Grave Babies Bring Out New LP

gravesIt’s been a few years since we’ve heard from Seattle’s Grave Babies, but they announced today that they’ll be releasing their new album, Holographic Violence, this summer.  Our first listen to the music from the band has a squall of guitar feeding back through the speakers, eventually unfolding into a dark-toned cascade of the nu-gaze sort.  Interestingly, the vocals match that guitar tone, taking on their own deep qualities, creating this shoegaze/postpunk version of Type O Negative…which isn’t entirely a bad thing (at least in my book).  The album will see a July 24th release date via Hardly Art.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Eternal-On-On.mp3]

Download: Grave Babies – Eternal (On & On) [MP3]

Grab a Free WFMU Set from Connections

connectionsConnections have been one of my favorite discoveries of the last few years; I owe a huge thanks to Steven from Sweet Talk for that one.  Following the band, I was alerted to a set they did for WFMU, which features a couple of new songs that the band hasn’t released.  It’s ten songs recorded live in studio, which makes me hanker to catch the act live in Austin (come down here please!). You’ll also get to hear several versions of previously released tracks, which you owe to yourself to pick up if you haven’t done so already. You can hear this song, “Cruise Control,” off their Into Sixes LP…a must have in any good rock n’ roll collection.  Grab the free session HERE.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/03-Cruise-Control.mp3]

Download: Connections – Cruise Control [MP3]

Give a Listen to Craig Martinson

craigoI think you really have to spend some time listening to this Craig Martinson track to really absorb it’s greatness.  In the first minutes it goes from ballad to bouncy psych to Beatlesque pop; it’s not an easy task to make it flow so well together.  It’s a journey that definitely takes time, but as each layer is unfolded, you’ll find yourself falling deeper into the song’s structure, willingly submitting to its power. Look forward to hearing his My Love is True EP; it should be filled with more songs for the journeyman listener.

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Slowcore from O. Chapman

10906312_10153013184579699_2869604486636749248_nThis new tune from O. Chapman drifted my way over the weekend, and it fit in completely with the dreary weather Austin encountered, including that ridiculous hail storm on Saturday night. Still, a great track succeeds despite the weather, and I think you’ll hear something you’ll love when listening to this tune. There’s a slow pace to the tune, allowing the band to really establish a vibe that sinks you into your chair, or your soul.  I like how there’s some little vocal samples hiding just beneath the track too…it’s a weird effect that definitely benefits the song. It’s part of the Art is Hard limited hand-cut 7″ series, so you’ve got to scramble to get one of the 25 available copies…otherwise just enjoy this tune.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/O.-Chapman-Best-Friend.mp3]

Download: O. Chapman – Best Friend [MP3]

Explore the New Web of Sunsets Single

webs_sandLast year back Web of Sunsets released Room of Monsters, which we absolutely loved, though I felt like it was a vastly underrated album.  The band returns this year with a brand new EP, Steel New Days, and their first offering is the piece of beautifully drifting pop.  You’ll hear a gentle quality wrapped inside a light squall of guitar atmospherics, covering a faintly audible guitar strum. End of Time Records will be releasing the new EP on tape (and digital) on April 28th; I expect it’ll be something special for those who get their hands on it.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Steel-New-Days.mp3]

Download: Web of Sunsets – Steel New Days [MP3]

Fresh Song from The Sandwitches

sandyA lot of people have been talking about this song from the Sandwitches today, and they keep throwing out David Lynch’s name.  I guess I get that, but it seems a pretty basic bitch thing to say…it’s easy to throw out.  For me, I’m focusing on the exploration, sonically speaking, of the band since their inception.  There’s a lot of playful artistry when considering how the group deals with the empty space in this song, and presumably on their newest album, Our Toast.  I’m glad to see the group taking on this haunting sort of beauty, and I’ve got high expectations for when the album’s released on June 9th via Empty Cellar Records.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/The-Sandwitches-Our-Toast-02-Play-It-Again-Dick.mp3]

Download: The Sandwitches – Play It Again Dick [MP3]

Hear Another Birds of Night Tune

birdiesA few weeks back we were fortunate to premiere the first single off the new Birds of Night tune, and now they’ve returned with another smoldering indie rock groover.  The Denton band’s newest tune has them in the territory of early TV on the Radio, exploring the range of the vocals, yet there’s some continued progression of the seemingly non-stop soloing guitar; it creates a sensation of consistently being pushed forward, consistently enjoying yourself as your fueled by the sputtering energy. Their self-titled LP will be out on April 21st, so keep a look out.

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

Download: Birds of Night – Asleep in the Pine [MP3]

 

Another Fun LA Font Tune

LA FONT 4Just a short while ago we brought you one of the tunes from LA Font, offering you a glimpse at their oddly structured guitar pop, and today we’ve got another one for you.  My ears hear classic sounds of 90s alternative, at least in the way the hooks are built and the chords ring out.  One of the things I like about the group is that they seem to have this strange approach to songwriting, often times slinking their way through tracks, or purposefully stuttering in the song’s progression.  It’s different, yet still has this catchy quality to it.  Look to hear more such sounds on the band’s Hangtime Volume 1 EP, which hits on April 28th via Fleeting Youth Records.

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Another Free Dot Dash Jam

ddsWhy not bring you another Dot Dash tune, courtesy of our favorite little DC band.  Why do I love the band so much, you ask? They blend all these elements that have become the core of my listening…fusing power pop, punk, post rock and even some doses of indie pop.  It’s quite a blend, and all those elements actually seem to be crammed tightly into this quick little jam they’ve offered up to their fans.  It’s one of the many special jams you’ll find endearing on their newest effort, Earthquakes & Tidal Waves, which is available now via The Beautiful Music.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/01-The-Winter-of-Discontent.mp3]

Download: Dot Dash – The Winter of Discontent [MP3]

Fall In Love with Double Denim

doubledIf you love the song below, you better jump on over to Art Is Hard Records to pick it up, as they’re keeping the run on this new Double Denim 7″ really small…only 25 hand-cut copies.  It’s bedroom pop for sure, but it’s the perfect sort; there’s this great little wash over the vocals, with just enough of a beat to propel the song through it’s meandering Captured Tracks-esque guitar lines.  It’s brevity will keep you coming back again and again to fall in love with it just as much as I did.  He’s also got this wonderful little EP on Bandcamp too.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Double-Denim-Wide-Open.mp3]

Download: Double Denim – Wide Open [MP3]

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