New Track from Elliott BROOD

Way up North in Canada, we often forget that it’s covered with vast wilderness, which definitely plays a huge role, at least in our eyes, of Elliott BROOD.  The good people up at Paper Bag Records will be releasing Days Into Years on September 27th, and they tossed out a free tune today to get you prepared for the band’s release.  Melodies trickle into your ear at every point, and the smokiness of the vocals definitely provides you with a connection to the vast woodlands that cover the majority of Canada.  If you’re looking for hooks and typical Montreal pop, don’t look here, as this group offer a more panoramic view of the Canadian music-scape.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/ElliottBROOD_NorthernAir.mp3]

Download: Elliott BROOD – Northern Air [MP3]

Cults – s/t

Rating: ★★★½☆

For a band that basically came out of nowhere last year, Cults have gathered quite the following in the past year that they have released music. Be it praise from various musical critics, or just growing popularity of fans, this band had a lot of hype. However, upon listening to this self-titled debut, it is clear that this excitement and attention is well deserved; Cults have crafted a gem of a summer album here.

The band opens with “Abducted,” an explosive and energetic entrance. For about the first thirty seconds, you have the muted and echoed version of Madeline Follin’s angsty vocals, playing the role of heartbroken female. Then things get turned up to full volume for the chorus, and the song takes off, xylophone raging right alongside Follin’s voice whist she screams the pain away. She hands the vocals over to the male perspective of the two-member group, Brian Oblivion, who assumes the position of heartbreaker, giving the song the edgy tradeoff between the two of them. After this song fades away, the single that got everyone talking about this band, “Go Outside” follows and keeps the energetic and sinfully sweet pacing for this band.

A big part of this album is the large youthful presence of several elements of the band. For starters, you have the valley girl esque, high pitched, and extremely female vocals. Accompanying this is a Fisher Price sounding xylophone, which only adds to the childlike feeling of Cults’ sound. It reaches an all time kiddy feeling on the song “Oh My God,” whose chorus sounds akin to a little girl taunting one of her playmates, which is ironic in that lyrics reach farther than that. It’s a cute little number, one that stands out from the others on the latter half of the album.

That being said, the extreme amount of energy that makes it enjoyable is also what makes it sound a bit too juvenile and grating after repeated listening. For this reason, this album becomes one that needs the right mood to be listened to, as opposed to an all day every day kind of release. But when you’re in that youthful and happy go lucky mood, there are a slew of great tracks to dance to and enjoy. As a first release, it’s a decent start for Cults and I look for interesting future albums from this duo.

New Music From CSS

CSS are a band that seemed to be on top of the world back in 2006/2007 after the release of their debut self-titled LP.  What with a song in the new iphone commercial, and every 20-something in America using their singles as crutches for a dance party, CSS were huge.  After the height of their success, the band couldn’t seem to build on their popularity with the release of sophomore album Donkey in 2008.  Still not listening to their online critics, the band prep a third LP entitled La Liberacion due out later this summer on August 29th.  First new single from that record “Hits Me Like a Rock” can be found for your enjoyment below.  It’s nothing fancy, but still a solid pop tune from a band that may have more staying power than we think.

[audio: https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/CSS-Hits-Me-Like-A-Rock.mp3]

Download: CSS – Hits Me Like A Rock [MP3]

New Tunes from Idaho

Admittedly, a great deal of my musical “findings” stem from one Jack Rabid, the head honcho at The Big Takeover magazine (hands down the best music mag around).  Reading the recent issue, I stumbled across a review for a band I had all but forgotten about, Idaho.  They put out a slew of record from 92-05, but I hadn’t heard anything from them until recently, and that’s why I’m here today to share news that the band will be offering up You Were a Dick next week.  This is a pretty perfect track to kick off your Tuesday; it’s nice and quiet and emotional. Enjoy, and if you dig it, go back and check out the back catalog.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/idaho-You-were-a-Dick-01-You-were-a-Dick.mp3]

Download: Idaho – You Were a Dick [MP3]

Ty Segall – Goodbye Bread

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Admittedly, I was worried when I first heard that Ty Segall was going to take his ramshackle approach to California garage-pop and slow it down a notch or two.  Now that I’ve given Goodbye Bread a thorough fifty times over, I’m still a bit at odds with his new approach, though there are gems thrown about that really get to me.  In the end, I like this record, and only months of non-consecutive playing will truly indicate my feelings as to the longevity of his newest record for Drag City.

“Goodbye Bread” is actually a solid opening track, and one that immediately states the purpose of the album.  You’ll get Segall’s hazy croon, accompanied by minimal guitar for the most part, but it does pick up a bit, which makes this effort pretty solid, though longtime fans will surely wish more time was spent on carrying out the latter half of the track itself.  Like the opener, the lead single from Goodbye Bread, “You Make the Sun Fry” has this slow burning quality that definitely will appeal to fans of a grittier guitar sound, but perhaps this is where the execution of the record seems to sort of fall off for Ty, as the heavier moments seem sort of like after thoughts for him, especially when you look back over the course of his work.

