Nap Eyes Share Mystery Calling

The more I hear from the new Nap Eyes LP, the more I can’t wait to get my hands on their new LP, Snapshot of a Beginner. In this track, the song seems to rely upon the patience, both in Nigel’s songwriting craft and in the listener; there’s just this overwhelming feeling of calm that arises as you listen through the lyrics. On those, to me, it also reflect moments of patience, making nods to the mundane activities that often lead us to the daydreams of the world’s mysteries, only to find that the best mystery is probably all that’s around us…that’s how I see it anyways. Look for the new LP on March 27th via Jagjaguwar.

Nap Eyes Share So Tired Lyric Video

With Snapshot of a Beginner on the near horizon, we’re excited that there’s another Nap Eyes tune out there to give us a little taste of what we’re to expect. This track feels pretty bare at the song’s beginning, which perhaps can be owed to Nigel Chapman really focusing on the message of the song. But, shortly in, the song sort of erupts into slide guitars and jazzy solos that cut across the song’s core. It all returns to the solemnity and weariness of the verses to close things out. Look for the new LP to drop on March 27th courtesy of Jagjaguwar and Paradise of Bacheolors.

Nap Eyes Announce Snapshot of a Beginner LP

I feel like Nap Eyes are one of the great unassuming bands out there; they’ve got a songwriting consistency that we all hold near and dear, though they often seem to go quietly unnoticed for their gifts. Perhaps that’s about to change with Snapshot of a Beginner, the band’s new LP; there’s promise of more punch and larger arrangements added to their poetic craftsmanship. It’s prevalent on the new single “Mark Zuckerberg” with a definite rocking element pushed through by the stomp of the snare and heavy riffs. Still, the greatest moment comes at the 1:41 moment with the line “transcendence is all around us;” it’s this beautiful moment that lets your mind and body drift away. The new LP is out on March 27th via Jagjaguwar/Royal Mountain.

Have a New Nap Eyes Video

Just about a week or so away from the release of the new Nap Eyes album, and they drop another great tune/video. Listening through this track, the structural elements are quite similar to the earlier singles we’ve heard, but I’m stuck on Nigel Chapman’s vocal performance; he stretches in charming fashion to reach high notes, then swings em’ back with a deeper crone. There’s even a nice little guitar jam near the end, but for some reason even that can’t distract me from Nigel’s voice; I keep wanting to call him the male Hope Sandoval…there, I said it. Whatever, I’m Bad Now is out March 9th on Paradise of Bachelors, and it’ll be great.

Another Nap Eyes Single

Don’t know what else I could say about Nap Eyes that I haven’t talked about in the last several years, or even the last several posts about the group. There’s something in the casual aspirations of the group that make them so endearing; they’re not out to breakdown musical barriers, they’re here to give you the best songs possible. On this new tune I love the sparkling little guitar, and the little guitar solos, charming as ever. They’ll be releasing I’m Bad Now on March 9th via Paradise of Bachelors.

Nap Eyes Return with New Album

Last October, Nap Eyes blew into Austin on the backs of Alvvays; I hoped, and prayed, that people would show up early, remembering the perfect morning when I caught their set in a small room during SXSW the year they dropped Thought Rock Fish Scale. Today they return with news of a brand new record, and our first taste leaves off exactly where we left the band. The vocals are given in almost haphazardly spoken manner, and I love how strong they are in the front of the mix. What I didn’t expect, and am appreciative of at this moment, is how crisp the guitar licks sound on this track…even when ramped up to jangling speed. The band are set to release I’m Bad Now via Paradise of Bachelors on March 9th.

 

Show Preview: Alvvays + Nap Eyes @ The Mohawk 10/17(TONIGHT)

This first little snap of cooler temps around ATX has got me yearning to be outside listening to sweet jams, and lucky for me, The Mohawk has the perfect bill to fit this desire. Alvvays, soaring into our town on the wings of their sophomore release, Antisocialites, will be bringing their pristine pop to our ears and there really isn’t an excuse to miss them. While their self titled debut was catchy in all the right ways, their most recent record showed maturity and dreamy layers of growth to their surfy indie pop. I personally can’t wait to hear the band play hits off the new record like “Not My Baby” or rambunctious “Plimsoll Punks.” Oh, and to top it all off, Nap Eyes will be opening up the night with their college rock. Tickets are still available, you can and should pick them up here. There simply is no better way to spend a Tuesday evening. Check out tunes from both bands below.

Top 50 Albums of 2016

top50You’ve all been waiting, anxiously. Waiting for our arbitrary list of the opinion of four folks who run this site, and what we think were the best albums of 2016. It’s really really important. We’re going to make our site great again with this list. We’re going to win, bigly. But really, it’s just a list of the stuff we loved the most that we covered throughout this year on our site. The comment section is open, so feel free to tell us where we’ve gone wrong or what we’ve got right or anything else fitting. Read more

Fresh Track From Nap Eyes

unnamed-9The perks of this gig are that we occasionally get to preview albums months before their arrival, and that’s the case for me loving the song below so much. I’ve listened predominantly to two upcoming releases: Pete Astor and Nap Eyes. I really listened to them, playing them hundreds of times, and this Nap Eyes effort is really great. It’s got all the things that made indie rock so dominant in the late 90s/early 00s, offering great lyrical content along with a combination of college rock nostalgia and folk flourishes. Their new effort Thought Rock Fish Scale is nothing short of an enduring album you’ll come back to time and time again; it hits on February 5th via Paradise of Bachelors.

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