plum - Austin Town Hall

Show Preview: Wand @ Barracuda (TONIGHT) 10/13

October 13, 2017 nicole.baumann Leave a comment

So if you’re not going to that ACL thing that’s going on in our city or attending an after show related to the fest, it’s time to make your Friday night a slam dunk. LA’s Wand are coming down to Barracuda with their psych rock in tow, and you should be there. Their latest effort,Plum, which came out last month, showed the band headed down a slightly different direction than the past, with more focus on the vocals of front man Cory Hanson and in creating more in depth song structures. The result is an excellent release, and I’m stoked to see how the band fleshes them out at Barracuda. Doors are at 9, and make sure you get there early to catch openers Darto, Hidden Ritual and The Maples. Tickets are only 15 bucks– scoop ’em here. Also fall in love with the band’s new stuff with “Blue Cloud” below.

One Last Wand Single

September 6, 2017 nathan.lankford Leave a comment

We’re about two weeks out from the release of Plum, the new LP by Wand. I like their approach thus far, giving us little glimpses of the band’s future, all with slightly different turns, musically speaking. This one is really something, a 7 minute opus carefully structured with varying movements from start to finish. Lofty folk vibes radiate from the song’s early moments, and rides that wave for a minute before slinking back, leaving an opening for the band to take a heavy-handed jam through the song’s close. Seems like there is so much going on in this record, but we’ll have to hold back judgment until it’s released via Drag City on 9/22.

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Wand Release New Video

August 10, 2017 nathan.lankford Leave a comment

I continue to be impressed by the shifting sonics of Wand; I thought I had them pegged, but clearly not at all. This new video has some heavy handed indie rock riffs, but the way Cory’s voice is recorded in between those riffs gives off a slight Thom Yorke vibe…and then there’s that restless dream bit that floats in just after the 2 minute mark, punctuated by the ethereal notes seeping through your speakers. It closes with a bit of an emphatic jam (and clown dance), leaving me to remark that the song goes all over the place, only to stay stationery. At this point, its safe to assume that Plum is going to be a real joy to listen to, though exactly what we can expect, only the folks at Drag City (and the band) know…look for it on September 22nd.

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Here Comes a New Wand Album

June 27, 2017 nathan.lankford Leave a comment

Long ago, for some reason, Wand got lumped in with the Ty Segall crowd; that’s fair, considering songwriter Cory has played with Ty in various projects. But, as we’ve seen over the last two releases, Wand is entirely an act on their own territory. This latest single finds the band walking the territory between bouncier elements of Spoon and the lingering melodies of Radiohead. Maybe this is what California’s version of Spiritualized sounds like? Whatever it is, there’s no heavy riffs needed anymore, just the creative process and the perfect execution. Look for the band’s new album this September via Drag City…surely we’ll be hearing much more leading up to its release.

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