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Who knows if the whole two week ACL Festival will pan out in the end? All we do know is that we’ll be bringing you coverage of both weekends, filled with as much nonsense as possible.
Read on for our recap for the first of six days of rock n’ roll.
Hopefully those who’ve kept their ears to the grindstone have heard of the beautiful music being created by David Novick. If not, then you’re all in for a wonderful surprise when God? re-releases his self-titled debut. For me, there are two parts that attract me to the song initially: the guitar playing and the quiet whispy vocals. But, then you get a gentle horn that works its way into the song, and the cycle of musical transcendence is completed. If you’re in need of something special on your Monday playlist, then I suggest you go no further than this song right here in front of you.
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I love music for the way it comes back into your life at random moments. Today, while searching for good tunes to present to you all, I stumbled across a new EP from Stornoway. I was transported a few years back to a time when I was in love with the Oxford act’s Beachbomber Windowsill LP. I had completely forgotten about the group until I found the You Don’t Know Anything EP, which will be released on November 11th. I remember loving the way the lyrics were written, and I’m happy to see that those elements are still intact. One change I can see is that there’s less of this grand-sweeping chamber pop approach, though the EP is not devoid of some of the nicer little touches, like soft horns. Anyways, you should listen to this band; they’re pretty good, says I.
Download: Stornoway – You Don’t Know Anything [MP3]
This past Friday night was nuts here in Austin. ACL Festival started, shows on every corner, at every venue, and hordes of happy people just milling about. For me, my eyes were set on catching Fuzz over at Red 7. Read on for my words on the band and more. Photo courtesy of the hard-working badass, Pooneh Ghana. Read more
If you’re one of those people that likes your music a little bit left of the dial, it’s getting harder and harder to find those lesser acts who don’t get the recognition they deserve, due to hype or label or whatever. But, if you’re like me and scour the webs, you’ll find great bands like The Chambermaids. The Minneapolis group has just released their newest LP, What Happened Tomorrow, and it’s worthy of repeated spins throughout this week…possibly beyond. I love the warmth of the guitars wrapping around the vocal harmonies; it also has this incredibly relaxed approach, never pushing too hard, despite a nice pounding rhythm from the percussion. Just another gem for our Monday readers.
Download: The Chambermaids – Electric Sky [MP3]
Okay, so perhaps haunting isn’t the precise word I’m looking for here; I think maybe erie might fit just as well, if not better. Far-Out Fangtooth are typically known for their blistering psych leaning rock, but this tune has this ghostly vocal that is reminiscent of a band of demonic monks offering up a distant melody. Of course, underlying that fact are the multiple layers and sonic changes in this tune, creating this captivating number that spans just under five minutes. The group will be releasing Borrowed Time on October 29th via Slitbreeze.
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Rating: 
Inhumanistic is the third LP by Mark Ryan’s Mind Spiders, and it’s the one that I think sounds the most like what you would expect from the former Marked Men leader. It’s still punk rock, with a tinge of power-pop tossed in for good measure, and it includes a dark bent on both the world and music.
After a brief prelude track, Mind Spiders blast off doing what they do best on “Inside You, utilizing driving guitars and speedy drumming to build towards the release of tension, which always comes with a bit of pop enthusiasm. Then you’re thrust into “Suicide,” which, despite its lyrical content, is probably one of my favorite tracks on the record. The chugging guitars are accompanied by a synthesizer, and although there’s a dark tint, it serves the song well, allowing for the inherent hook in the chorus to shine perfectly.
What I didn’t expect from Inhumanistic was a gem like “City Stuff.” It’s a track that surely was formed on an acoustic guitar, leaving a wonderfully hidden melody. But, instead of going with the easy acoustic ballad, the melody’s been replaced by synth work, using the guitar only to enhance to song where necessary. It goes right back into the rock n roll with “Electric Things,” though at this point in the record things start to become formulaic for the group. Now, this doesn’t mean that I don’t enjoy it; I like every track on here individually, but as a whole piece, there’s only two instances when things don’t go as expected. I mentioned one above, and the other comes in the sonically haunting “I Want You.” Again, this is a song that’s relaxed in essence, though the accents try their best to make more out of it. And it all leads up to the record’s pinnacle single.
As long as I’ve been following Mind Spiders, I’ve loved their ability to edgy riffs with catchy hooks, and no track to date has done such an exceptional job as “Make Make Make Make.” This song is a fast paced jam from the get-go, with the chorus providing the ultimate emotional release. This track was built for maximum crowd participation in the live setting, and even at home, you’ll have a hard time not screaming “make make make make” as you’re mopping the kitchen floors.
In the end, Inhumanistic is another solid release from Mind Spiders, but there were a few things that changed the easy 4.5 stars to 3.5. After three records, you notice some shifts in the band’s overall sound, but this record seems to be really predictable in some areas. Those areas that aren’t are incredible, and appreciated, but I’m wondering if I’m ultimately going to get worn down songs that seem too similar. For now, the answer is no; I love the songs here, just looking for a little more variety. Perhaps next go round.
[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/MakeMakeMakeMake.mp3]Download: Mind Spiders – Make Make Make Make [MP3]
In case you couldn’t guess, we are off doing things. There will be coverage.
Fist pumping soon. Parquet Courts will start my morning…
I’ll start off that I’ve always watched Queens of the Stone Age from afar. Their music hasn’t necessarily always been aligned with my interests, though they’ve had some undeniable jams that I think most people can appreciate. I headed out to the always incredible ACL Taping on Thursday night to see what the group had to offer live…it was sort of an ACL pre-test. Read on for my thoughts. Read more
Just a short bit ago we had this incredible tune from Swearin rocking on our stereos, and they’re back at it again a few short weeks later. This song opens up really softly, then opens up with this shredding guitar line and a more frenetic pace. Allison Crutchfield has the perfect voice for this sort of music, it’s got a bit of polish to it, yet it still has this strained sharpness that gives the tune, and the band, a solid edge. Their album Surfing Strange will be out on November 4th via Wichita Recordings.
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