Greg Mendez Releases Two New Singles: Best Behavior + Hope You’re Doing Okay

It seems like there are a lot of folks out there falling in love with Greg Mendez, and with these latest singles hitting today, I imagine there will be more folks digging through Mendez work. Honestly, as a blogger for the last 15 years or so, I’ve admittedly used the Elliott Smith comparison a lot, but in these two songs, the album’s final two tracks, I feel as if we’re as close as we might ever get to finding another voice so meaningful. There’s this fragility in Greg’s voice, something that just lets his words hang effortlessly in the air, waiting to find a person who needs the comfort his voice will offer. All of this is layered carefully atop a light strum, giving off that intimacy that makes you feel as if you’re in on the secret. Greg Mendez, the album, will be out on May 5th via Forged Artifacts/Devil Town Tapes.

Gustaf Share Best Behavior Single

I’m not entirely sure I’m able to describe to you my infatuation with Gustaf. Early on, with their debut 7″, it was all about those angular riffs and the band lobbing up these huge choruses that would crash down emphatically and sweep you away. But, on this new single, you get the band relying almost solely on the rhythm section; it’s the propulsive element here…well, unless you just look to singer Lydia Gammill. All the band’s videos portray Lydia with this natural tenacity, which perhaps could be construed as a certain wildness, but it’s harnessed here, almost tethered to the lonely guitar notes. Even still, you can see the rhythm of the band taking hold, pushing Gammill and company to the brink. Look for their Audio Drag for Ego Slobs on October 1st via Royal Mountain Records.

New Music from Dinowalrus

As we slowly move into 2012, there’s a lot of interesting music beginning to trickle out our way.  One of the first acts to catch my attention is Dinowalrus, a band with some ties to Titus Andronicus — just don’t expect to hear the same post-rock storytelling.  This track begins with a bit of a dreamy state, and while the vocals maintain that effect, you’ll get a bit more of a trance-induced swing pushed on by cascading guitar lines.  If, like me, you’re digging what you hear, you can get the band’s newest effort, Best Behavior on March 6th via Old Flame Records.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/04_What_Now.mp3]

Download: Dinowalrus – What Now [MP3]