Braden Lawrence Shares I Don’t Wanna Die in Texas

You likely know Braden Lawrence as part of The Districts, but for now, he’s stepping out on his own to release his own LP, When You Lose the Light. On the latest single, there’s definitely a bit of hyperbole running through the lyrical work, though the story has its roots in a dying van on the road between Santa Fe and Dallas. For me, I love the way the sliding guitar shoots across the background, bending at the turn while Lawrence and backing vocalist India Coombs do their part to make the listener swoon. There’s something about their interplay that reminds me of a distant Rilo Kiley, albeit through a more modern folk twang. Plus, you get lots of great video footage here, which should encourage you to grab the LP; it’s out September 29th via Anxiety Blanket Records.

The Districts Return With New Album

A couple of years ago Philadelphia based The Districts put out one of my favorite albums of that year with the release of Popular Manipulations. Since then, I’ve steadily jammed that album with a couple of other new singles as anticipation built for more new tunes from the band. Lucky for me, yesterday the band announced a new album with this new single called “Hey Jo” as the first teaser. As per usual, I love the unique sound the band can create and the ease at which the song progresses beautifully over three and a half minutes. This is sure to be one of my favorites of next year.

The Districts will release You Know I’m Not Going Anywhere on March 13th via Fat Possum.

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Ray Ray’s Top Songs of 2017

We’re now only a few short weeks away from the end of another amazing year in the music industry. We ATH kids went all list, all the time this year with a whole bunch of opinions about top albums, top Oceanic albums, top Austin albums and even one about albums you’ve probably never heard of. We like music, we like lists, and we like debating about both lists and music, so deal with it. I’m continuing our insane foray into lists this year end season with my personal Top 25 songs of 2017.

A quick blurb and full list after the jump.

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The Districts Give Us Another Hit

Some of us ATH members have been hyping The Districts for quite awhile now and it’s just about damn time that the rest of you got on board as well. If you weren’t with us yet, latest single “If Before I Wake” is sure to change your mind immediately. The guitars soar, the drums are hit with ferocity, and the vocals are timed perfectly with major emotions behind them. How could you say no to this song? Seriously.

The Districts will release Popular Manipulations on August 11th via Fat Possum Records.

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The Districts Announce Album, Share New Music Video

Philly band The Districts shared this single a few months back, but this time around, they’ve got not only the news of their upcoming album, Popular Manipulations,and this spooky new music video to accompany the track. “Ordinary Day” was a great track to begin with, balancing an acoustic, folksy sound with harder alt rock, but now we’ve got a cult-ish music video to watch. It features lots of plain masks and banality– I suggest you take a few minutes and watch it below, and then try to forget about your own “Ordinary Day.”

Popular Manipulationswill be out August 11thvia Fat Possum Records.

 

 

The Districts Share Solid Leonard Cohen Cover

It’s not easy to cover a legend– to me a good cover pays homage to the original track while putting enough of a different spin on the sound to prevent the inevitable mental comparison of the listener. The Districts, in my opinion, have struck a pretty good balance on their cover of Leonard Cohen‘s “Lover Lover Lover.” What I like about this rendition is that the band keeps the focus on their gritty indie rock sound, but they retain the melancholic tone of the original.

This track is a B-Side off the band’s upcoming Record Store Day Release via Fat Possum Records. Check it out below, then go hunt it down on Record Store Day.

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The Districts Share New Rock Track

The Districts, out of Philadelphia, are back with a brand new track that will get you ready to face pretty much anything. Starting slow with some falsetto vocals, the song hits you hard thirty seconds in when the guitars kick through. From here, the track transforms into a grunge/emo rock number, but you still get the gentle motif from the beginning a little later on. I’m taken by the way the band alternates between these two tones with ease and still manages to create a rock jam that you want to scream along with. Take a listen to “Ordinary Day” below.

 

Show Pics: Temples @ The Grog Shop (10/20)

TemplesCleveland. Many people groan at the idea of going to Cleveland, but I had heard many good things about the city by the big-assed lake. Au contraire, this is a good food town with plenty of venues to check out jams. I went to Lola last night, Michael Symon’s fancy place, and dear jeebus it was good. The night before I went to catch Temples at The Grog Shop. I was treated to locals Nowhere and Philly’s The Districts and dear jeebus, it was good.

So click through and see a bit of the Cleveland scene…

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The Districts Get Remastered + Sign to Fat Possum

districtsIf you’ve had a chance to browse through the extensive list of incredible acts coming to Austin for SXSW, then perhaps you noticed, or even looked into, the Districts.  If not, that’s okay, but you’ll get a chance below to see if they even catch your eye.  The group has remastered a few old tracks, plus added a few new ones for their upcoming self-titled EP, which is going to be released on the band’s new label, Fat Possum.  It starts off as a bit of wandering Americana, but there’s a rough finish, which has me excited for both the EP, and their live show. You can grab the EP on January 28th, and catch the band touring with White Denim before they arrive at SXSW.

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