This is fine.
There’s just always so much going on, I felt like I should throw in a small write-up of some things I’ve been jamming here recently. Word on the street is that the Daphne Tunes and Xetas LPs are done, Abram Shook has a new LP on the way..we here at ATH Records also have somethings in the works. And, other people just keep pumping out hits. So hit the jump to check in on Austin with me.
It’s been a bit since we’ve heard from Ski Lodge, and I’m glad to see the band’s return…I loved Big Heart. While their first effort seemed to hold tight to the realm of indiepop, they look to go with a smoother, larger pop sound behind the efforts of main songwriter, Andrew Marr. You’ll still hear huge harmonies and melodies bursting forth, though in a different fashion…those touches have been polished to sound more like a band working in a hi-fi studio. The “Trust” 7″ will be available for pop fans on February 23rd.
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Sometimes the madness that is the Austin music scene just never stops. This week’s been pretty ridiculous as it is, but the great shows keep coming…and I’m not just talking about that Vampire Weekend or Cloud Nothings show; there are some incredible local bills to catch, including a pretty awesome release show. Here’s my suggestions on where you might want to find yourself this weekend. Read more
This past Saturday night I attended a pretty incredible show at Cheer Up Charlies; I’ve covered many of the acts like Tele Novella, Daniel F. Doyle and Shivery Shakes, but I can’t, for the life of me, think why I hadn’t given more love to David & the Israelites up until now. David Israel’s been writing music in town for some time, but he’s finally got the proper band to back his unique blend of oddball folk, making music that deserves more attention. I hate to draw comparisons, but he’s Austin’s own version of Silver Jews. He’s got that deep vocal and writes witty lyrics. I’m including a track below that I believe came before the inclusion of the full band line-up, but if you’re seeing a show bill with this group’s name, or David’s alone for that matter, I suggest you dig through the couch cushions for enough change to this unique act.
Download: David Israel – Pool of Light [MP3]
Over the last year or so, I’ve had several conversations with people in town about the community aspect of the Austin music landscape. I realize, of course, this isn’t always the most important question to ask, but it’s still a great conversation to have, especially when one considers the varying opinions. I caught up with the hard-working Andrew Stevens while he was out on tour with Jess Williamson (just one of his many projects, as you’ll see below). Read on for Andrew’s insightful comments about the way he sees things working in Austin. Read more
It’s almost here people. That’s right, Fun Fest is just a mere 2 days away, and ATH is of course pumped for the weekend. As usual, we hit up a few bands prior to the fest to ask them a few questions about life. First up on the list is veteran act Quasi. Follow the jump for more.
It’s hard to believe, but SXSW is officially upon us in a couple of weeks and we’re here to try and keep you as informed as we can until then. An easy way for us to do that is with a handy dandy playlist over on Spotify featuring some of the bands we think you should pay attention to during the week. Sure the playlist has a ton of songs, but you can skip the ones you don’t like right? If you think we missed something big, you’re free to let us know in the comments section. We’ll be bringing you some artist spotlights real soon.
So, one of the perks of running a music site is you get tons of free stuff; I mean TONS. But, another perk is that you get to hook up your readers too! Unfortunately, this contest is only for our Austin folks, so I can hand deliver it (I’m a cheap skate), but if you leave a comment below you could win tons of free stuff. I’ll throw in advance copies of stuff from around the globe, not to mention stickers and other goodies, just as long as you promise to spread the word on our tiny little site; I might even throw in a free Literature LP to boot. Leave a comment with your favorite band at the moment, and the one closest to my tastes wins the schwag. Contest ends Sunday night.