New Music from Tim Cohen

You probably recognize Tim Cohen as the frontman for one of my favorite groups, The Fresh & Onlys. But, that’s not his only gig, as he’s been honing his craft for some time as a solo artist, releasing several albums.  He’s got another one titled Magic Trick coming out via Captured Tracks on February 22nd, and maybe this will be the one when people really start to take notice of his skills.  This first single has a nice little juxtaposed female voice countering with Tim’s gruff vocals, which definitely provides a smoother tone to the song as a whole, making Tim seem more like a Sonny Smith style songwriter than merely just a beastly frontman.  You won’t hear a bad song on this record; I can guarantee that.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Tim-Cohen-Dont-Give-Up.mp3]

Download: Tim Cohen – Don’t Give Up [MP3]

New Music From The Paperhead

The Paperhead is a Nashville based band comprised of 3 friends who are mere 18 years of age.  These 3 teens apparently got together last summer, recorded a record, and are now ready to share their style with the music world.  A first sample of what these guys are all about can be found below in first single from the band “Back to Those Days”.  It wields a very old school type feel harking back to the days of fuzz pop and pysch rock.  Fans of the style can pick up a copy of the group’s debut self-titled LP on March 22nd via Trouble in Mind Records.

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

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

New Track from Cold Cave

Since Cold Cave have been around, I’ve regarded them casually, liking what I’ve sampled, but never over-indulging.  That’s going to change though, now that Matador has released the first single from their latest album, Cherish the Light Years, which comes out on April 5th.  Still present are the dense electronic elements, but the vocals sound so much more forceful than they’ve ever been, giving a certain since of urgency to the group’s sound.  It’s a noisy number, but in the end, that’s what builds the anticipation for this record, as the band are willing getting a little bit grittier with their sound, going further into the darker side of their sound.  Besides, who doesn’t love a good Pan reference?

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Cold-Cave-The-Great-Pan-Is-Dead.mp3]

Download: Cold Cave – The Great Pan Is Dead [MP3]

Show Preview: Smith Westerns, Yuck @ Emos (2/7)

Date Monday, Feb 7th
Location Emos
Doors 900p
Tickets $12 @ the Door

This is possibly the hottest ticket we’ll see in town until SXSW ladies and gentlemen.   Smith Westerns have just released their latest album, Dye It Blonde, to great fanfare, including this very site.  They’re young and they’re sure to bring energy to their glam meets indie rock sensibility.  Then you include Yuck, a band that’s going to have an absolutely huge year one their album hits the States.  It’s one of the main reasons I’m so excited to hear guitars all over the world this year, and am scaling back on the dance beats.  So, you have two amazing young bands, but you also get Nic Armstrong, a Brit who resides in Austin, who’s been doing this for quite some time, so we know the guy can hold his own.  Pretty sure you need to be here folks. You won’t want to miss this for the world.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Georgia-wavv-1.mp3]

Download: Yuck – Georgia [MP3]


Friday Top 5: Music Technologies

1998. The sweet sounds of Savage Garden on the radio. The warm assurance of knowing the stock market will continue to go up forever. A time of wonder. Those memories seem so faint now. After the Y2K epidemic caused our government to collapse and the America’s secret zombie program was inadvertently unleashed, the situation- I think we can admit now- got a little hairy.

For a while there the walking dead feasted on the brains of the living and wrought havoc on everything in their path. But hey, at least American Idol was good. I loved zombie Paula Abdul! Now that I think about it, that may have just been regular Paula Abdul. Those times were great, but I’m glad our benevolent overlord Stephen Colbert was able to defeat the zombie menace and piece together the somewhat functional government we have today. It’s possible I’m not remembering the past correctly. Savage Garden could never have actually been popular. Right?

Luckily, when I’m feel nostalgic for the turn of the century I can just hop in my 1998 automobile. The interior seems modern enough, but if you look just above the CD player you’ll see something mind blowing. It’s what the ancients referred to as a “tape player.” You see, back before music was just a series of 0’s and 1’s being read by a computer, there were these little tapes that held reels, and on those reels there was music. Crazy right? Crazier still, I continue to use this wacky contraption. Only now, I plug my phone (which is really a pocket camera/mp3 player/super computer, WTF!) into a device which goes directly in the tape deck. Then, I hear the music. Glorious music. The faint hiss of the tape deck and music.

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New Music from The Bubbles

One of the great Austin bands we’ve had our eye on for some time has just released an entire new album, Daydreaming in Technicolor. It’s great to some new tunes from these guys, and you can get your hands on the work for your very own price at their Bandcamp Page.  We definitely encourage you to donate, or offer up something reasonably, as all bands deserve our dollars, especially if we love what they do.  The Bubbles definitely have grown a great deal since the last time we heard them, and the new tunes are a reflection of taking their time in the studio and age.  You’ll definitely see some older Austin influences on this effort, which doesn’t mean the band is phoning it in, as their spin is certainly refreshing.  Go ahead. Get back into The Bubbles.

[audio: https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/The-Bubbles-Daydreaming-in-Technicolor-01-One.mp3]

Download: The Bubbles – One [MP3]

Show Preview: Baths & Braids @ Mohawk (2/5)

Date 2/5/11
Location Mohawk
Doors 8pm
Tickets $8 @ Frontgate

Two of the hottest indie buzz bands around in Baths and Braids are making a stop in the inside stage at Mohawk on Saturday night.  Joining the band on stage and providing opening support you’ll see Star Slinger.  Things are supposed to be warming up in Austin on Saturday so get yourself out there and catch this show.

[audio: https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Braids-Plath-Heart.mp3]

Download: Braids – Plath Heart [MP3]

New Music from Champagne Riot

If you know me, you probably know that I think Matinee Recordings is one of the top 2 indie labels (the other being Captured Tracks), and they’ve got me excited all over again.  They’ve just put out the newest work from Champagne Riot, which features the bassists of neat-pop group Northern Portrait.  The four song collection is titled the Moonstruck EP.  The lead track “Moonstruck” definitely has more of an electric feel than a great deal of the work on Matinee, but what’s present, as a label standard it seems, is infectious hooks and melodies, making you want to go back and spin the song over and over.  I guess there’s nothing wrong with that, or this great duo.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/1Moonstruck.mp3]

Download: Champagne Riot -Moonstruck [MP3]

Show Preview: Wild Nothing, Abe Vigoda @ Red 7 (2/4)

Date Friday, Feb 4th
Location Emos
Doors 900p
Tickets $8 from Frontgate

February has already kicked off with some great shows, but I reckon to bet that there won’t be a better ticket in town than this, whether it’s snowing or not!  First, Wild Nothing won over fans last year with Gemini, and continued kicking ass with the Golden Haze EP.  Their combination of bedroom pop and electronica just fits perfectly into our lives.  Then, you have the incredible Abe Vigoda, and since this is their first tour since the release of Crush, you know they’re going to bring their A game.  On that alone, two amazing bands for $8, you should go.  But, because life sometimes can get better, you have two of the hottest bands in town opening with Bali Yaaah and Superlitebike.  Haven’t gotten to see Bali Yaaah just yet, but Superlitebike is ridiculous live.  Do it folks, lets keep each other warm.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Wild-Nothing-Golden-Haze.mp3]

Download: Wild Nothing – Golden Haze [MP3]


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