Author: nathan.lankford

Crayon Fields Are Back!!!

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thecrayonfields01It’s fair to say my love affair with heralded Chapter Music officially began when I discovered The Crayon Fields. I’m pretty sure I trolled the band, got them to play one of our SXSW shows at the Ghost Room, and fawned over anything they did.  Still, the band’s been relatively quiet as a whole since 2009, though various members like Geoff O’Connor have been plying their trade at solo work.  Today, we can rejoice rejoice rejoice; the band is back with a new offering, perfecting the beautiful adherence to pop that brought me to them long ago.  There’s some great production value on here too, filling in the space with synth work and female backing vocals; it’ really fleshes out a near brilliant sound.  They’re releasing No One Deserves You via Chapter on September 25th, so be on the lookout.

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More New Girls Names

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girlsgirlsgirlsAdmittedly, I think I’m partial to the Girls Names debut, Dead to Me.  There was something in the simplicity of the songwriting that the band now seems to have discarded for the most part.  Their newest single, like their 11 minute 12″ tune from earlier this year, goes beyond simplicity, filling in space with sonic exploration.  Still, what I’m liking from this new effort is the band’s adherence to pop tropes within the confines of their new direction; while it borders on a touch too long, there’s still evidence of a pop song in every moment. It’s our first listen to the band’s new album, Arms Around a Vision, which will be out in October via Tough Love.

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Show Preview: Elvis Depressedly + Mitski @ Mohawk (7.8)

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Elvis DepressedlyThere’s a great deal of shows coming through town this week, and it just so happens that one of my favorite acts is on that list, Elvis Depressedly.  I first caught on to the act via my love of Coma Cinema, which is Mat Cothran’s solo project.  It’s all part of the lo-fi pop movement, though there are definitely some more abstract and strange movements going on within the project. They bring their new effort, New Alhambra, which has been well-received, especially by me!  They’ll be joining friends Mitski on stage, along with highly-touted newcomers, Eskimeaux. Doors will open for this gig at 8 PM, and you can grab $12 tickets HERE.

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Brand New Ought!!!

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11722334_1145353692148677_3832218857719001327_oOught caught me off-guard with their brilliant blend of art rock and post punk on their debut, More Than Any Other Day.  It was probably one of the most refreshing albums that came out last year, and they’re back again with brand new music for you. If you were lucky enough to catch the band on their tour spree, then you likely heard this song in their live set, and it’s a great recorded version, though it gets an entirely different presentation in the live setting. The new album is called Sun Coming Down, and it’s set for a September release via Constellation Records.  Seriously folks, this is probably one of the best young acts around.

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Pleased to Meet You: Ne-Hi

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neehighFeel like it’s been rather slow as of late with the music coming our way, which is fair enough for the time of year.  So, when I got sent this Ne-Hi track, I was stoked, to say the least.  Upon first listen, it reminds me of a relaxed version of The Feelies, using great rhythm to propel the song forward, whilst employing these slightly angular guitar chords and semi-chanted lyrics.  The Chicago outfit is about ready to head out on a nice little nationwide tour in August, including an Austin date on August 24th. Check this new hit out.

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King Friday Spin Some Old School Pop

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kingEveryone loves a good pop song, and it turns out that King Friday aren’t any different than the rest of us. They’re a songwriting powerhouse, already on their tenth album, which comes out later this week.  It’s titled the Big Strange, and on listening to the first few singles, it looks to be filled with the paisley side of psychedelia, honoring the tradition of incredible harmonies. As of right now, they’re releasing an album every three months, and a video every few weeks.  Take a listen and see if this is up your alley.

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Scuzzy Tune from Dan Svizeny

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dannI think the recording on this track is what’s got me hooked.  It’s really muddy, with Dan Svizeny‘s vocals buried way low in the mix, almost melting into the track as another instrument.  You can hear the sonic connection from label mates like Cloud Nothings and Best Coast, applying grittiness to traditional pop structures for the purpose of differentiation; even with the muddy quality, there’s still an evident bounce to the tune.  Grab yourself a copy of Dan’s new album, Whitecaps, now from Group Tightener.

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Fresh EP from Power of Satan

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PrintIt’s always interesting to me how music filters and influences places all over the world, which I feel is the case with Power of Satan‘s newest EP. The Japanese band has just released their new four song EP on Bleeding Gold Records, and there’s touchstones of all things indie rock in the last few decades.  I hear little bits of Pavement, but I can also hear a lot of that angular guitar pop that people give Flying Nun credit for; it might seem all over the place with those touchstones, but it’s really a well put together release.  You can grab the EP for NYOP (which means throw some dollars their way).

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/7/POWER-OF-SATAN-BG086-POWER-OF-SATAN-02-Invader.mp3]

Download: Invader [MP3]

New Music from DIV I DED

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divided2The first few seconds of this new single from DIV I DED sets you in line for some traditional female-fronted pop music, but hold on, as the band fills the space behind Viktorie’s voice with this bubbling drum work.  Success in this tune comes via the juxtaposition of the lofty vocals contrasted against the sonic exploration of the band.  I can see where fans of Beach House or Widowspeak would fall in love here, though things are quite a bit louder in your speakers here. The band will be releasing their album, Born to Sleep on cassette via Fleeting Youth Records on July 21st.

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Spastic Rock from Hierophants

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11406892_873158592739142_6444236918764143221_nI don’t really no too much about Hierophants, other than they’re based in Australia and on Goner Records.  Both things are pretty much a guarantee of my own personal enjoyment but I want you to be the judge on your own.  The song opens up in a stutter of garage rock, but it doesn’t stay there for too long, instead blasting off into a spastic land where few bands dare to go.  The end of the track is something all together different from the opening moments, closing in this oddball bounce then moving to a crunchy outro; it all makes for a listen that you don’t get every day, which is well enough in my book. Parallax Error, the album, will be out in September.

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