This is fine.
It’s a busy weekend, as it is in Austin when the weather is just perfect. So why not try to point you in the right direction in case you happened to wonder into town looking for a place to go! Just a real quick run down…and maybe a word or two to guide you.
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Some songs just hit home; you can’t put it into words, you can’t really explain it (though I’ll try, poorly), but you love them. The moment I pressed play on the latest A Fawn at Dawn track from their False Memory EP I was hooked. Fuzzy distortion kicked it off, turning right into those bright churning guitar chords that sparkle in your ear, all before the vocals seeped into my soul. They operate on the borderline of dream pop, but when I listen to these vocals, something in me recalls that college radio pop of the Wrens; the sort that still haunts music fans 20 years on…I think the group are on to something, so let yourself get washed away in this one.
I jumped right into this Necking tune because it was delivered my way via Mint Records, a hit making outfit I can always rely upon. In the release, the word “powerhouse” was utilized, and I can’t help but think that’s the most apt descriptor I can come across. It begins with this heavy, almost grunge riff, pummeling your speakers for the first 20 seconds before slinking into this seductively bouncy pop moment; don’t get too comfortable, as the quartet are working with this ‘powerhouse’ concept. As soon as the chorus screams at you, you completely fall for it; “big mouth” is howled at you, angrily, yet when juxtaposed with the verses, you’re hooked. A powerful tune from a powerhouse quartet, who will deliver their power to you via Cut Your Teeth on July 5th.
When Look Vibrant released The Up Here Place last year, the group caught my ear, and so I’ve been paying close attention to their follow up singles, like the track lurking below. Perhaps one of my favorite things about the group is my inability to pigeonhole them with some mundane genre; this track has these arty post-punk grooves that evolve into math rock statements, eventually unfolding into these shimmering guitar chords that rise and crash. And, that’s not even drawing upon the way the vocals are elongated for each and every syllable, giving them their own sort of musical quality that comes across as hauntingly angelic. Keep an eye on these Canadian fellows.
Last year I spent a decent portion raving about Lafayette, the latest LP from The Golden Dregs, and it looks like 2019 might have another album in the works from Benjamin Woods and his project. We’ve got a new secret, offering up this smoky ballad, working over trickling piano lines while a throbbing pulse works beneath the mix. Benjamin delivers one of his strongest performances, though the arrangements in this song also deserve attention. I love how he’s left a lot of negative space out there, hanging and waiting to be filled…sometimes by nice cello work, other times by tinkering ivory keys; it’s a thoughtful turn in Woods’ songwriting craft, one that indicate grand ideas will be coming our way with that new album, slated for release later this year.
It feels like the Infinites are one of the hottest commodities in town right now, and by that, I mean, they’re one of the absolute bands bouncing about. But, there are those that live outside the confines of our fair city, and you should definitely put the band on your “must listen” to list. Press play on this new single from their forthcoming LP and you’ll get intoxicated by the guitar tones; they have that natural bounce we adore from the surf-rock genre, though its presentation with the vocals definitely leaves it in more dreampop territory. I think it also shows the expert craftsmanship of the group, as the song seemingly comes to an abrupt end; why go forth when you’ve said all there is to say in a song? The band’s self-titled LP comes out via First Human Records this Friday…with an In-Store performance over at Waterloo if you’re here in town!
I can’t turn this new Deliluh track off right now! It’s a slight bit heavier than my tastes of late, and perhaps not even that heavy, but more ominous. Strangely, it recalls a lot of the stuff I was into as an angsty teen, pulling from names like Shellac or Sonic Youth. Vocals in the track are murky, and they’re spoken as if they’ve been presented at some sort of poetry reading. The musical element is creeping behind those lyrics, but there’s plenty of space left for the band to work their discord into your ear holes. This tune appears on the bands forthcoming release, Oath of Intent, out May 3rd via Tin Angel Records.
Admittedly, there’s something nostalgic in the sound that Tom Morris is crafting under his Swim Camp moniker. He’s just released Barlow Hill, and while listening I was thrust back to the late 90s where I was filling my CD collection with Jade Tree/Polyvinyl releases. But, that doesn’t mean this sounds dated, and in fact, is quite the opposite, fitting right into the modern fold of indie rock. As you listen through, you’ll feel the intimacy, as if Morris is performing in your living room; you can feel the hum of the guitar strings as the waft through your speakers. It’s a glorious listen from the start to finish, so indulge in the joys of this listen.
Sometimes bands you love break-up, or move away and that’s just the way life goes. For me, that’s what happened with our beloved Basketball Shorts, who we worked with for their Hot n’ Ready LP. Now, guitarist Bench has a new band, Rad Gnar, and he’s taking on the vocal duties here too! The band’s first single from their forthcoming LP is filled with these huge crunchy rifts, as one would expect from his previous work. But, I really love the way he leaves his vocals hanging, letting the notes rise, then fall back down to your ears with those classic hooks! On May 18th the group will drop Rad Gnar, their self-titled debut, but if you want to catch them early…they have a show at Cheer Up Charlies on April 30th!
Not too long ago we brought you a track from the Grant Pavol EP (it had the backing of Shamir), and now Grant’s ready to share another of such tunes. I’m really seeing this one as two different songs, even though the running time doesn’t even eclipse the 2 minute mark. He opens with this light strum and heavy pop vocal line; it’s the sort of presentation that coffee shop kids in the 00s would have adored. But, around the 30 second mark you can begin to hear this slight electronic pulse beneath, and that completely takes over in the song’s latter half, then opens for one last vocal delivery before the song comes to a halt. Accidental Popstar Records will release the Okay EP on May 17th.
