This is fine.
Friday night was jam packed with album releases and rad locals, so Saturday night slows down a wee bit, though there are still several shows worthy of catching your attention. It’s supposed to be cold, so bundle up, grab a friend and head out on the town…here’s my personal highlights of the weekend, including their meaningless genre guesses. Read more
Rating: 
The noise, the noise, the noise! For more than a decade now, these New Yorkers have been dishing out a steady supply of loud and rambunctious rock music. But you already knew that, or you should, as they’ve become somewhat of a staple band when it comes to experimental post-punk revival noise rock. Transfixiation is far from short on the loud and punch-you-in-the-face rock and roll, but does it push A Place To Bury Strangers past where they’ve already been?
They open up with simmering “Supermaster,” which has the band’s dark post-punk grit toned down to a pop level, giving it a newfound accessibility that was missing before. This song plays with the concept of bursting forth into the explosive rock that we know the band to be capable of, but instead, they stay treading water just below of the surface. Oliver Ackermann’s vocals stay low in the mix, and the whole song crawls along forebodingly, building up the suspense as squalls of electric guitar slice through the mix. Alluringly, this song piques your interest and sucks you in before APTBS ever really launch in.
But not to worry, “Straight,” the second track up has the band taking this newfound pop accessibility to a different level. This song is a great middle ground for the band; neither too hot nor too dull in terms of gritty noise rock or a watered down version of their original sound. Instead, it takes the band to a different level, combining the grit with the streamlined to make for quite an enjoyable track. There are other tracks on Transfixiation that fit this mold in the best way, like late burners “We’ve Come So Far,” or “Fill The Void.” Both of these songs combine a newfound pop sensibility to the mix while maintaining the band’s core sound, and open up the band to a new hybridity we had scarcely seen before. Other times, you get the band holding on to their loud roots unabashedly. Take songs like “Love High” or “Deeper,” in which the grungey elements are in full force.
So, the answer to the question I posed at the beginning of this review is both a yes and a no. There are some tracks on Transfixiation that clearly stick out and sail above the classic noise they’ve come to be infamous for. However, part of the album feels so steeped in feedback and coated in grit that you’ve already gotten to know; a half step in a different direction rather than a full step. It’s up to you to decide if that’s a good or a bad thing.
After some albums where I felt like A Place to Bury Strangers hit some middling ground, they finally nailed it, for me anyways. The noisy propulsion of this track is remarkable, driving the song forward while the shadow of the vocals haunt you from the back of the mix. It’s definitely a spin on modern psych music, utilizing the genres combination of noise juxtaposed to the softness, or subdued quality of the vocals, as is the case here. This should make the release of the band’s new album, Transfixation, something to behold; it’s release date is set for February 17th courtesy of Dead Oceans.
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Brooklyn’s A Place To Bury Strangers are back with the announcement of their newest addition to their extensive collection of work, Transfixiation. Apparently, this new album is supposed to be a step in a new direction for the band, as they recorded it with the mentality of keeping things pure and not too over-processed. This album is slated to come out February 17th of next year via Dead Oceans, but they’ve given us a taste of what to expect with single “Straight” that’s below. If you listen, you’ll still find the dark gutter rock that this band has mastered, but the squall of the guitars and the ferocious drum beat gives it a garage-y, lo fi vibe. If this is the precedent for what’s to come with this new album, I’m ready to see just what they have in store for us.
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I usually end up putting in more miles around a festival then those other two guys. That means I usually see and more importantly hear more bands than the average festival goer.
This year, I was able to relax a bit on Friday as I was with out photo pit access. Once all that was remedied, it was full steam ahead. I had plenty of fun chasing the sound. We’ll start with a Top 5 bands and then hit on festival observations.
Final day. Your feet, lungs and liver have taken a beating, but the pain feels good now.
I had a busy slate of things I wanted to check out on Sunday. I started bright and early to catch favorite locals on the upswing and kept after through the headliner. Final installment of shots from FFF7 will bring you Flesh Lights, Ume, Balmorhea, Cult of Youth, Bleached, A Place to Bury Strangers, Class Actress, Trust, Deerhoof, The Promise Ring, Omar Rodriguez Lopez, Black Angles, De La Soul and Edward Sharpe.
Tons of eye candy after the break.
The photo guy has to have his best of list, right?
The five photos featured are my favorite moments shooting music this year. I want to share some background about them, what was going on when they happened. These aren’t the “best” photos I have taken, but they are all my best memories captured. Thank you, 2011 Live Music, and thank you Austin Town Hall for inviting me to be part of the team.
Break it for the rundown and a gallery of other favorites…
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The Seaholm Power Plant played host to psych, prog, indie and noise for three days, we were on hand for two of the three, picking out the best for the ATH faithful. The main stage centering the cavernous interior offered several interesting viewing angles due to the fenced off holes in the floor to the level below. Lighting throughout accentuated the scale of the interior and depth of the catacombs. Stage two was a smaller space set off to the side that remained at human body. Hit the jump for band summaries and pictures from the festival.
For those who had recently been following the rise of The Big Pink, Thursday night’s show at The Parish was much anticipated. As fans of the band’s A Brief History of Love, we were determined to witness the show in order to make a definitive statement on just how much we love the band. Opening for the evening was A Place to Bury Strangers, who initially seemed like an odd pairing. Follow the jump for full review.
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We’ve got a couple contests coming your way this week and our first one features a couple guest list spots for Thursday night’s much anticipated Big Pink show at The Parish. Details for the contest are: leave a comment below or tweet us with why you should win. Be creative fools! One lucky winner will receive their name with a +1 on the band’s guest list. Don’t forget that we’ll need a valid email address so we can contact you later. We’ll be ending things on Wednesday afternoon so get those entries in quick like. Tickets are also available via Frontgate @ $13 a piece. Ready, set, go!
Download: The Big Pink – Dominos [MP3]
