Calico Blue Share Billy
I’m always up for a good ditty, especially one that comes dancing in with these hook-laden guitar riffs like the latest from Calico Blue. Sarah Addi’s vocals also have this belting nature, just soaring above the entire mix to grab the listener. In previous releases the group have gravitated towards bedroom/dream pop, and while I can still hear faints here and there, this one definitely feels much more pronounced, almost aiming to be playful. I liked the little breakdown at the end too, sort of stomping their way to an exhausted close. You can give a listen below if you want to catch onto this bunch.

Even as the year begins to head towards the exciting landscape of meaningless year-end-lists (our site included!), Austin’s still buzzing with fresh tunes all over the place. Just yesterday, we got a couple of new tunes out there that we really enjoyed, so I’m flexing for the ATX…and oddly, both of these have a personal connection here. So…
Nevil
All year long,
Really excited to know that
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
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 