New Music from I Was a King

While Frode was working with the No Ones, I Was a King was momentarily on hold. But, just this last week they’ve rekindled my love affair with this short little blast of power-pop. It comes with the promise of another glorious single (I’m betting), but just pressing play below will have you marveling at what a punch the band can pack in 1.5 minutes. They still know their way around the perfect melodic vocal turn; I couldn’t be more excited to hear more from them going forward. This tune comes out on the new single on November 10th, with promise of a full-length to come later next year!

The No Ones Hit the Spot

I’ve long followed I Was a King, and they’ve been fortunate to work with some great folks, but they’ve upped the ante by forming the No Ones, which includes two members of the band, as well as Peter Buck and Scott McCaughey (REM and the Minus 5, respectively). Together, they’ve recorded a beautiful look into the best pop music has to offer. There’s a familiarity to Frode’s voice; it’s been a constant in my listening rotation since I first came upon IWaK. In under two minutes, you’ll find beautifully textured harmonies that hold a natural sparkle, and the only bummer is that it will leave you thirsting for more. You’ll have to wait until June 23rd to hear the whole Sun Station EP on Coastal Town Recordings…with a rumored LP to follow later in the year.

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Fresh Power Pop from Coastal Town

10838227_866582683381693_1382080938002639839_oI’m going to be honest with you; I know very little about Coastal Town. But, I will fill you in on what information I do have…it’s just not much. The voice should be familiar to ATH followers, as it sounds like it’s Frode from I Was a King at the helm. This leads down a crazy path of tales and such…is I Was a King over or is Coastal Town just a new project? I do know from the IWaK blog that they have spent recent time in studio with Joe Pernice and Robyn Hitchcock…could this be part of it? I don’t really know any of it for sure, but I know the songs are incredible…so as I know more, I’ll keep you posted.

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Missing I Was a King

iwasakingIn the last few weeks, some of the bands I thought were gone have come back (It Hugs Back/Crayon Fields), so I went in search of what was up with one of my favorite acts, I Was a King.  First, I noticed they had recently released a song they’d worked on with Robyn Hitchcock. It’s a beautiful tune, indicative of the growth they’ve made since their early days as a band. Also, and I’m not sure if the two are related at all, but the band has also announced they’re in the studio with Norman of Teenage Fanclub and Joe Perince…looks like we’ll have a new LP form the band soon. Here’s that lost track that’s just appeared.

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Thus Far….Albums of 2014.5

docIt’s still rather early in the year to start talking about best records of the year and what not, but as we’re midway through 2014, every one is doing it…so why not join in the fun.  But, with this in mind, remember that these lists are arbitrary, and if anything, pretty meaningless in the long run; you never know if your thoughts will change in six months…and really, they’re just like, our opinions man.  We’ll have two sections…one for national albums and another section of Austin albums released up to this point in 2014.   Read more

Pleased to Meet You: Colored Lights

coloredlightsI’ve worked really hard to spread the word on the great bands working in Finland; it’s one of my favorite scenes going on at the moment.  So, in line with all that great camaraderie, I was pleased to get an introduction to Colored Lights this past week.  Their sound is similar to countrymen, I Was a King, though they seem to embrace the louder side of power-pop.  I’m pretty excited to catch on to the band, as I love listening to a song where harmonies float just beneath the surface and the guitars have a nice distorted edge to them.  Those of you looking to love that sound will find yourself excited by this act.

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Sweeping Beauty from I Was a King

iwasakingTwo things have already made my year, musically speaking, pretty remarkable.  One I’ll keep to myself, and the other is this new tune from I Was a King.  Their previous three releases were wrapped around the mold of classy power-pop, and I adored them all.  Now, the band is growing, sonically.  You’ll notice on this first single alone that there’s a vast difference in the pacing, not to mention the fact that there’s a female vocal up front from Anne Lise, which is a slight twist, though one that I find intriguing.  Can’t wait for the band to release their next album, which is still shrouded in a bit of mystery…I’ll keep you up to date as I know more.

