This is fine.
In a year that already seems full of releases from our favorite bands, there is yet another one to keep us on pins and needles. The New Pornographers are set to release their fifth album, Together, on Matador Records on May 4th. Thanks to the Matablog, we’ve got a new tune to bring your way this morning. Enjoy!
Download: New Pornographers – Your Hands Together [MP3]
For most on U.S. soil, Fyfe Dangerfield might be a name largely unknown, but you might recognize his work with his band Guillemots. They’re a quartet of indie popsters who’ve made waves with British press, but now it’s time for Fyfe to take flight on his own. Fly Yellow Moon is a remarkable debut affair, and one that will surely find fans on all sides of the Atlantic. If you’ve ever been in love with British pop, then this is the record for you.
You’ll start your listening experience with “When You Walk in the Room,” and you’ll find your feet stomping. This number wears the influence of all sorts of British pop, primarily from the late 90s. Fyfe’s throaty vocals find their way into your heart; this has to be one of the single’s of the year.
But just as he has you stomping your feet to the pop, he spins around and goes all Richard Hawley on you. For the next couple of tracks he’s a barroom crooner, and one that seems every bit as passionate and believable lyrically. “Barricades” might rest a bit too much along the lines of Travis, but there’s really nothing wrong with that now is there?
Just as you get comfortable sitting in a bar with your favorite pint, he mixes it up again. The piano-laden”Faster Than the Setting Sun” has a darker quality than previous tracks, as guitars atmospherically fill out the background. At this point, as a listener, you should remark to yourself the dynamics of Fyfe’s vocal performance on the album. You can throw the variance of each song on the Fly Yellow Moon into the ring of praise; it’s clear that you’re witnessing one amazing songwriter.
And so the album goes into a bit of an acoustic interlude, pushing two great acoustic songs upon you. While “Livewire” has a generally folky feel to it, “Firebird” sneaks in with a bit more of an ominous tone to it. Everyone should appreciate Dangerfield’s ability to mix it up, even when the instrumentation seems to be somewhat of the same vein. It’s hard not to say it too much, but not a single song here holds onto its predecessor, yet they all fit together extremely well. Just wait until you go from the quiet “Don’t Be Shy” into the steady beating “Any Direction.” If you added a little bit more bass and snare to the mix, the latter would surely be a club hit across the globe.
Stepping out from behind the safety of a band is never an easy task, but Fyfe Dangerfield seems to have done so with such grace that you’ll be astonished at how remarkable a debut this actually is. It’s not an album bogged down by modern indie rock conjecture or hipsterdom. Fly Yellow Moon is just a refreshing collection of great pop tunes, and in being such a record, you’ll fall in love with just how refreshing it feels.
[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/05-When-You-Walk-in-The-Room.mp3]Download: Fyfe Dangerfield – When You Walk in The Room [MP3]
Oh how Fridays are always so much better when you get a lil jam like this in your inbox! Since we don’t work much over the weekend, maybe you can enjoy this one during your rough Monday morning? Anyway, this new pop diddy, “Western Hospitality” comes by way of Swedish band Club 8. The song will appear on the now veteran’s upcoming album The People’s Record due out May 12th on Labrador. Good times.
Download: Club 8 – Western hospitality [MP3]
Rating: 
Last year, Austin’s Balmorhea released their grandiose coffee-core album , All is Wild, All is Silent, to much critical acclaim. Its epic sprawl captivated listeners. Celebrating the dynamics in the title, it was an album of polar opposites, sometimes soft, and other times more upbeat. However, with their newest album, Constellations, there is nothing for the musicians to battle, only the black emptiness that is dotted by billions upon billions of sparkling stars.
For the most part, the band succeeds in fulfilling the aesthetic instilled in listeners who pay close attention to the title of the album. Everywhere you look, there seems to be empty space on the album, or places the band could have easily filled with limitless touches of their inspiring instrumentals. But, where as they chose to let those moments loose on All is Wild, All is Silent, here they show restraint, barely letting the control out of their crafty hands.
Some listeners might yearn for the more moving moments of the past, but Balmorhea seem keen not to repeat themselves, which is an honorable stand for an up-and-coming group; Constellations is not the same album, and it refuses to be such. Instead of forcing violins and piano work into the organic construction of the songs, these kids hold back, filling the spaces with just the right amount of music necessary to hold onto listeners. The most spirited you find them is on “Bowsprit,” a song you will adore if you love to hear the sounds of a string instrument (even guitar or banjo) plucked properly. But, if you came in search of a repeat performance from last year, then you will be severely disappointed, as the one thing this album lacks if proper movement; at times it seems far too stagnant for its own good.
