More From La Luz

luzesYou ready for the new La Luz to hit? If not, this song should pretty much seal the deal on the fact that the band have solidified their sound, leaving them as one of the bands you’ll fall in love with this year.  The latest single opens with this semi-Spaghetti Western psych maneuver, but quickly settles into this dreamy bit of soulful pop. Touches on guitar and keys are really light, creating this effect of that’s almost like floating; it’s very light, accentuated by the vocals being carefully placed atop it all. On August 7th you’ll be able to get your hands on Weirdo Shrine courtesy of Hardly Art.

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Kissing Party Score Pop Hit

kp1The opening guitar lines of this track are misleading, to a certain degree.  It sounds like you might get something a little heavier, something along the line of modern emo revival.  But, when Kissing Party‘s Dierdre tosses in her vocals, it switches the track straight into pop mode.  The band quickly blasts through the two-minute track, sweetly singing its way into your listening for the weekend. It’s reminiscent of recent works by the likes of Standard Fare or Eternal Summers, bordering between indie rock and indiepop; it’s delicious. They’ll be releasing their new album, Looking back it was romantic but at the time I was suffocating, via Fleeting Youth Records on June 30th.

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Shannon and the Clams Return

Shannon and The ClamsThis track has been everywhere the last few days, but I’m just getting back to civilization, so excuse my tardiness. It’s good to see that Shannon and the Clams are back at it, and they return with a sultry twang that should definitely put them on more people’s radar.  It’s a sound that falls right in line with the band’s nostalgic nods they’ve been making over the years; this time the group rolls through the track slowly allowing Shannon’s voice to be the superstar (it always was).  Their new album, Gone by the Dawn, comes September 11th via Hardly Art.  Check the video for the song HERE.

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More Music from Craig Martinson

craiggyI’ve written about Craig Martinson before, and as he unleashes a new single our way, I’m fascinated by his ability to play the musical chameleon, even within a singular song.  He opens his verses here with a sound that seemingly falls in line with the likes of Beck or Eels, but the eruption for the chorus is something entirely different.  For me, it takes on a more classic pop music sound, one that’s been reimagined by many new-psych enthusiasts.  Look for his new EP, My Love Is True, this summer; it’s bound to be an interesting adventure to say the least.

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Jackson Boone Sounds Cool

boonSometimes you come across something and it immediately stands out.  Case in point, Jackson Boone, who’s got this deep entrancing voice that drew me in as soon as things lifted off. Still, a voice alone rarely carries a song, so Boone’s got sweeping strings that allow for a dark pop sensibility to creep into the track, almost as if it’s a haunting from the caverns of 60s pop music.  He’s been holed up with members of Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Radiation City to create what I dream is a wonderful masterpiece, Natural Changes; it’s set for a release this September.

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Download This Gorgeous Bully Tune

11073436_867749073263478_1577676898116032283_oA few years ago I caught wind of Gorgeous Bully, a little Manchester act specializing in hook-laden pop tunes.  I had completely forgotten about them until the wonders of iTunes random shuffle put them back on my radar.  I hustled to their page and found that the band has recently released a new tune as part of the If There’s Hell Below Compilation; it came out right after they released their new LP, Dumb Ideals.  It’s precisely the sort of tune that begs you to play it again, using simple percussion and a big vocal grab to pull you into the song’s magical powers. It’s a pretty chilled out approach, but those of you in the vein of delicious pop music will want to jump on this download immediately.

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Jam a Non-Album VOWS Tune

vowsWe’re a few weeks out from getting to hear the whole new VOWS LP, and while we wait, the band seems to have been gracious enough to unleash a tune that doesn’t appear on the album.  The importance of this tune is that it’s one of the song’s that led to the band recording their new album, Soon Enough Love.  You’ll hear some of the sonic exploration lurking in the background of the recording, but you can hear how the band wraps all of that playful experimentation around traditional pop sensibility; I love the middle of the tune and it’s muddy wash, especially.  Look for their new record on June 2nd via Section Sign Records.

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New La Luz Jam

laluzI think it’s sort of a shame that Ty Segall is getting the love for the new La Luz jam, especially considering he’s just handling production duties.  If you go back in time, you’ll see that this sound is the natural progression of the group’s sound as they prepare to release their new album. They’ve always had a surfy vibe, but I do dig the stronger vocal focus on this latest tune.  They definitely take some leisure with jamming things out in parts, which I suppose could be Segall’s touch, but I’m betting these ladies had these tunes ready to rock when they walked in the studio.  Look for their new album, Weirdo Shrine, on August 7th via Hardly Art.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/02_You-Disappear.mp3]

Download: La Luz – You Disappear [MP3]

Have You Met the Domestics

domeThere’s something to be said about a good pop song. It moves beyond genres and typical blogger tropes, moving into the territory where we find this new single from Portland’s The Domestics.  Opening slowly with a piano backbone and picked guitar chords, the song prepares you for the burst of sensational pop songwriting. That burst of melody and energy uplifts listeners immediately, begging you to start over again, just so you can get that feeling one more time. It’s a pop addicts dream, and one that should build your anticipation for the group’s forthcoming self-titled album on Tender Loving Empire come July 17th.

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New Music from Surfin’ Mutants Pizza Party

deathThis new tune from Surfin Mutants Pizza Party came in the mailbox yesterday, and I really thought it would be a good ditty to share with you midweek.  It’s quick and to the point, but even more remarkable is that the entire project’s been done by one man, Julien Maltais.  To create music alone that’s so well structured (tight even) while working alone is quite a feat, especially considering you don’t have anyone else’s ears to bounce the tune’s off when writing.  It’s the first track off his new album, The Death of Cool, which will be released on May 19th by Fleeting Youth Records.  Fans of punk rock in the vein of Social D will definitely find themselves loving this tune.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/06-Brain-Avenue.mp3]

Download: Surfin Mutant’s Pizza Party- Brain Avenue [MP3]

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