Top Songs of 2013

best songs ath 2013We’ve put our pretty little heads together ladies and gentlemen to bring you our favorite songs from this past year.  It was a difficult task with our ever growing staff, but we feel like this list best represents the diverse taste of our staff.  Love it or hate it, it’s ours to call our own.  Hit play and put your head down or dance or shimmmy or drool or whatever works. Most of all we hope you hear something you missed, something you want to buy or something you want to see live.

Scroll past the playlist for full the run of the bestest songs ever this year.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/playlists/15794740″ params=”color=ff6600&auto_play=false&show_artwork=false” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]

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PYAITK: I Break Horses – “Faith”

This song is so good.

I love it.

SRSLY.

It came out last week as a second preview track of I Break Horses pending, much synthier and dancier, 2014 release. There is a video for this song and another not-as-awesome preview track called “Denial” after the break. But before you do that, hit play and put your head down. …or dance around like a whackjob.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/117591242″ params=”color=ff6600&auto_play=false&show_artwork=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

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Show Pics: I Break Horses @ Stubb’s (5/18)

We certainly intended to bring coverage of the M83 show, but a PR SNAFU prevented me from shooting them. I really didn’t want to sign that release anyway; it had a really strange clause about no digital editing. Really? Images from a DIGITAL SLR and no digital editting?

Not deterred, because I really wanted to see Sweden’s I Break Horses. I love Hearts. Love it. “Winter Beats” and “Wired” have been in rotation around the house for a while now. Could the band pull it off live? Head past the break for pics of their set, a few of my favorite shots of the year so far…

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Show Preview: M83 @ Stubbs (5/18)

Date Friday, May 18th
Location Stubbs
Doors 700 pm
Tickets SOLD OUT

M83 doesn’t need much of an introduction anymore, though old school fans might found his new usage of vocals a little different than his instrumental construction pieces; I dig both styles, but I’m sort of partial to his earlier career.  Unfortunately, the show at Stubbs sold out, but if you’re willing to browse Craigslist or hit up a friend, I know you can get in to the show.  A real reason you should get there early, however, is to catch I Break Horses.  The Swedish band has graced the pages of our site on several occasions, and I know our photographer B. Gray really enjoys what they do.  Their music is a clever combination of electronics and soundscapes, sort of like what Anthony Gonzalez had done on his most recent effort.  If you can score a ticket, catch a great show from these two solid acts.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/01-Winter-Beats.mp3]

Download: I Break Horses – Winter Beats [MP3]

Newish Music from I Break Horses

I Break Horses keeps showing up on my liked and most played playlists after several introductions around the web as featured new music. So, I decided to share this track.

Out of Stockholm, I Break Horses is Maria Lindén and Fredrik Balck. Winter Beats is definitely a slow build, a chilly shoegaze track. I love this stuff this time of year – just enough fuzz teamed with space and synth around vocals and calming layers of noise that are perfect for being lazy on a summer afternoon (indoors).

[audio: https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/01-Winter-Beats.mp3]

Download: I Break Horses – Winter Beats [MP3]