Last Week’s Jams – (9.11 – 9.15)

It seems weird to say, but last week was the first time in a long time where I was able to find every song we covered on all the DSPs! Does this mean I’ve gone mainstream? Anyways, we had a few premieres running from the likes of Class and Alijca-Pop, so be sure to check those jams out.. And, as per usual, dipped our toes in the Austin pond, with new stuff from Holy Wire and the stream of Will Johnson‘s new LP. Oh, and we made sure we had as much Oceanic coverage as possible, throwing our weight behind Soft Covers, Native Cats, The Small Intestines and Exek! Give a listen to the singles below!

Prom Shares Post-Emo Jam

Brighton based label Small Pond is possibly one of the busiest indie labels in the UK, which one can discover by checking out the myriad of releases on their bandcamp page. For a quick run down of what the label has been up to recently, a big compilation is upcoming with 16 new tracks from up and coming label discoveries. One of those new bands are locals prom who have offered up this track “Fancy Word For Addiction” for the soon to be released compilation. It’s an engaging piece of a sort of post-emo meets late 90s grunge type tune and serves as a promising preview for this new compilation.

The new compilation from Small Pond, Small Pond Emerging – Volume III, will be released on November 24th. Pre-orders are live now.

Have a Listen to New Monk Parker

We’re less than a month away from the release of Monk Parker‘s new album, and I’m hoping you’ll enjoy this new song as much as I do. It begins with simple electronic samples working behind Parker’s Texas leanings (imagine a country-version of Arab Strap). As the song unfolds, the song blossoms, growing into a larger entity as horns and added layers fill in the space. It settles down a bit towards the end, but if you’re looking for where country goes in the future, it sounds like Monk Parker has it figured out. Look for Crown of Sparrows via Grand Jury on August 4th.

Grooms Sign To Western Vinyl + New Single

groomsGrooms is a band that picked up lots of love on our website a few years ago with their stellar SXSW performances and later with their top albums worthy LP Prom.  So with that out of the way, we were clearly excited to hear that the band had signed with local label Western Vinyl for the release of their new album Infinity Caller on September 3rd.  To preview the new album before it’s release, the band recently dropped this new single “I Think We’re Alone Now”.  I’m sure you’ll enjoy the sort of hazy pop sounds that the band can create so effortlessly.  I find this one irresistible.  

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/02-I-Think-Were-Alone-Now.mp3]

Download: Grooms – I Think We’re Alone Now [MP3]

Grooms – Prom

Rating: ★★★★☆

Two years ago, Rejoicer, came out, putting Grooms on the map, at least for a little bit.  In those two years, the group has really put in their time figuring out their style, and it’s going to pay huge dividends in 2011.  Prom is a record full of tracks tied together cohesively, yet each track is completely able to stand alone as an undeniable hit.

“Tiger Trees” opens with sampled drum beats and a repetitive guitar, sort of like an ambient opener for a Mogwai song, but moments later, cymbals crash, noise washes in, and you’re stuck in the melody bubbling beneath the track.  Here you’ll be intrigued by Grooms‘ ability to slither in and out of discordant atmospherics and melodious washes of noise.  Beauty in noise seems to be a huge theme from the get go as you enter into “Prom.”  It’s a youthful discussion lyrically, moving from the song’s title to discussion of the Smiths in one’s bedroom, but you’ll find yourself wrapped up in the line “I wanna be friends with you.”

Perhaps it’s just me, but while people can probably throw around a Sonic Youth reference here and there, due entirely to the loud quiet loud noise element, I occasionally hear later 90s indie rock heroes such as Built to Spill.  “Expression Of” has that same meandering quality that the best BoS tracks had, and vocally, you can definitely hear a little Doug Martsch channeling.  Part of the allure of Prom is that the band seemingly drop references to various bands throughout, such as the nod to Deerhunter in “Skating With a Girl,” but Grooms owns the sound; they make it entirely their own, wrapping it up in a unique blend of quieting melodies juxtaposed with distortion and feedback.

If you wanted to nit-pick here, perhaps you could call for a bit of a more polished production value, as some tracks tend to rattle perhaps too much for their own good. That being said, that’s one of the interesting qualities here, as the band clearly is marking their own territory within the realms of their forefathers. “Into the Arms,” comes late into the album, and this is perhaps the most Thurston Moore-ish song, even down to the lyrics, but the vocal delivery takes on a character of it’s own, allowing you to focus on the song’s construction, made more remarkable by the fact that the bass line seems to live just beneath the surface of the song, letting the cutting guitar chords roam free.

Sure, there’s definitely some landmark references throughout Prom, but everything has roots in something nowadays.  Grooms succeeds in their endeavors because you clearly see their dedication to crafting their own space within the confines of noisy indie rock.  It’s a place you’ll need to delve into, traveling with the band from start to finish on this most excellent journey, leaving you feeling fulfilled and rewarded for giving this record the deserved time.

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

Download: Grooms – Tiger Trees [MP3]

New Song from Grooms

One of the great things about SXSW is that it introduces you to bands you’ve never heard of, and often don’t remember days afterward, but then when you come across a new tune you get really excited, remembering all the promise the band showed in their brief set.  Such is the case of Grooms, having come across them last year at SXSW.  Having been quiet since the release of their last album, Rejoicer, the group has now lined up the release of Prom, set to come out July 12th via Kanine Records.  This first track comes off with this real muddy feel to it, filled with noise throughout, seemingly about to crash down up the listener.  All the while the vocals have this thoughtful quality, as if the lyrics are an observation of the music.  It all makes for a listen that will have you pushing repeat until the button breaks.

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

Download: Grooms – Tiger Trees [MP3]