dark wave – Austin Town Hall

Traitrs Drop Dark Wave Single

September 30, 2025 nathan.lankford Leave a comment

Wanted to wake up this morning to a bit of brooding energy, and Traitr‘s latest single is doing the trick, and I’m hoping that it returns the favor to you. You’ll find a thunderous beat pounding on the floor, with a gothic vocal performance dominating the road ahead; I do think there are some slight little tonal twists too, altering the way the song is to be heard. When the chorus drops in, the background music opens up, throwing in the slightest hint of danceable hook into the mix, which is absolutely perfect for us all. This brand new single is ready for all of you choosing to live in the shadowy corners!

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Max Threat Share Clorox Polaroid

July 8, 2025 nathan.lankford Leave a comment

There’s definitely a dark cloud hanging over Texas at the moment (more so than usual), so I’ve been digging deep into the saved tunes pile, kind of trying to find the mood for my brain to chill…which is where this Max Threat tune hit. At times, the murkiness feels like a brand of shadowy club pop, and your body is immersed in giving itself entirely to the rhythm. Other moments have these stabbing notes that collide and crash into one another, like a bastardized version of Blank Dogs where everything feels like a beautiful mess. Just an exploratory bit of pop that I was glad floated my way this morning.

MAX THREAT clorox polaroid

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Aus!Funkt Drop New Single

June 27, 2025 nathan.lankford Leave a comment

If you woke up today looking for a little bit of musical energy to carry you to the end, might you try on this Aus!Funkt jam that dropped today? The Montreal outfit just dropped a AA single today, and man, the rhythmic pulse of this tune below is just too solid not to crank up. Almost instantly your body is propelled into motion, whether that’s full body swaying or toe-tapping, you can’t deny the fashionable pulse of this hit. They flesh out the track with layers of shadowy vocals to pull on those dark-wave notes, with other musical excursions blasting all around the track. Don’t hesitate, and just click play!

<a href="https://ausfunkt.bandcamp.com/album/unredacted-correspondence-no-7-from-the-b-ro-of-the-ministry-of-wires-trash-talks-avec-monsieur-plus-gros-bouton-madame-petits-ciseaux">Unredacted Correspondence No. 7 from the Bro of the Ministry of Wires: Trash Talks avec Monsieur Plus Gros Bouton & Madame Petits Ciseaux by AUS!Funkt</a>

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Berlin Tourist Shares Get Out Single

August 12, 2024 nathan.lankford Leave a comment

You know I like to pop over to Australia every now and then, just to check out what’s cool over there, which is where I discovered Berlin Tourist. This act is the solo project of Tom Lee, who, unlike many of his peers in the area, seems to be channeling a bit of Blank Dogs and other like-minded punk industrialists. An angular guitar line runs the musical show, while the synthesized beat helps keep the pace, pushing the guitars and the vocals to really go along with the fun. Maybe could use a little pump up in the volume, or some mystery, but a fun Monday jam to crank up around the house.

Berlin Tourist Get Out

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Stream Nul Telexes Debut LP

March 1, 2021 nathan.lankford Leave a comment

If you’re not into cold, cavernous synth pop, please, just skip to the next song you find fascinating, as Nul Telexes debut LP is not for the faint of heart. From the instant it comes on, you’re immersed in these heavy vocal tones washed in this sterile synth mixture; you’ll likely hear a bit of an Ian Curtis nod too. While some of the tunes on Menhir are contemplative in nature, there’s often a driving force pushing the song forward, occasionally creating just a slight dance-ability, like in “A Play.” If any record feels like its been made of the emotions of the last year, then surely this LP is the one; it’s available now from Swiss Dark Nights.

<a href="https://swissdarknights.bandcamp.com/album/menhir">Menhir by Nul Telexes</a>

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Hear a New One from Ritual Howls

August 4, 2016 nathan.lankford Leave a comment

Man, I think I’m in love with this new track from Ritual Howls. There’s this propulsive no-wave new-wave aspect that carries throughout, filled in with lots of negative space to really allow the musical elements to shine. Don’t get me wrong, the deep tonal quality of the vocals is fitting, and adds a strong layer to it, but the musicality alone would have sealed this song for me. This recalls the darker side of dream pop to me, and I fully expect Into the Water, their newest effort, to be something quite enjoyable. Look for its release on August 19th via Felte.

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