This is fine.
In a week of packed shows, Wednesday was definitely full of shows, from Spoon to Real Estate to Bowerbirds to Keep Shelley in Athens, and we found ourselves at several…actually, all but Spoon. Read on for a few brief notes on Twerps and Real Estate, and Brian Gray’s excellent photos.
| Date | 4/11/12 |
|---|---|
| Location | Mohawk |
| Doors | 6:30 |
| Tickets | $13 @ Frontgate |
With all the killer shows going down this week, you’re really gonna have to pace yourself so you don’t lose your job. One of the many superb shows this week that you better get to is going down on Wednesday at the Mohawk and features great indie bands Real Estate and Twerps. This is surely going to be a show you won’t want to miss. Also stick around for the aftershow on the inside stage featuring Keep Shelly in Athens and Jonquil. Duh.
[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/03-Its-Real.mp3]Download: Real Estate – It’s Real [MP3]
I was a happy kid. Sure, things could have gone a tiny bit smoother with sponsor issues and sound-guy car troubles early, but we pulled together like a community and put on an excellent day of music. Big thanks to all involved, my +1 for bartending early, the bands for helping each other out, whatever it took was whatever it took and the party felt like SxSW of old.
So here are a bounty of pics from the 2nd St. Showdown…
It’s just a week away folks, and we’re here to share some responses from one of our favorite acts of 2011, Twerps. Their self-titled debut blew us away, making our top albums of the year. We’re also really excited that the band has found some time in their busy schedule to join us at our party. Read more
It’s that time again folks, time for SXSW and another awesome show by yours truly here at ATH. This year we’re teaming up with our amigos over at local label Sonora Records to bring what is arguably the best SXSW show around. We’ve got a sweet lineup that’s been worked on behind the scenes for months now with some equally incredible local sponsors. Here are the deets on the show after the jump.
We’ve already brought you our songs of the year and Texas albums of the year, so now it’s time for the much anticipated albums of the year list. I’m sure many of you will notice some big names off the list and you will be ready to plead your case about why we are wrong. We’ll hear ya out… Feel free to drop us a comment with your own list or just to debate with us. Follow the jump for list.
50) The New Tigers – s/t
49) Secret Cities – Strange Hearts
48) AM & Shawn Lee – Celestial Electric
47) Rural Alberta Advantage – Departing
46) Blue Skies for Black Hearts – Embracing the Modern Age
45) Geoffrey O’ Connor – Vanity is Forever
44) Dum Dum Girls – Only in Dreams
43) Destroyer – Kaputt
42) Obits – Moody, Standard and Poor
41) The Rosebuds – Loud Planes Fly Low
40) Tim Cohen – Magic Trick
39) Bad Sports – Kings of the Weekend
38) Chelsea Wolfe – Apokalypsis
37) Chad Van Gaalen – Diaper Island
36) Male Bonding – Nothing Hurts
35) Crystal Stilts – In Love With Oblivion
34) Cold Cave – Cherish the Light Years
33) Devon Williams – Euphoria
32) Okkervil River – I Am Very Far
31) Sonny and the Sunsets – Hit After Hit
30) Smith Westerns – Dye It Blonde
29) Wax Idols – No Future
28) Grooms – Prom
27) Cut Off Your Hands – Hollow
26) The War on Drugs – Slave Ambient
25) Ducktails – Ducktails III
24) Papercuts – Fading Parade
23) Atlas Sound – Parallax
22) Mind Spiders – s/t
21) Craft Spells – Idle Labor
20) Yuck – s/t
19) The Joy Formidable – The Big Roar
18) Comet Gain – Howl of the Lonely Crowd
17) The Drums – Portamento
16) Snowmine – Laminate Pet Animal
15) King Creosote and Jon Hopkins – Diamond Mine
14) The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – Belong
13) Girls Names – Dead to Me
12) Light for Fire – s/t
11) Other Lives – Tamer Animals
10) Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues
9) Iceage – New Brigade
8 The Antlers – Burst Apart
7) Seapony – Go With Me
6) Pure X – Pleasure
5) Cloud Nothings – s/t
4) Real Estate – Days
3) Gold Leaves – The Ornament
2) The Twerps – s/t
1) Wye Oak – Civilian
So that’s it ladies and gents, we are officially putting an end to 2011. What do you like and what do you not like? Let’s hear it.
