Kilby Block Party 6: Thursday in Pics

I traveled up to Salt Lake City to take in one of the newish festivals that seems to be doing things right, Kilby Block Party. The lineup is one of the best of the year for my tastes, by far. Previous years, KBP was only two or three days; they hit four days this go round for a stellar group of artists to accomodate touring schedules with New Order, Yo La Tengo, Future Islands and Devo featured.

Click through, I have some thoughts and plenty of photos to peruse. If you were at the rail, see if you made the crowd shots. If you weren’t there, blast you favorite tunes by each artist and pretend.

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ATH Abroad: Kilby Block Party Preview

Team ATH agrees on one thing, we all love New Order‘s melding of post-punk grit with synth-driven textures that range from full on dance party to brooding goth. Kilby Block Party offers up a festival lineup that resonates with our vibes. New Order headlining on Thursday is not only a nod to their lasting influence but also a primer for the festivals exploration of jams. Here is a quick preview as we take the show on the road.

Click through for some thoughts on the best festival lineup of the year on this side of the Atlantic.

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Royal Target Shares Suddenly Single

I feel like this track from Royal Target just made my Monday all come together; it’s the perfect brand of bouncing post-punk, the sort that New Order made around the Republic area. But, I’ll be honest, I spent all morning listening to this on headphones, which is where these little details begin to reveal themselves, giving the song its own personality, beyond just a mirror of influences. Whether its the little “la la la” from the backing vocals or the way you can hear this faint little strum in the distance. This just feels likes that comforting piece of cake we’re all craving as we try to make our way into the world today. Good luck friends.

Brooding Indiepop from Ultim Cavall

What’s that? You missed New Order? Well, luckily, the band have left a lasting impression on many across the globe, and the latest to bring that to mind is from Barcelona outfit, Ultim Cavall. I mean, if you don’t hear the NO in the opening 20 seconds, perhaps I need to first introduce you to them because this is a pretty spot-on homage, albeit one entirely in Spanish. I love the little breakdown just after the two minute mark where the group flirt with the atmospheric side of things before happily bounding back down the hook-laden line. They’ve got a new LP, Alaska, which will be released by Discos de Kirlian this coming October.

New Music From New Order

New OrderNew Order is a very important band to me. You people know that. It was one of the shows at Austin Music Hall that will make me miss that place when it is leveled.

As many artists from that pivotal time in my musical life have fallen apart or lost their way, New Order is kind of back to being themselves. No matter how much anyone laments Peter Hook‘s departure, the band has held on the sound that defined it’s later releases once free of Joy Division era material. …and I like those records. It should be a surprise that I am on board for the new self-produced record, Music Complete via Mute, that has the band finding inspiration by working with people like Brandon Flowers, Iggy Pop and Elly Jackson. The fist single “restless” is just straight up New Order. It is a level-setting single that I have a feeling preludes a more up and down affair when listening front to back.

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Tuesday Austin Show Spotlight

austin_live_music_retailrI know we’ve all got our eyes on the Fun Fest prize, but let’s not forget that there are some great things happening in town, leading up to the night. There’s a great album release, a good local show, and some traveling bands that deserve some attention.  If you check below, you can see some of the places on your list…there’s something for everyone. If tickets are available beforehand, you can pick them up by clicking the price. Enjoy your Tuesday.  Read more

Show Review: New Order @ Austin Music Hall (7/19)

Let’s take a moment to reflect. New Order and (by inevitable association) Joy Division have been a massive influence on what I listen to even now. Recent songs shared here from bands like Flaamingos and Knifight could easily be tagged. Substance is standard issue listening, isn’t it? How could it not have an impact? So to see New Order, an elusive bucket-list band, announce the first North American show of their tour would be in Austin – well, it was a big day.

…and then I got the approval email to shoot the show. My head nearly exploded.

Holy Ghost! opened, added win. Read on for gushing fanboyisms and plenty of pics.

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Bear In Heaven – I Love You, It’s Cool

Rating: ★★★★☆

The difficulty for Bear in Heaven with I Love You, It’s Cool is how do they push beyond the limitations they placed on themselves by creating a brilliant first album, Beast Rest Forth Mouth? Surely, they were aware of the difficult task ahead of them when going into the studio, which probably only increases the anxiety of making a record. But, luckily, they’ve come out on top, crafting an album of electronic pop songs that if anything, only increases their accessibility, guaranteeing them further success.

For me, album opener “Idle Heart” is the perfect identity statement by the group, delving into a sort of electronic wash for nearly a minute, shortly before the lyrics open up the melody.  There’s a particular brightness that lurks beneath the surface of the track, providing them with the ability to reach a new, larger audience.  It’s the sentiment one expects a band to make upon their return to the indie limelight with I Love You, It’s Cool. They continue in the vein of bright electronic-pop with the following track, “The Reflection of You.” This is perhaps one of the standout tracks on the album, but it’s also a reminder at 4.5 minutes (more or less) that pop songs can be drawn out, furthering the emotional release for the listener.

When Bear in Heaven pull out the pop stops in a song like “Sinful Nature,” it becomes evident that the group has evolved into something entirely different from their previous affair.  Driving synthesizers propel the melody, but there’s this wash atop it all, sort of reminiscent of Republic era New Order.  It makes almost every song perfect for the dance floor–or wherever you choose to shake it. However, they still mix in some varying sounds, making this more than just your run of the mill dance record.

On “Kiss Me Crazy” there’s flirtations with negative space within the song, almost from the opening moment, especially when you fit in the drumming. At times the percussion doesn’t fit the tempo of the track at all, yet it falls precisely into place when looked at from afar. Another song on I Love You, It’s Cool that helps further this idea is “Space Remains.” It’s perhaps one of the grittier tracks on the record, reminding you of the band’s earlier work; it has elements of electronic noise covering an inherent danceability. And, by placing it near the end of the collection, it also serves to break up the monotony one can find in long electronic albums.

Bear in Heaven don’t seem to be breaking any new ground with this record, but they seem to be evolving on their own merit.  I Love You, It’s Cool will remind listeners and fans that the band are definitely one of the premier electronic acts trucking about the world today.  They’ve definitely got their own musical concept (and a visual one live!), and you’ve got to credit them for sticking to their guns, pushing ahead, and giving us another killer collection of songs we’ll play for some time.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Bear-in-Heaven-The-Reflection-of-You.mp3]

Download:Bear in Heaven – The Reflection of You [MP3]

More Great Pop from Azure Blue

Just recently we brought you a tune from Tobias Isaksson and his project Azure Blue, and we’ve got another wonderful track to share with you. This number comes from the band’s Rule of Thirds record, which you can purchase right now from Matinee Recordings (one of my favorites).  On the track below, there’s this old school New Order feel, at least in the organic construction of the song, but Isaksson’s vocals have a very different quality, almost airy or dreamy.  It alters the club-driven soundscape, but carries you into a far off place in your mind nonetheless.  Pick up the album at your local store now!

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/04-Little-Confusions.mp3]

Download: Azure Blue – Little Confusions [MP3]

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