Tag: Merge Records

Imperial Teen – Feel the Sound

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Rating: ★★★½☆

After nearly two decades together, what’s their left for a band to accomplish, or say that matter?  Well, after spending the last few days with Feel the Sound, the most recent release by Imperial Teen, it’s clear that there’s plenty more to be done.  There’s always been an infectious brightness to the band, and they don’t hold back on this effort, giving you 11 new tracks to which you can tap your toes.

“Runaway” doesn’t hit hard, but it hits you in all the right places.  Guy/girl vocals, one of the band’s specialties, provides a certain sentiment of joyousness, propelling the album along in the precise manner one would expect.  As the song rolls along, a smile will begin to spread from ear to ear.  This approach seems to be the most successful on Feel the Sound, with songs like “All the Same” using steady drumming, precision guitar play and a penchant for a nice hook to keep us bobbing along with the group.  Listening to the increased pace and stomping drums in the middle of the aforementioned track will have you seeing precisely why Imperial Teen have been able to win us over again and again.

Don’t think that the record’s just going to pound you with furious bubblegum flavor from start to finish, as restraint is definitely a forte on this outing.  One of the standout tracks, “Don’t Know How You Do It,” really comes across as an indifferent jam, yet you’ll find that it slinks its way into your heart.  Monosyllabic chants always get me, personally, but the effortless cool of the track itself reminds one of the great tracks by current label mates, Shout Out Louds. “Overtaken” has a much more melancholy tone for listeners, almost in the vein of mellow post-rock, which might come as a surprise for most fans.  The lyrical line of “it’s overtaking us” provides in ominous mood, yet those soaring harmonies always make it hard to fall too deep into the darkness with Imperial Teen.

While there’s plenty to absorb, musically speaking, on Feel the Sound, it’s an interesting collection of tunes.  None of these tracks are going to absolutely blow your mind, but there’s a certain playfulness that allows you to really get carried away in the listening experience. Take the brief, “It’s You,” with its sexy vibe and sprightly bounce and you’ll hear the sort of maximum enjoyment that band can offer up in a heartbeat.  Whether you’re looking for a solemn tune, or something to lift up the spirits, this record really does have it all.  A little bit of time, and you’ll realize exactly why Imperial Teen have been able to sustain such great longevity; the band’s just flat-out good, simple as that.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/01-Imperial-Teen-Feel-the-Sound-Runaway.mp3]

Download:Imperial Teen – Runaway [MP3]

Hospitality – s/t

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Rating: ★★★★☆

January has come and gone, and there have been some decent releases of the New Year already, but as for classic indie-pop, this is by far the most playful album yet. You have all the elements that tend to work for indie; the whimsical yet grounded tone, the combination of slow beats that still manage to grab your attention, and of course the fast past and downright fun numbers. Hospitality, a three part, but by no means a small part band, brings it to you hard on this self-titled debut.

For starters, there isn’t really a bad song on this album. When you listen to it, from start to finish, every twist and turn will have you anticipating the next corner, the next direction you’re heading. Take “Friends of Friends,” the second song and single for the album, is all about the build to this fun climax of poppy goodness. You begin with a simple guitar line, guttural and garage-y, add in the percussive odds and ends, and finally layer Amber Papini’s sassy and earnest vocals over the top and you get this song that just crawls along at its own beat; it feels like a series of images strung together in a montage. Then, on the very next song, you get a smoothly blended sound in “Betty Wang.” The acoustic strumming and Papini’s never ending lyrics that run together and

But the treats don’t just come early on Hospitality; this Brooklyn trio keeps their hold on you to the very end, throwing in monumental tracks like “Argonauts.” The longest song on the album, at a little over five minutes, pushes together the success of the two songs I’ve already mentioned, bringing you a cohesive, yet piece-y number that relies on the jangly percussion to be its backbone. And if that is the backbone, then the vocals are the highlights. Here, Papini is backed by some male vocals that juxtapose with her delicate playfulness and keep it from soaring too whimsically. Grounded, this song explores a melancholy tone that can be found buried beneath the layers of fun that runs through the work.

