This is fine.
Things are officially under way at the ATH offices; we’ve already caught several shows, and plan on heading out in an hour here to keep the rock n’ roll going. But, as we close out our pre-SXSW press, we bring you this interview from Burnt Ones. The band is just another in the long line of great Burger Records/Castleface Records coming into town this week. Here’s the band’s answers….the rest of you have a safe week out there! Read more
The madness that is SXSW is upon us, and as we ready ourselves and our livers, we’ve got another interview featuring one of our favorite bands, The Mary Onettes. The Swedish act has had mild success in the States, but their new music is really building a solid name for the band over here, so we hope that this little introduction encourages you to get on board with us. If you do catch them…be sure to get one of those t-shirts. Read more
Ever since playing my way through two copies of Television Youth I’ve been waiting for the next record from Sonic Avenues. They offer up this infectious power-pop that carefully walks the line between punk and pop, though not in that cheesy teenage manner. It’s fitting that the band is releasing their next album, Mistakes, on Dirtnap Records again; it’s the home of other like-minded acts such as The Marked Men or Low Culture. You can grab what is sure to be an excellent record on April 15th when it hits the stores.
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One of the great things about Burger Records is their continuing push for diversity in the music world. They’ve been known for garage and psych, but I don’t think LA’s Vision really fits into that. They’ve got more of a British feel to what they’re working on, and I definitely have taken a liking to their self-titled record from last year. For me, they’re one of the band’s I’m really interested in checking out at SXSW. Get to know them via their short and sweet answers. Read more
SanFrancisco’s Happy Diving dwell in the realms of catchy guitar pop. At times it’s completely noisy, but other times it’s filled with well crafted melodies that allow for maximum emotional involvment from listeners. Their s/t EP for Father Daughter Records was a short blast of fun, and I expect their shows during SXSW to be filled with that same sense of revelry. We caught up with Matt Berry from the group to grab a quick interview. Read more
Arizona’s The Rebel Set released a blast of a record this year, How to Make a Monster. Now it’s time for all those go-getters to track the band down and check out what they’re all about. They’ll be playing a lot of the Burger Records sponsored events, which is their home label, but get to know the band a little bit by checking them out in our interview! Read more
This tune arrived in my mailbox with an endorsement from Feist; whether you agree or not, that’s a ringing endorsement for any musician. But, even more importantly, Bry Webb was one of the men fronting Constantines, one of my favorite Canadian acts. Interestingly, I didn’t expect him to come off as a more spirited version of Bill Callahan, but that’s exactly what I’m feeling here. Is new record, Free Will, is going to be issued by Idee Fixe Records on May 20th. Listening to this has made my day better, like a gem hiding among my SXSW emails. Give this a thorough listen folks.
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As if you were thinking that we had no more interviews left… Silly you! We’ve got tons more coming your way and today I have a featured one from L.A. based, synth heavy group Habits. The brains behind the band, Dustin Krapes, was kind enough to offer his opinion on our pressing questions. Follow the jump to see what he has to say. Read more
Spending some time with Mixed Blessings, the forthcoming LP from Beaty Heart, I’m coming to the decision that there aren’t too many bands creating the music these London lads are crafting. There’s tribal elements throughout the record, with some songs promoting more energy, while others, like the one below, are a little bit more subdued. Those of you who are in love with the creative world that goes on beneath the upper-echelon of indie bands will surely find yourself attached to what’s being put in front of you here before the band’s May 12th release.
Download: Beaty Heart – Yadwigha’s Theme [MP3]
One of our favorite acts from 2013 aims to kill it again in 2014. Boston’s Bent Shapes play energetic rock n’ roll, making their album Feels Weird (Father Daughter Records) an exceptionally rewarding listen. We haven’t been able to catch them on tour yet, so we’re excited that they’re making it all the way down to Austin this year. Catch up with the band by reading our interview below with Ben. Read more
