Allah Las – Worship The Sun

worship-lpRating: ★★★☆☆

I say this with little to no sarcasm—there hasn’t been an influx of retro American rock these days—I mean there’s a plethora of garage and surf rock, but not much of what helped inspire this genre. So when it comes to bands like Allah Las, I’m a little soft, but granted, there’s something infectious about their sound, as if it’s a straight blast from the past; akin to that perfect vintage collectable you find tucked away in some mom and pop store. Though old fashioned in style, Worship The Sun has just enough jangle to keep up with today’s genres.

“De Vida Voz” begins as a subtle and soft introduction to the album, with plenty of gang vocals and jingle-jangle to float anyone’s boat, though the very opening part allude to a deeper, rockier side to the band and album that will be revealed later. The whole number sounds like a glazed over desert rock tune—the guitars play off each other in a campy mix, while the gang vocals blend together with the guitars in a nasal ethereal kind of vibe. It’s the perfect kind of song that you want as its still somehow stiflingly hot in the last (who am I kidding, this is Texas) September slump of the summer.

There are quite a few tracks to listen to on this album, so if you aren’t careful, you just might miss some of the good ones. In the third position, “Artifact” is a hauntingly western rock song, which creeps along for longer than most of the tracks here, and oddly enough it has the kind of build that most of the other songs don’t lead up to. You get Miles Michaud on lead vocals through a thick glaze of reverb and fuzz, while the music forms a kind of storytelling mode. Though it comes across as a story in the instrumentation, Michaud’s vocals have a different idea and you can hear the build within it as he circles round for the last time, singing, “it goes on and on and on…” You get the feeling like this song, or style of song, though done well by the group, has been around for a while.

While the overall style on Worship The Sun is really worth your time, the album feels a bit like it could have used some revision. There isn’t a track that’s bad per-se, but a little more precision in the tracks selected, or variation, would have given this record the appeal it lacks when you reach its end and the tracks have all blurred together in one American rock haze.

 

Enjoy This Filmstrip

filmerOkay, so it’s not actually a filmstrip, though that would be cool. Instead it’s Filmstrip, the band.  Listening to their latest single, I can’t help but to recall a more country-fied version of Dinosaur Jr.  There’s a slight bit of drawl in the vocals, while the guitars have a cascading effect, though definitely a bit more patient than something Mascis might have penned.  Still. there’s something to be said about the ease with which this song hits you in the face; it’s so enjoyable, you’re not even sure you’ve fallen in love with it before it’s left and gone away.  The group releases Moments of Matter, their new LP, on November 4th.

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Austin Spotlight: Soft Vision

artworks-000088551364-c4p52u-t500x500_440_440Prior to today, I knew almost nothing about up and coming Austin band Soft Visions.  After a little bit of research here and there, I see that the band have only been around for a couple of years and are trying hard to make a name for themselves in this busy town.  Today I’m sharing with you their latest single called “Feel it Coming” to hopefully aid them in their quest for local takeover.  The track has this great washed out, hazy sort of feel to it that is enhanced by the bellowing vocals of Bradley Barr over his female counterpart Kelly Winchester.  It’s something to enjoy.

Pick up a new EP from the group on Acoustic Division on October 20th.

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Ramesh The King LP Release – TODAY!!! Album Stream

ramFor a kid born and raised in Austin, there are a handful of bands that hold a great deal of meaning to my life, at least in regards to growing up.  Voxtrot is one of those bands, so it has been an absolute pleasure for me to work with Ramesh, one of the main songwriters in the group.  He quietly released The King digitally earlier this year, and we here at Austin Town Hall Records are releasing the album TODAY on vinyl.  It’ll be at all your local shops, but you can also grab it from us online HERE. And, if you’re lucky enough to live here in Austin, Ramesh is playing his album release show at the Belmont on Thursday night with She Sir and Mahogany.  It’s going to be a great night in honor of this great release.  I hope to see you there, or ship you a record.

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The Nites Are Free!

Nites_Poster2014Fun Fun Fun Fest has announced the Nites lineup. Free to all wristband holders, with the USP folks getting to cut lines.

