This is fine.
We’re really excited for Moaning to drop their new LP, Uneasy Laughter…and instead of the traditional LP release show in LA, the band have opted to spend their whole week in Austin during SXSW playing the shit out of those songs. From what we’ve heard so far, it rules…plus it never hurts to have Sub Pop in your corner. Get to know the band after the jump!
For some reason, my Tuesday feels like a Monday; the usual energy of the week hasn’t quite kicked into gear, so I needed some slightly more angsty than my typical fare…thus the latest from TONER. The Oakland outfit specialize in that noisy guitar rock at the intersection of pop sensibility and shoegaze. At times, the weight of the song feels oppressive and ominous; layered noises can be heard darting through the song’s background. But, while they stray, there’s still breadcrumbs leading back to the land of pop…and thus I can be gloomy and smile. This jam appears on the group’s new LP, Silk Road, out April 17th.
Deeper seduced me into this tune with those opening guitar lines; I don’t know what it is about it, but I was hooked, and that’s before the synth notes furthered my intoxication. It definitely set the song up for something slightly different than what the band have offered, though wholly in the vein of post-punk. The vocals have this almost suffocated feel to them, like they’re coming to us from some dampened cavern designed to trap sound. The more I listen to this track the more I marvel at the craft here; it’s very of the moment, but sound wholly unique in its presentation. This should put you on notice that the band’s new album Auto-Pain will be a stunner; drops on March 27th via Fire Talk Records.
SXSW is meaningful time to all of us here at ATH. It allows us to now only see some great bands, but to also meet some truly amazing people from all over the globe. One of our dear SXSW buddies hails from Glasgow and originally turned us onto Catholic Action a few years ago at a showcase he helped put together. Today I am pleased to share this short interview from the band prior to their appearance in Austin next month. Hit it after the jump.
Lake Ruth have been on a run of undeniable pop hits since 2018’s split with Pale Lights. Last year they had a great 7″ as part of the Slumberland Records 30 Years Singles Club…and now they’ve got a new 10″ coming out on Kleine Untergrund Schallplatten. This song has this naturally playful bounce, but all that really just sets the scene for the vocal performance from Allison Brice. She’s sounds so incredibly timeless, like she could score the soundtrack of any of your favorite movies from the last century. This song just casually sneaks into your brain and you’ll probably find it living there the rest of the week….then you can thank me later.
Every year, for the last forever, we’ve teamed up with our frienemies over at Side One Track One to throw a great big Austin party on the Sunday before SXSW music gets going. It’s a celebration of Austin acts…something of great importance to us…as the rest of the city is about to get swept up in whatever the next big thing is. Plus, John at SOTO is the curator at 101x Homegrown, so you know he knows his stuff…and rumor has it that we run a label…so maybe that’s cool too? The party takes place Sunday, March 15th over at Hotel Vegas; this year we’ve got a wide variety from Mobley to Lola Tried to Blood to Zettajoule to BLXPLTN…and so many more. Click HERE for more info! See ya’ll then!
It’s a dreary day here in Austin and I think I’ve got just the thing to fit in with, and hopefully improve, your Monday mood. It’s called “bbs in the grass” and comes by way of our friends in Vermont based outfit Bleach Day. This one has a bit of a groovy vibe to it, with tons of pop sounds to really engage the listener and catch onto all the subtleties of the music. A little R&B, a little funk, and tons of pop goodness.
Bleach Day will release their sophomore album as if always on March 6th via Birdwatcher.
Every few weeks (two to be exact) Fika Recordings shares new music with us from the forthcoming Little Hands of Asphalt LP. Last time out, I think I finally clicked on why I love the way Sjur crafts his songs, even going so far as to compare the tunes to my favorite John K. Samson. Here, there’s one track that still has that inclination, but on “Writing About Music,” there’s great arrangement work that really builds on the song’s emotional pull; I love how it’s almost broken down to bare bones before bounding off with buoyant strings and rolling drum work to close the song out. We’re still about a month away from the March 27th release date of Half Empty, and I’m every bit as excited…hope you are too!
Part of the fun in SXSW is discovering new bands both before and during the festival as you see where the wind takes you. For me, Kentucky based scream pop group GRLwood is one of those new bands and I’m already really digging what I’m hearing. From the small sampling of music I’ve listened to today, I can tell that this band must put on one hell of a live performance. Hit the jump to read their responses to our SXSW questions.
Admittedly, I probably wouldn’t have stumbled upon Elrichman had he not been a core member of Ducks Unlimited (who put out one of my favorite EPs). But, those familiar with that band will be careful to rush to the expectation of jangles, as the vibe here’s entirely different. The song begins rather artfully, almost as if there were notes taken from the likes of Dirty Projectors. But, there’s this huge swell of emotive pop that comes crashing down during the chorus that really changes the song’s infectiousness. Those courses get followed by these minor little pop excursions that sound super familiar (does it sound like the Zombies to anyone else?), so be sure to listen to the track as it twist and turns the pop knife into your ears. Heaven’s Mayor will be out on April 24th via Bobo Integral.