There are songs on the record that illustrate a different approach for Ty Segall, and one that sounds remarkably refreshing.  If you take a listen to “I Can’t Feel It,” you can hear a more pristine guitar sound lurking in the background.  Pacing on this track doesn’t really fall off, or fly into the typical Segall approach.  It’s a wonder why he didn’t just completely go off course and write more songs like this, as it’s definitely a gem of a track.  It’s weird, but the noisier tracks on Goodbye Bread, such as the monotonous stomping of “California Commercial” don’t seem nearly as strong as the finer tracks on Melted, but the one-two punch at the end of the album makes everything worth it, and should restore every listener’s faith in Segall as a writer.

“I Am With You” begins the closing statement here, and it should be noted that it’s probably the most interesting, in regards to Ty’s approach on writing this bunch of tunes, as there’s switches in pacing, almost hurrying at times; there are also various changes in the overall dynamic of the song, even as he goes off into his ghoulish howl near the end. And, then you have the album closer, “Fine,” which serves as almost a infomercial on the ability of Segall to actually sing; he does a fairly decent job, at least to my ears.  Perhaps it kind of struggles to end, but in the end, I think its going to be one of those songs I’ll come back to time and time again.

Depending upon your interest in Ty Segall, you’ll probably land in various places with your own final consensus.  At times, it seems like he’s stuck in the middle of the road, unable to commit one way or the other to a certain style.  But, as the album draws to a close, you can see him hitting that proverbial stride, and those songs definitely benefit.  Goodbye Bread makes for an enjoyable listen through and through, just not sure where it fits in Ty’s catalogue, or where he’ll go from here. Until then.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Ty-Segall-You-Make-the-Sun-Fry.mp3]

Download: Ty Segall – You Make the Sun Fry [MP3]

Sonora Records Summer Sampler

Not too long ago, some of our amigos in Austin concluded that they were fed up with the current state of the music industry and decided to start a record  label to call their own.  From their collective minds came promising new record label Sonora Records with the plan to “help make music, one record at a time”.  To celebrate their beginnings, the guys at Sonora have put together an 18 song sampler featuring some of their talent along with a few tunes from Austin’s finest up and coming artists.  ATH favorites, The Bubbles, Quiet Company, and Guns of Navarone make an appearance with new faces like The Couch, On After Dark, and The Handshake sharing new music.

Also making an appearance on the sampler are old friends Whitman, who are premiering new song “NW Thurman” from their upcoming 2011 LP Weekends.  If this new summertime jam from the Austin boys doesn’t get you moving, then you must not have a pulse.  Whitman have also made new anthem like tune “Dead Dog Days” available for free download over on their bandcamp page for a limited time.  You can also say hi to Sonora Records on twitter or download their new sampler over on bandcamp.

[audio: https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/08-NW-Thurman.mp3]

Download: Whitman – NW Thurman [MP3]

New Tunes from the UFO Club

What do you get when you combine bits of The Black Angels with pieces of The Night Beats? The UFO Club! Reverberation Appreciation Society has been spreading the news that they’ll be offering up a limited edition vinyl collection for a split 10″ that will feature tracks from the UFO Club, as well as a few from the Night Beats. This released song is hauntingly dark, and I dare say that it probably delves more into the psychedelia than Christian Bland’s regular gig.  It’s one of those tracks that just sort of takes you through this twisted tunnel of heavy vocals and bits of guitar noise.  Definitely give this a try, and if you like it, you can stream the whole album HERE.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/02-Chapel-In-My-Mind.mp3]

Download: The UFO Club – Chapel In My Mind [MP3]

Show Preview: Paperhead @ Mohawk (6/20)

Date 6/20/11
Location Mohawk
Doors 9pm
Tickets $6 @ Door

One of my favorite discoveries of the year, Nashville based fuzz rockers Paperhead, are making a stop into Austin at the Mohawk tonight.  I’m willing to bet that most of you have nothing better to do on a Monday night and this is a great chance to see an up and coming band on the cheap.  Joining this promising new group on stage are local promising talent Rayon Beach.  Get out there people and discover some new tunes.

[audio: https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/04-Back-To-Those-Days-2.mp3]

Download: The Paperhead – Back To Those Days [MP3]


FT5: Songs Not To Play At Your Wedding

Over the course of spring and summer, I feel like I’ve already attended enough weddings to fulfill some sort of lifetime achievement award.  As most people say, “I’m at that age”, that age when it seems like everyone is either getting married, recently married, or making their first offspring.  Frequent wedding goers will reluctantly agree with me when I say that our favorite pastime at weddings and wedding receptions is to judge the shit out of every little detail.  Come on, we all do it.  Don’t try to lie to my face and tell me you aren’t talking trash about the way too long ceremony, the annoying wedding DJ, or why your friends decided to get married outside in the middle of July.  We all do it people.  Today I’d like to focus on the music side of things (we are a music site BTW) and point out 5 songs that should be banned from your reception while giving you an acceptable alternative.  Everyone is thinking the same thing… I’m just the A-hole prepared to call you out.  I apologize ahead of time if anyone is offended that I think their choice of “Wonderful Tonight” as a first dance number is way too cheesy.  Follow the jump for more.

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