But, one thing that made their debut album so convincing was the way the songs built upon little moments, creating a voyage for listeners to take. Constellations, which is a fantastically cohesive grouping of tunes, doesn’t seem to operate along those same lines at all. Where you expect to find a rapid pace, or just a guitar that rolls you along, you find Balmorhea pulling back upon the reins. Where they could increase volume, they instead choose to hide in the vastness of the night sky.
Perhaps this is what the band expected of their performance. They wanted to dot the night sky with their own inspirations; they wanted to fill the void in our listening experience with their own light touches of instrumental genius. If it is to be read as such, then Constellations is one of the most successful concept pieces you will find as of late. It is a record that defines looking into the night sky with your telescope whilst putting musical notes inside your head. Balmorhea have filled that black canvas in the night, or in our lives, with generous drops of light, and for that much we can be thankful.
| Date | 2/20/10 |
|---|---|
| Location | Mohawk |
| Doors | 8pm |
| Tickets | $12 from Frontgate |
While we may not have been too crazy about his new album, Four Tet should still put on a solid live show at Mohawk on Saturday night. The electro mastermind will be joined on the stage by Nathan Fake. Stick around after the headlining set outside and head inside for sets by L.A.X. and Many Birthdays.
[audio: https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/four-tet-Angel-Echoes.mp3]Download: Four Tet – Angel Echoes [MP3]
Our friends over at the MOKB continue to surprise us with their Laundromatinee video sessions. This week continues to impress with some live videos of Scotish band We Were Promised Jetpacks. The session comes as a solo acoustic one as performed by leading man Adam Thompson. Check it out now or check out MP3 from the live songs “An Almighty Thud”.
Download: We Were Promised Jetpacks – An Almighty Thud (LaundroMatine) [MP3]
It seems like our obsession with Sweden has faded since a few years back, but luckily for us, there is still a lot of great music coming from the Scandinavian country. It’s the home of Shout Out Louds, a quintet who has slowly built a following in the States by releasing several albums chocked full of pop hooks and those crafty Swedish melodies. Work is another solid display of a band who knows their strengths, who can pull them off with such precision that it’s hard to find a thing wrong.
We’ll start our journey with “1999,” a tune that spends its first thirty seconds tinkering away on the piano before Adam Olenius’ vocals kick in to really get the song going. Just for fun, they toss in a couple of “oohs” to grab you with a little hook. But, where some bands might push the limit during the chorus, Olenius has the band pull back, leaving a perfect pop gem in the wake.
You can continue to push through this record, and those of you who are familiar with Shout Out Louds will notice that the work of Phil Ek (producer) has really put the spotlight on the group’s assets. Sure, they have those New Order guitar chords cutting in and out of the entire album, but you’ll definitely take note of the percussion. One of the things that made bands of this ilk so fashionable was the drummer, and Eric Edman definitely solidifies everything in the music. He’s steady, and his delicate touch in songs like “Candle Burned Out” display his dynamics behind the kit.
Percussive elements are not the only noticeable difference with Work; Shout Out Louds have gradually grown a little bit softer. On Howl Howl Gaff Gaff, they seemed a lively bunch, eager to have you bounce around the club to their tunes, but that’s all changed. It appears now that they just want you to nod your head and tap your toes, which has admirable traits in itself. “Too Late, Too Slow” has a jangle to the guitars, but instead of pushing forward as the group has done in the past, they let vocal interplay between Olenius and Bebban Stenborg carry out the song. While it may not jump up and drag you to the dance floor, it might convince you to grab your lover and dance once around in the living room together. “Walls” does much the same thing. It chugs along pleasantly with steady guitar, and while you might find it catchy, it’s a restrained sense of joy. And, the chorus is quite emphatic, showing they’ve never strayed too far from where they began years ago. These are how perfect pop moments are made.
Just make sure that you save your dancing shoes because the group hasn’t given up entirely on their knack for throwing in a solid groove. You might have to wait until the end of the record, but “Show Me Something New” is not only one of the best tracks in this collection, it’s the one most likely to get you moving frivolously to and fro. Using Stenborg to balance out Olenius’ voice perfects the chorus, and it seems the group can do little else to win you over.
Shout Out Louds seem to have outlived the fad of the Swedish invasion, and they’ve done so by not sacrificing their original formula. Instead, they’ve chosen to perfect each inch of recorded material; they’ve pushed Adam’s vocals to new levels, and they’ve pushed themselves to an entirely new levels. Work shows a band who have finally found the place where they’re the most comfortable writing great pop songs, and we’ll all be better off for it.
