This is fine.
Not sure just how late we are in getting to this one, but we’re banking on some of you digging this track regrdless. Aussie band Architecture in Helsinki have a new dance beat entitled “That Beep” to throw your way. The single will appear on a new album tentativley titled Vision Revision with an as of yet named release date sometime this year.
Download: Architecture in Helsinki – That Beep [MP3]
It’s hard to believe that Modest Mouse are still going strong after all these years and yes we are still excited about them coming to our little town. You can catch this now veteran act on Wednesday at Stubbs along with opening bands Mimicking Birds & Japanese Motors. Doors for this show are at 7pm. Tickets have been sold out for quite some time now and are selling for way more than what they are worth on Ebay. Try a scalper?
Download: Modest Mouse – Spitting Venom [MP3]
Art Brut is one of those unassuming bands who you aren’t quite sure whether to trust, as they seem to be toying with you the entire time. Just listening to the delivery of singer Eddie Argos makes you question his genuineness in the face of the music world. Regardless, the band has loads to offer, especially in the fierceness of the rest of the music. RCRDLBL has the preview of a new track off their album Art Brut vs. Satan, so go there now.
We here at ATH started getting a little jealous of everyone having fun with this day party thing during SXSW week, so we thought it was time to join in the fun. The shindig we’ve put together will be going down at Victory Grill on March 21st from 3pm-8pm and is completely free. Our lineup should spark your interest and make you want to leave all those other free day parties behind. You won’t even have to leave the kids at home since all ages are welcome at the show! I’d recommend getting to the venue early as space is limited. If you’ve got a little free time, be sure to Like our event on Do512 and check out their sweet SXSW coverage while you’re there. We almost forgot a map to the venue for you out of towners! Follow the jump for more details and links to all participating bands.
Michael Benjamin Lerner records under the moniker of Telekinesis, and he’s the most recent signing to indie stalwart Merge Records. His self-titled album is set to come out on April 7th, and its precisely the sort of album one would want with a Spring release; its full of warmth, yet filled with memorable pop moments.
His whole sound is difficult to put down on paper, as there seem to be many underlying elements. At some moments, he sounds like the more mature brother of young Ben Kweller, when Ben was geared towards the poppier side of life. Still, you might find some resemblance to Brendan Benson‘s solo works here, as fuzzed out guitar is mixed with precision drumming. Even more interesting is a song like “Foreign Room,” which recalls Elliott Smith moments before picking up pace, all done to perfection. Mark my words, Telekinesis should be on your radar, and not just for SXSW.
He will be playing at The Parish on Saturday, March 21st at 8 PM.
[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/06-foreign-room.mp3]Download: Telekinesis – Foreign Room [MP3]
Great Nostalgic are a band that we’ve been excited about after we first caught them live during free week at Emo’s. Much to our excitement, the Austin band is finally ready to drop a proper LP your way and we promise it’s going to be one of the year’s best. We’ve got a sneak preview of the new LP with exclusive track “The Kingdom” which should get some buzz going about the effort. The band’s self-titled debut album is available now at local record stores like Waterloo and End of an Ear.
Download: The Great Nostalgic – The Kingdom [MP3]
Saturday night was probably not the most enjoyable evening on which to catch a show, as it was freezing cold here in Austin, but many brave souls opted to push through the wintry weather in pursuit of a good evening of music. Those in attendance were able to catch Dawes, Other Lives and Delta Spirit honing their skills on stage. Here are our thoughts on the evening.
Rating: 
Britain’s The Boy Least Likely To have made waves in the past with their multi-instrumental pop tunes, and their back at it again with their latest release The Law of the Playground. Their sound clearly hasn’t evolved too much on this album, as they rely upon the same set of tricks that gained them popularity in the first place.
Once you press play, those of indie-pop should surely find a resemblance in vocalist Jof’s delivery, as his voice is a clear descendant of Matt Sharp of Rentals and Weezer fame. Even the musical accompaniment encourages this association, but its nice to have a familiar voice singing in your ear, even if it comes from someone entirely new.
Musically, you can find lots of similarities to various bands. The usage of multiple instruments throughout the album recall memories of other groups such as Architecture in Helsinki or I’m From Barcelona. All three groups rely upon an extensive use of layering in order to complete the accomplished goal at hand. And their is no shortage of bells and whistles here, not by a long shot.
You know the saying “everything and the kitchen sink,” well, it certainly applies. There indeed are bells and whistles, and it seems as if the band uses any thing at their command to create infectious melodies. Add some horns, and you’ll find that every single instrument you could imagine to find on a pop album is utilized here. It’s great in concept, but it has a tendency to wear the listener down. Just saying.
Now, looking deep in the lyrics will be hard to, as there really isn’t a great deal of depth swirling around the presentation here. Let’s take a song like “When Life Gives You Lemons I Make Lemonade.” Can you work a larger cliche into song than that one? Probably not. Which is precisely where this band loses you; their lack of interest, or seeming disinterest, is where you start to feel frustrated in listening to the band. They’ve built these perfectly crafted songs, yet they can’t ever seem to close the deal by attaching quality lyrics to such melodies.
Two albums into their career, the band have created a wide array of pop gems to their name, each built with precision and attention to every melodic detail. Time after time, they surprise you with moments of splendor, as they do in “Stringing up Conkers” on their most recent release. But, in the end, they always leave you craving for more, be it in regards to lyrics, or in regards to wanting more well-crafted songs, you’re sure to ask for more.
[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/06-stringing-up-conkers.mp3]Download: Boy Least Likely To – Stringing Up Conkers [MP3]
The 80s saw the birth of the best music from the better half of the century. The problem is that like many similar great works of art, these songs weren’t always immediately recognized for their brilliance. So when Van Halen’s sexually-rowdy “Hot For Teacher” blares in the strip club scene in Varsity Blues, you can’t help but give it a “ten” (a f-ing ten!). It’s from there that the song earns it’s immortality and lives in film fame for years to come. The only rules to this list: the song couldn’t have been written for the movie or debuted in the movie (sayonara Top Gun, Breakfast Club, and Kenny Loggins). So here’s a list of the most memorable 80s songs from the movies…
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Emo’s second sweet lineup of the weekend comes on Saturdy which features Delta Spirit, Other Lives, and Dawes. Tickets for this show are on sale now for only $11 from Ticketweb. Doors open at 9pm with music starting up at 10. You can also preview the show with that Delta Spirit Daytrotter session we told you about earlier this week.
Download: Other Lives – Paper Cities [MP3]