What keeps these excellent songs from running together, and what keeps the rest of the songs from running together for Hospitality is the variation in length of tracks as well as their style. Not only do you have creative and exciting songs, they are given their best opportunity to shine amidst their album mates—and isn’t that what every album should long to be?

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Hospitality-Friends-Of-Friends.mp3]

Download: Hospitality – Friends Of Friends [MP3]

More New Music from Hospitality

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I can’t tell you how excited we are for this Hospitality record.  When we first run their track “Friends of Friends,” RayRay and I were so excited, that we both wanted to post it, almost letting us post it twice.  So yesterday when Stereogum ran the second single from the group’s upcomingself-titled album, I got super stoked all over again.  Merge Records is going to put it out on January 31st, and it just can’t get here soon enough.  This band is clever and whimsical, but there’s definitely a lush pop quality to the music they’re creating.   It’s just a simple formula, but the perfect execution makes it perfect for what any music listener looks for in a hit. Try the new track out.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Hospitality_-_Betty_Wang_LP_Version.mp3]

Download: Hospitality – Betty Wang [MP3]

Bright New Pop from Imperial Teen

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Much like the beginning of 2011, stalwart label Merge Records is going to kick off 2012 with another excellent gem; they’ll be releasing the new release from Imperial Teen titled Feel the Sound.  The record is going to hit stores on January 31st, and it figures to hit all the spots you’ve come to expect from the band, including gang vocal sing-a-longs full of bright harmonies.  Every time I go back and listen to an Imperial Teen record I just get this feeling of giddiness that’s only accomplished by listening to the best pop out there.  Surely after listening to this track we can expect that same feeling when this new release hits early next year.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/01-Imperial-Teen-Feel-the-Sound-Runaway.mp3]

Download: Imperial Teen – Runaway [MP3]

Show Preview: Wye Oak @ the Parish (10/14)

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Date Friday, October 14th
Location The Parish
Doors 800p
Tickets $12 from Frontgate

With the slew of shows piling up in Austin this month, this is one that you definitely don’t want to miss out on.  Friday, Baltimore duo Wye Oak make their way into town, hoping to reignite the passion for their great record Civilian, which came out earlier this year on Merge Records. With Jenn Wasner on vocals and Andy Stack, it’s hard to imagine how the two can craft such a huge wall of sound, both fragile and ecclectic–my bet is on Jenn and her powerful vocals. Among all the shows, this is definitely the one you should put on your MUST see list. You can also catch opener Erika Wennerstrom of Heartless Bastards if you show up on time folks!

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/05-Civilian-1.mp3]

Download: Wye Oak – Civilian [MP3]

Crooked Fingers – Breaks in the Armor

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Rating: ★★★½☆

Our knowledge of Eric Bachmann predominantly resides in his roll as the main man in Archers of Loaf, but as years have gone by, Eric’s crafted some beautiful records.  Some have been under his own name, but most have come via the Crooked Fingers moniker, and Breaks in the Armor might just be his best non-AoL record yet.

Bachmann has this greatly affecting voice, and it’s this voice that carries album opener, “Typhoon.”  Musically, the song has this dark trickling guitar line, which fits the vocal nicely, as Eric’s voice has this deep wooded quality to it.  By the time we move into the second track, “Bad Blood,” you get two things that Breaks in the Armor is really all about, Backmann’s storytelling, and this sort of alt-country, middling between mellow rocker and Americana.

But, while those elements definitely earn their keep throughout the entirety of this record, there are quieter moments for which I’ve always appreciated Eric’s solo work, especially with Crooked Fingers.  “The Hatchet” is little more than a slow-picked ballad, with Bachmann doing his best to yank at your emotions through the power of his voice.  It’s similar to Merge Records label-mate Richard Buckner, using little more than the vocal to evoke maximum emotion. “Heavy Hours” also lives in this same vein, although you’ll find a bit more of a lush arrangement helping to carry the harmony along, not to mention the help of Liz Durrett on backing duties. For some reason, this track sounds a whole lot like Bill Callahan, not that there’s really any need for comparisons, since Mr. B has been around for so long–perhaps it should go the other way!  If you’re not sure which side to take, listen to “Our New Favorite,” the album closer, before you make up your own mind.

