Unemployed
We Irish were often stereotyped as lazy drunks when we first arrived to the new world. Fortunately we have put those stereotypes to rest.
Justice – Planisphere
You may be sick of all the new dance music making a resurgence, but you’ve gotta admit that French duo Justice are at least doing it right. The Frenchman continue to do it right with a new 4 part project entitled Planisphere which can be streamed on the Justice myspace page. It’s pretty rad.
New Appleseed Cast
We may be a tad late on this, but I couldn’t resist when I found this little gem from The Appleseed Cast. Below is a demo version of “Road West” which is said to appear on the band’s recently completed album Sagarmatha. Members of AC have also said that a pre-ep will be out in November with a full length due sometime in January. The new track clocks in at over 8 minutes with no vocals in sight. A new direction for the Lawrence boys?
Download: The Appleseed Cast – Road West(demo) [MP3]
More Full Album Streams On Spinner
Spinner has been outta site with all the full album streams they post up each week. This week they have all kinds of goodness, like new Calexico, The New Year, Chad Vangaalen and a whole slew of others. Check out the full album streams and feel free to tell us what you think about any of ’em.
Colourmusic – F, Monday…
Colourmusic – F, Monday, Orange, February, Venus, Lunatic, 1 Or 13
Rating: 
Oklahoma’s Colourmusic won me over long ago with their fantastic live shows, something I mentioned in the past, and now we are here to see if their debut album lives up to the hype of one of the most exciting bands around.
They open the album with “Motherfather,” a light tune that evokes some of the band’s British influences. And you can add to that joy a brief bass solo. It’s a clear statement from the beginning that Colourmusic will be a difficult band to define.
Immediately afterwards they push forward with the grittier “Put in A Little Gas.” The song is fueled by the distorted guitars, juxtaposed with the playful chorus–or is that a verse? This song is sure to be the staple of the band’s live show, as the repetitive lyrics make it difficult for any crowd participant to ignore.
This act keep the pressure on with the continually upbeat “Gospel Song.” It’s the indie world’s response to call and response choir work, with a sexual undertone that may or may not be intentional. Clearly this is a song that makes you want to throw your hands up and stomp around the floor of your room until the floorboards are nothing but dust.
I’m tempted to say that “Spring Song” has a little too much kitsch. There is a line of playfulness that the band can cross at times, and this is one of those times. Still, there is an attractive quality to the song that makes this song enjoyable. I wonder if, as they say, “everyone is singing my song.” It is catchy.
Enter “Circles.” It’s one of the band’s oldest songs, and it is one they’ve mastered to near perfection. The constant switching in time builds the momentum throughout the song, encouraging you to tag along with the band. Go far enough, and you’ll find yourself caught up in the chorus near the end of the circle, swinging yourself and your loved one “all around.”
“Someday Speaks Loudly” is something I can’t really describe. It begins with some atmospherics, then the ghastly vocals float carefully through the core of the song, as the drumming builds in the background, crashing quietly into the end of the song. Something is so familiar about this song. I can’t place it, but if you can, let me know.
Prepare yourself for “Yes.” This is easily one of the better songs on the album. Sure, it gets a touch redundant lyrically, but its one of the more powerful songs the album has to offer. Totally Belle and Sebastian playing metal songs.
“Rock and Roll Polar Bear” employs a similar tactic seen in this album. It is a song that builds, slows down, then builds. This is the key to Colourmusic and their intoxicating quality; they know precisely how to construct a song to evoke everything on their minds. I’m not sure there are other bands who can switch it up as quickly and convincingly.
Make sure you don’t skip “You Can Call Me by My Name.” I don’t have anything bad to say about this song. Each moment in this song seems to fit exactly perfectly with the bands intentions; this is definitely one of those songs that people will beg for live. It’s a solid song.
When I listen to “Fall Song,” I find it hard not to escape the Simon and Garfunkel reference points. It’s either the gentle vocal quality that goes throughout or the effortless guitar work that evokes that idea. This has to be a S & G cover song. It has to be.
“Winter Song” is the best song on this album, and one of the best songs you will hear this year. Honestly, it might not jump out at you immediately, but sometimes the simplest songs allow you to get carried away in your own mind, and in this case, you can go far. Come on, “lets fall in love,” with Colourmusic.
The last two songs, “Try” and “Moolah” are a fitting end to the album. They offer a glimpse of everywhere this band has gone on the album, and hint at possible planets they can visit in the near future. As the album draws to a close, you realize that each song fits in to the album as whole. It’s as if Colourmusic took their time to craft a great album–imagine that. Everyone can find something in this album, and odds are, if you listen carefully you’ll find some special moments that you can hold close to your heart. Let’s thank these guys for that.
