New White Fence Tune

I love how a lot folks, myself included, sort of pigeon-holed Tim Presley; he was a more nostalgic garage rocker of sorts…and perhaps his friendship with Ty Segall, while great, allowed us to overlook his flare for exploratory pop music. He’s been doing it for several releases with Drinks, and this new single seems to hint at a continued progression. This number gets filled in and out with the odd little bit of electronic sounds, but I’d spend all my money just to hear the chorus of “Lorelei;” its warm and inviting, rising above the mix. If, like me, you’re a Tim fan, you can grab the next White Fence album, I Have to Feed Larry’s Hawk, on January 25th from Drag City.

A New Drinks Album Coming Soon

I’m not sure if you listened to Drinks debut album, Hermits on Holiday, but it was a pretty special listen through and through. But, members Cate Le Bon and Tim Presley also have other projects going on, so figured there’d be a bit of time before we got something new. Well, that time is now, as the group have just announced Hippo Lite. The lyrical content doesn’t really enter the picture until after the one minute mark, with the duo primarily working with a simple bobbing bass and these jangling little guitar chords that seem to hang in the air. I also appreciate Cate’s vocal delivery; she’s got such a distinctive voice. Their new effort will be out on April 20th via Drag City.

Yesterday’s News: Another Taste of Tim Presley

timpresleyNot sure what Tim Presley could do that I wouldn’t adore, at the moment. His White Fences work has been great, but starting with his work with Cate le Bon on Drinks, he’s really fleshed out his sound. I hear bits of Talking Heads in this new track, especially in the notes he’s hitting with his voice. Of course, there are definitely some little guitar fuzz freak outs momentarily popping out, but I love the little turn into a tinkering piano piece just after the 2 minute mark. His new record, The WiNK will be released by Drag City on September 16th…and you can bet I’ll fawn over the whole thing…at least if it’s as good as this number.

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Tim Presley Releases Solo Effort

timpresleyI’m never tired of Tim Presley. You likely know his work, whether you’re aware of it or not. You know, bands like The Strange Boys, Darker My Love, White Fence and most recently Drinks (with Cate Le Bon). He’s stepping out under his own name, which makes sense, as this seems like a project that’s wholly his, and entirely different from his various other releases. It’s definitely a blend of post-punk and art punk…using jagged guitar stabs, steady rhythms and a sort of spoken-word delivery. The more I think about it, the more I realize that Tim might be one of my favorite working artists; I don’t dislike a single thing he’s touched. That, of course, makes me really excited Drag City will be releasing The WiNK on September 16th.

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Anyone Down for DRINKS?

drinksIf you paid attention to the release of the last Cate Le Bon album, you had to know it was only a matter of time before she and Tim Presley (White Fence) formed a songwriting tandem.  And indeed they have, working under the name of DRINKS, crafting paisley pop songs from an era long ago.  On this track, there’s a steady stomp moving forward, with the vocals living in a land somewhere between Nico and Pollard.  They’ve titled their first effort, Hermits on Holiday, which will see an August 21st release date via Heavenly Recordings. Enjoy your DRINKS.

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Is It Too Early For DRINKS?

19610_10155452533335391_6948918671521668370_nIs that even a real question? No, but it’s also not too early for the new project of Cate Le Bon and Tim Presley of White Fence, called DRINKS. Not only have they announced this new project, but they’ve also shared that their debut album will be coming out August 21st. That album shares the title with the song below, “Hermits On Holiday,” which starts out mellow with just Cate’s distinctive vocals and guitar, but as the song winds up, it emerges as a hodgepodge pop number with a rustic flair.

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Tim Presley Returns with New White Fence Track

whiteyTim Presley is one of my favorite songwriters of the last few years, and this new track from his White Fence group demonstrates his continued musical growth.  This new song feels like a bit of his signature psych leanings have been exchanged for a pop or glam touch; the vocals have a different tonal quality, and the song features a pretty straight-forward guitar that drives the song through.  It’s something we got a glimpse of on Cyclops Reap, his last LP, but it looks as if To The Recently Found Innocent will further that evolution…just a guess though.  You can grab the LP from Drag City on July 22nd.