One of the best things on Breaks in the Armor, aside from the emotional storytelling, are those semi-rockers that pop up here and there. “The Counterfeiter” is a gem of a track, and it picks up a rolling movement from the get-go.  In the end, Eric belts his way in and out of the chorus, but in doing so with Durrett (again) he maximizes the song’s emotive quality.  He even has a bit of fun, throwing a little “whoo” in the middle of the track.  These little flourishes have been present throughout the Crooked Fingers period, but it’s the lush arrangements that accompany songs like “Your Apocalypse” that really show the growth  in Bachmann’s writing and recording.

The release date of this record seems perfect, as fall begins to creep into our lives, bringing cooler weather and darker days. Breaks in the Armor is filled with introspective stories, allowing you to search on your own during those days when the rain keeps you inside.  For a man with such a rich musical history, Bachmann’s work with Crooked Fingers only seems to be improving with each continued release.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Crooked-Fingers-Typhoon.mp3]

Download: Crooked Fingers – Typhoon [MP3]

New Pop Jam From Hospitality

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Hospitality are a Kansas City based band that have been earning some positive praise via the interwebs over the last couple of years or so.  We’ve honestly never paid too much attention to the band until we heard this jangly new pop tune “Friends of Friends.  It’s nothing spectacular, but should at least turn that frown upside down.  The band was recently signed to Merge Records earlier this week and a much anticipated full length is said to be coming sometime in early 2012.  Stay tuned.

[audio: https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Hospitality-Friends-Of-Friends.mp3]

Download: Hospitality – Friends Of Friends [MP3]

New Slow Burner from Crooked Fingers

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Eric Bachmann wrote one of my favorite all-time songs, and I’m sorry to say that it wasn’t while he was working with Archers of Loaf, though they have great tracks as well.  The song was called “Man O’ War,” and you can watch the video (and realize why I love it) HERE. Ever since then, I’ve enjoyed everything he’s done, especially his work with Crooked Fingers; it’s got everything to do with his powerful voice.  The band has a new album, Breaks in the Armor, coming out on Merge on October 11th, and like most things off the Carolina label, it’s going to be stunning. Trust me.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Crooked-Fingers-Typhoon.mp3]

Download: Crooked Fingers – Typhoon [MP3]

Richard Buckner – Our Blood

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Rating: ★★★½☆

Well seasoned and well-versed, Richard Buckner has been producing deep and devoted albums ever since 1994, which is, by my math, around seventeen years now. As this is an admirable feat in itself, it is even more important that in this time this gentleman has established himself as one of the greats of alt-country; a genre that is known to divide some fans. However, those familiar to Mr. Buckner’s sound should find what they are looking for, and those who are new to this man’s work should find something worth sticking around for.

Our Blood starts with “Traitor,” an opening number that kicks a little of everything your way. You have the deep and soulful voice of the man himself, the methodical guitar strumming, the gentle percussion instruments keeping things moving and some old fashion steel guitar to give it that country twinge in the background. But these are not the only elements of the track; as it progresses, the electronic elements (the synthesizer) become more apparent, and so does the darkness of the song. At the end, you are left in a state of bitter resentment, as you mourn the loss of someone close who chose betrayal, with Richard.

As it continues, the elements on this album that make you fully immersed in the music and the stories are the songwriting and those rugged, emotionally expressive, vocals. Like I just mentioned, it’s quite easy to lose yourself to this man’s tales, but it’s not because the sound is something radically life changing; as a matter of fact, the songs are musically quite simple in their nature. It is the songwriting rather, that makes this album stand apart from others. Listening to the weathered voice of a man singing about his troubles via intricate lyrics make them tangible. Buckner lures you in with his sentimental voice, and then keeps you with the story behind the emotion.

That being said, the instrumental parts of Our Blood are definitely nothing to overlook either, they just may not be the first thing you pick up on in your listening experience. For example, on “Witness,” amidst the fluttery guitar, you can hear delicate jingling of some percussion instrument twinkling in the background. It’s minute details like this embedded in these songs that provides for some variety on this very acoustic, yet good, album.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/traitor.mp3]

Download: Richard Buckner – Traitor [MP3]

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