This is fine.
It’s a cold ass day here in Austin and we are all in need of some rocking music to get the blood flowing. Today we look no further than the young, Nashville upstart Annie DiRusso and her latest single “Dead Dogs”. Obviously the tune falls into the vein of some solid lady rockers like Lucy Daucus or Courtney Barnett, but with a bit more force and power behind her words and music. DiRusso is sure to be a name you’ll be hearing more from very soon.
Austin’s Cosmic Chaos have been making quite a name for themselves since the release of their Ca’os EP back in 2018. While they’re clearly cut from the same cloth as many other psychedelic acts in town, they’re flexing some musicianship that definitely elevates the band. Take their brand new single here, and while you can hear that swirl of garage emotions, the song’s latter half gets pumped up with this huge saxophone solo…which is not an uncommon inclusion in the band’s sound. I’m also really drawn to Laura Mendoza’s voice; it has this youthful exuberance, whilst still seeming like she’s challenging the world and the status quo. The band celebrate the release of their brand new single over at Cheer Ups this evening with The Boleys and Geranium Drive. If you’re not there, then look for the band’s new LP in the early 2020.
This year I’ve been turned onto French label Howlin Banana Records, and it looks like they’ve scored another solid act with Quebec’sDouble Date with Death. Sure, the game’s a bit of a mouthful over here, but the song has this perfect blend of sharp garage rock notes, hidden beneath this fuzzy outer coat. The vocals aren’t omnipresent, but when they ride in, they carry this sort of dreamy vibe throughout, bouncing along with some late coos coasting towards the song’s finish. Looks like this track will appear on the band’s new effort, L’au Dela, which is slated for release in January of 2020.
We’ve covered Vern Matz before, and I think going forward, we’re all likely to hear more about the band, especially based on the quality of their latest single. Those fans of recent indie guitar pop nods will surely appreciate the guitar sounds going on throughout this number; they’re really crisp and recall the happy meandering of acts like Real Estate. For me, however, the winner is in the yearning quality of the vocal delivery; it sort of feels like I’m dreaming of the world right along with the vocals. If I’m going off my gut, I think the band have something special here, but we’ll have to wait until their debut album comes in February to really have a full understanding of their talent.
Cold weather is creeping in through my window, and I’m trying to hold onto every extra ounce of energy possible over here, which is great since there’s this Hot Shorts video to share with you. It’s a quick pop ditty, opening up with muted guitar riffs and vocals for a good thirty seconds or so. Drums drop in, the song bursts off with this anthemic chorus that you’ll find yourself screaming in a matter of seconds. It’s a no frills pop rocking journey that ends just as soon as its started, so press repeat. Or better yet, go buy I Understand and I Wish to Continue via Icecapades Records.
I loved the shit out of Second Home (2016), and I felt like Dogbreth generated some decent buzz, so I was surprised to not hear from them. But, like all things, Tristan had to move, so the band changed up until he found friends in Seattle, his new home. And, all of a sudden there’s a brand new LP of great pop rock tracks that you should turn up real loud right this instant. The opening tracks have some punch, but don’t worry about getting burnt out, as you’ll find a few slow jams like “Walk You Again” to sort of cleanse the palate. It’s like this glorious hodgepodge of power pop, pop punk, emo and indie rock, all rolled into this delicious package built for repeat rock listens. Ever Loving is a great LP, and I just now found out about it! Go grab it from the band now!
I honestly didn’t think that I could have a better Thursday, and then this Spinning Coin ditty popped right into my life. Having loved the pop tilt-a-whirl that was 2017 Permo, I had high high expectations…but this my friends, this is the tops. There’s so much to unpack, and I’m kind of freaking out. The vocals have multiple layers, rising to this crackling fragility, returning to this almost playful operatic vibe, and all the while able to coolly slide back in with some “do do do dos” to leave you hooked. In the guitar work, you get this magical twirling, as if you’re spinning about in a huge expanse of knee-high grass without a care in the world. It’s all magic, and then the backing vocals just push you over the edge of the pop cliff, leaving you joyously tumbling into a warm bed of melody. Hyacinth will be released by Domino imprint Geographic in February of last year.
One of the labels I’ve been keeping an eye on over the last few years is French outfit Hidden Bay Records; they’ve just put up a track from the forthcoming Plainbow EP, and it’s pretty special. While I can easily see cascading guitars and atmospherics filling in the space here, I love how they leave this vast expanse of negative space for the tune’s opening moments. In fact, it never fully reaches that sonic climax, almost always toying with the tension for an entire 3 minutes; the song almost just feels empty and hollow, save for the emotional pull of the vocal work. Of course, we get this beautifully noisy outro closing, and we’re grateful, but it only succeeds due to the craft of the song itself. The Super Super Super EP is scheduled for release on Friday!
A couple of years ago Philadelphia based The Districts put out one of my favorite albums of that year with the release of Popular Manipulations. Since then, I’ve steadily jammed that album with a couple of other new singles as anticipation built for more new tunes from the band. Lucky for me, yesterday the band announced a new album with this new single called “Hey Jo” as the first teaser. As per usual, I love the unique sound the band can create and the ease at which the song progresses beautifully over three and a half minutes. This is sure to be one of my favorites of next year.
The Districts will release You Know I’m Not Going Anywhere on March 13th via Fat Possum.
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If you weren’t aware and trying to hate, the ATX music scene is still very much alive and well with new music coming out all the time. My evidence of the vibrant scene comes today from locals brother sports and their new track “I Still Remember (siempre)”. I like the relaxed, cool vibe of the song which plays nicely with the infectious beat and hazy themes. It seems as though we better start paying attention to this up and coming band as they continue to put out solid new music.
