This is fine.
While Nathan was solo on Thursday, the ATH crew rolled deep on Friday night with a full crew hitting almost every venue offered by Levitation Festival. While the rain dampened spirits a bit to start the evening, things ramped up once the skies cleared and we took full advantage of the full variety of musical styles on the lineup. We covered a ton of ground and saw a plethora of bands, all which you can read about after the jump.
With Levitation now just ONE day away, we are trying to cram in as many last minute previews as we can before heading out the door tomorrow afternoon. Our preview and interview today comes from one of our favorite new bands to emerge in the scene recently, New Orleans based Video Age. After the jump you can find the full interview along with details on set times and new tunes to check out.
One of my favorite Austin acts, Marry Cherry, have opted to transport you back into your time machine and take you all the way back to the club scene of the early 90s. They’ve got this psychedelic blend that often feels more inclined towards pop fanatics, but you can’t hide yourself from the fiery guitar licks that fill the empty space behind the sugary sweetness. And, as if the musical styling wasn’t enough, the video for “Shame” takes on a bit of an old school vibe too, and there was definitely part of the video and track where I swore J. Spaceman was the instigator. They can be quiet and they can be brash, and I love it all. If you’re digging what they’re laying down, might I suggest you find their Knockout EP to enjoy today!
As you can see, we are frantically try to hit with you as much Levitation coverage as we can before things kick off on Thursday. We’re rolling into our second interview of the day, this time by way of Melbourne based outfit Civic. Now we’ve long been fans of these guys and are super excited for them to travel all this way. If they aren’t on your bands to see list, well what are you even doing. Hit the jump for all them deets.
We’re a week out from Levitation, so we’re trying to turn your attention towards some acts we’ve got on our coverage list, which means you get to hear a bit about the acts as well. This one’s a bonus, as this is Font, one of the most discussed acts in the current Austin scene…so we’ve got a double whammy for ya! They’re opening up the show over at Empire Garage on Thursday, October 26th at 7:30 PM, if you’re here festing! Plus, at the end of the interview, you can stream their banging new single, “It.”
Everyone in Austin has been high upon Font‘s performances the last few years, and it feels like they’re just destined to break into the greater realm of music lovers. I’ve only managed to catch them a couple of times, and have always left impressed. They just released a rad new single, and honestly, from their most recent single last year to this one, it feels sort of like they’re making the same trajectory as Liars did. While there’s still a magnetic punk ethos, you can certainly hear the groove and the electronic element pouring into this new jam. I mean, that rolling pulse should have you bobbing your head incessantly as the vocals move from punctuated to chaotic; it’s a whirlwind, pulled tightly together by a group ready to push themselves. Turn it all the way up.
Party people. That ACL thing is over and done with for real so now it’s time to direct your attention to the festival that the ATH crew REALLY gets amped for. In just about a week and a half, the entire town will be getting down and cruising downtown for Levitation Festival. As we tend to do for this thing, be ready for a slew of previews, interviews, playlists, and band recommendations. For now, hit the jump for a few updates from the festival along with all your links for ticket purchasings and whatnot.
It’s always a good day when you get to slide into a great Kay Odyssey tune. The Austin outfit have been consistently churning out great vibes for years, and now there’s a brand new single from the group, with a video done by the group’s own, Kristina Boswell. When the guitar trickled in, you can feel the emotion through your speakers; it had that resonance that, for me, reminded me of the Pacific Northwest in the 90s. But, drums and keys jump into the picture, kicking the tune into a bit more of a softly bouncing lullaby. Boswell’s vocals sparkle here, hitting perfect notes as the band works behind her. Plus, a later moment brings in a swelling string arrangement on cello, furthering the texture of the tune, and you completely dive into the track. Fall in love here.
A few years back, when the Walkmen announced they were going on hiatus, we here at ATH were a little bummed, as we’re self-avowed superfans. But, it was understandable; they had side projects, they’d been at it for nearly two decades, so sure, we were sad, but we got it. Then, this last year they decided to get the band back together, and RayRay rushed off to catch one of their sets in Rhode Island; he said Hamilton still had the power in voice, which is always a selling point. So, this weekend, while I’ve aged out of ACL attendance, I still get a chance to see the Walkmen at Stubbs for their Official After Show. If they play “In the New Year” and “the Rat” we all win, but I’ll be looking for those deep cuts. Opening act L.C. Franke should be on after doors at 8 PM; grab tickets HERE.
If you’re one of the three people in Austin reading this site, might I encourage you to join me tomorrow night over at Hotel Vegas? Dutch outfit Lewsberg, who we’ve been covering for a few years, are headed to our town, fresh on the back of their excellent Out and About LP (12XU). I know there are tons of folks in the greater city limits who love “post-punk,” or the like, so this is certainly a show you’ll want to catch; it’s like if you were taking the modern trends and styles and spinning it through the wheels of Calvin Johnson’s DIY joy-machine, with some mixtures of Broadcast/Stereolab thrown in to be cool. Plus, Hotel Vegas got it right, with the band playing at 11, so you can still get home in a reasonable hour, though I suggest sticking around to catch Cast of Thousands, the new band fronted by Max of Flesh Lights. Tickets are HERE. Heard Mark from THEMM will be there too; he always brings boxes of sliders!
