Bringing the jams
ACL may be done and gone, but our post-coverage will still be trickling in this week as we recap both weekends of fun. When I said my Gimme 5 feature was over, I meant for you to maybe not take me too seriously and expect one or two more. So though the festival is over and this is not a preview, we all love playlists and I’m sure you’ll enjoy this one from Nashville based Judah & The Lion. Hit the jump for their words and songs.
I was stumbling through the pages of shows for the week, trying to map out my week, and in doing so, I came across this band MILLY; I’d heard about the band from the Dangerbird Microdose series, so I just sort of dug in and really fell in love with this tune. The band play tonight at Empire Control Room here in Austin. It’s definitely got this vibe that’s on par with what I’ve been listening to the last few months; it has this intimacy, with multiple vocalists playing a role in the song. I love that, but I’m also drawn to the fact that it has this feeling like we’re all sort of fading away, disappearing into the pieces of matter, shattered by the ringing of the guitars here. It’s a cool vibe, so get on it.
It’s funny that Portland trio Lubec have titled their new EP Against Nature; it feels like the perfect fit to the band’s sound at the moment as they take all these forces and work them against each other. Five seconds into the track and the guitars come crashing through the speakers; it has this discordant math-iness to it, which, in a sense, sort of recalls the style of Braid/Hey Mercedes. But, you contrast that sort of brash artiness with the group’s inclination towards pop sensibility, which is present here through Caroline’s vocal work, juxtaposed with the rougher surface. You could flip that too, talk about the heaviness as it would relate to a thunderous Northwest storm, only to find itself in a calming middle moment, moving to a fade out that forces reflection…it’s the precise way in which this very tune unfolds; the perfect amalgam of nature’s forces, all acting at once, against each other, and yet together. Such is the great execution of this song…and EP. Look for it this Friday via Disposable America.
When I heard this tune, I thought it was a new approach from my old pal Dylan Mondegreen, but I was wrong, as it was Portland act Mondegreen (no relation, oddly). The tune below is this drifting pop song, which immediately reminded me of Beach House in the way it opened up; they play with the same building tension too, though I will admit this track unleashes a little bit of power, ever so carefully towards the song’s latter half. If you’re into discovering bands and such, go check out the group’s most recent LP, Returnity.
It’s been just over a year since Club 8 released Golden Islands for Labrador, but amidst the release, they begin to work on a batch of songs they hoped would end up as a double album of sorts. We now get a first listen, and while it definitely plays into the hands of the band’s pop history, this furthers the band’s experimentation with its usage of space and lush arrangements. The vocals are so careful, you sort of get that sensation of weightlessness, feeling your body sort of release and float off into clouds…at least that’s what I hope it feels like…unless you’re Marge Dursley. For now, we wait for future news, but in this glorious fashion, lets just get ourselves lost.
It’s interesting how your mood impacts your listening choices, or perhaps the other way around, but whatever the case, this morning’s got me sort of floating along in this little dreamy pop realm. This Boyfriend Genes tune is doing just the right trick too, offering up this thoughtful dream pop of sorts; the guitar notes sort of have that natural sense of longing that has you staring outside at the world…which, to me, is the perfect sense of Friday. As the song unfolds, there’s a slight little haze on the vocals, fogging up the window to the outside world we so desperately want to join…or at least us folks locked up inside four walls. Have an escape with this Brooklyn duo.
Getting in the mood for the season has me fawning for what we all deemed twee pop, and No Middle Name are hitting the sweet spot for me today. They’ve got a new release that provides some natural bounce combined with the perfect male/female counter vocal. It works perfectly, particularly if you realize the song’s lyrics narrate a girl bringing her boyfriend home, who the family disapproves of, so the plan their escape. It’s the best lighthearted way to start off your Friday morning, so steep your feeling deep in this cup of pop tea, then thank me later.
Happy ACL day part 2! For those of us, like me, who couldn’t get away to see much last weekend, today marks the beginning of 3 more music filled days. The weather should be fantastic and some new bands have been added to the already stacked weekend lineup. Today I am finishing off my Gimme 5 feature this year with Toronto based Beaches who play in a matter of hours. So hit the jump and check out their words and picks.
We still write album reviews? You’re damn right we do! Though it’s been a bit of time (okay maybe a lot of time), we do still like to talk about music and the full album experience. We currently live in a very “right now” society where things need to deliver fast and immediately, but the ATH team still loves a great record. This review of a great record features Scranton, PA based The Menzingers and their new album Hello Exile. Hit the jump for some words and thoughts.
Somewhere in the 1960s, a group of friends gathered outside of a haunted house, deep in the hills, as the sun set, coating the world in darkness…or so the story goes. The soundtrack to that scene very well could be this tune from Pink Chameleons, though we’d have to travel back in time. In the recording of the vocals, you can hear this sort of howl, like the spirits turning notes into ghostly sounds that will haunt the friends. The fuzzy guitar buzz resonates, feeding the line between spirit world and those on the plane of Earth, blurring the lines as the psychedelic stop jangles through your speakers. Cool vibe, no? You’ll catch this track on the band’s new Songs EP, out December 13th via Soliti.
