This is fine.
Pop music is back in fashion, and there are few, in my mind, that are doing it as well as Sam Himself. He’s coming our way for SXSW with hits galore, predominantly from his recent Songs in D EP, which came out in 2017. Click below for his responses to our questions, as well as one of those pop hits I keep talking about!
Last month, Austin’s Good Field released their third LP, Surface Tension, and we’re stoked to bring you the band’s brand new video for “Necessary Feeling.” Riffs ring out immediately, waiting for the drums to pound their way into the picture, as they do in this video. Singer Paul Price soon enters the picture, walking a line between croon and warble; he manages to pull in the reigns, stretching himself into the higher notes. The keyboard notes throughout provide some nice balance, polishing the rough edges ever so slightly to keep a certain pop sensibility. But, the song seems to come to a brief end just over 2.5 minutes, but give it a second, as the band comes back forcibly to leave their mark with one final punching run to the close. If you love the song like we do, grab the LP HERE…and if you’re in Austin, you can catch them at the following shows:
March 11 @ Hotel Vegas (2:15), March 11 @ Spiderhouse (6:40), March 13 @ 720 Club (11:00), March 15 @ Radio Milk Studios (2:40), and March 17th @ Radio Coffee + Beer (9:00)
Max Clarke’s Cut Worms project caught our ear last year with his latest EP, but today’s news promises the debut album we’ve been anxiously awaiting. This tune harkens to a purity in the pop canon, though it’s elevated ever so carefully with Clarke’s extra touches. There’s almost a Western swing added to a seemingly 60s era pop tune via the guitar lines darting out quickly through your speakers. I’m also really attracted to the brevity of it all; it’s short, sweet and to the point. Hollow Ground will be released via Jagjaguwar on May 4th. He’ll also be in Austin for SXSW, if you’re going to be around.
If you’re living outside of Austin, or maybe even inside, you might lump Holodeck Records into the electronic community, which is fair. But, this Friday the label release Holodeck Vision One, a compilation reaching across all genres. There are some big names within, but today we’re bringing you one of our personal highlights…a new tune from Single Lash. Interestingly, it’s a six minute opus where the band refuses to be defined, offering glimpses of both goth and shoegaze, but even more impressive to me is the patience and space utilized within the confines of the tune. Chords carefully ring out, echoing on top of each other and fading out as Nicolas’ deep vocals drive home the emotional appeal. Endure the first four minutes and you’ll be met with a wave of guitars crashing down upon you, and you won’t be able to pull yourself away. I’ve been lost in this song for the last 24 hours, so be careful, there’s no coming back. Look for the HV1 Compilation to drop Friday.
Nathan K first came onto my radar with 2014’s Methodist Girls, and since then, I’ve kept close ties on his work. He just released a new track from his forthcoming Bridges EP, and it continues his growth from bedroom songwriter to powerful pop perfection. This song is louder than most of his previous work, but the way he softens his notes on the vocal delivery still carries a great deal of intimacy for listeners…and that’s something I’ll always stand behind. He’ll also be making his way to Austin for SXSW, so perhaps you’ll want to add him to acts you’d like catch.
Few labels are out there putting their money where mouth is, talking of cultural change in the music industry. But then there’s Emotional Response, single-handedly guaranteeing that women in punk get all their deserved credit; they’re back again with their (by now famous) Typical Girls Volume 3 & 4…two LPs worth of female rock n’ roll in compilation form. Below we’ve got a tune from Japan’s C-3s off of Volume 4. There’s structural changes throughout the tune, some moments of early post-punk and other instances of swagger and aggressiveness. A few repeated listens and glorified hooks will emerge from the noisy commotion, and you’ll swoon over this release. The LPs are available now from the label!
We’re actually going to start SXSW’ing this week, but we’ve still got a few interviews to roll out for you before we get going. Below we’ve got some answers from Ohio’s Didi who are likely to be bringing brand new tunes into town. They’ve got the following sets confirmed: BD Rileys (3/15), Escapes Day Party (3/15) and Peelander Fest (3/16). You can also catch a video of the band’s track “Stampede” after the jump. Plus, if you haven’t heard about them, check out their recently reissued self-titled LP on Damnably.
Sam Chown is one of the busier Austin musicians, but in the case of the single below, lets focus on his band SHMU. Through the year’s Sam’s been crafting songs in various studios and recording spaces, and that work seems to have let to the collage vibe that’s present on the new album Lead Me to the Glow. Layer upon layer of sound is textured atop Sam’s drum work, including horns and a layer of vocals from Carrie of Calliope Musicals. Interestingly, that texturing also leads to a smoother, almost R&B inflected sound, though fleshed out in a futuristic manner. Very few folks are crafting music quite as diverse as this; look for the LP to drop late this Summer.
Power-pop is a lost art, in a certain sense. It’s been adopted by the masses and overused by lazy writers like myself. But, The Shut-Ups aren’t here to establish themselves as torch-bearers, they’ve been writing new-wave inflected pop tunes since the early 00s…longer than most people’s awareness of power pop as a genre. The riffs are huge, balanced by soft vocal turns and keyboard lines that wiggle in and out of the mix. It’s carefree pop music for the masses, if only the masses would take a moment to listen. They’ve just completed their fifth album, Just Another Generation, an album centered around the theme of time; it drops on April 13th.
This brand new single from Hi Lo Ha is a marvelous adventure in indie rock songwriting. Contrary to popular fads of implied urgency, the group sit back and let this song unfold over six minutes. The percussive element is spot-on and simple, giving the song the needed backbone for meandering guitar chords and twinkling keyboard notes that faded off into the distance. The line of “I’ve got you now,” is in reference to the connection between the listener and the band; it’s often the one thing that’s most meaningful to an artists when everything else seems stagnant. Look for Ain’t Gone Tonight to drop on April 13th.
