Category: News

That New Video from Moving Panoramas

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Austin folks love Moving Panoramas, and if you watch this video, you’ll see that Moving Panoramas loves Austin, or at least Hotel Vegas and Volstead. But, most importantly is that the song continues the band’s movement towards a pop-centric vibe akin to the recent stuff of fellow Austinites, Go Fever. They’re both writing these huge pop numbers, though MP presents there’s in this slightly dreamy realm; that gives a slight element of darkness or mystery, which listeners like myself find intriguing. This song appears on the band’s new album, In Two, which is being released on February 22nd by Modern Outsider.

Another Pop Number from Jupiter Sprites

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I’ve written about Jupiter Sprites, and now that we’re making our way to the morning, its time for some more thoughtful fare, something slightly dreamy, something new from the Seattle outfit. I like the happy, almost yacht-rock vibe of the guitars, meanwhile the keyboards wash the whole track in this most tranquil vibe. The vocals are perfect, they match both moods, the lightness of the guitar and the dreaminess of the electronic vibe, and at times, they almost come in like an added instrument…if you’re willing to let yourself go. You’ll hear this track on the group’s self-titled EP, which drops on February 1st.

New Pop from Reaches

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One thing that’s irked me about recent electro and techno too is the tension seems ever more important; there has to be that hook and that emotional release for the listener. Fortunately, that doesn’t seem to be the approach for Reaches, which is establishing itself as a more exploratory version of the modern electronic music. You can tell by the time stamp alone, it’s stretching over 5 minutes, allowing for built in layers, minor flares and musical brush strokes that bubble and pulse, bringing us all to life. By the time the vocals enter the picture, you’re already entranced, and the vocals come across like a communal chant, calling you to become part of the song. The new album is titled Wherever the Internet Goes, Sorrow Follows; it’s being released by We Be Friends on March 29th. The band will be working down the East Coast during February, and popping up in Austin for SXSW.

Scuzzy Rocker from Pink Mexico

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Friday’s are rough sometimes. My morning started with a locked copy room, and when it was opened, the machine I needed to use was broken. So I came back here to do some work, and I need something angry…there enters Pink Mexico. It’s just over 2 minutes of pummeling scuzzy garage rock with a simple bouncing bass line working through its underbelly. Currently, I’ve got it turned up super loud, just jamming out, letting those heavy riffs wash over me in hopes of Friday morning catharsis. It’s got a nice little ballad-y breakdown at the end too, just to kind of calm things down a bit. You’ll find this track on Dump, their new album dropping March 1st via Burger Records.

Beautiful New Lens Mozer Tune

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There’s something in my brain that immediately lumped this new Lens Mozer track in the pile of music where I keep similar acts like Beach House. It’s that place full of escapism and wistful thoughts; a place I often go for solace. You’ll hear the slow rolling groove, or rather feel it, from the instant the song comes through your speakers. There’s a little bit more clarity in the vocals here, so the emotional pull is more direct and less dreamy, though that’s not changing how much I’m enjoying this being on all day. The debut album Don’t Stop will drop via Plastic Jurassic on January 25th.

Fresh Tune from Dark Blue

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There’s just something about Dark Blue that always resonates when I press play on ye olde computer. There’s this penchant for post-punk, but it’s absent of the typical posturing of nostalgic rip-offs. And of course, central to the band’s sound is the voice of John Sharkey III, deep in tone, solemn in delivery. Here, there’s wave after wave of guitar crashing into and around Sharkey, but he shrugs it off with indifference, focusing instead on the way he shares each syllable. More people should be into this band; look for their new LP, Victory is Rated, to drop on 12XU.

New Single & Video From Tiny Moving Parts

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I’ve always had an affinity for the sounds of Minnesota based Tiny Moving Parts. The boys create a a very unique post-emo sound with my favorite screaming vocal elements similar to peers like Restorations or maybe even an Against Me. Yesterday brought a welcome surprise from the band when they announced a new 7″ single featuring two brand spanking new track. The A-side of the single, “For the Sake of Brevity”, is posted below and is sure to delight true fans of the group’s emotionally driven, raw take on their music.

The new 7″ inch vinyl is available now from Triple Crown Records.

New Pop from Kiwi Jr

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There’s only a handful of records I can trust, and Mint Records is one that always seem to dig things the way I do. They just announced they’ve teamed up with Kiwi Jr. to release the band’s Football Money on March 29th. Right away the sharp chords get your body in the move, but what I love the most is that while there’s clearly a pop-centric vibe, you can’t really pigeonhole this bunch; they sound like power-pop fans at times, then they twist it in this art-punk vibe that’s very much on trend…but then it also sounds like the scuzzy love child of POTUSA and They Might Be Giants…it’s a wild trip, but one you should take!

New Music from We Show Up On Radar

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Do you remember those days where we were swept up by crafty songwriters like Jens and Sufjan? Well, Andy Wright and his project We Show Up On Radar are quite similar, at least in their song construction, adding layer after layer. This tune begins with wonky keyboard lines matching Wright’s voice, then a chorus comes in for backing vocals, marking the entry of piano and percussive handclaps…and all that in just the first minute. Then you find this pulsing fuzz move in, and a softer backing vocal all leading to this glorious pop crescendo where horns and drums and melody crash and swirl together. What a wondrous way to begin the day. If you like it, look for the band’s Zanzibar Whip Coral in March via Fika Recordings.

Haunting Shoegaze from Be Forest

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Wanted to wrap up today with something eerie, so I’m grateful that this new single from Be Forest just dropped. There’s an ominous tone from the get-go, built on these dancing guitar lines atop a thundering rhythm section. It’s beautifully contrasted with the softness of the vocals, though the vocals seem to be frightened away as the song builds towards the track’s middling interlude. Then it returns, only to fade away into the back of the track, quietly slipping away from us all. The group will release Knocturne on February 8th via WWNBB. Also, since its time to look at SXSW, the band will be coming in from Italy to play here in Austin, with a few other scattered US dates.

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