Winter Share Final Single from What Kind of Blue Are You

There’s been a lot of great records this year, but I get the sneaking suspicion that I’m going to spend a lot of time with What Kind of Blue Are You. As I said last time, each single is operating in the same orbit as the others, but each offers a different musical twist on left of the dial pop. This one drifts casually, relying upon Samira’s voice to slowly pull the listener into the song, then suddenly the beat drops in taking the song on this sort of trippy pop ride that operates like a sort of pop dreamscape. There’s a little of this, a little of that, and all of it, from the guests to the vibes, has been pretty special. Winter release their new album on October 14th via Bar/None Records, and hit the road with Peel Dream Magazine through the Fall.

Sweet Indiepop from Model Village

modelvillageFeel like it’s been a short while since I’ve offered up some truly joyous indiepop tunes, so I figured it best to get back on that boat, albeit for just a post.  Model Village is another UK act with the bouncing rhythm section coated with angelic vocals.  The group just released their newest LP, You Chose These Woes, and it’s been a pleasure absorbing these melodies while staring out my work window into the sun.  If you’re afraid of the female vocal, don’t fret, as they have quite a bit of male participation throughout the record.  Give it a spin.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Model-Village-Sunday.mp3]

Download: Model Village – Sunday [MP3]

Crocodiles – Endless Flowers

Rating: ★★★½☆

A few years back, Dan Treacy of Television Personalities used Crocodiles as his backing band, and that’s when I first caught wind of the group.  I trust Dan, so I scoured the net in search of news, only to stumble upon a group that I thought was unfairly being compared to Jesus and the Mary Chain.  Sure, I see the similarities, but as evidenced by Endless Flowers, the group has a lot more in relation to jangling art-pop than JMC.

“Endless Flowers” does utilize some squalling guitar wailing to kick off the whole affair, but vocally, it harkens back to the musical re-imagining of early 00s band such as Longwave; there’s a simple melodic tone that gives listeners that soft-footed shuffle.  “Sunday” again has that atmospheric guitar sound, so everyone’s going to already toss the JMC comparison back onto Crocodiles, but mentally I’m stripping the sound off these tracks, choosing instead to focus on the bright quality of the vocal delivery; it provides a youthful exuberance akin to Pains of Being Pure at Heart.

As Endless Flowers evolves, you begin to see the gentler side of the band, offering a steadier dosage of pop melody as preferred to noise.  “No Black Clouds for Dee Dee” is definitely a heartfelt ballad, considering the band’s relation to Dee Dee (not Ramone).  It’s a standout song, demonstrating that the group’s not always content with upping the noise quotient. Interestingly, as they begin to unleash a lighter side, they also begin to let that element fully collide with their noisier moments.  It leads to some of the longer tracks, such as “My Surfing Lucifer” and “Dark Alleys,” with the latter remaining as one of my favorite tracks on the record.

They break through it all to wrap up the record quite nicely, giving you a rollicking stomp track in “Welcome Trouble.”  The jagged guitar line cutting in the background just builds you to the raucous stomp that ups the ante during the chorus.  It’s got a bit of post-rock swagger to go along with the energetic chorus, and it definitely helps illustrate the group’s progressive direction. Closing out with the quieter “You Are Forgiven” again finds Crocodiles in a steady ballad form that should leave no doubt that the band is capable of affecting songs without having to fill each track with noise.  Admittedly, the chirping of the birds in the background of the recording might make it seem like a B-Side or an afterthought, but the strength of the song itself warrants its inclusion here.

I can see the Internet still hyping up the JMC connection, but perhaps when I listened to Endless Flowers, I was hoping for more, so I forgave its presence and looked closer at the core content in the songs.  If you approach listening to the latest from Crocodiles then I have the feeling that you’ll understand where I am coming from.  Regardless, I’ve had a lot of fun listening to this whole album, especially when you turn it up to 10 (11 is so cliche).

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Crocodiles-Sunday-Psychic-Conversation-9.mp3]

Download:Crocodiles – Sunday (Psychic Conversation #9) [MP3]

Psych Fest Preview: The Ripe

Seeing as Psych Fest is going to be taking over Austin this weekend it seems only fitting thta we rep one of the many great Austin bands: The Ripe.  This week the group just released their album, Into Your Ears, on Get Hip Records, and we’ve had a lot of fun spinning it for ourselves over here at ATH.  Just one look at the album’s cover and you might think these guys play on the darker side of the Psych realm, but you’d be asboslutely wrong.  There’s a light-hearted garage feel to what they’re working on, and fans of both modern indie rock and classic tunes will enjoy themselves.  These dudes have gotten some great press from all over the world, so it’s about time people in Austin pay attention, and that means you!

The Ripe will take over the stages at Psych Fest on Sunday, April 28th at Emos at 4:00 PM. See you there!

Here’s an MP3, plus you can sample the band’s whole album right HERE.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/drawning-sound-june-2011.mp3]

Download:The Ripe – Drawing Sound [MP3]