Austin Spotlight: New Album from John Wesley Coleman (+Release Shows)

johnnyIf you haven’t caught a John Wesley Coleman gig living in Austin, then perhaps you’re doing it all wrong.  Or, maybe you just caught The Golden Boys instead.  Either way, he’s one of my favorite local songwriters, unfortunately dubbed by many as a trashcan-troubadour. On his new single there’s a really striking fragility to his vocal performance, which I haven’t heard from him before…though I quite like it.  The rest of the track is filled with his trademark guitar stylings and blasts from his companion horn section.  You’ll be able to grab this new song on a 7″ from Urinal Cake Records soon, and catch him at Trailer Space on Thursday or Hotel Vegas on Saturday night where he’ll also have a new record for you too! Yeah Wes.

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Love the New Greylag Tune

graylegThe other week we got a sneak peak at the new LP from Greylag; it’s been a nice little piece of folk-influenced pop to help me mellow out during stressful hours.  But, just as you settle into the warmth of this number, it blasts off on you, adding some great depth to the tired fare of the genre.  I think that’s what’s really exciting about the group’s self-titled effort; there’s nods to contemporaries though they don’t dwell within the confines of those acts.  If you ask me, this is one of those bands that’s poised for a really big end to the year when Dead Oceans finally unveils their LP on the masses; that street date is October 14th.

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New Music from Wampire

wampyweeksWampire burst into my personal subconscious when I caught their rad set over at Mohawk this past year; I was immediately hooked.  They had this weird blend between catchy hooks and surfy pop songs, which led me to immerse myself in their first LP.  Now they’re back, though it seems that they’re playing with a bit more urgency, and possibly a slight bit more noise.  The single below has them playing louder than I’ve heard, though you still can’t escape that they’re operating from within the confines of pop structures. It always make me feel like just letting go, driving fast and pumping my fists in the air.  I expect more of the same when we get to hear Bazaar on October 7th via Polyvinyl.

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Political Return for Radio Dept.

RADIO_2It’s been quite some time since we’ve actually heard new music from Radio Dept., who just happen to be one of my favorite acts; they’re like my own personal Swans (Swans are better than Radiohead, right?). They’ve always had a slightly political bent, so it’s no surprise that the first bit of new music we hear from them is a protest song with a vocal sample that basically calls for the death of fascism.  There’s a pulsing electronic undertone, yet as always they coat it in these beautiful washes of warmth that just scream for me to listen over and over again.  This might be a one off, but I’m crossing my fingers it means way more than that.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/The-Radio-Dept-Death-To-Fascism.mp3]

Download: Radio Dept. – Death to Fascism [MP3]

 

 

Future Punx to Release 7″ with Parquet Courts

boomBy now we hope you’ve taken notice of all the rad releases from the Famous Class LAMC 7″ single series, and this one with Parquet Courts and Future Punx will definitely be a nice little gem to add to your personal collection. The Future Punx single is down below, which shows that the Brooklyn act really have a smooth approach, though one that differs vastly from what we’ve come to expect from Parquet Courts.  That’s what I like to see, some branching out, some reaching out from the big bands to their smaller friends.  Proceeds from this release go to the Ariel Panero Memorial Fund, so it’s a good cause too…which means you can stream the song, then go download it and throw some dollars their way.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Parquet-Courts-Future-Punx-Future-Punx-Spike-Train.mp3]

 

Megafortress Works with Negative Space

billimI know the sort of music being crafted by Megafortress has been around for ages, but it never really sunk into my listening rotation until I obsessively delved into Majical Cloudz.  Now, saying that, it doesn’t mean that Bill Gillim of Megafortress is crafting precisely the same music.  For one, his voice has a gentler tone; one that is possibly more palatable for listeners.  Still, there’s not much movement musically, working with the internal melody of the voice while sparse bits of instrumentation spring up from behind.  Should make for an interesting listen when Believer is released by Driftless Recordings on November 4th.

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Enjoy a Little J Fernandez

jjI hadn’t really heard of J Fernandez or his previous EPs, but now that I’ve been subject to his latest single, I think I’ve got some work to do.  There’s something in his writing that reminds me of this weird blend of Dent May and Toro y Moi, yet it sounds wholly original.  You’ll hear these quiet little vocal touches working against the main vocal fold, and that’s what really sold me; it’s like listening to an insider secret on what’s going on.  We’ll hear more from J on October 14th when his latest EP, Memorize Now, gets a worldwide release.

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Another Dark Blue Jam

darkblueI wrote about this Dark Blue a bit ago, hyping it up as a project from Ceremony and Puerto Rico Flowers (not to mention Purling Hiss, Strand of Oaks) members; I’m now permanently hooked on this new june.  The vocal approach is reminiscent of some of the mid-80s post rock or post punk or just post MTV, yet the rest of the music has this brooding angst that never fully gets unleashed.  Instead, they pull in some melody, letting the guitars ring in a more subdued fashion than one might expect.  I’m particularly enjoying the yelps throughout the tune.  Jade Tree will releases Pure Reality on October 7th!

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Cool Ghouls Ready New Album

coolI think when Cool Ghouls quietly released their self-titled record, it went largely unnoticed, but that was vastly due to oversight on everyone’s part…aside from me, of course.  I love that album, although I’ll admit I’m even more excited to see what the band comes up with for the collection of songs that make up A Swirling Fire Burning Through the Rye, their newest LP.  Our first listen has this slight twang in the guitar, adding a touch of folky swagger, while the rest of the tune is filled with this chilled out harmony.  Fall’s right around the corner, and I bet this fits right into it. Look for it on November 11th via Empty Cellar Records.

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Stuck on Small Reactions

bigWhile the Walkmen have gone on hiatus, I needed something to fill that void, and in fact, I really needed someone to write a song like “The Ratt.”  Okay, so that’s not exactly what I get from Small Reactions, but I’m grateful for that, as who needs to listen to another band create another band’s song? However, this single below does share some sonic similarities, especially when you listen to the quickened pace, the ringing guitars and such.  The vocals do sound a bit more like Thom Yorke than Hamilton, but I can let that slide.  Look for the group to release Similar Phantoms via Bear Kids Recordings on October 28th.

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