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Brand New Tunes from I Was a King

iwasakingIf you’ve followed this web site for some time, then you’ll surely be aware of my unabashed love for I Was a King.  Through three albums, they’ve continued to amaze me with their pop tunes, and today there are signs that they’re progressing even further.  They’ve got a new single coming out soon, and they’ve allowed us to share one of the tracks with you all, so we’re doing just that.  I’ve chosen “Oslo Share,” which displays the band working with their excellent vocal harmonies, providing music that continues to leave an impression, even as the song comes to an end.  IWK will be working on a new album in September, and I guarantee it’s going to be amazing.

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Top Albums of 2012: 50-1

Here it is.  I know you’ll hate it; I know you’ll disagree, but that’s not the point in making an arbitrary list.  We here at ATH worked really hard to fit in the tastes of the four of us, and when we decided upon our Top 50, it really boied down to simple math.  What albums did we love when they came out?  Do we still enjoy spinning those records months later? If they’re in the Top 50, then the asnwer is probably yes.  I mean, our Top 2 records came out in January, and still play a vital part in my weekly listening.  There’s no disclaimer here.  We are who we are, we like what we like, and we hope that’s okay with you. If not, drop us a line and let us know where we went wrong.

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I Was a King – You Love It Here

Rating: ★★★★½

I’ve long praised the wonderful work of I Was a King, and for a bit I felt like I was the only one that noticed.  It seems that wasn’t true at all (thank goodness) with the band getting a touch of grace on production duties; Norman Blake of Teenage Fanclub and Robyn Hitchcock share duties on You Love It Here.  If that’s not enough to sway you towards the excellent work of this Norwegian trio, then perhaps I can push you just a little further.

Three albums into their career and the group opens You Love It Here with perhaps one of their best songs, “Frozen Disease.”  The guitar has that nostalgic ring to it, distorted yet melodic.  The song itself has a down-trodden temp, but Frode’s voice has this warmth to it that somehow allows the song to avoid any sense of melancholy, even if that’s the intent of the vocals.  Then they move off into their meat-and-potatoes indie pop, blending slightly angular guitar work, emphatic drumming and harmonies that would make your mother swarm.  “Leave” is the sort of song that originally endeared me to the group, and it’s clear that even with great producers on hand, you can’t take away a band’s songwriting sensibilities.

You’ve only got to skip ahead a few tracks to see the progression I Was a King has made in their songwriting; it’s nice to see them holding close to certain aspects, yet still see them pushing forward.  “Hanging On” isn’t filled with distorted guitars, rather it’s filled with vocal harmonies and light instrument strumming.  I particularly love the change in the vocal pitch that comes in right at 1:40 on your player; this is a mood affecting shift that’s been perfected by the likes of Nada Surf.  Another move that was unexpected, yet welcomed, was Anne taking the lead on “Superhero.”  For the majority of the track, there’s a hint of guitar, though it’s been cleared out in the studio to let her vocal shine through, remaining the perfect focus.  It’s striking, not only for the power in Frokedal’s voice, but in its ability to break up some of the album.  While I love power-pop and such, a little differentiation goes a really long way.

As always though, the winner on You Love It Here seems to be the sound of the guitars.  “Food Wheels” enters near the end of the album, and while there’s still that element of swirling guitar, a more rudimentary sound is what struck me most.  The distortion is peeled back, and I dare say that there’s a bit of a jangle to the track.  It’s similar to the earlier appearance of “Eric” on the record, though that track has more of a chugging folk guitar vibe, and a more pronounced rhythm.  All in all, these tiny additional touches demonstrate both exceptional songwriting and the band’s ability to adapt/change.

Sometimes when I listen to a record like You Love It Here, I want to hold it close to my heart/ears.  It’s the perfect pop record that I can play any time of year, and it will always bring a smile to my face.  That’s selfish though; the whole world needs to get a chance to listen to I Was a King.  If you make one decision today, I beg you to make sure that it’s to pick up this delightful record from our friends in Norway; it’s a decision that will improve your life drastically, I swear.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/1-01-Frozen-Disease.mp3]

 

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