This is fine.
Finally through this last round of shows. It was Friday the 13th, so I wore a hockey mask. Nah, not really.
School of Seven Bells played the Mohawk. A newly refined two-piece, Benjamin Curtis and Alejandra Deheza brought along an extra keyboard player and drummer to fill out their live line up. They also brought along Exitmusic as the opener.
Head past the break and you will get show notes and plenty of pics.
| Date | Friday the 13th |
|---|---|
| Location | Mohawk |
| Doors | 800 pm |
| Tickets | $10 from Frontgate |
If you’re not worn out from the ridiculous amount of shows in town this week, we’ve got one more we think you should consider as we head into the weekend. School of Seven Bells have been making dreamy electronic pop for some time, and they recently released their third LP, Ghostory, on Vagrant at the end of February. Now that the band is a duo, you better expect a killer performance from the band; we personally vouch for their shows. And, if you’re smart, you should get there early to see Exitmusic, one of my favorite groups at the moment. So, if you’re up to it, this will be a special show worthy of your $10. Be sure to say hi to our photographer Brian Gray; he’s been living at the Mohawk all week.
[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/School-of-Seven-Bells-Lafaye.mp3]Download: School of Seven Bells – Lafaye [MP3]
SxSW is getting closer and closer and this IT Dept. has very little to do with SxSW becasue it is still too far away for me to start getting hyped. O_o
Since we played catch-up in the previous IT post, here is a collection of new tunes for you to ponder. I am throwing out a favorite from Mint Julep, the latest from Bear In Heaven, smoothness with oOoOO, School of Seven Bells minus a twin and an atmospheric closer from Blondes.
Click past the break and you might get rewarded with cheese.
Rating: 
Often times, we find that a bit of clarity pays off huge dividends. For the second album from School of Seven Bells, Disconnect From Desire, this is precisely the case. A few years of touring since their last release, and those moments of clarity provide for an entirely different listen than their previous album, Alpinisms.
While the band once coated their sound in a bit of fuzz and indifference, the moment you hear “Windstorm”, you can tell the group has flipped the table over, revealing a more pristine, electronic version of themselves. For one thing, the production has the Deheza sisters coming off a bit clearer, even with the tribal chanting in the background. Sonically, they sound as if they aged, like a fine wine, getting better with as time’s passed.
But, the bread and butter of Disconnect From Desire has to live in the darker elements of the record. “Heart is Strange” probably sounds really powerful in a venue, but in your home stereo, there’s an element of smoke filled clubs coated in debauchery. This isn’t to say that the band is hinting at such things with their lyrics, but you can almost feel yourself sinking into a sense of despair, albeit an exuberant sort of despair. “Dust Devil” evokes a similar quality with its driving rhythms, and vocals that seem to just float atop the air. For some reason, this track evokes a weird monastery feel, perhaps its the way the twins carry the notes, almost to the point of chanting.
Using a minimal amount of instrumentation, however, does create a bit of redundancy throughout the entire listen. It’s not that School of Seven Bells can’t write good tracks, as it’s clear they have that power, it’s just that the album doesn’t have a lot of variance; it blends together a bit, and gets mundane. “ILU” and “Camarilla” use really delicate vocals from the girls, but their voices are so distinctive, that if you placed these songs back to back, which they’re not, you might find it hard to completely tell the songs apart from one another. Perhaps some will find this attribute infinitely rewarding, as many people love their electronics with a solid vocal behind it.
All that being said, one track will surely stand out for every listener. You’ll find this hook on “Bye Bye Bye,” where the programmed element alone is enough to keep this track on repeat for prolonged periods of time. Oddly, the girls sound a bit younger here, almost a bit more refreshed. A few more tracks like these placed carefully around the album, and you’d probably have Disconnect From Desire in the running for album of the year. Just promise yourself you won’t miss this track.
All in all, progress has been made, and it seems a great deal more rewarding for all parties involved with concerns to Disconnect From Desire. A dark quality resides throughout the album, but it comes in the form of moving electronic flourishes, clear, for the most part, of the elemental noise that was present in the past. School of Seven Bells have made an honest record, and one that now seems to match their electric live performances.
[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/SchoolOfSevenBells-Windstorm.mp3]Download: School Of Seven Bells – Windstorm [MP3]
School of Seven Bells have their brand new album Disconnect From Desire hitting stores next week on Vagrant Records. Prior to that date, the band have made the new joint available for streaming over on the Rolling Stone website. We’ve also got a tasty new track below called “” which opens up the new LP.
Download: School Of Seven Bells – Windstorm [MP3]
Man, I’m really diggin’ this new School of Seven Bells tune “Babelonia” that popped up on The Gum Yesterday. It’s got it all if you ask me; driving guitars, a tight backing beat, and some sweet female vocal harmonies. Hellz yeah. The band’s upcoming LP, Disconnect From Desire, hits stores on July 13th via Vagrant Records.
Download: School of Seven Bells – Babelonia [MP3]
It’s the beginning of a killer week of live music here in Austin, and the town is going to start it off with a great set from various noise-makers. Black Moth Super Rainbow headline this show at Mohawk, closing with their electronic noise fusion. Local greats Balmorhea open this show, and they’re sure to be the quieter set of the evening. Don’t forget the middle band, School of Seven Bells, will bring their precious space-pop amidst the two acts, rounding out an evening of solid tunes.
Download: Black Moth Super Rainbow – Rollerdisco [MP3]
Is anyone else just a little bit sad today as we wrap up another amazing SXSW Festival in Austin? I know we here at ATH are as depressed as anyone to head back into the real world today. Gone are the carefree days of roaming around downtown in search of the best music and the best parties with free red bull and vodka. While still nursing our hangovers and mending our bruises, we would like to share with you the best live acts that we caught this past week. You may have heard of most of these bands or they may be completely new to you, but regardless, these bands brought the noise at SXSW. We tried to be fair and pick the acts that either lived up to a certain hype or just rocked our faces to the floor. Follow the jump for our top 10 live acts of SXSW.
A recent discovery of ours, School of Seven Bells, just recorded a live session for Minnesota Public Radio. You can hear the entire 3 song set on The Current blog. The band will also be making a stop in Austin during our little festival known as SXSW.
Download: School of Seven Bells – Connjur [MP3]