First, we’d really like to apologize for the site being down for a few days. Clearly we had some issues, but we were enjoying Fun x 3 Fest, so we got to it as soon as we could.
Second, I feel like the guy in this picture today, so I wanted to toss something your way. Aside from our post-grunge a-capella group during Danzig, we spent a lot of time talking about albums of the year, song of the year, and of course, the festival. But, we can’t seem to agree on our favorite song of the year, so here’s where you can help. We’re putting up both the songs we feel are in contention, and we need you to give us your vote. Leave a comment and tell us which you like more. Or, if you hate us and completely disagree, tell us in the comments what your favorite is. Here we go:
[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/05-Let-Me-In.mp3]Download: Snowmine – Let Me In [MP3]
[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/04-Who-Are-You.mp3]Download: Twerps – Who Are You [MP3]
Rating: 
For those of you just meeting Twerps, you’d be surprised at the evolution of their sound. When we first heard them via the folks at Chapter Music, they were a pretty basic lo-fi group, spinning tape loops and coming off a bit lackadaisical on songs like “Good Advice.” On their self-titled record, you’ll get a much more focused group bringing it all home.
“Dreamin” begins Twerps, giving you cascading guitar chords that cut through the careful jangle-pop, even tossing in some backing harmonies from female member Julia MacFarlane. It’s as tight as the band has sounded since they were introduced, and such songs only solidify their presence in our musical world. But, you’re still going to find that carefree spirit within this album.
On “Don’t Be Surprised” Marty Frawley just tosses his lyrics atop a much slower paced jingle, sort of like you’d expect Dan Treacy of Television Personalities to do, that is until mid-track where they just kick it off with this beautiful bit of noisy pop, only to return to their melodious bit of fun. Twerps use a similar tactic on what is not only the record’s best song, but perhaps one of the top songs of the year, “Who Are You.” It embodies everything magical in a song: catchy bit of guitar playing, a cool bit of vocal delivery and relatable lyrics. When Frawley goes into his “who are you/to be actin the way that you do,” it’s all perfectly fitting, and it leads up to the playful “we’ll get drunk/we’ll get stoned/we’ll get high/we’ll get drunk” line that accompanies each chorus. Simply put, there aren’t many songs from this year better than this.
One of the best things about this entire record is that Twerps simply keep you interested, going places you can easily see, but didn’t necessarily expect from the group. “Jam Song” sort of fills the middle of the record with a rambling bit of ballroom stomp, always keeping their groove. Or, you could skip a few ahead and find yourself at the simple spoken-word track, “Bring Me Down,” which is joined by a polite little bit of guitar strumming. There’s pretty much moments for every type of listener out there, be it jangling pop moments like “Dreamin,” or a more-subdued Wavves feel like the closer “Coast to Coast.” It all fits in with the band’s aesthetic, and it never seems to grow stale.
Twerps have been around for some time now, but this self-titled record is going to be one of the dates that you’ll want to remember, as a band that puts it together this well is very rare. They’ve got hooks, they’ve got creativity and they even have a bit of attitude (or essence), all making Twerps one hell of a ride. Mark my word, everyone is going to be talking about this group and this record for some time to come.
Currently you can listen to the whole album HERE. Or jam the opener below.
[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/The_Twerps_-_Dreamin.mp3]Download: Twerps – Dreamin [MP3]
Some good friends of ours from Down Under have been steadily putting out great music, and we’ve tried to do our best to spread the good word here in the States. One of these bands, which we’ve mentioned before, is the Twerps. They’ve got a nice little bit of melancholy to go with some oceanic jangle, which is just the right kind of stuff for my ears. Their newest split single with the Ancients, Black Eyes, is out now, and they’ll have a new one just in time for the band to hit up Austin for SXSW; we’ve got one of those tracks to premiere for you all. The Twerps will be playing their showcase on Saturday, March 19th at the Black and Tan. But, if you’re not in Austin, don’t fret, as the band has scattered dates all over the country, so catch them before they bounce abroad again.
Download: Twerps – Bullies [MP3]
