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It’s Friday. Friday’s the new Tuesday, but does anyone even remember Tuesday release days anymore. So, here’s a bunch of stuff I jammed today, and I recommend for you to jam as well. Plus, threw in one of RayRay’s favorite bands too.
Tony Jay – Perfect Worlds (Slumberland)
The Creepy Crawlies – Weeds (Self-Released)
Will Johnson – No Ordinary Crown (Keeled Scales)
Bareknaked Ladies – In Flight (Raisin’ Records)
You can almost always place your bets on an act that works with Keeled Scales; they’ve broken some great Austin acts, and continue to branch out with their tastes, like Missouri’s Rae Fitzgerald. This tune beings subtly, switching in a little more pace within a few seconds to open the track to the poetic lines from Fitzgerald. Personally, I love the line “there’s nowhere I can go where ghosts won’t laugh me out of town;” it’s a sentiment of many a person, whether those ghosts are lost friends/family or just lives we once lived, we’ve all left something. I think that speaks to the sentiment of Rae’s song too, discussing the “collapse of so many foundational American myths.” All of that poetry gets swept up in the solid strum and really powerful vocals that are likely to pull you even further inside. Look for Say I Look Happy on September 1st.
Back somewhere in the very late 90s, maybe even like 2000, I remember a friend dropping this Centro-Matic CD my way; I was hooked on Will Johnson‘s voice that day, and have followed his work avidly throughout his distinguished career. Today, our buds over at Keeled Scales have announced his new LP, No Ordinary Crown, and I couldn’t be more ecstatic. There’s a heaviness to the riff work that’s living under Will’s voice; it’s matched by the thunderous drum hits smashing through your speakers. But, like a some magical gravitational pull, Johnson tugs us into his world with his distinctive voice. Then, the tune takes off and smashes into this rocking moment, stomping the floor with a huge burst of explosive energy that’s sure to have you turning the knob all the way to 11. No Ordinary Crown drops on September 15th.
If you find yourself looking for that perfect track to whistle through your window as you sit out on your front porch watching the day fade, well, this new Jordan Moser tune’s precisely the one for you. Jordan’s teamed up with one of my favorite voices about town in Natalie Jane Hill, and their duet is set to the rolling drums that move in and out between strums. Musically, the guitars stretch beyond the horizon, just as one might expect your gaze to go as you listen; this is aided by the beautiful string work from Lindsey Verill, building in some huge depth that lets you just sink into yourself. Peril, Jordan’s new LP, will be out on July 28th via Keeled Scales.
When Shane Renfro returned to Texas from LA, you figured new things were in the mix for the leader of RF Shannon, and we get a glimpse of that on the first single from Red Swan in Palmetto. Through the first few moments, the intricate guitar atop light percussion creates that open cosmic country feel I associate with the band. But, when Renfro’s vocals come into play, there’s something that feels a bit new; his vocals are really up in the front of the mix, and while they pull on those hazy boots, they feel a little bit more prominent in their role in the tune. It’s interesting, as with previous works, the vocals felt like part of the great expanse the band created, but here, it feels like you’re getting a lullaby from a parent while the sounds of nature flicker on outside your window. Really excited to hear where the rest of Red Swan in Palmetto takes us; we’ll find out on May 26, courtesy of Keeled Scales.
I loved listening to last year’s Thieves LP from Austin’s Alex Dupree, so I quickly penciled him in to catch at this year’s SXSW festival. But, seeing as Keeled Scales (his label) had already hipped us to his work, we wanted to make sure everyone else was aware, so we reached out with our set of questions and got some answers back.
We continue today with more introductions to artists who will be rolling into Austin during SXSW week; this one’s extra special as they’re working with our friends over at Keeled Scales. They also just released a brand new set of songs this past week, which you can hang out and listen to after getting to know the band a little bit below.
Having received great reviews with the release of Inside Every Fig is a Dead Wasp back in late 2021, Lunar Vacation have been on a bit of a high. They’ve released demos, recorded an Audiotree session, plus spun their view on some Christmas classics. But, today the band has a brand new single for you to taste, accompanied by a video shot in rural Tennessee. Once the song gets going, just beyond the 1 minute mark, you’re immediately greeted by Grace’s soothing voice over a soft percussive roll and gentle acoustic strum. It actually feels as if you’re walking side by side with the character in the video, traipsing about in those Tennessee foothills, perhaps with a little wind at your back. In the end, I got super stuck on the expansive nature; there’s this natural openness to the Atlanta group’s songwriting here that just immediately brings you on a journey. The tune is brought to you courtesy of Keeled Scales.
Why Bonnie is one of those local(ish) bands we feel like we grew up with as we were there from the beginning several years ago, the move away from town, and their rise in fandom over the past year. Of course much of this new found buzz has come after the release of the absolutely stunning, and ATH year end list hogging album, 90 in November. Since the band took their talents to the East Coast, we don’t get to see them live as much as we’d like, but they are back in town on Sunday with a headlining show at Antone’s downtown. Prior to the Sunday show, leading lady Blair was kind enough to answer a few burning questions about her band, their last album, and what the future holds. Hit the jump for Q&A along with ticket link and music.
It’s that time of year when singles begin to dry up a bit, and everyone’s already sending us a reminder of all the songs/records we should have covered. But, there’s still great music to be had, thus why we’ve got some real bangers to enjoy below. There’s the expected from Dry Cleaning; I mean you can’t miss that one anywhere. Personally, I think the Melby and Twain records are my highlights this week, so don’t skip out there…especially to Melby (if they were from the States or UK, they’d be huge). Then, we’ve got a few others, including a look at Lucid Express, who visit next week for Levitation. Plus, Paul Thomas Saunders new LP gets love.
Lucid Express – Floret (Kanine Records)
Melby – Looks Like a Map (Rama Lama Records)
Paul Thomas Saunders – Figure in a Landscape (7476 Records)
Dry Cleaning – Stumpwork (4AD)
Twain – Noon (Keeled Scales)