Oh, and don’t forget to check them out at this years Fun Fun Fun Fest.
And as an ATH exclusive, we have a new track for you to sample:
[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/02-put-in-a-little-gas1.mp3]Download: Colourmusic – Put in a Little Gas [MP3]
Brand New Oh No Oh My
A new Oh No Oh My song has been posted up on the band’s myspace page. New song “Be a Star” solidifies the band as one of the best acts coming out of Austin right now. Check it out and tell us what you think.
Matt & Kim!
We’ve been waiting for the right time to post this new Matt & Kim track, and a Monday morning feels like the right time. “Good ol Fashion Nightmare” will appear on the duos newest album Grand. We hope this happy tune gets you through your case of the Mondays.
Download: Matt & Kim – Good Ol Fashion Nightmare [MP3]
Why? & Mt. Eerie Tonight @ Mohawk
Tonight you will get a chance to hear Why?, and perhaps determine why there is a lot of hype about this band at the moment. Personally, I’m thinking that the opening act, Mt. Eerie, should be enough of a reason to head that way this evening. I mean how can you not like the experimental folk of Phil Elvrum? Tell me Why?
The show starts at 8 PM at the Mohawk. You can still get tickets at the door for this one. Enjoy your night.
Tokyo Police Club On Interface
Dave Monks of Canadian pop-punk outfit Tokyo Police Club recently did an acoustic set for the Interface on AOL. The solo performance features four tracks from the very surprising 2008 album Elephant Shell from Mr. Monks band. Watch the video and download the live songs for free.
Okkervil River – The Stand Ins
Rating: 
First off let me describe my distaste for songs that last under 1 minute running time, used mostly as some artistic statement, or as is the case in most places, useless filler. This album contains three such songs, which gives the fans of Okkervil River only eight new songs. I don’t blame Okkervil River for their usage of this popular album filler; I just don’t understand it.
By now we’ve all been witness to the opening song, well, the second song–first one with words. “Lost Coastlines” was the first single released by the band, and as usual, it is one of the most immediately gratifying tracks of the album. It seems to be the style of choice from these Austin heroes, as their albums always open with great strength.
They carry this ambition forward with “Singer Songwriter” and “Starry Stairs;” two of the stronger tracks on this album. “Starry Stairs” features horn usage during the chorus, which definitely adds to the power of song, much in the way Beulah used the same instruments. As it carries off into the end of the song, the guitars begin to grow a bit tedious; still, the song garners some interest do to the additional instruments in use.
For me, “Blue Tulip” is probably the least obvious song on the album for listeners, but there is such power in Will’s voice that it reminds you of his vocal meanderings in the early days. His vocals alone carry the song all the way from start to finish, attracting the listener with every ounce of emotion he has available. Slowly this song grows into your subconscious.
Then enters the next instrumental track from stage left. It stops all the momentum the album had built up to this point. You have to revert back to the previous tracks just to get back in the mood to move forward. Yet another reason these little pieces should not be used.
“Pop Lie” enters as one of the more upbeat songs the band has written in years, yet it still just doesn’t have the punch of songs like “For Real,” from Black Sheep Boy. I foresee moments of hand claps during the live show with this song, but it isn’t a winner for me. “On Tour with Zykos,” is a beautiful song, where Will’s voice meets the piano in the most appropriate manner. It’s clear that by this point in the band’s career that his voice has matured to extremely high levels–I still long for a little bit of that guttural noise.
“Calling and Not Calling My Ex” is the last song in this section of the album. A good song, but not a great song. At this point in the album I felt like more should have come my way as far as listening experiences go. I know that the band originally intended a double LP, but these three songs fit in to what one can only assume are B-Sides. They are all good songs, but none of them are great songs by any means, at least not in comparison to the tracks off Stage Names. And then they throw in another one of those instrumental pieces. Annoyed.
The final song, “Bruce Wayne Campbell…” is a slow-burner, but midway through the song the entire piece picks up the pace. It’s the perfect ending to this sub-par album. There is loads of promise throughout the song, but as an entire piece it just doesn’t work. It’s incomplete.
In summation I suppose that the last song encapsulates my feelings towards this album. It doesn’t feel complete to me at all. The skeleton on the cover of The Stand Ins surely must be a representation of the skeletal imitations of these songs. They are so bare bones at times that they lose the beauty that usually accompany the band’s later works. I won’t say that I hate this album because there is plenty to enjoy, but it won’t get played over and over in my various listening stations until I start to mumble the words in my sleep.