Aquarian Blood Share New Tune + ATX Show Tonight at Vegas
You’d think a band comprised of members of Ex Cult and NOTS (formerly) would have some sort of monstrous presence in a new project. But, that’s exactly why I love Aquarian Blood, and in fact, why I’ve always loved rock n’ roll. This isn’t a banger, or a ripper; it’s a stripped down ballad that’s about as intimate as they come. The vocals are wholly solemn, almost weary from a live well-lived. I guess for me, the band just hit that sweet spot of not-quite folk; you can hear the musical lineage on both sides of the coin, particularly with the great arrangements fleshing out the tune. This tune will be on A Love That Leads to War, the new LP out October 11th via Goner Records.
Plus! If you’re in Austin, you can catch the band with Thigh Master at Hotel Vegas tonight!
Austin’s Masculine Pain are fairly new to the scene, though its various members are longtime staples of the music scene here. You’ll recognize the vocals of Eric Braden of Big Bill, while Nate Cardaci of Tres Oui/Literature and Tim Bond round things out. This one’s a slow-burner, building over beats and a bobbing bass line; it’s the perfect setting for Braden’s vocal delivery, matching each syllable to the movement. Dreamy guitar notes filter in from the background as Braden sings “I’m not in control.” For me, the climax comes right at the 1:50, the mood twists, guitars and synths wash in more of a dream vibe, and as the vocals match, it’s this huge wall of euphoria blasting you right in the face; I should have been expecting this. Putting great songwriters together doesn’t always work, except when it does…and here, it does.
It’s really hard not to get personal when writing about 
As long as we’ve run this site, there’s been a Ram Vela in our lives. He’s been buds with RayRay forever, and his old band Whitman played countless ATH shows. But, he’s been quiet for a bit, focusing on other things. But, as of late he’s been working with his new band 
Having followed the Zoltars for some time, I cannot begin to share how excited we are to have the privilege of releasing their next LP this October. In honor of that release, we thought we’d try out another gem for your ears…so lets get to it. For me, there’s two reasons I love this track…especially going into this week (the first week of school). One, there’s this great contrast between dark and light; the riffs are heavy from the get-go, churned and driving, but the chorus changes that into this shimmering light creeping in from the horizon. But, like all great songs, they need great lyrics or themes…as a teacher dealing with kids (though this applies to all humans), thematically its about seeing your own gifts. If you’re interested in buying Telling Stories, you can pre-order the whole LP right 
Austin act 