Tag: london

Quiet Tune from It Hugs Back

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10339324_10153356917913502_2714167228139630560_oIt’s been some time since I’ve heard from London’s It Hugs Back, but perhaps that’s my own ignorance.  The group was one of the first acts that I caught on to when shoegaze came back into the spotlight, but for their new album, it seems like they’re stretching the sound quite a bit.  Personally, I was drawn immediately to their lead single, “Somnolence,” which stretches out into five minutes of really elegant, yet soft, pop music. I love the way the vocal carefully sits atop the entire track, as if its just resting there. If you’re into it, you can grab Slow Wave now.

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Even More From Beach Baby

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Untitled-1Nathan and Nicole have both already posted about up and coming UK band Beach Baby so I figured I better get on this cool kid train before it passes me by.  I’m winning between the three of us though because I’m getting to post what is, in my opinion, the best track of the lot entitled “No Mind No Money”.  From when we first heard the band back in February, I’m seeing an impressive progression here with more grit, power, and energy behind the already beautiful pop sound.  I expect these guys to be blowing up stateside real soon.

Beach Baby’s latest 7″ single with B-side “U R” is available for pre-order right now via B3SCI Records (out June 23rd).

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Album of the Week: Fever Dream

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11112865_874968955878246_5594096018965500004_oI figured I’d pick a record that came out this week and give some love to a deserving LP that might not otherwise be on your radar.  This tune from Fever Dream‘s been floating around for me for some time, and their album Moyamoya is every bit as enjoyable as the tune below.  There’s an earnestness to the songwriting, whilst still giving a nostalgic nod at the forebears of shoegaze movements.  Remember when the Pains of Being Pure at Heart was all you could listen to after their first album? Well, then meet your next love…it’ll be great this week and beyond.

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Flo Morrissey Puts The Drama in Folk

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11164579_955598471171091_4823856459386969506_oI know you’ve heard of Flo Rida but have you heard of Flo Morrissey, the London based singer/songwriter making waves with her vocal prowess and folksy tunes? No? Well, the perfect solution to that issue is to press play on the track below and get lost in the four minutes and fifteen minutes of reserved power. “Show Me,” comes across like a mix between Jessica Pratt and those Swedes First Aid Kit; clearly the vocals are the center point of the song, but at the same time you get the subtle nuances of piano tinkling away in the background to give the song its allure. If you like this track, get ready for her debut album coming out in July for those of us in the States, called Tomorrow Will Be Beautiful. 

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Hooks and Sunshine From Saltwater Sun

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11048684_714288565347271_4455269171299750488_oLittle is known about Saltwater Sun other than that they’re a London based band that seem to have fallen right out of the sky to give us this lush and appealing track. When you first start this song, you really don’t know what you’ve stumbled upon until you reach the first catchy-as-all-get-out chorus, but those sleek white hot guitars should give you some kind of clue as to what you’re getting into. Once you’ve hit the first chorus, a wash of warmth seems to hit you via your headphones as though the sun has broken through the clouds to grace your day, reminding me somehow of a sunnier Metric. The growling female vocals provide the perfect contrast and compliment to the electric guitars and shimmering percussion. This song puts Saltwater Sun on my to-watch list, and they should find themselves on yours as well.

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Slowcore from O. Chapman

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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]

Puppy Gives You A Little Metal

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puppy_forever_art_541_402Puppy are a trio from London that make grunge/metal(ish) tunes. That’s pretty much all that is known about them thusfar, so I’m going to let the song do the talking. What I really like about this track is that the guitars are screaming heavy metal while the vocals are light and airy; something you’d expect from dream/twee pop, creating a balance that’s hard not to enjoy. “Forever” blends genre in a seamless fashion, and makes me look forward to what they have in store for the future. Forget the weird name and press play: rock on Puppy.

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Yak Give us Something Special

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unnamedI know very little about London based rockers Yak, but this matters little when a band can pump out a debut single as memorable as this one.  Is it psych rock?  Is it punk rock?  I’ll let you call it whatever you like if you just hit play and enjoy.  I’m sure we will be hearing more from this trio as the buzz grows.

This track will appear on a new 7″ single coming out on February 24th via Fat Possum.

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Get Ready For Oscar

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10928905_914034148606718_6867649942078292209_o

Every once and a while you come across a track from some under the radar artist that you just know is going to explode shortly. Such is the case with London’s Oscar and this track below. Now, Oscar’s already put out an EP, but this new track “Daffodil Days” is simply great and really worth your attention. The song springs into action right away with the dulcet vocals a-la The Magnetic Fields and the power pop guitars just going to town. The dark vocals and the guitars combine to give you a solid pop song that oddly enough sounds fairly springy in its nature– hear for yourself. Oscar just signed to Wichita Recordings so expect big things.

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Soft Pop From Rose Dougall

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1278936_10151743341112776_2004648494_oRose Dougall is a singer/songwriter from London who you may formerly know from The Pipettes, is back at it with her solo act. She’s got this new song that’s below that gives you a taste of what she’s been working on for her new album, Stellular, which is set to come out sometime next year. The song starts slow, bringing together gentle elements of instrumentations to play gracefully on your pop sensibility. It’s got this nostalgic feel to it, as Dougall’s honey vocals carry the tune the whole way. I like what I’m hearing, and I hope you do too.

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