Most Listened to Albums in 2019…According to Keeled Scales

Austin label Keeled Scales are clearly some of our favorite people; they’ve pretty much exploded into one of the best labels in the US, so we’re glad they had a few moments to list out their 10 Most Listened to LPs of 2019!

Be sure to visit their SITE and check out all the great releases; I’d start with this year’s Jordan Moser record, then maybe hop back to that Julia Lucille LP (if you were asking me!). They’ve also made us a great playlist of their favorite tunes from this year, as well as some hits from their artists, all after the jump!

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Another Angelo de Augustine

I’ve always appreciated Angelo de Augustine‘s music, but there’s something particularly perfect about this song dropping at this time of year, with Winter whipping at your windows. The recording has this whisper, as if his voice is muffled so as not to wake the neighbors in the sharing of his innermost secrets. Headphones will reveal this bubbling pulse beneath the entirety of the mix, as well as the occasional piano backbone, but in all honesty, the gentle strum of the guitar along with Augustine’s voice is all that’s required. His new album Tomb will be out on January 18th via Asthmatic Kitty.

Elliott Smith-Esque Gem From Angelo De Augustine

Oh man, do I love a good quiet melancholic bedroom pop track. Maybe it’s the cold snap we’ve had here in Austin that draws me in so deeply to “Tomb,” but most likely it’s the fact that Angelo De Augustine just knows how to craft a solid tune. While I’ve been a longtime fan, he’s made a big wave in the indie rock world as of late for sharing a live version of his tune, “Time” with Sufjan Stevens’ help on piano. That’s a gorgeous tune, but it seems like he’s really outdone himself with this video for “Tomb,” as you can peek below. Augustine has these impossibly beautiful vocals that float in with a falsetto whisper. Couple that with brilliant songwriting (“You’ve been living your life from the outside / like a stranger inside of your own mind”) and you get the devastating, Elliott-Smith reminiscent, “Tomb.” Safe to say I’m very excited for the full-length this track is taken from. Pre-orderTombbefore its January 18th release date on Asthmatic Kitty.

 

Quiet Tune From Angelo De Augustine

Big news for LA’s Angelo De Augustine— he’s just signed to Asthmatic Kitty Records and released his first 7″. “Truly Gone” is exactly the kind of music you would expect to be on Sufjan Stevens’ record label. It’s a soft and delicate number, with whispery vocals that flow through the song like trees swaying in a gentle breeze. I’m reminded a bit of Elliott Smith here in the simplistic, yet moving, quality in the guitar and vocal combination. Check out Angelo De Augustine and add a little serenity to the afternoon.

You can pick up this limited edition 7″ here, and then look out for a full length coming this summer.

 

Top 50 Albums of 2014

TOP 50 ALB 14These lists are everywhere, so you’ll be excused if you just roll your eyes and skip on. But, that being said, we always seem to be way off the mark when it comes to our Top 50 Albums of the Year.  Sure, we have some of the sure fire hits on this list like Angel Olsen and Sharon Van Etten, but don’t even read on if you’re look ing to see where Run the Jewels made it…they’re not there. Sorry not sorry.  So, if you’re into arbitrary lists by people who like to push their own agenda, then this list is for you! Read more

Angelo de Augustine – Spirals of Silence

angeloRating: ★★★★☆

Angelo de Augustine is sure to be a name everyone whispers behind your back for a few years.  His work is so unassuming that it’s likely to be skipped over by many, to their detriment, as it’s a listen that people will praise from the darkened corners of coffee shops, spreading the gospel beyond until everyone scours Discogs in search for a copy of Spirals of Silence.

It’s going to be difficult for people to look beyond the Elliot Smith references, especially after listening to the opening two tracks, “Old Hope” and “Collections.” Quiet whispers in the vocal quality and even the sound of the strings being plucked are definitely similar, but there’s still some tiny nuances that allow Angelo to find a path all his own.  That being said, if you’re an Elliot fan, then you should find yourself listening to “Collections.”

An instance where I see de Augustine making his own path on Spirals of Silence if on “The Beginning and the End.”  There’s a fragility to the vocal for sure, but there’s also this careful bit of intricate work filling in the empty space beneath the guitar lines.  Sometimes it’s touches of bells or strings, but it comes off sounding more like a field recording as opposed to an ode to the Beetles. It’s those moments that provide a certain level of intimacy that we don’t always find in our musicians, and it seems to be on every track Angelo has left us with.  If you need another example of such quality, then “Tucked in at Home” is another place you’ll find this insight into the soul of the musician. I love the light little “do do do” moments that fill in near the middle of the track; it’s playful yet wholly personal.

I’m still finding myself entranced with “You Open to the Idea.”  It was the first track I experienced from Spirals of Silence, and thus, it’s been the one I’m particularly fond of.  I love the way Angelo rises and falls in pitch and tone within the track; it also never hurts to have a really faint bit of tinkering piano in the far off distance of the song. Still, I encourage you to do your own exploration of the record, as each time I spin it, I find something different and new lurking in the background, or even in front of my face.  It’s a record that’ll make you lost, looking for the key to its secrets, and in the end, it’s just a nice bit of songwriting. Cheers to that, and Angelo de Augustine.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/07-You-Open-To-The-Idea.mp3]

 

 

Another Soft Track from Angelo de Augustine

Spirals-Of-Silence1-608x608Man. I really have been craving some good soft tunes to ease me into the fall, or lack there of.  This new album from Angelo de Augustine has been doing the trick pretty well, offering up some really incredible tunes.  It’s not necessarily sad bastard music, though there’s an intimacy in the way the music has been recorded that likens Angelo to Elliot Smith (as I’ve mentioned before). You can even hear the buzz on the strings, which is always a favorite touch of mine.  Look for his album Spirals of Silence on November 18th.

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Quieted Folk from Angelo De Augustine

spiralzIt’s been years, and I hate to even bring it up, but where’s the next Elliot Smith in this world? If I’m going to throw a name into the hat, it might just be Angelo de Augustine.  I’m not saying that they sound exactly alike, as there’s no fun in that, but there are similarities in the recordings and the intimacy.  There’s a soft touch that makes its way to your heart, and few artists can pull that off.  I know my hopes are high here, but there’s a special place in my heart reserved for music of this sort, so I’m eager to see what the entirety of his Spirals of Silence LP sounds like.  Take a quiet spin today, and pick up the album on November 18th.

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Angelo de Augustine Offers Brilliantly Quiet Tune

angelAs we all move into the work week, some of us might find things moving rather slowly, and we accept that.  That brings us to this really gentle tune (that’s really the best descriptor) from Angelo de Augustine.  I know that some other outlets have offered their two cents, but I’m just enchanted by the intimacy here; it reminds me of some of the early workings of Peter and the Wolf (perhaps with a hint of ES vocal lightness).  The young lad will be releasing his debut Spirals of Silence on November 18th for all to hear.  Simple and seductive.

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