Gary Olson of Ladybug Transistor Drops Single

We’ve told you to keep an eye on Kleine Untergrund Schallplatten, as the German label has been releasing some incredible work this past year…and they’re knocking it out of the park with this new 7″ from Gary Olson of Ladybug Transistor. It’s a pretty soft ballad, with just a hint of bouncing rhythm to grab your ear. That being said, the production behind Gary is what completes the song’s magic; there’s light string arrangements accompanying the angular ring of the guitar…eventually opening up to the wondrous bursting horns that really bring the song home. Gary blends folk and pop seamlessly, and all those who listen are sure to be delighted.

New Austin Releases: Pleasure Venom + Housewarming

As we’re wrapping up the year, there’s still a few delights coming from Austin that should garner your attention. Two great pieces of music were dropped last week via Pleasure Venom and Housewarming.

Pleasure Venom continues their barrage of EPs with another excellent connection of punky rockers. Audrey Campbell is the frontwoman you’ve all been looking for, witty and powerful, stealing your soul through your speakers; it’s a good thing, I promise.

Housewarming offer up the softer side of town sharing a single from their forthcoming Sasha EP. It’s light guitar pop, for folks into other local acts like Daphne Tune or Hovvdy. The two singles they’ve shared thus far indicate a confidence in their sound that immediately puts the rest of our city on notice for great things to come.

Michael Wood is Whoa Melodic

I can pretty much be guaranteed that anything coming out via WIAIWYA is going to be something I’ll enjoy; John seems to hand pick from my brain for his catalog…or so I like to think. His first release of 2019 is going to be the debut from Whoa Melodic, the project of Michael Wood who has played with the Hayman Kupa Band and Singing Adams. Our first listen has this almost stuttering mod feel to it, like if Elvis Costello hung out with a bunch of indiepop kids; there’s that sharpness in delivery contrasted with the natural warmth of Wood’s voice. Seems like a great way to start off 2019; the self-titled LP will drop on Februrary 1st.

Smooth Pop Number from Jackson Macintosh

While Jackson Macintosh‘s debut solo effort has been out for a minute, he definitely needs some revisiting with his latest single/video. It’s this sort of slinky, synth-driven pop song where Macintosh can turn his vocals into hook-laden gold. I love the soft electronic chorus, smoothing out the track in the perfect way. The guitar sounds throughout are understated, but they give the listener the perfect chance to kick up those heels in a danceable fashion. It’s the sort of dreamy pop making all the waves with the kids, so why not slide into it; My Dark Side is out now via Sinderlyn.

 

Guru Break Out Heavy Rocker

Admittedly, I’m in the softer side of my listening years, but I still like my guitars nice and loud from time to time. Guru fits perfectly into that, especially with family traveling in…I need a noise escape. Your ears only gets 14 seconds of respite, as the band blasts through it all from start to finish. The guitars have this sharp chug action, while the vocals definitely carry a dangerous growl that’s sure to rile up any old crowd. The Brighton outfit punish your ears like early Ice Age, so if that’s your cup of tea, keep an eye on the act.

Soft Folk from Ian Wayne

Spent the great deal of this morning on the heavier side of shoegaze, so lets pull back a little as the wintry weather creeps in by spending some time with Ian Wayne. Ian’s vibe kind of reminds me of the middle ground between recently popular acts like Twain and Hovvdy; it offers a gentle vision that will appeal to fans of the delicate side of indie rock. It’s the perfect sort of tune for just staring blankly off into space, accepting the world that surrounds you as the notes seep into your skin. This song features on Ian’s new album, A Place Where Nothing Matters, which just dropped last week!

Sonic Jesus Share New Single

Sonic Jesus have two things going for them, at least in my book: One, their were remixed by Sonic Boom of Spacemen 3; Two, they shared a split with our local Austin faves, The Black Angels. That’s a win already, and we haven’t even started the talk of the band’s newest single. It begins with this stabbing electronic note, complimented by a slow rhythmic pulse just beneath. Eventually, guitars come in shadowy forms, haunting the corners of the track, just as the vocals hold this mysterious power amidst that rhythmic electronic stab. This tune will feature on the band’s new album, Memories, dropping on November 30th.

French Shoegaze from An Ocean of Embers

Not in the too distant past, An Ocean of Embers covered Moose‘s “Last Night I Feel Again” (Reprise 1991), and they’ve finally touched it up and added an acoustic version, as well as instrumentals to craft their own single. I love that you get to hear the acoustic version because it really offers up that soft underbelly that so many folks seem to ignore in favor of guitar noise reverberating through their speakers. The latter half of the original cover gets awfully noisy at the end, building perfectly into the acoustic version should you choose to stream it all. Enjoy!

More Heavy Pop from Waves of Dread

Behind the walls of distorted guitars usually lives a pop band, at least that seems to be the case when we’re talking about Waves of Dread. The band open their latest single building that noise wall, but it quickly recedes in favor of these calmly beautiful vocals; they stay steady and sit in the midst of everything around them. It’s almost like they’re building music in the vein of Teenage Fanclub, only with dreams of being on the heavier side of that musical spectrum; I’m pretty sure I love anything this group comes up with. If you grab it HERE, you get a bonus track, but you’ll have to wait until the 10th of December to hear the band’s new EP.

Stream Closure from Gorgeous Bully

We’ve been hyping up the release of Gorgeous Bully‘s latest for a wee bit, and the day has finally arrived for you to give Closure a listen. While I expected the album to have some fuzzy bangers, like the opener “I’ll Be True,” I didn’t expect the softer side of things to shine quite so brilliantly. You get it on the album’s second track, “Gum,” offering up a sound that’s reminiscent of everything rad in Australia at the moment. But, while not always as upbeat, there are other soft, and even sad, numbers like “Tripping” and “Happiness.” It gives you a mix of everything that’s great about the project; you can grab it for the NYP option HERE, as well as order the vinyl LP!

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