Great New Single from Alpaca Sports

One of my favorite discoveries of the last year has been Sweden’s Alpaca Sports.  The duo creates hook-laden pop that dares you to play the songs just once; I promise you that’s not a possibility.  Lucky for all of us the group has been kind enough to let us stream their new single, “She’ll Come Back for Indian Summer,” which I sincerely hope is a Beat Happening reference.  You can get your hands on the digital single on June 20th via Luxury, and then you’ll have it on your own stereo to play over and over again.  Keep your eye on these guys, as there’ definitely going to be more gems from them coming our way soon. Also, you can check out a video for the single that just went up today by clicking HERE.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Alpaca-Sports-Shell-come-back-for-indian-summer.mp3]

 

New Tunes from Apache Dropout

I’m always going to give a shout out to Trouble in Mind Records; they’ve got a really diverse catalogue, but typically it all dwells in the garage rock category.  Today, this new jam dropped from Apache Dropout kicking out the rock n’ roll jams with a psychedelic twist; I tend to think more along the lines of psycho-billy, at least when I’m listening to this song.  It’s got whimsy, choppy guitars and the album artwork has a hint of ghoulishness. If you dig this track, you can get a hold of the group’s new record, Bubblegum Lemonade, soon; it hits stores on August 7th.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/02-Candy-Bar.mp3]

Download:Apache Dropout – Candy Bar [MP3]

New Single (+ Album Stream) from The Daredevil Christopher Wright

I’m absolutely loving the new record from The Daredevil Christopher Wright, a Eau Claire three-piece who’ve created an eclectic sound akin to the likes of Here We Go Magic or Fleet Foxes.  Their album combines elements of folk, group harmonies, but there’s also a slightly experimental bent–though not as much because the group wanted to focus on the songwriting on the record for performance purposes (I commend that!). If you’re sitting at work, wondering what the next record you’re going to HAVE to buy is, then you need to take a listen to The Nature of Things, which hits stores next week. You can stream it in its entirety HERE.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/02-Divorce.mp3]

Download:The Daredevil Christopher Wright – Divorce [MP3]

Warm Pop Gem from Cinderpop

The single for Cinderpop’s newest album has been floating around for quite some time, but I hadn’t really given it too much of a listen until I started spinning Manic Sparkles repeatedly on my player.  It’s an album that’s chock-full of wonderful pop tunes that recall all sorts of influences, from the Lucksmiths to Sloan to Nada Surf.  These are the sorts of influences that make me swoon, so I’m happy to have re-discovered the band and their classic pop sound.  I feel like more people should be writing music like this, but if they’re not, I’ve always got great bands like this to enjoy.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/03-Florentine.mp3]

Download:Cinderpop – Florentine [MP3]

Show Preview: Here We Go Magic @ the Parish (6/19)

Date Saturday, Feb 15th
Location The Parish
Doors 800 pm
Tickets $12 from Frontgate

We’ve been huge fans of Here We Go Magic for years, so we’re always going to encourage you to get out and see their live shows.  The group’s got something going live, with Luke Temple orchestrating vibrant music with his band, creating joying pop music that everyone can appreciate. They come into town supporting their recent release, A Different Ship, which came out a short while ago on Secretly Canadian.  Also making an appearance will be Austin’s Hundred Visions and Moonlight Gram, who I can’t seem to find anything on, but I love a good Field of Dreams reference.  See you Tuesday folks.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Make-Up-Your-Mind-1.mp3]

Download:Here We Go Magic – Make Up Your Mind [MP3]

 

Sonny Smith – One Act Plays

Rating: ★★★★☆

Sonny Smith is most well-known, at least in the Interwebs for his work with the Sunsets, but the songwriter also has a few plays under his belt, although they’re probably more apt to be performed in song.  Luckily, the good people over at Secret Seven Records have released One Act Plays, a recording of songs/plays that Sonny recorded back in 2006 for a play called The Dangerous Stranger. 

Musically, it’s sort of what you expect from Sonny Smith, though it’s him stripped down to his bare bones, naked in front of the listener, as a true performer would be.  His voice in these recordings closely resembles Bill Callahan, which is fitting seeing as he’s playing the role of storyteller in these tunes.  But, he’s also got a lot of help from his friends such as Neko Case, Jolie Holland and Mark Eitzel; having all those guests on one record alone makes One Act Plays worthy of your purchase…and listening.

Thematically, Sonny admits to dealing with issues about family and redemption, and he also gives a nod to Sam Shepard.  But, despite the well-developed characters (as much as one can in one act), Smith perhaps should acknowledge the great job he did turning these acts into actual songs, so much so that you can get lost in the songs themselves.  My favorite is probably “The Stick-Up” just because it’s so stripped down, and the I chuckled each time the mention of stage directions comes into play; you don’t often get stage directions turned into actual lyrics.  It’s odd, but in providing musical accompaniment, the characters are humanized, which is precisely what a good playwright would hope to do.  You’ll even find “The Stick-Up (Part Two)” wrapping up the record, in case you feel like Sonny left you without a proper ending. Just remember, “when you shoot somebody, there ain’t no going back.”

