New Music From Tallest Man On Earth

The+Tallest+Man+on+Earth+tallest+man+on+earthThis new track from Swedish folk singer, Tallest Man On Earth, has been floating around the internet over the last few days and we just had to get it on our site.  This new jam “King of Spain” will appear on the upcoming album The Wild Hunt, due out April 13th on Dead Oceans.  The track comes off sounding a bit like some old school Tweedy led Uncle Tupelo with vocals more similar to Dylan on helium.  That’s good right?

[audio: https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/06-King-of-Spain-1.mp3]

Download: Tallest Man on Earth – King of Spain [MP3]

New Music From Citay

qydj-citaySan Fran’s very own Citay are back in action and about to drop their third LP on our waiting ears.  The new album will be called Dream Get Together and will see the light of day on Jan. 26th via Dead Oceans.  First single from the album “Careful With That Hat” is below.  The sick guitar solos and pop melodies are doing wonderful things for our ears.

[audio: https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/01-Careful-With-That-Hat-1.mp3]

Download: Citay – Careful With That Hat [MP3]

New Music From Califone

califoneIt’s been right at 3 years since we’ve gotten a proper LP from Chicago outfit Califone and I can honestly say I’ve missed them.  Isn’t that sweet?  But alas, the band is back and ready to drop a new album our way October 6th called All My Friends Are Funeral Singers.  Here’s a first glimpse of that Dead Oceans release, “Funeral Singers”.  Welcome back to the game boys.

[audio: https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/04-Funeral-Singers-1.mp3]

Download: Califone – Funeral Singers [MP3]

Nurses Sign With Dead Oceans

nurses2_11Nurses is not a band we know a whole lot about other than they’re from Portland and they just signed a deal with ATH fave label Dead Oceans.  We also know that we really like this strange yet catchy new single from Nurses called “Caterpillar Playground”.  We’re going to describe it as experimental pop music.  Sound good to you?  You can get your hands on the bands debut LP Apple’s Acre on August 4th.

[audio: https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/caterpillarplayground.mp3]

Download: Nurses – Caterpillar Playground [MP3]

Akron/Family – Set ‘Em Wild, Set ‘Em Free

akronRating: ★★★★☆

When you come across the musical landscape today, it’s fairly easy to classify most groups within a certain genre, especially when it comes to independent music.  Akron/Family‘s new album, Set Em Wild Set Em Free (out now on Dead Oceans) , does not fit easily into any such category, and listeners are better off for the approach to songwriting that the group has taken.

“Everyone is Guilty” jumps the album off with a funky math rock instrumental moment, but just as you brace yourself for a prolonged psychedelic math trip, grouped vocal harmonies bounce in, altering the landscape within the song; the song progresses, bouncing back and forth between the gang vocal approach and the elemental science funk.  For the most part, this song serves as the perfect opening to the album, as it lays down the dichotomy of the entire album.  This album is one that never stays in one place for too long, combining various albums, different paces and a variety of other musical tricks to make this one of the most diverse listening experiences of the year.

Of course, there are moments when the experimentation goes a step too far, but alas, no band is truly perfect.  Take the longest song on the album, “Gravelly Mountains of the Moon,” which meanders along well enough, as all the songs on this album do, but then it is destroyed by irritating noise experimentation. Such moves are a rarity in this case, but this is one moment, of the few, when they band fell off the tracks. Similarly, “Creatures” tries to delve into some electronic drum work, and although the vocal performance is memorable, it detracts from the song a bit as the atmospherics lead the listener to wander.

Still, there are some clearly perfect moments in abundance.  The gentle rolling along of “River” creates a song that suits the title of the song, as it seems to gently move along due to the steady pacing of the drums.  It’s as if you can hear the river coming down towards you.  “Sun Will Shine” is another gem off the album, which recalls the structures of a band like The Dodos who construct and deconstruct with perfect execution.  Even the haunting moments of “Many Ghosts” brings to mind the folkier side of bands like the Unicorns, as Akron/Family uses various instruments to create a wall of oddball sounds to accompany their finely woven tunes.

For those interested in this album, you will not only be rewarded by an enjoyable listening experience, but you will find that the length is suiting as well.  This is an album where you will get what you paid for in length, as well as in the quantity of songs.  Sit back for a spell, and let Set Em Wild Set Em Free take you away for awhile.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/07-many-ghosts.mp3]

Download: Akron/Family – Many Ghosts [MP3]

New Tunes from John Vanderslice

vandersliceSinger-songwriter John Vanderslice is set to release his 7th album, Romanian Names, via Dead Oceans on May 19th.  This album supposedly is crafted of shorter songs, some more upbeat, but this song here isn’t that at all. This is the album’s longest, and possibly slowest, tracks.

[audio: https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/john-vanderslice-fetal-horses.mp3]

Download: John Vanderslice – Fetal Horses [MP3]

New Music From The Donkeys

San Diego artist The Donkeys recently posted the newest single from their latest effort Living on the Other Side due out on Dead Oceans September 9th. The name of this catchy/impossible to get out of your head song is “Walk Through a Cloud” which can be found below. Read more about The Donkeys on that website that takes a million years to load.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/walkthroughacloud.mp3]

Download: walkthroughacloud.mp3

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