This is fine.
Yesterday, Marmalakes dropped a live version of the below track, recorded at the home of drummer Josh; you can check that out HERE. This is one of my favorite tracks on their new LP, Please Don’t Stop, which we’re fortunate enough to be releasing on ATH Records on May 11th. It’s such a great tune, and hopefully it convinces you just how great the entirety of the new LP is, so you’ll wanna go grab it. Regardless, listen to the song a whole lot!
BOYS flirt with indiepop on the start of their new single, slightly hanging those crips guitar chords out in the air. But, where many would push on into the realm, these lads turn the song into deeper textures. For starters, there’s a level of haze added to the vocals, perhaps moving towards dreamier pastures. But the core of the song has this driving guitar line that really pushes the natural tension of the song; it’s the driving force in the song, rushing the track to its finale. And then, without overstaying their welcome, the tune’s over. You love it, and you go on your way.
We’re just a week and a bit from SXSW, and I’ve had RVG penciled in as one of the acts I absolutely cannot miss this year. I adored the band’s album A Quality of Mercy, and have been anxiously awaiting their arrival in the States. They’ve got hints of Go-Betweens sure, but I hear a slight Byrne affection in the vocal delivery on this track. The drums roll across the track, the guitar notes seem spritely and the lyrical content has a sinister playfulness that you can’t ignore. All of these things make the band something to keep an eye out for, so get hip to them now!
Talos has already had huge success with the release of his latest album,Wild Aleeacross the pond. But, the Irish act are one of the many braving the distance to try win over the hearts of everyone in attendance at SXSW. Read on below for some quick answers, and be sure to check the band out live on March 15th at the Velveeta Room, with many other Irish acts!
The Love-Birds first came to our attention with their excellent Filled with Hate EP for Empty Cellar Records. Now, they’ve landed on perennial powerhouse Trouble In Mind Records for the release of their new LP. We find them treading interesting ground on this new single, somewhere between playful folk and steady power-pop. Little textural flourishes, like the “woo woo,” little keyboard notes or the speedy way the song closes, define the lasting impression of this single. Look for their In the Lover’s Corner to drop on May 25th.
You might not recognize the name Class Angles as of yet, but I assure you that you’ll be supremely rewarded if you spend a couple of minutes with the track below. The band is the project of Rob Barbato, who quietly went about production work on all your favorite records (or at least mine). But, in this, he seems to have crafted a sound that’s timeless; it’s immediately accessible, yet there’s these little artistic flourishes that illustrate the care in the songwriting. It’s hard to even pigeonhole the sound; there’s movement, there’s a slight folk influence, a dash of psychedelia and ultimately, you’re just left with an incredible song. This is the first single from an upcoming LP, which we hope to have more details on in the near future.
Today’s the day you’ve all been waiting for, the announcement of our annual AustinTownHall vs Side One Track One SXSW party. We’re throwing down at Hotel Vegas/Volstead again, and we’ve booked a pretty solid lineup of acts. We’ve got some bands with huge buzz like Caroline Says or Why Bonnie, a handful of ATH Records artists…and we even got in a few out of town acts like Nite and El Lago. Best news of all? It’s absolutely free, so all you have to do is come on over and just enjoy yourselves…there’s something for everybody. Show kicks off at 2 PM and lasts all day and night. Plus, we love you, so you don’t even have to RSVP! Check out the event page, and plan ahead, you’ll be here all day!
Back as a teenager, I craved those loud guitars, that barrage of noise. But, as my tastes have evolved, I think I lean towards the prettier side of the “gaze” arena. This new Goth Dad tune really is doing it for me, bringing in that side with these shimmering keyboard notes and careful guitar chords just hanging out in the air. Sure, there’s a few moments when the distortion pedal gets pushed all the way in, and it actually fits quite nicely into the context of this track. I’ll take pretty and restrained any day over noise for noise sake. Congrats to this Mississippi act on a well-written gem.
What’s Your Rupture have been quietly picking out the best bands from obscurity and thrusting them into the limelight. I mean, remember when you didn’t know who Parquet Courts were? Yeah, you can thank this label. They continue to pick up rad acts, like their most recent signing BODEGA. Opening with this pulsing bass line and pounding drum line, there’s a natural groove flowing through your speakers. Guitars knife in angularly, cutting the danceable sound into a rock n’ roll hit. Still, you can’t ignore the band’s propensity for being catchy, despite still sounding ominously dangerous. Look for their new LP to drop this summer.
The latest signing to Rama Lama Records, Kluster, is jumping in with a creative blend of all things indie rock, and they’re pulling it off quite successfully. The song’s structures seem to dance around a tight mathy-prog vibe, but the space behind is constantly being interlaced with noise and elegant melody. The vocals from Linnea Hall naturally provide an infectious hook, especially in the way she curls the notes off at the end of each phrase. This track’s full of energy and creativity, and in the end, it’s as impressive a debut single as I’ve heard. Expect a full length in the very near future from the label.
