New Music From Ty Segall & White Fence

It seems that we have another super group on our hands that everyone should be pumped about in the form of ATH favorites Ty Segall & White Fence.  The guys have an album coming out as a duo on April 24th via Drag City entitled Hair.  Until then, here’s a first taste of the new collaboration with this sweet new tune “I Am Not A Game”.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/02-I-Am-Not-A-Game-1.mp3]

Download: Ty Segall & White Fence – I Am Not A Game [MP3]

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]

Show Preview: Ty Segall @ the Mohawk (9/17)

Date Saturday, Sept 17th
Location Mohawk
Doors 800p
Tickets $10 at the Door

You looking for a show that might not be full of ACL festival goers? Okay, so I can’t promise that, but one of the best shows on Saturday night actually has nothing to do with ACL; it just has to do with good old classic garage rock.  I’ve raved about Ty Segall, and I’ve even posted on the excellent Mikal Cronin, both of whom will be playing at the Mohawk on Saturday night.  If you’re needing your fix of great rock n’ roll, then you need to meet me here for this killer show.  And, you can catch OBN IIIs, the great Austin act while you’re at it.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Ty-Segall-You-Make-the-Sun-Fry.mp3]

Download: Ty Segall – You Make the Sun Fry [MP3]

New Music from Mikal Cronin

It’s easy to know you’ll love something when the press release tosses the names of Ty Segall, The Ramones, and Trouble in Mind Records all into one email.  Mikal Cronin will be releasing his self-titled debut on TiM on September 20th, and based on this track alone, I know I’m going to be playing it on repeat over and over.  If you toss in a little more melody on Segall’s formula for psych-rock, perhaps remove a bit of hazy tones, and this is pretty much what you’re going to get.  I know, right! Sounds pretty awesome, so jump on the wagon now, and prepare for Cronin to come to Austin in September (17th) with Ty.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Apathy.mp3]

Download: Mikal Cronin -Apathy [MP3]

Ty Segall – Goodbye Bread

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Admittedly, I was worried when I first heard that Ty Segall was going to take his ramshackle approach to California garage-pop and slow it down a notch or two.  Now that I’ve given Goodbye Bread a thorough fifty times over, I’m still a bit at odds with his new approach, though there are gems thrown about that really get to me.  In the end, I like this record, and only months of non-consecutive playing will truly indicate my feelings as to the longevity of his newest record for Drag City.

“Goodbye Bread” is actually a solid opening track, and one that immediately states the purpose of the album.  You’ll get Segall’s hazy croon, accompanied by minimal guitar for the most part, but it does pick up a bit, which makes this effort pretty solid, though longtime fans will surely wish more time was spent on carrying out the latter half of the track itself.  Like the opener, the lead single from Goodbye Bread, “You Make the Sun Fry” has this slow burning quality that definitely will appeal to fans of a grittier guitar sound, but perhaps this is where the execution of the record seems to sort of fall off for Ty, as the heavier moments seem sort of like after thoughts for him, especially when you look back over the course of his work.

There are songs on the record that illustrate a different approach for Ty Segall, and one that sounds remarkably refreshing.  If you take a listen to “I Can’t Feel It,” you can hear a more pristine guitar sound lurking in the background.  Pacing on this track doesn’t really fall off, or fly into the typical Segall approach.  It’s a wonder why he didn’t just completely go off course and write more songs like this, as it’s definitely a gem of a track.  It’s weird, but the noisier tracks on Goodbye Bread, such as the monotonous stomping of “California Commercial” don’t seem nearly as strong as the finer tracks on Melted, but the one-two punch at the end of the album makes everything worth it, and should restore every listener’s faith in Segall as a writer.

“I Am With You” begins the closing statement here, and it should be noted that it’s probably the most interesting, in regards to Ty’s approach on writing this bunch of tunes, as there’s switches in pacing, almost hurrying at times; there are also various changes in the overall dynamic of the song, even as he goes off into his ghoulish howl near the end. And, then you have the album closer, “Fine,” which serves as almost a infomercial on the ability of Segall to actually sing; he does a fairly decent job, at least to my ears.  Perhaps it kind of struggles to end, but in the end, I think its going to be one of those songs I’ll come back to time and time again.

