This is fine.
One of our favorite new Austin bands, Frantic Clam, are celebrating the release of their new Anatomica EP with a show at Beauty Bar this Wednesday. The guys will be joined on the stage by Austin outfit Focus Group. Music looks to get started around 10pm with no cover charge! If you’ve read our review of the band’s new EP, you know we’re excited about the future of this upstart.
Download: Frantic Clam – Korean Beauty Queen [MP3]
New residents of our little town and recent Woxy performers, The Heartless Bastards, have a new album coming out in February and are sharing new single “The Mountain” from the album. The new LP, The Mountain, is set to be released via Fat Possum Records on Feb. 3rd. We also just heard from Do512 that the band is headlining the Bush retirement party on the 20th at Antone’s next week. Tickets are available for that event over on the Act Blue website for $20. The band was also recently confirmed for the SXSW festival in March.
Download: Heartless Bastards – The Mountain [MP3]
How many of you remember that Ben Kweller has a new album, Changing Horses, due out next month? It seems like Mr. Kweller generally flies right under the radar so buzz about his new album has sort of faded. Regardless, you can hear some new tunes from the album on his recent Daytrotter performance. He plays 3 songs from his upcoming LP and one from On My Own. Here’s a taste of the new country sounding album with “Wanting Her Again” live on Daytrotter.
Download: Ben Kweller – Wanting Her Again (live) [MP3]
If you aren’t heading to Mohawk for The Donkeys show, The So So Glos are another good option for some Tuesday evening fun at Emo’s. The band is yet another up and coming Brooklyn based outfit who are gaining some notoriety outside of New York. They’ll be playing along with Austin’s own Scorpion Child with doors opening at 8pm. Best news of all, the whole thing is free!
Download: The So So Glos – Throw Your Hands Up [MP3]
If your looking for a little fun indie-pop music today, Raleigh band Annuals bring that and more to a recent performance on Spinner’s The Interface. The live set features 4 tunes and a video interview as well. Don’t forget that the band is also coming through town on Feb. 13th at The Parish. Tickets are on sale now, but we’ll remind you about that closer to the date.
Download: Annuals – Confessor [MP3]
This Tuesday evening California’s The Donkeys will make their way into Austin. Something about this band begs to be noticed, and perhaps it’s the sunshine of bands like Beulah that make this a show we should all attend as winter dances in and out of our lives. The show goes down at The Mohawk, on the inside stage no less. Our friends over at Transmission Entertainment tell us the show kicks off at 10 PM.
Download: The Donkeys – Nice Train [MP3}
If you didn’t catch our year end list, you might have missed out on how much we love Jeremy Jay. In our excitement, we almost overlooked the release of his new 12″ on K Records titled Love Everlasting, which will hit stores near you on January 20th. All this is in preparation for the release of his new album, Slow Dance, set to come your way in March. Check out this keyboard infused genius!
Download: Jeremy Jay-Love Everlasting [MP3]
Rating: 
Occasionally you miss a release of a deserving band, and you spend your time thinking it over, wondering how it escaped you. Luckily, Silent Land Time Machine‘s & Hope Still is here to help you with your troubles. It’s not begging to be accepted by you, it simply carries on patiently, awaiting your listening experience.
Unlike most who create musical landscape music, the remarkable thing is that this project was created by one individual. There is not a slew of musicians willing to provide input, this is simply a wonderful creation by an individual. That being said, it also might be the one possible detractor, as occasionally the songs drag on a little bit, repeating patterns.
It’s hard to describe the exact sound of this record, as one would find it difficult to decipher every instrument being used and at which point. Then throw in some vocal samples bubbling underneath the structure of various songs, and you would be hard pressed to label this band as anything. One might be able to draw comparisons to M83‘s Before the Dawn Heals Us, but take that allusion, and leave it out in the woods to grow for several years. That is as close as one can proximate a definition for this band.
Seeing as it dwells in the creation of a soundscape, here is what one might picture as they listen to the album: You jumped in your car, as the day was sunny and clear, intent upon escaping the city, if only for a few hours. As you drive, the music kicks in, and your thoughts cease to remain relevant. The music is carrying you along, through densely wooded hills, across grasslands blowing in the breeze. Suddenly, the mood strikes you to pull over near a struggling stream. You watch atop an ancient bridge as the water trickles into nothingness. Seconds, minutes, hours all pass you by, but the only thing you feel, or hear, is the music on this album. You’ve drifted away, but as the album ends, it’s time to return.
You see, there is something about this album that provides an overwhelming warmth emotionally. It evokes something that very few albums are able to do, as it asks for nothing but your listening participation. Through its peaks and into its valleys, if you follow closely, you will be rewarded ultimately, as nothing soothes like the gentle sounds from & Hope Still.
Don’t forget that Silent Land Time Machine will be playing at Emos on January 23rd.
[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/01-everything-goes-to-shit.mp3]Download: Silent Land Time Machine – Everything Goes To Shit [MP3]
Calexico have a sweet new song that debuted this week on the Threadless t-shirt website. The song was released through Threadless in conjunction with a new design by the company. Check out the t-shirt design or listen to new song “Absent Afternoon” below.
Download: Calexico – Absent Afternoon [MP3]
We all love Will Scheff and his band Okkervil River, but Will recently released a split 7″ with Charles Bissell of The Wrens. Will covers The Wrens “Ex-Girl Collection” while Charles covers Okkervil’s “It Ends With a Fall.” The release is already out in stores, but if you want, you can head straight over to Jagjaguwar Records to purchase your very own copy.
Download: Will Sheff – Ex-Girl Collection [MP3]
