This is fine.
After releasing their latest, Belong, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart returned to Austin, riding a wave of credibility and praise. It’s no surprise then that the show was packed, especially considering the opening act, Twin Shadow, had their own wave of hype and adoration. Twas a good night.
One of the bands that I heard a lot of people talking about, myself included, but then faded away was The Middle East. Recently, I brought you news of a newer track, “Jesus Came to My Birthday Party,” and now there is another new one floating around out there that I’ve really been enjoying. This one’s sort of a uber-downtrodden affair, but the vocals really claw at your inner emotions, grabbing every little ounce out of you. Both of these tracks will be featured on the band’s newest record, I Want That You Are Happy, which should be available via iTunes sometime soon, though it’s already out in Australia. It’s full up of beautiful stuff, as I’m sure you’ll see.
Download: The Middle East – Black Death 1349 [MP3]
Happy Birthday to a real, badass dude: the Buddha. Without getting into a religious discussion, I feel that some albums are better at relaxing the listener and in some ways engage them at a deeper level. In these cases, the music serves as a map to guide the listener along a journey of self-discovery. In our modern, hectic lives, consumed by outside distractions and never-ending suffering around every corner, few of us can truly turn within and for just a moment, think deeply. As soon as we turn on our favorite album or mix-tape from someone special, we are transported to a meaningful place; there in that moment, enjoying it for what it is. So, in honor of the birth of one of the most influential people to ever grace the earth, here’s a list of the top 5 meditative albums to help get you in a thoughtful mood and let the world around you melt away.
Man, I absolutely love listening to Chad Vangaalen’s voice, especially on this new recording. He just put up a sweet little Your Tan Looks Supernatural EP on his bandcamp page to help out with relief efforts in Japan, and now we have another track from his upcoming record, Diaper Island. Not so sure about the album title, but if the tracks sound as sweet as this one, no one will mind. You can get your hands on this upcoming masterpiece on May 19th, via our good friends over at Sub Pop. This lead single, “Sara,” has that gentle quality in voice that always goes with one of Chad’s recordings, and musically, well, he can’t do much wrong. Take a peak.
Download: Chad VanGaalen – Sara [MP3]
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Since not a lot is known about Something Fierce, and by not a lot is known I mean that they don’t have a Wikipedia page, I feel like I should give you a bit of background to this group. Hailing from Houston Steven Garcia, Niki Seven and Andrew Keith have been making late 70’s era punk since 2005. In 2009, these three folks self released their second album, There Are No Answers, but Don’t Be So Cruel marks their first release with Dirtnap Records.
When the throbbing bass introduces you to Something Fierce on the first few seconds of the title track, you can instantly hear the influence of early post-punk from the late 70’s. As the song gets to its meat pretty quickly, you can see other indicators of their nostalgic sound: the guitar standing out above some gritty vocals. After the barely minute song opener comes to a close, you get to hear this bands first proper tune, “What We Need Now.” Basically a continuation of the first song, this one focuses slightly more on the lyrical aspects and delves deeper into the skill set of this group. Whereas the first track was merely an anthem and appetizer for the rest, the second track seals the listener’s interest in this power punk pop jam.
While some of the music produced with a punk label on it may be labeled as simple in the lyrics or fundamental aspects, Something Fierce certainly cannot fall into that category. Each song does not just repeat a jangly chorus too many times that you know all the words after the first listen. Instead, this group crafts well thought out and written songs that also fit in with classics of the punk world. An example of this comes on “Ghosts of Industry,” one of the longest songs on this album, on which the half falsetto vocals juxtapose with the rough and tumble guitars and those dry, airy drums. At the same time these stellar instruments all rage on, a more intricate than you would expect amount of lyrics float somewhere in the middle. While normally indiscernible lyrics are one of my biggest pet peeves, I feel like this muddy quality works for the group; it’s like leaving the best bits to be discovered after repeated listens.
Such depth is just one of the golden qualities that this album possesses, but Don’t Be So Cruel does have some drawbacks. After repeated listens, some of the tracks have the ability to run together in the mind. For some, that won’t be a real problem; you will be able to appreciate the tightness of the songs. However, to others, it could prove this album just a little too repetitive. That said, I still believe that there are some delightful numbers interspersed through this work. Who knows, maybe you’ll find yourself blasting this out of your car windows in the spring breeze.
[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/12-Empty-Screens.mp3]Download: Something Fierce – Empty Screens [MP3]
| Date | 4/9/11 |
|---|---|
| Location | La Zona Rosa |
| Doors | 8pm |
| Tickets | $15 @ Frontgate |
Anyone looking for more music options on Saturday night should certainly consider a great show going down over at La Zona Rosa. The night is headlined by blogger favorite Warpaint with PVT and Family Band also joining in on the fun. Saturday looks to be a busy night, but this should definitely be on your short list of things to do.
[audio: https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/03_Undertow.mp3]Download: Warpaint – Undertow [MP3]
For those of you that were super worried that Alasdair Maclean of The Clientele was on his way out from writing music, well, think again. Alasdair has teamed up with Lupe Nunez-Fernandez of Pipas to form a new group titled Amor de Dias, or Love of Days, if you will. The group will be releasing their debut, Street of the Love of Days on May 17th via Merge Records. Listening to this first track, you’ll notice a slightly more upbeat affair, though I will admittedly say that I hope to hear Alasdair’s voice on the final product, though Lupe sounds quite enticing here as well. Just another thing to be grateful for in 2011.
Download: Amor de Dias – Bunhill Fields [MP3]
Having been a long-time fan of Jason Quever’s project Papercuts, I’ll say I was a little disappointed in Austin on Tuesday night, as very few people showed up to see some of the great music the band had to offer up. Opener Banjo or Freakout also deserve some recognition, as they definitely put me on notice.
| Date | Friday, April 8th |
|---|---|
| Location | Mohawk |
| Doors | 800p |
| Tickets | $17 from Frontgate |
Alright, I’m not usually one to call people out, okay, I guess I sort of am, but still, this is a show any hipster/uber-music fan must attend. There’s not a question of cool or hype here, merely a question of going to see one of the few bands who’ve managed to make vitally important and dynamic music since their inception back in the 70s. Nothing else matters other than the fact that you have to get out of your house on Friday and go see Wire! The band are touring in support of their most recent album, Red Barked Tree, which beats out 99.9% of the records being put out today, not to mention the fact that it’s Wire! Alright, I’m a nerdy fan, and I’ve already seen the band, but I want you to go; I want you to realize what a mistake you’ll be making if you don’t go. Just do it. Maybe this track will get you in the mood.
[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/15-Dot-Dash.mp3]Download: Wire – Dot Dash [MP3]
Who could imagine that these two unassuming lads would make such potently driven music? Well, luckily, we’ll all get to experience that a bit more, as Radical Dads plan to release their debut Mega Rama on Uninhabitable Mansions on June 14th. Recently, they tossed out their Reckless 7″, which features the track below, and you can grab those all for free over at the group’s page. Listening to those guys sort of reminds me of the vocal moments of No Age, you know, if you got rid of all that extra bit of atmospheric noise that permeates the latter band. Looks promising if you ask me.
Download: Radical Dads – Recklessness [MP3]
