This is fine.
Hopefully you’ve already gotten your hands on this tune already, but it’s too good not to share it with those who haven’t. Woods will be releasing their newest album At Echo Lake next week (May 4th) on Woodsist, and the blissful creativity in this song is just one of the many reasons that you’ll fall in the love with this record. This is the perfect tune for the perfect Austin weather we’ve been having.
Download: Woods – Suffering Season [MP3]
I know I know, we just can’t seem to shut up about Surfer Blood can we? That should just tell you to pick up their debut album Astrocoast before we kick you in the face! So the now overly hyped band just recorded and posted a sweet new live session on the HearYa website. This session is super sweet because you can download MP3s of all songs separately or in one big zip file. Live videos of “Take it Easy” & “Swim” are also included. Seriously, check this band out now.
Download: Surfer Blood – Take It Easy (live on HearYa) [MP3]
Swedish indie pop duo Marching Band have some tasty new pop tunes coming your way this summer. The band’s sophomore effort, Pop Cycle, will be making its way to you on May 18th via U&L Records. Until then, the guys have this new single “It Will Never Slip” available for free download. I dig their pop melodies. Is it summer yet?
Download: Marching Band – It Will Never Slip [MP3]
Tokyo Police Club have another new song from their upcoming LP Champ floating around the internet today. The new track is called “Wait Up (Boots of Danger)” and shows even more pop goodness from the Canadians. Hoping this will be one of the better pop albums of the year. You can pick up your copy of Champ on June 8th via Mom + Pop Records.
Download: Tokyo Police Club – Wait Up (Boots of Danger) [MP3]
San Francisco’s Magic Bullets once shared connections with members of Girls, but don’t let that fool you! This band is everything you love about groups like Orange Juice and The Smiths. It’s got new-wave post-punk guitar chops and a bit of yelping vocal to boot. You can find this killer track, along with many others when the band release their second album Magic Bullets on Mon Amie Records on June 15th. Enjoy kids.
Download: Magic Bullets – Lying Around [MP3]
During SXSW I opted to check in on another fabulous scene, that of Athens, GA. I went to catch an amazing set from Twin Tigers, but I was also pleased to get a ridiculously enthusiastic performance from Gift Horse. It was freezing cold (ya’ll remember that Saturday), but the energy from the stage kept me warm, albeit for just a little bit. You’ll find a clever balance between soft and heavy in this tune “Plastic People,” which generally bodes well for the group. You can catch more tunes from the band when they release their album Mountain of Youth on May 4th.
Download: Gift Horse – Plastic People [MP3]
A few people in NYC’s The Babies have full-time gigs in other known bands. Some of you might have heard of Woods or even Vivian Girls, but trust me, this band doesn’t sound anything at all like that. It’s got a bit of jangle, but the vocals and the guitar work are a lot more geared towards getting you to bounce all about your room (or cubicle), and we can’t see a single thing wrong with that. This track is off their new 7″ Meet Me in the City, which you can get your hands on by going to Make a Mess. It also features the B Side, “Somebody Else.”
Download: Babies-Meet Me in the City [MP3]
This band has been one of my favorites for the longest time, and I’m super excited that they have a new 7″ titled I Never Happened. It features the Comet Gain trademark jangle pop, which just grows on you time and time again. This 7″ also shows some promising leads as to the new work of the band, as it features two songs that were started by the band, then finished by Love is All and Crystal Stilts. If this is any indicator of the work to come from the band in the future, then it looks like I might have another incredible record to enjoy for years to come. You can get the 7″ HERE.
Download: Comet Gain – I Never Happened [MP3]
New York based outfit Hooray For Earth are getting ready to release their new EP Momo this summer on Dovecote Records. The band is supporting their upcoming release with this new single entitled “Surrounded By Your Friends”. I’m thinking it will get you kids ready for the dance floor this weekend. The Momo EP will be in stores June 1st.
Call Bone Thugs-n-Harmony what you will, but don’t say they’re not original. A focus on harmonic textures may have just come into vogue for a recent wave of indie bands, but it was always a part of Bone’s sound. This wouldn’t be strange in its own right, but Bone brought harmonizing to a place it had rarely been: Hip-hop. The speed at which they rhyme coupled with almost impenetrable slang makes understanding exactly what Bone is saying difficult. But even if you don’t follow every word, the weird mix of rap over singing has to be heard to be appreciated. Bone broke into the main stream in the mid 90’s with “The Thuggish Ruggish Bone” and their tribute to Eazy-E (who famously discovered them) “Tha Crossroads.” For my money though, the “1st of Tha Month” is the best of their popular tracks.
We bring you this because the band is playing @ Emo’s on Saturday for only $18.
[audio: https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Bone-Thugs-n-Harmony-1st-Of-Tha-Month.mp3]