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Another Sleazy Rocker from White Fence

You’ve got to hand it to Tim Presley.  He can bring a nice psychedelic country number with Darker My Love, then turn around and bang out a noisy little garage rock number on the other hand. As we’ve mentioned before, Presley’s White Fence project is set to release one of two albums for Woodsist on April 3rd titled Family Perfume. And rumors have it that he’s also in the works with Ty Segall on a joint project.  If he’s going to keep kicking out solid jams like this one, then we’re going to stay on board.  Just hope this is more quality than quantity.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/White_Fence_-_Swagger_Vets_and_Double_Moon.mp3]

Download:White Fence – Swagger Vets and Double Moon [MP3]

Nice Little Jam from White Fence

People want to love Tim Presley for his Darker My Love role, but as we’re based in Austin, I’m more a fan of his Strange Boys role.  All that aside, dude’s also got a pretty nice little solo project called White Fence.  This year he’ll be releasing a two volume set of tunes, under the title of Family Perfume.  The first volume is slated to hit stores on April 3rd through Woodsist, and the first single has me pretty excited as it floated about the Interwebs today.  It’s got this little low-key jangle, almost harkening to the classic pop moments of the 60s, especially with Presley’s mellow vocal delivery throughout.   You digs?

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/White_Fence_-_It_Will_Never_Be_Edit.mp3]

Download: White Fence – It Will Never Be (Edit) [MP3]

White Fence – …Is Growing Faith

Rating: ★★★½☆

Tim Presley is a confusing man.  He’s got so many projects going at once you wonder if the dude even has time to come up for air.  Can’t complain though can we, as he keeps churning out the hits.  White Fence seems like the backbone for everything he does though, so its odd that Is Growing Faith comes at this point in his career. Conjecture aside, he continuously churns out albums chock full of nostalgic classic pop sounds, benefitting us all.

Immediately, one can complain that the only thing that makes this a modern album is that you can tell the production value is minimal, but that’s precisely why White Fence seems steps beyond their fellow peers in when it comes to low-budget recordings.  You can make out audible pops and crackles when you jam the vinyl, and more so when you’ve got those iPod buds in your ears.  In a way, what might seem like laziness actually brings you closer to the music itself, giving it a more natural feel.

If you make it past the first twenty seconds of a song like “Sticky Fruitman Has Faith” you’re going to get rewarded.  That California jangling guitar from the late sixties just sort of meanders in and out of the track, with a little bit of jangling boogie to make it all gel together.  Or maybe you decide to take a little bit of a trip with “A Pearl is Not a Diamond,” a track that definitely harkens back to the early days of what would later become Americana.  Personally, I get a kick out of the little stuttering guitar solo awkwardly placed in the background–put on headphones and listen closely.

One of the things that makes Tim and White Fence so interesting is that you see his influences all over the place, and I really mean all over the place.  There’s “Tumble, Lies and Honesty,” which really has to be given credit for it’s use of the water drop effect, presumably made by one flicking their finger against the chick.  Tie that odd rhythmic percussion in with the gentle strumming of the guitar and you can definitely find yourself a magical piece of pop.  Even more interesting is listening to “Stranger Things Have Happened,” which feels like an allusion to the most recent work of Tim’s other band, Darker My Love. It’s remarkably similar to the sound, even down to the most intricate bending of guitar strings.

But, to top it all off, there’s still a bit of angst inside this psychedelic world of classic rock.  “Harness” is a gritty little number, one that might draw similarities to Fresh and Onlys, but it’s got a bigger sense of urgency to it, that is until the chorus.  However, the chorus has a bit of brightness to it, something that really made this song stand out in my mind.  Perhaps you can draw similarities within the album, as a sonic connection definitely exists on the earlier Is Growing Faith track “Enthusiasm.”

Damn you Tim Presley! How can one write a review of your White Fence albums? They’re all over the place, going between americana, psychedelia and even hints of punk.  I love it all, every single minute.  In time, I have a feeling that Is Growing Faith will be a record that reveals more and more to me with each listen, but as it stands right now, I’ve had enough listens (17 to be exact) to know this thing is a rocking good time.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/White-Fence-Lillian-Wont-You-Play-Drums.mp3]

Download: White Fence – Lillian (Won’t You Play Drums) [MP3]

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