This is fine.
Fleeting Youth Records is bringing a ton of great bands down to Austin in March for the annual SXSW festival. One of those promising up and coming bands is Philly punk rockers Mumblr. As we lead up to the festival, these boys were nice enough to sit down and answer our pressing questions. Follow the jump for see what they have to say.
One of the great things about the build-up to SXSW is trying to map out your schedule based on bands you’ve had on your radar or bands that have just popped up via one song you caught. For me, the Kickback made that list with their latest single, “When I Die.” There’s a catchiness centered around the swirling “whoas” in the chorus, but I appreciate the smoky softness of the soaring vocals as well. Plus, their forthcoming record also has roots in Austin, with production duties being handled by our very own, Jim Eno. Just wait for the explosive burst that raps up the song; get ready to catch them as they blow into town for SXSW.
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Honestly, I didn’t really know anything about Nar until the other day while I was kicking it with the Jigsaw Records catalog. Scrolling through their recent releases the name of Scott Miller caught my eye. He’s most recently been associated with the most excellent English Singles, but I’m absolutely in love with his early 90s work with this group. There’s hints of punk rock, but there’s also a bunch of devil-may-care attitude thrown in, making it a heap of fun…not to mention some of the softer indiepop hits at the end. I put up a few songs for you to sample from the band’s History compilation. Check them out, and pick them up.
Download: Nar – Bad Thoughts [MP3]
[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Nar-Boring_Facts.mp3]Download: Nar – Boring Facts [MP3]
Just when I think I’ve covered every band in the Brooklyn area, another one comes along to remind us that the city is a enormous hot bed of growing indie bands. Today I’m sharing with you this new group No Kill. It’s a sort of dreamy pop sound with nicely distorted guitars popping in from time to time. When listening to their tunes, I’m reminded of girl led pop bands like Headlights (RIP). Hope you enjoy.
The band recently dropped a new EP entitled New Dirt that can be downloaded for free on the group’s bandcamp page.
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This wasn’t how this show was originally planned, but sometimes your stars all line up in the right way, and we’re happy to announce that this Thursday we’ll be throwing down with Young Girls to release their much anticipated 7″, courtesy of Austintownhall Records. I’ve got the EP down below for you to jam to your hearts conent, guaranteeing you’ll want to be there, or you can order it HERE. Another reason to come…two of the best young bands in Austin, Shivery Shakes and Reservations. I can’t go on too much about SS, as my lady friend is getting a little jealous of William, but I can say this: I’ve been watching them play for awhile, and while they were always good, they’ve never sounded as great and confident as they do now. And Reservations? That’s a band that is expected to have a huge year; the songs are there, the drive is there, it’s just a matter of time before it blows up. So come join us, and I’ll sell you a 7″.
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It’s actually a rather slow week for releases here in February, but there’s definitely something that should be on your radar is the new album from Web of Sunsets. Room of Monsters offers up a listen that seems to sit well with the climactic occurrences, sitting between the cold nostalgia of winter and the warmth of a Spring afternoon. This particular song has this dreamy quality, while still holding onto a certain sense of traditional Americana…it’s perfect for those days laying in your hammock while your mind wanders. You can pick up the album this week from End of Time Records.
Download: Web of Sunsets – Wildflowers [MP3]
Brooklyn boys Clouder have been bringing some great music that I’ve taken a liking to over the last month or so. The sound could be described as psychedelic, dark pop complete with Morrison like vocals to complete the picture. It’s an intriguing sound that you don’t hear in the popular indie scene much nowadays and it’s a welcome breath of fresh air. Check out more music from the band elsewhere on the site.
Get your hands on new album Sister Raygun March 4th via Fleeting Youth Records.
[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/06-Phantom-Girl.mp3]Download: Clouder – Phatom Girl [MP3]
The great thing about SXSW is that you get a lot of bands coming in from abroad to test the waters of the American music scene, so we figured we ought to offer up one of those acts to you: September Girls. The band is working with Fortuna Pop for their album, Cursing the Sea, which is a solid release. We even changed up our set of questions a bit for the ladies to give you a different look at acts traveling to us from far away. Read more for answers from the group’s Jessie Ward; help us welcome them when they make it our way. Read more
Why do they like pizza you ask? Well, Pastel Colours have just released their second single via the Pizza Club, which is an artistic musical endeavor put on by the excellent Art Is Hard Records. I like the pulsating rhythm that’s murkily moving beneath the vocals in the front while the guitar lines seems to cascade into some other region. Those of you digging the dark underbelly of the psychedelic movement will surely find yourselves fans of what’s going on in this track; this is the way that sound was supposed to be created.
Download: Pastel Colours – She Can’t Decide [MP3]
Growing up in Austin, there’s been two things that have been a constant in the music scene: punk rock and country. Listening to this new single from I Am the Albatross combines both those elements, making them one of the more diverse Austin acts of the moment. This track starts off with a steady atmospheric folk element, but soon jumps into a full-steam-ahead barroom rocker, before pausing for a bit of a breather near the end of the song. It’s definitely a dynamic approach, and one that should make the group’s Austin shows worthy of your attendance. You can grab the band’s self-titled EP now right HERE.
Download: I Am the Albatross – Strugglin’ [MP3]
