This is fine.
Scottish indie-rockers Frightened Rabbit have a single called “Swim Until You Can’t See Land” that’s been floating around the internet over the last few days. This tune is being offered as a sneak preview of the band’s upcoming album to be released in March of 2010. The band’s label, Fat Cat Records, is also streaming new track “Fun Stuff”. We like ’em both.
Download: Frightened Rabbit – Swim Until You Can’t See Land [MP3]
| Date | 10/24/09 |
|---|---|
| Location | Kenny Dorhams Backyard |
| Doors | 11am |
| Tickets | $10 from Frontgate |
Now in it’s 3rd year of existence, Xemumba will be making it’s annual appearance this weekend at Kenny Dorham’s Backyard (check that map if you don’t know where that is). This is an all day event with cheap ticket prices and tons of bands to wet your appetite for latin flavor. A full list of bands can be seen on the attached fancy flier created by Bemba Entertainment (also producers of the event). You can get tickets at the door for $15 if you don’t buy them in advance. Also, check out some coverage we provided of last year’s fest at Mohawk.
Brazos has long been one of our favorite Austin bands, so we were excited to have some new music from the guys drop into our inbox today. This new track is called “Day Glo” and will appear on the locals upcoming album Phosphorescent Blues which hits stores Nov 24th on Autobus Records. We’ve been giving this one some heavy rotation on our itunes today.
Download: Brazos – Day Glo [MP3]
Oh yes, you are reading the title of the post right. We have 3, count ’em 3, pairs of passes to the upcoming Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin on Nov. 7th & 8th.We are going to keep the details to this contest very short so as to not overload your brain. Deets go like this: last Friday we created our top 5 supergroups and we want to know what your ideal supergroup would be. All you have to do is leave your supergroup in the comments section or tweet us your group and we’ll pick the top 3 entrants. Each winner will receive two passes to the weekend’s events. Simply create the craziest group with whoever you want from whatever time period! Get creative people. Contest will close on October 30th so get those entries in now! Oh and don’t forget a valid email address so we can get in touch with you.
| Date | Monday, October 19th |
|---|---|
| Location | Mohawk |
| Doors | 800p |
| Tickets | $12 @ the Door |
If you need a little bit of dancing this Monday evening, then there is only one place you absolutely have to be, and that is at The Mohawk. Danceable duo, Junior Boys will be breaking it down all night with Circlesquare and Missions, guaranteeing you a rocking night of killer dance tracks. And if that’s too early for you, the band will also be DJing over at Beauty Bar after Midnight. Put those dance shoes on and hit the floor.
[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/05-In-The-Morning.mp3]Download: Junior Boys – In The Morning [MP3]
Rating: 
Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson burst onto the scene a few years ago with the support of the New York hierarchy. Now, as he releases his second album, Summer of Fear, which is his first for Saddle Creek, he goes and grabs Kyp Malone of TV on the Radio to aid in production duties. Would having such a producer ultimately effect the aesthetics of our new favorite troubador? How would Malone put his own touches on the record, or would he?
Upon first listen all the way through, you can immediately tell the difference between Summer of Fear and Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson. Sure, there are ecclectic touches, no doubt influenced by the presence of Malone, but there is a certain sesnse of urgency lacking in these songs. “Shake a Shot” opens the album without making that statement you expected, although you can still feel the passion in the lyrics.
“Always an Anchor” is the second song, and it happens to be one of the more powerful song on the record. You can hear the struggle of daily life in the guttural power behind MBAR‘s vocals, which is precisely what made his first effort so powerful. This time around, it’s a bit more sparse than you would otherwise want, or rather, expect. If you listen to it closely, you can almost hear the “Wolf Like Me” guitar chug in the background.
What does seem more pronounced on this album, or perhaps clearer due to the clarity of the voice is the clarity of the lyrical content. We all know by now about MBAR‘s struggles, but it’s how he spins those around to churn out great tunes which is admirable. Not only that, but he sings about the despair of humanity, but in doing so, he seems to sing it with such conviction and understanding that you can’t really be worried about it any longer. It’s as if he has come to accept it more as fact, and the listener should too.
Listening to this album, you will find your songs that you like, and you’ll find flourishes of things un-MBAR, such as the various string elements, seen in songs like “Hard Row,” that occasionally seem out of place mid-song. Still, the more songs this guy churns out, you feel as if the better off we all are, as Summer of Fear, though hindered by various elements, demonstrates the songwriting capabilities of Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson; we should all be grateful for such an emerging voice.
[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/03-The-Sound-1.mp3]Download: Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson – The Sound [MP3]
Usually on the weekends I browse the net for new tunes to bring your way, and I found this little gem from Phantogram to share with you. It was the killer bass groove that initially got me hooked here, but after awhile, the fuzzy female vocals just kept getting stuck in my head. You’re sure to dig on this track, and we’ll keep you posted on more news from the group.
Download: Phantogram – When I’m Small [MP3]
| Date | Monday, October 19th |
|---|---|
| Location | Emos |
| Doors | 900p |
| Tickets | $14 @ the Door |
I’ve been in love with Pinback since I was a young budding music fan, so now that the band is older, as am I, I always take in a chance to go see one of my favorite bands play a solid set. Their intricate maneuvering behind their songs always gets me moving, so maybe since there wasn’t much going on last week, you’ll jump at the chance to catch a great band tonight. Bellini, the opener, will hit the stage at 10 PM.
[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/10-Seville.mp3]Tim Williams has a slew of releases under his belt, and the acclaim he earned off the last album left many lying in wait to get their hands on Careful Love. It’s hard to classify the man and his tunes, but press releases lean towards the description of coffehouse pop meets classic singer/songwriter. This is a fairly solid description, but you can see flourishes of musicianship that push beyond those stereotypical boundaries.
When you listen to the first track, it seems at first as if the vocal inflection of Tim is leading you towards a stronger identity. “I Hit the Wall” lies somewhere in the vein of Telekinesis or Spoon, catching you with a bobbing hook. This all leads you into “Ozone Street,” which sounds an awful lot like a cleaner version of Tim Kasher’s early work with The Good Life. By this point, one thing that is disappointing is the lack of realism that stems from the recording of the drums. Sure, programmable drums are easy to do, but that doesn’t mean you can’t go get some solid work from somebody in a studio.
Still, if you can step aside from that factor, you’ll find some songs on here that definitely grab your ears, due mostly to the gentle voice of Tim Williams. Sure, it sounds awfully clean and polished, but with the rest of the musical accompaniment, that works to great effect here. Songs like “Oceans”or “8 x 10” have infectious grooves and tonality that find a way to lodge them inside your head. The latter track is probably one of the most exceptional on the album, but you’ll find me yearning for a stronger drum track to back this. A crashing cymbal here or there could have made this song brilliant; instead, it’s just pretty damn good.
Listening to Tim Williams new album, you find something for almost every taste. Slow moving songs with touches of piano and female backing vocals are abundant, as are the pop gems that most people associate with Tim’s work. This is just another solid example of a man who is crafting his own path, and what a bright path that proves to be when listening to Careful Love.
[audio: https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/ihitanotherwall.mp3]Download: Tim Williams – I Hit Another Wall [MP3]
After being underwhelmed (and I’m the only one) by Them Crooked Vultures, I began to look ahead to the Supergroups that I would create. Sure, this is all conjecture, and some are jaded by my own personal tastes and connections. It’s an interesting topic. Who is your favorite musician, and who would you like to see them playing with? Make your own supergroup, and tell me about it. While I wait, I’ll throw out mine. And, I apologize for my lack of originality in naming bands.