Honestly, this isn’t a listening experience for everyone out there.  But, there’s definitely an audience for this, as Stephin Merritt can attest. While I enjoy the music quite a bit, I appreciate the combination of literary elements being thrust into the foreground.  For instance, the dialogue in “The Terrible Truth” brings to life a conversation between two men, who appear to be friends.  It begins in a call-and-response manner, as a dialogue would appear on stage, but there’s a moment when the vocals unite, and it’s such an emotional moment that your body can’t help but tingle just a bit; then it ends.  Like much of the songs, they’re all a separate entity or chapter, but they fit together, united by theme and song.  Only Sonny Smith seems capable of doing such a thing.  Find one song to love, or love them all, but if you love the theatre and you love music, then pick yourself up a copy of One Act Plays.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/01-The-Stick-Up.mp3]

Download:Sonny Smith – The Stick-Up [MP3]

You can order the LP directly from Secret Seven Records.

Great Slow Burner from Easter

Sometimes you stumble upon music that moves you emotionally, though you can’t exactly put your finger on it. That’s precisely how I felt when I put on this record from Manchester’s Easter titled Innocence Man. It’s got a casual alternative rock feeling to it, like one would find with early Mark Kozelek works. Oddly, the vocal affectation that comes along with most UK bands isn’t overwhelmingly present here, which makes it feel like it wasn’t written here in the States during my formative college years.  Here’s to hoping you enjoy this on your way to a great work week.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Easter-Damp-Patch.mp3]

Download:Easter – Damp Patch [MP3]

White Arrows – Dry Land Is Not a Myth

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Some bands manage to get the timing just right, and as we move closer the official arrival of Summer it seems that White Arrows have arrived with their debut right on time.  Dry Land Is Not a Myth is filled with an electronic influence that’s aimed more at dance floors than bedroom pop experiments; it’s best listened to at high volumes with a bunch of your friends.

When you start off with “Roll Over” you can grasp at the live performance by White Arrows; the guitars are much more prominent, and the vocals unfold carefully, creating a bit of anxiety as the song builds towards the spastic chorus.  But, the album doesn’t fully kick in until you’ve reached “Get Gone,” the following track on Dry Land Is Not a Myth.  Here, you’ll find the band spinning their style around sampled beats, though you still get some angular guitar parts stuttering in the background.  Hand claps compliment the stuttering vocal delivery, and if proper volume is reached, you’re going to be bouncing around your room.

For me, “Coming and Going” is the heart and soul of the record, not to say bright moments are absent beyond, but this is a record built on electronica, and combined with the soulful crooning of the chorus, you can feel the classic pop seeping through the cracks with hints of oddball programmed sounds subtly creeping in to the track; it’s much like a track you’d expect Hot Chip to throw your way–there’s soul, but there’s also a dance element. It matches well with the closer on Dry Land Is Not a Myth, “Fireworks at Sea.”  There’s a wash of electronic atmospherics that coats the song in a sort of fog, but that’s juxtaposed with sprightly guitar licks and a bouncy vocal delivery from Mickey Church.  “Get Gone” might be a hit, but these two tracks exemplify the sound of White Arrows when they’re at their best.

But, it’s not all about beating you over the head with dance jams; the group also goes into more traditional rock n’ roll territory, only with an electronic bent.  “I Can Go” is one such song where the guitar seems to be the focus of the track, rather than the throbbing rhythm from some machine.  That being said, it does make the record a bit disjointed in parts, which I blame on the sequencing of the tracks.  Thrown somewhere else, this is a fitting track, but following three dance heavy songs, it seems amiss.  Still, band’s, especially on their debut, are allowed some missteps, are they not?

As a debut, Dry Land Is Not a Myth is quite a statement. It’s an album filled with hooks, both in the songwriting and the vocals. The songs don’t run too long, so you’re not going to feel burdened by redundancy, instead you’ll feel energized as the group provides you with exciting pop jams over and over again.   It’s a solid debut, and one that will surely give White Arrows claim to the perfect claim to Summer Album 2012.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Fireworks-Of-The-Sea.mp3]

Download:White Arrows – Fireworks Of The Sea [MP3]

New(ish) Music From Sean Bones

I always feel pretty stupid when I miss such great music as this Sean Bone’s tune “Hit Me Up” when it comes my way, but such is the life of a music blogger.  This new song from Sean is an excellent summer time jangly pop tune that’s sure to be on your next beach time mix tape.  We also missed out on announcing the new album from Mr. Bones entitled Buzzards Boy which is currently available for purchase over on Insound.  I personally guarantee that it will turn that frown upside down just in time for the summer heat.

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