This is fine.
It’s hard not to love a man with a ukulele. First, there was Stephin Merritt, and now the indie world has given us Dent May. We loved his debut album, and right now we’ll gladly get our hands on anything the man will put out, so when Daytrotter released an unreleased song, we jumped on it so as to bring it to you. Here is “Eastover Wivez.”
Download: Dent May – Eastover Wivez [MP3]
The new Veils record came out today and we wanted to share single “The Letter” with you guys today. It’s a catchy little pop track that’s sure to get repeated plays in the itunes. New album Sun Gangs is out today via Rough Trade.
Download: The Veils – The Letter [MP3]
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Telekinesis is more or less made up of one man, Michael B. Lerner, who gathered what one can assume is a group of close friends to flesh out his debut album. The self-titled album, well, save for a change in punctuation, is the first most will hear from Mr. Lerner, and with such a solid album, we’re sure to hear more from the man and his band in the future.
“Rust” is the album opener, and it sets the mood, or revels in the setting of the music, as it would be hard not to place the music on this album somewhere in the Northwest. Here, you’ll find the band sounding a bit like old Earlimart bedroom recordings.
Then listeners will come across what we will call the meat of the album, which is probably the most consistent tracking on any album this year. Kick starting our hearts is “Coast of Carolina,” which begins with gentle acoustics before kicking right it in with its energy legs. There is an element of lo-fi recording to this song, and to the majority of the songs that appear on this album, but they also have a surefire pop sensibility. Rock songs like “Look to the East” will remind some of us of early Ben Kweller recordings before he thought coke and country was where its at.
“Foreign Room” is another song that clearly locates the album and its narrator, as Lerner does his best to emulate Eliott Smith; the wavering in his voice will be the first key to this comparison. But, he doesn’t just rely upon Smith’s old tricks, instead pushing forward with a quick paced guitar. It’s like the entire Northwest went pop as the rain made way for a years worth of sunshine.
Just as you get used to the harder moments on the album, or the faster elements one should say, Lerner slows it all down with “Great Lakes.” His voice is pitch-perfect here, and the space on the song is all filled in such a fashion that one would be hard pressed not to adorn the band with praise just like the rest of their cohorts along the Northwest Corridor. And so the album closes with an acoustic number that bookends the album precisely the way one would expect. Through all the peaks and gorges, it’s hard not to appreciate such a subtle ending as this. A love song no less.
And with the entirety of this album, each listener will find something that they can appreciate, as Telekinesis appeals to many different styles and many different tastes. It’s an album that many will appreciate, a few will love, and most will respect; the best thing about the album is it leaves the door wide open for future accomplishments by Michael Benjamin Lerner.
[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/05-awkward-kisser.mp3]Download: Telekinesis – Awkward Kisser [MP3]
Eef Barzelay has resurrected himself; both in the studio and onstage. After a 2 year hiatus under the moniker Clem Snide, Barzelay (joined by fellow “vaudeville hoofers” Brendan Fitzpatrick on bass and Ben Martin on the drum kit) now ooze coolness. After nearly two decades of a constantly rotating nucleus of band members ranging in sounds from post-punk to alt-country, Snide has outwardly got it right. Follow the jump to continue reading our Clem Snide w/ Broken West at Mohawk show review. Read more
All you ACL heads out there get ready. Tickets for the 3 day festival go on sale tomorrow at 10am for the low low price of $160. Don’t forget that the price will go up as the festival date gets closer. Lots of rumors are running around about the lineup with names like Pearl Jam, Beastie Boys, Dave Mathews Band, and Kings of Leon as possible headliners. We’re gonna party like it’s 1996!
Stubb’s has a very impressive lineup on their inside and outside stage this Tuesday evening. First off, the outside stage features ATH dance hall favorite Ratatat, who will bring the damn house down for sure. Tussle and Despot are in support outside and kick things off around 8pm. Tickets for this one have been sold out for a while so try to find a scalper.
As soon as the dance party ends outside, head inside for a more mellow ATH favorite Great Lake Swimmers (check out the new album review). Kate Maki is in support and starts around 11pm. Tickets for this show are $12 and wristbands from the earlier show do not grant access to the inside stage. Thank you Stubbs.
[audio: https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/01-seventeen-years-1.mp3]Download: Ratatat – Seventeen Years [MP3]
Throw Me the Statue is one of those bands that you’ll find difficult to define immediately. They’re part Sufjan, part elctronica and stirred in a pot by the Northwest. It’s an interesting recipe for some great tunes, which is reason enough to post a song off the band’s latest Purpleface EP, which is out now via Secretly Canadian.
Download: Throw Me the Statue – Ship [MP3]
Rating:
Ever since they first released More Parts Per Million The Thermals have stuck pretty close to home as far as their sound goes, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. On Now We Can See, the band’s fourth album, we finally get the benefit of listening to the culmination of years on the road and in the studio honing their skill.
Finally the band seems to have reached their apex as far as maturity goes, and it this is probably the most complete album the band has been able to put together. Singer, Hutch, seems to have a great deal more control over his voice in comparison to years past, and the clarity with which he sings allows for the cleverly composed lyrics to shine through. This has always been one of the band’s more overshadowed attributes, but those that have been listening all along will surely be aware of Hutch’s prowess as a wordsmith.
Much will be made about the somewhat gothic approach, as the lyrics tend to show narrators looking back upon life from the beyond; still, the focus seems to look back with a sense of nostalgic accomplishment. The lyrics don’t seem to look back with a sense of resentment or disappointment, but rather reflect a coming to terms with the life one has led, which is probably the best way to approach such morbid subjects.
Of course, most listeners will immediately flock to to the infectious pop single of “Now We Can See” with it’s “oh way oh whoa” chorus of catchiness. This is probably one of the better songs the band has put together, but we all know the band can churn out at least five or six solid tracks per album. What other tunes will listeners identify with you ask?
“At the Bottom of the Sea” is surely a track that exhibits the more mature side of songwriting that the group has taken on in recent years, as the song bares no resemblance to the brashness that accompanies the rest of the album as a whole. It’s as close to a ballad as the band has come, but it still shines with Hutch’s voice bursting through at the appropriate moments. “Liquid In, Liquid Out” is another shocking song, settling in at just under two minutes. This is the most simplistic power-pop the band has produced to date, and the clean quality demonstrates the ability the band has to go off into different ranges.
Fortunately for us, The Thermals seem to be at their best when they are having a blast. Catching their live show, you will immediately pick up on the shared energy between the members in the group. This is the first album where you can really hear the vibrance of the band come through from the studio. You can picture the band having a blast in the studio, and we’re all better off letting them have fun and create such joyful listening experiences.
[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/09-liquid-in-liquid-out.mp3]Download: The Thermals – Liquid In, Liquid Out [MP3]
The famous Forty Acres fest is going down this Saturday on the UT campus. Games will be played, food and drink will be had, and the night ends with headliners Clap Your Hands Say Yeah playing in front of the UT tower at 7pm. Best of all, everything is totally free. This is also a good time to post the band’s latest demo/single “Statues”.
Download: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah – Statues [MP3]
Did everyone know that I love Jay Reatard? Okay, so if you follow ATH, it’s pretty clear that I’m a huge fan, and I had promised not to throw his name around for a bit, but I can’t help it. Jay is re-opening his past, meaning he’s relaunching Shattered Records so that everyone can get their hands on his extensive back catalog. Not to mention, he’s offering a subscription to a Singles Club for $75. And, and, he’s giving away a new tune. Here is that new track!
Download: Jay Reatard – You’re Gonna Lose [MP3]
