading back to another round of the chorus in a special moment I keep revisiting. Hope we get to hear a whole lot more before the record drops!

Jam to This Mould Tune

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When I think of a lot of the UK bands that have stood out for me, McKlusky is the first one of the newer era that I can always go and revisit. Mould seem to be kind of picking up the torch there (or sharing it now that M is back!), as they have this same affinity for hurtling noise at listeners, then completely switching directions to give you this tasty little morsel of pop that will keep you returning. Just listen to this opening track from their Almost Feels Like Purpose EP, which frantically opens before the heavy-moving spikes into play; it keeps you on edge, constantly building tension that nips at your ears time and time again. Crank it up and give the whole of the EP a listen!

Day Friend Drop Parasitic Grifter Scum

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Since being turned onto Austin’s Day Friend, we’ve pretty much been the band’s hype machine, and here we are with one final track from the group before they drop their album…which is oddly enough titled Parasitic Grifter Scum. Songwriter Blake said he was jamming to a lot of krautrock, with the metronomic style of the genre dominating the way the track presents itself, driving and crunching while the lyrics have this steadied cool that crosses through the madness. Its clear at this point that the group have locked into their own sound, fusing various brands of rock n’ roll into, ultimately leaving all of their tunes feeling slightly different and loosely linked…the tunes never feel stale when rocked one after the other. Their album will be out this Fall, but if you’re in Austin tonight you can catch them tonight at Knomad!

MoonKill Drop Murderhouse Video

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Feel like there’s a lot of pomp around the Austin scene nowadays. Who’s the next big act? What will draw the big crowds or break out? Sometimes, I just want it gritty and done really well, like MoonKill. They’ve got a sound that aligns with a lot of the horror punk from its heyday, but there are also some sort of sludgy moments to the sound that give it a bit more interesting feel. The video below comes from their debut LP, and I love the opening guitar line, stabbing at the ears while feedback screeches around. Drums drop in, and the guitar dances more; the vocals come in, like they’re being transmitted from the surface of the moon, steady during the verses and growling when necessary. Some of those vocal moments are so emphatic that they create a little hook in the song, which is why I always come back to this brand of punk, as its got an edge but still feels fun. If you’re digging the sound, check out their Moonkill LP, which is available now!

Goodbye Wudaokou Loop Back to Us

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With a new record hanging on the horizon at the end of the month, Goodbye Wudaokou are in full publicity mode, and offer one of their dreamiest tunes to date, with Mat mentioning New Order and Field Mice in his email alerting us to a new jam. You can certainly hear it, as the tune is washed in this synthetic ambiance and metronomic beat; this allows the guitars to cascade and twinkle where appropriate, texturizing every piece of empty space with the perfect layer of guitar. Mat, for his part, does an excellent job with this soothing delivery that feels quite grounded, letting the emotional impact be pulled from each poetic line. Another reason to have Anything of Us on your radar, as its dropping on August 24th via Subjangle.

Loving This Dazey Tune: There Will Be No Encore

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I honestly do not know too much about Dazey, but I’ll acknowledge that their blend of emo and pop punk has scratched the perfect itch as I cranked this tune up real loud. You’ll certainly hear a lot of the touchstones of the genres, whether that’s from the vocals or the rush of energy as the track gets going. But, what I’m drawn towards are those moments in the track when one can feel their body giving in, and just letting go; they’ve got such great musicianship that the breakdowns, even on the recording, urge your body to move as the drums thunder and the guitars noisily swirl. If you dig this one, be sure to check out their latest This Is All I Am I Guess EP.

Time Thief Ready Debut

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Over the years, our friends at Lost Sound Tapes have turned us onto some really incredible pop music, and it looks like they’re about ready to unleash a new group to fawn over. Time Thief is the project of James Walsh (Dump Him) and Zoe Wyner (Halfsour/Zowy), and as one would expect, they’re offering this bouncing bit of jangling that feels right on the cusp of being almost punk (if you’re picking up on the guitar tones). This first single has Zoe delivering the vocals, and her notes have this near-folk sensibility, hitting notes low and high as they flex their musical muscles and ramshackle to a strong close. Time Thief is a limited edition release, with a band-created zine accompanying each copy! Grab it from Lost Sound Tapes and Musical Fanzine Records.

The Prize Announce In the Red

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If your coffee hasn’t kicked in, and you find your in need of spiritual fuel, might we suggest the Prize? The Melbourne bunch just announced their long-awaited debut record, and supplied us with this straight ripper to get our feet under us. While you’ll hear a lot of folks labeling this as power-pop madness, it reminds me of the Donnas, using the same formula, so kind of falls in the punk vein for me. There are chords buzzing with a quickened beat from the drum work, and all of it leads you to this huge chorus that rains melody upon the listener. They’ll be releasing In the Red September 19th via Anti Fade and Goner Records.

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