Author: nathan.lankford

Fresh Music from The Lovely Sparrows

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Last year Shawn Jones returned from a brief hiatus to bring us Shake the Shadow, his latest album under The Lovely Sparrows. It would seem that the process, and reception, reignited the writing bug for Jones, as he’s already returned with a brand new pair of songs slated for cassette release via Mr. Pink Records. One of the things that struck me on the latest LP that’s present in these songs is the arrangement work; I love Shawn’s voice, but there are just some little touches like the jangling guitar chord and beautiful sax in “Fortune Tellers and Strange Dogs” that puts the song over the edge. It’s the sort of song that pulls my ear close to the speaker trying to pick up on every possible sound. If you’re in Austin, the Lovely Sparrows play with Jonas Wilson and PocketSounds at the Mohawk this Saturday night!

Dehd Share Happy Again

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There’s just something so thrilling about the simplicity of Dehd; but, in doing so, the band have to be spot on in everything they do in order to be successful. Three singles in, and they don’t seem to have missed a beat, and this might be one of their best tracks on the forthcoming Water. The vibe here definitely harkens to that sunny pop styling that launched a million garage band, with Balla’s style of curving his notes built to perfectly fit into the song’s tight structure; he even gets a nice little punch up from the backing vocals to drill home the song’s hook. It’s got to be hard to be the other band’s out there, as this bunch just seems and sounds like the coolest…all while playing it off like they’re not even trying. Look for Water on May 10th via Fire Talk.

 

Matt Kivel Shares Radiance

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Last Night in America is dropping next week, and with the release date just a week off, Matt Kivel is sharing another tune. It’s one of my favorite on the record, but be warned, it can induce extreme relaxation and contemplation…perhaps dangerous this early in the morning. For me, it’s the mix on this record that really serves Kivel’s goal; he’s got this fragile voice, or so it often sounds, so you’ve got to let it shine. Throughout this track, the musical element is low in the mix, at least when coming through your speakers; the percussive element is so light it’s almost a faint rhythmic whisper, with the guitar careful not to step forward until the closing moments of the song. If, by chance, your’re reading this in NYC, go see his release show this Friday featuring our friend Daphne Tunes at the Park Church Co-Op.

Catchy Ditty from Party Pest

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One of the things I love about the post-punk period was the clarity and space allowed in the music; there were bands leaving all sorts of empty space in their songs. Sometimes they were filled with groovy rhythm sections, other times it was merely just a stylistic choice to really build the song’s tension. Aussie trio Party Pest seem to employ those standards, working with precision rhythm while focusing on those angular guitar notes; the vocals get delivered in that Kathleen Hanna-esque howl, the style that makes you scared and entranced all at once. The band will deliver their Happy Man/I Can Do Better 7″ on May 24th.

Catchy Indiepop from Neleonard

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I love getting turned onto the stuff that Elefant Records is always working on, especially when it has all the fingerprints of my favorite acts…only in Spanish. Today we’ve got the lead single from the latest Neleonard album, Un Lugar Imaginado. Here you can definitely hear the funky upbeat vibe of some Belle and Sebastian songs; you can even see the band pulling off the dueling female/male vocals to provide those heavenly melodies. The video embraces the romantic side of things, with two young lovers meeting up in a park with tons of mythological melodies. Only makes this number more adorable, so watch and enjoy yourself. And, while the album has been out for a minute, this digi-single has some special B-Sides.

Porridge Radio Share Another New Tune

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Porridge Radio might just be one of my favorite bands of the moment, and in that, also one of the best. The UK outfits latest tune begins with this off kilter strumming and percussion, that quickly breaks into noisy discord, establishing a dangerous mood. But, while it would be easy to sink into that, the band quickly turns it into this blossoming pop chorus that’s sure to stay with you when the song ends. Once they return to the verses, things will put you even more on edge; the guitar strings almost seem like they’re being sawed in parts as the vocals rise to cacophonous. Yet in the end, we’re left with this glittery pop coda that erases the anger and tension, leaving you with a smile, begging you to play it all over again.

Win Tickets to An Horse at Barracuda on May 5th

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After a long hiatus, Aussie duo An Horse are returning with their brand new album, Modern Air this Friday. We’ve heard several of the tracks, all just as convincing as when the band left us with Walls back in 2011. But, more importantly, the band return to Austin this Sunday at Barracuda, and seeing as it’s never easy to catch an Australian band in the States, you should jump at the chance to win free tickets! Plus, the group will be joined by local powerhouse, Lola Tried.

All you have to do to win two tickets is pick a number between 1-1000, leave it in the comments, or tweet it at us! The only hint I’m giving you is that it’s not my favorite number! You’ve got 48 hours! Go!

Regular old tickets are HERE.

Bleached Announce Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough

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It looks and sounds like Bleached are heading for pop stardom, well, if we could transport them back to the late 70s. Today they announce Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough, and the first single has this super retro vibe to its correlating video, all the way down to the hair blowing in the wind. The PR for this references the Damned and Paramore, which definitely fits with the pop vibe of this tune, but I can’t help but to think of a solid Blondie comparison throughout this number; it’s like they’re blending those parallel lines between punk and pop, and doing so perfectly. Dead Oceans will release the new effort on July 12th.

Mal Blum Share Pity Boy

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It seems Don Giovanni has their finger on some of the most energetic pop rock out there; they brought me Bad Moves and now they’re giving us a new LP from Mal Blum, which sounds pretty awesome so far. Lyrically this song seems to be about personal acceptance, on the surface that deals with saying no when you “don’t want to.” Somehow the song seems to operate on deeper levels, but the catchy hooks seem to disguise this behind anthemic delivery and huge pop riffs. I love that serious issues are being woven into the exhilaration of a good pop rock tune; you can think and be deep, yet still have a ball. Look for Pity Boy on July 12th.

Ludovic Alarie Shares New Tune

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You’ve got to be doing something right when Blonde Redhead wants to put out your record, and if you listen to Ludovic Alarie is doing, you can definitely see why. The Quebec native switches back and forth between French and English on his latest album, and this tune has him working with the former. It allows someone like me (non-French speaking) to really treat the vocals as an added instrument; that seems natural, as they have this feathery melody that seems to be born inside Alarie. Musically, it’s casually chilled pop, like you’ve taken elements of bossanova and dream pop and put them in a lounge to kick it while sipping on a nice Scotch. We’re a Dream Nobody Wrote Down will be out on May 10th via ChouChou Records and Asa Wa Kuru.

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