Wicked Hit from Sunflower Bean

sunSunflower Bean is a fairly new act if one was to go by the information passed our way, but I’m already interested to see what direction they’re heading.  This single has two souls, though they both seem to be haunted by different directions.  You’ll get the female fronted post-rock, with this entrancing yelp at the end of the syllables.  Then they switch it into more of a psychedelic realm, with a different twist on the music; these moments have more of a brooding fuzz to them, rather than the emphatic yelping of it’s counterpart. It’ll be interesting to see what comes next; there’s lots of room for them to grow.

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Geoffrey O’Connor – Fan Fiction

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homepage_large.1b99a5d7Rating: ★★½☆☆

When front men, or women, step aside from their group efforts to strike out on their own, I always fear that the effort will be, well, too self-indulgent. Geoffrey O’Connor, of the Crayon Fields, created a record of his own back in 2011, when he broke out a bit from his guitar and moved into the synth pop side of things. Fan Fiction is another trip into the world of danceable beats and narratives that take place or belong in a nightclub.

Nightclub beats may be one thing, but it’s a whole different animal to be able to go back and forth from dance floor to the other parts of your life. While we all like to shake it, I have to have a little bit of substance to accompany my dance tunes and set them apart from all the rest. The general sound on Fan Fiction is interesting—something along the lines of a mix between Cut Copy and the vocal quality reminiscent of Owen Pallett. It’s synth dance pop with 80’s flair; the presence of the electric guitar through the whole thing adds a neat little element that sets it apart from other takes on this genre. However, there really isn’t a whole lot of variety from track to track that add up to something other than a collection of songs that all sound somewhat similar to each other.

Though my main issue with this album is its lone dimension, there are still some pretty fun tracks that you can groove to. Take “Jacqueline” and “Another Time,” for two great examples of this—both of these tunes are dance floor ready. “Jacqueline,” kicks open with some drum machine, synth riffs and what sounds like a hint of crisp guitar riffs. The beat pumps through the song, and the lead vocals take on a quality that resembles the pulsating electronic sounds as he wonders after the title character now that he knows nothing about her. While the song doesn’t really build to anything in the end, it’s no doubt catchy and will have you lamenting “Jacqueline” along with O’Connor and the feminine vocals that join him for the choral hook. Similar in interest is “Another Time,” where the rhythm is picked up and the lyrics twist around in little endless loops of tongue twisters while instrumentation sounds like scattering fragments of synth that go on forever in the background.

Overall though these few really detailed and stick out tracks weren’t enough to pull me into the rest of the album. I was left feeling a little bored with Fan Fiction and longing for a little more substance.

 

New EP From Twerps

Upload_SxSW2ndSt_2012_03_16-15_09_55It’s been quite some time since we’ve heard from our Australian friends in Twerps and I’m excited today to share reports of some new music from the band.  Apparently Merge has swooped in and signed the band and are releasing a brand new EP of material entitled Underlay.  Lucky for you and I, the label is offering up the EP in its entirety for the next week via soundcloud.  Naturally we will embed the entire thing here for your listening pleasure.  I haven’t made it through the whole thing just yet, but I’m sure it’s going to be incredible.

Stay tuned for more information on an upcoming full length release in 2015.

  [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/47453525″ params=”color=ff9900&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_artwork=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Chilled Vibes from The Good Sports

goodieI just can’t get enough of sun-drenched guitar pop, and today, there’s nothing better than this EP from Brisbane’s The Good Sports.  I’ve spent the last few hours listening to their new Mandarin Time EP, and it sort of reminds me of the music being crafted by The Growlers.  There’s slight traces of garage rock, but they spin it in such a soft manner that you can’t help but to just sink into the vibe of the tune.  Their EP gets a little bit groovier in the long run, but this tune was the one that grabbed me immediately.  You’re going to have a hard time getting this jam out of your head today.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/01.-Out-Of-The-Way.mp3]

Download: The Good Sports – Out Of The Way [MP3]

Grungy Pop from Virgin Kids

virginIn case no one else out there obsessively follows their favorite labels, I’m here to help you with that job today.  Art is Hard Records tossed up this little gem from Virgin Kids last Friday, and it made its way into my weekend rotation, getting so many spins I had to share it with you. The three-piece London outfit really has two sides of this song; they offer a pretty straight-forward guitar pop piece up front, but get all distorted in the middle of the song, letting the chords ring loud.  Heavier parts of the song come in strong, but they’re short-lived, as to be sure not to wear out their welcome amid such a pop-centric feel.  Enjoy this one.

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Show Preview: Woods @ Holy Mountain (8.20)

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Date Wednesday, August 20th
Location Holy Mountain
Doors 9:00
Tickets $12 from Transmission


I feel like Woods is one of the bands that I will forever undervalue.  I snatch up everything they put out, then indulge far too frequently in those purchases. But, then I sometimes forget they even exist, especially since Kevin Morby always has something going on.  Luckily, we can all indulge on Wednesday in a little bit of Woods; their live sets are phenomenal, not to be missed gigs.  They cover so much sonic ground, from folk to pop to psychedelia, and it all blends together so seamlessly. Odds are they’ll spend a great bit of the night covering their most recent effort, With Light and With Love, yet I now they’ll fill their set with delights from the back catalogue. See you guys Wednesday!

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/woods-suffering-season.mp3]

Download: Woods – Suffering Season [MP3]

Dark New Track From The Twilight Sad

14957292691_8fcb196b49I’m sure some of you heard this track yesterday so I apologize for my tardiness in sharing this if you’ve already heard it.  That’s okay by me though because The Twilight Sad has long been an ATH favorite and this new track called “There’s a Girl in the Corner” is just too good not to share.  The band yet again highlight their special way of blending dark pop with heavy bass lines and emotionally packed vocals.  These guys continue to get better and better.

New album, Nobody Wants to be Here and Nobody Wants to Leave, is due out October 28th on FatCat Records.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/163109818″ params=”color=ff9900&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_artwork=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Austin Spotlight: New Song from Silver Ships

chazzWhen I look around the Austin music landscape, there’s some incredible things happening.  The rock n’ roll scene is hitting hard with great acts like Trustees or Xetas; the indie pop scene is, as always, flourishing; folk and country artists abound, with some doing it better than others.  But, no one is making the music like Silver Ships.  It’s the product of Chazz Bessette, who recorded the entirety of his new album sans computer technology.  That’s a pretty impressive feat alone, but this new song is just so so good. There’s an old school feel to it, with a plodding organ and a solid melody.  Look for more when Songs From a Room That Never Moves comes your way on September 30th.

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Another New Song & Video From Lace Curtains

michael-coomersHaving already shared with you new single “Wilshire and Fairfax”, I’m happy today to bring you another new track from Michael Coomer and his project known as Lace Curtains.  This one comes in the form of a video and is entitled “Boardwalk to the Alps”.  The track is yet again superb with its quirky and undeniably catchy rhythms throughout.  Fans of old school monster cinema will also love the video.  Check it out after the jump.

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Enjoy This Latest Single from Johnny Aries

johnnOkay. Johnny Aries plays with the Drums.  But, don’t let that impact your listening.  He’s actually better known, to me, of this role in UK outfit Two Wounded Birds.  The UK songwriter has a touch of that spritely bounce you’ll get in his current act, but there’s more of a traditional indiepop sound coming from his songs; I can even hear a bit of that Moz croon hanging on the tip of his delivery.  It’ll be interesting to hear how his whole record, Unbloomed, shapes up. It’s going to be released by Frenchkiss on August 26th.

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