Technical Difficulties
Takka Takka have another new song for your listening pleasure off their latest offering Migration due out July 29th. The new song is called “Everybody Say” which can be found below. The new album features some guest drumming by Bryan Devendorf of The National.
Download: everybodysay.mp3
San Diego artist The Donkeys recently posted the newest single from their latest effort Living on the Other Side due out on Dead Oceans September 9th. The name of this catchy/impossible to get out of your head song is “Walk Through a Cloud” which can be found below. Read more about The Donkeys on that website that takes a million years to load.
Download: walkthroughacloud.mp3
The Kadane Brothers delivered an intimate two guitar and no frills set at Emo’s Austin on Thursday night. Austin was the first show in a series of quick North American tour dates for Matt & Bubba Kadane without their backing band The New Year. The brothers showcased a few new songs off their forthcoming self titled release The New Year due out in September with their band of the same name. Each song of the set featured one of the two brothers singing lead with the other brother singing harmonies to back up. Read more
No Age will be showing up at the Emos Austin indoor stage this Tuesday (7/1) with supporting act Abe Vigoda in tow. You can purchase tickets for the low low price of $8 on the ticketweb website. Opening act The Strange Boys are set to start at 10pm so No Age will probably be getting a fairly late start for those of you with jobs. Read more about No Age or hear a song off their critically acclaimed new album Nouns entitled “Eraser”:
Download: eraser.mp3
Saul Williams just released the first single “World on Wheels” off his upcoming album The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust due out July 8th on the Fader label. This song strengthens the idea that Saul Williams is better experienced live.
Download: Saul Williams – World on Wheels [MP3]
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For those expecting Alkaline Trio to come up with an entirely new formula for this album–their sixth full length–it may come as a disappointment, although it shouldn’t, that the band sticks close to their guns. They’ve been honing their skills at the pop-punk game for so long, that it might do more damage to fans if they strayed in a new direction.
Of course this album has the classic Alkaline lyrical stylings, filled with allusions to the darker side of things, which has always been Matt Skiba’s forte. An example of this lies in the song “Into the Night,” where Skiba sings “The carrion has been forgotten/Left for dead in the sun rotting.” It’s also visible with track titles such as “Calling All Skeletons” or “In Vein.” There is a real personal vibe in the lyrics as well, but I’ll let you listen to those on your own time.
There are some slip ups on the album such as the redundant lyrics in “Do You Wanna Know,” which is forgivable because of the quality of the music. Also, “Love Love Kiss Kiss” just doesn’t pack the same punch that the rest of the album offers listeners–not to mention how ridiculous the chorus is on this song.
However, there are some phenomenal songs here, such as “Over and Out,” which is probably one of the best songs I think that they’ve written in recent years– driven during the verses by some solid bass work. “Ruin It” is just another song that exemplifies everything that Alkaline Trio has been creating since their jump to the majors–and they throw in a nice vocal effect near the end to boot.
At first, I was weary of the really clean production on here–as I love the grit of that dirty guitar sound–but it really works to the benefit of the band here. Skiba’s melodies are well-suited by the newer sound the band has taken on. It makes the band sound sound really close to being at their absolute best. All good things.
Like I said, there isn’t anything new here–excluding the fact that there are new songs, of course–yet this is a solid effort from a well-seasoned band that has been doing it longer and better than most. Not quite the perfect album, but pretty close.
Below is a song called “Help Me” off the new album:
Download: helpme.mp3
[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/alkaline-trio-help-me.mp3]
Blitzen Trapper recently posted a new song called “Furr” off their soon to be released album Furr due out this September. The song is slowly creeping into my top 10 songs of the year.
Download: furr.mp3
The F-Yeah tour will be bringing the traveling road show to Mohawk on Friday evening. The list of acts include Matt & Kim, Deathset, Brother Reade, Keith Morris, Team Robespierre & many more. Tickets for the show are only $8 and you can buy them ahora on the front gate tickets website. For more information about the show, check out the brand spankin’ new Transmission Entertainment website. You can also preview the show with a song by Matt & Kim entitled “Yea Yeah”. Get yo dancin’ shoes ready! Also, according to their myspace page, the Crystal Antlers will be doing an after party at the Lamar Bridge around 2 am after the show at Mohawk. I don’t know much about it, but I’m sure it will be a good time.
Download: yeayeah.mp3
Kings of Leon have set a release date and an album title for their newest record. The album is called Only by the Night and is set to be released on the RCA record label Sep. 23rd. You can read more about the album on NME website or head to Kings of Leon’s website for more information/tour dates. This gives me a good excuse to post one of my favorite songs of 2007 “My Party” off the incredible & personal top 5 album of 2007 Because of the Times. I’m praying these guys can recreate this sound and continue to deliver rock n roll at its finest.
Download: Kings of Leon – My Party [MP3]
Sub Pop label friends Oxford Collapse will be playing at Mohawk tonight for free! That’s right, it cost you nothing, zip, nada, seriously nothing. The show will be getting started at 8 pm. It can’t really sell out but it can fill up pretty quick so you should get there early before the fire marshal says no more people inside. Read more about Oxford Collapse on their website or hear a song off their 2006 album Remember the Night Parties called “Please Visit Your National Parks”:
Download: pleasevisityournationalparks.mp3