[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Shout-Out-Louds-Walls.mp3]Download: Shout Out Louds – Walls [MP3]
Rating: 
Following on the recognition in part to a dedicated fan base, a live repertoire rapidly becoming known as one of the best acts to catch in the world, and a newly inked contract with 4AD, the Copenhagen-based quartet Efterklang are set to release their 3rd studio album, Magic Chairs. Trying to improve on Parades, one of the best albums of 2007 and last year’s vastly underrated live recording, Performing Parades is a difficult feat. Luckily for the listener, Efterklang are fully committed to the challenge.
In comparison, this release is by far their most extroverted album and with their imminent reprise at SXSW 2010, after a US tour with locals Balmorhea, these indomitable souls are positioned to make big waves. On this release, they adopted a unique approach to recording, displaying their acumen for performing. Ask anyone who has seen their show and they will tell you that their skill flourishes with their unrivaled live presence. These songs were born in a live venue and after the blemishes were removed and the arrangements completed, the setting was reproduced in the studio with the help of their touring members including siblings Peter and Heather Broderick. The tracks were then mastered with the help of famed British producer Gareth Jones (Depeche Mode, Interpol, and Grizzly Bear). The overall aesthetic is obviously something taken very seriously as Efterklang has enlisted Hvass & Hannibal to once again produce beautiful and provocative album artwork.
With Magic Chairs, Efterklang has bridged the gap into a more accessible realm of pop music. The first single is the relentlessly catchy “Modern Drift” which opens with a simple piano pattern soon paired by Casper Clausen’s deep and vibrating vocals before building into a sound of trademark Efterklang as we know them. This back to basics style is quite a leap from earlier releases, especially their 2004 debut Tripper. In doing so, they may have abandoned a few fans who have grown used to the more prominent electronic influences from Mads Brauer, Casper Clausen’s soaring (though unrecognizable) lyrics and Peter Broderick’s vast string arrangements.
Efterklang seek perhaps a more profitable labor and have mostly abandoned their immense, cinematic presence and incomprehensible lyrics for a more understandable, logical approach. Songs titles “Harmonics” and “Natural Tune” are obvious indications of this endeavor. However, what they have left behind has not completely vanished and with repeated listens, the layers remain; though more subtle and carefully placed. This attention to detail is most impressively heard in the one-two punch of “Raincoats” and “Harmonics”, which is by far one of the strongest moments on the album. Here they draw obvious influences from the Dirty Projectors by means of majestic harmonization, utilizing heavy percussive elements, and the addition of subtle Radiohead-esque arrangements.
The one weak moment in the album for me is the bubbly “Scandinavian Love”, which is undeniably the most poppy track on the album and although the rifts ate catchy, it feels like a rushed product. I will withhold-complete judgment until I hear it performed live.
Other highlights include “The Soft Beating” with soaring vocals and subtle electronic influences which calmly and delicately build into a strong finish where “it all comes down” and the dreamy, thought provoking “Mirror Mirror” which seems to feed my imagination seems like the only obvious bridge between their last release, Parades. The last track on the album, “Natural Tune” contains a beautiful and supple duet with simple piano and guitar interplayed. It’s a stunning finish to one of the best albums of the year thus far and I fully expect to find it on many best of lists.
After multiple listens it’s truly a difficult process to find fault besides those mentioned above. That says much about Efterklang’s work ethic and their endless steps towards pop perfection. I reserve a half star due to the fact that these songs were instinctive live songs and fittingly their place is in a live setting. Luckily for them, I’ll be at SXSW seeking them out with my gold half-star in hand.
Also the whole album is streaming right now over on Sound Venue.
[audio: https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/01-Modern-Drift.mp3]
Download: Efterklang – Modern Drift [MP3]
It’s been awhile since we heard anything from David Vandervelde, but now that there is wind of a new recording, we couldn’t be more excited. We loved Waiting for the Sunrise, so we expect more great things from David this time around. Secretly Canadian has put up a digital download of a couple new tracks, and we’ve got one of those to tide you over before you get your hands on it yourself. Expect his next record to be nothing short of sublime.
Download: David Vandervelde – Learn How to Hang [MP3]
| Date | 2/20/10 |
|---|---|
| Location | Emos |
| Doors | 8pm |
| Tickets | $15 from Ticketweb |
Emo’s has got to be the place to be on Saturday night with a set by Swedish rock band Soundtrack of Our Lives. Openers on the outside stage are Nico Vega and My Education. Also, be sure to check out the inside stage as up and coming locals TV Torso, Corto Maltese, and Jesse Woods will all be joining in the fun.
[audio: https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/the-soundtrack-of-our-lives-flipside.mp3]Download: The Soundtrack of Our Lives – Flipside [MP3]