This year’s lineup features: Dinosaur Jr., MSTRKRFT, Guided By Voices, Foxygen, Mineral, Rocket From The Crypt, Meat Puppets, Angel Olsen, Courtney Barnett, Dum Dum Girls, Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Octopus Project, Gorilla Biscuits, Deafheaven, Blood Brothers, Metz, Pallbearer, Negative Approach, The Dictators NYC, King Tuff, Sick of It All, Iceage, Knapsack, Gardens & Villa, Z-Trip, Majical Cloudz, 7 Seconds, Tinariwen, Forward (Japan), Power Trip, Bob Moses, Iron Reagan, MC Chris, Riverboat Gamblers, Neil Hamburger, Cass McCombs, The Jazz June, and lots more!

Click here for the big line up list.

New Bass Drum of Death Tune

bassnessIf you’ve listened to Bass Drum of Death before, you might have expected the group to bring you their typical cacophonous wall of crashing noise, but this is not so.  It seems as if this time around they’re showing some restraint in their sound, though that doesn’t mean you’re not going to get those loud riffs coming through your speakers.  They’re there, definitely.  However, they seem to be swept up in a Wavves-ish approach, wherein the focus is wholly related to pop music, though shaded by walls of volume.  Should make their newest effort, Rip This, an interesting listen when it’s released on October 7th via Innovative Leisure. 

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Hooked on Step – Panther

stepbrosThis song should be getting  a whole lotta love (sorry about that unintended LZ reference).  It took me a second or two, as the song doesn’t just jump right into things…that’s not a bad thing.  You get a hint at the enjoyment coming your way when the guitar gently says hello from the background, just before permanently noodling its way with hooks galore.  This isn’t the nostalgic 90s guitar pop, but rather the kind that can only seems to come from our Oceanic brethren like Step-Panther.  You’ll be able to listen to the group’s entire Strange But Nice LP on September 19th when it gets a world-wide release. This might just be the surprise hit I’ve been looking for.

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Blue Plutos Deliver Pop Goodness

0003445242_10A straight up, well written pop number can be a difficult thing to come by nowadays.  Sure some bands can do an okay job at it, but few seem to pull it off with the ease and perfection shown here by Blue Plutos.  Yes sir, “Shadow Chateau”, is what I like to call pop goodness, in all its dreamy and mesmerizing glory.  You can easily hear some similarities to Austin based hushed pop group Tiger Waves and you know ATH is going to get behind that.

Blue Plutos have a new EP entitled Dennett St. available for stream and purchase on bandcamp.

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Film Review – Tomato Republic

big-tomatoRating: ★★★½☆

Synopsis

Can a flamboyant restaurant owner and a young African American male really challenge the good ol’ boy incumbent for the mayoral seat in the Pineywoods town of Jacksonville, Texas?

Use Your Words

Tomato Republic is one of my diamond in the rough finds of the year.  A well put together documentary at its core, you’ll also find yourself emotionally invested in every character of the film.  Maybe it’s my East Texas roots that draw me into the drama of small town politics, but I think almost anyone would find something to enjoy here.  Men drinking endless cups of coffee at the local donut shop, talking massive amounts of shit about everyone in town?  Yeah I’ll take some of that.  If nothing else, it’s a refreshing message that not everyone in the deep south bases their every thought on the old testament and gun law.  I promise you’ll be rooting for the two new guys and on the edge of your seat when you find out who won.  Let’s just hope the results aren’t read when the train is coming through town.

Now Show Me

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Wendy Davis--Texas Abopimage (1)

Who Should I see This With?

Your left leaning grandmother who votes a straight Democratic ticket.

Final Thoughts

Tomato Republic is a moving documentary that exposes the complexity and personality of small town folk who are often written off as backwards thinking country bumpkins.  ATH approved.

Austin Showtimes and Trailer

This film is currently listed with a TBD date in Austin.  Stay tuned.

New Tune from Happy Diving

happygilmoreWe’re drawing nearer to the release of the new album from Happy Diving, and their new single is really keeping me going today.  It’s got an old school feel to it, in regards to guitar pop, which reminds me of a more rocking blend of what Austin’s the Impossibles were trying to do in their later days.  Sure, there’s an ode to Weezer in that and  an innocence in the lyrical content, but wait until the song’s screeching guitars feedback into your ears, crashing down through your speakers; it’s a special bit for your listening pleasure today.  Big World is released on October 21st via Father Daughter Records.

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Download: Happy Diving – Sad Planet [MP3]

 

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