Depending upon your interest in Ty Segall, you’ll probably land in various places with your own final consensus.  At times, it seems like he’s stuck in the middle of the road, unable to commit one way or the other to a certain style.  But, as the album draws to a close, you can see him hitting that proverbial stride, and those songs definitely benefit.  Goodbye Bread makes for an enjoyable listen through and through, just not sure where it fits in Ty’s catalogue, or where he’ll go from here. Until then.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Ty-Segall-You-Make-the-Sun-Fry.mp3]

Download: Ty Segall – You Make the Sun Fry [MP3]

New Slow Jam from Ty Segall

I’ve raved about Ty Segall for quite some time, and many assumed he would take the place of dearly departed Jay Reatard.  All signs pointed to this, that is until recently when he began to mention a slower approach to his songwriting on the his new record.  Goodbye Bread will be out June 21st, and it will be his first for Drag City.  This first single from the album shows exactly what Ty promised, using a more drawn out garage sound, similar to the slew of T. Rex covers he tossed out not to long ago.  This track’s all well and good, but we’ll have to wait for the jury to return when the whole collection of songs hits the streets this summer. Give a listen to a less rambunctious Ty below.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Ty-Segall-You-Make-the-Sun-Fry.mp3]

Download: Ty Segall – You Make the Sun Fry [MP3]

Fergus and Geronimo – Unlearn

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Almost two years ago, I caught Fergus and Geronimo here in Austin; they were just visiting from Denton.  Everything they did on stage was energetic and sharp.  A few 7″s came our way, and now the band have released their debut, Unlearn, for Hardly Art.  After honing their chops, it seems like the band have finally landed on some consistency with their sound, and it’s one that fits in with the modern scene.

Kicking things off with “Girls with English Accents” is a solid way to start off this record.  It’s got a little bit of psychedelic twang in the guitar lines, a repeated chorus line, but it’s the verses that demonstrate my favorite parts of Fergus and Geronimo. They’re sort of off-kilter and unhinged, all done in a playful manner.  Then you move right into “Wanna Know What I Would Do,” which has great elements, yet doesn’t quite fulfill the promise the morning.  Really, it’s just one part that sort of gets me in a funk, and it’s the delivery of “hahahaha.”  Throw that in with some loose lyrical focus, and you can see that at times, great songs get in the way of the band’s playful approach.

Fans of the more R&B influenced garage sound will find a gem in “Powerful Lovin,” using that crooning sound you’ll find on King Khan and the BBQ Show releases.  At this point, you’re bound to appreciate the band’s tendency to sort of shift all over the place, using a great deal of musical diversity to provide a great deal of listening diversity.  “Unlearn” is similar in this fashion, though it introduces a bit of spoken word from a female counterpart.  Part of me is reminded of listening to my mother’s classics from the doo-wop era of classic rock, and that’s not a bad thing by any means, mind you.

Fergus and Geronimo‘s bread and butter though seems to be their more amphetamine influenced jams.  “Baby Don’t You Cry” fits perfectly in with the likes of Ty Segall or a dirtier version of Nobunny.  Beneath it all lives sweet bubblegum pop, but it’s coated in abundant energy, giving the sound a bit of garage stomp, almost as if the band is hanging on by the seat of their pants.  “The World Never Stops” is another such jam, though it does have a nice little instrumental breakdown in the middle that really takes the track to the next level.  Perhaps it is just a hint of restraint, but it’s enough to give Unlearn yet another nice twist in the grand scheme of things.

Fergus and Geronimo have shown a lot of promise through the release of their 7″ work, and through that of their live shows. Now that they’ve got Unlearn out here for the masses, we see that talent come to fruition.  Styles are traded in and out from the get go, letting you get a taste of the band’s influences.  Sure, it’s a bit disjointed at times, and next time around the band might put more effort into the lyrical development, but this is one hell of a start from a band we truly think will do excellent things.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Fergus-Geronimo-Girls-With-English-Accents.mp3]

Download: Fergus & Geronimo – Girls With English Accents [MP3]

Ty Segall on Daytrotter

We’re in love with Ty Segall, in case you didn’t know.  We’ve caught him several times this year on tour, and included his latest, Melted, in our Top Albums of 2010. Over the brief little break from the music world, we missed Ty’s recordings for the wonderful Daytrotter site. The session includes a slew of unreleased tracks, so fans of Ty will definitely be into this.  If you’re not already a fan, it will give you a chance to see Ty at his most raw, as he definitely lets loose several times throughout the session.  Personally, my favorite is the smoother “Who Are You,” which comes as the last song of the recording.  You can check out the rest of Ty’s set at Daytrotter.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/06-Who-Are-You_.mp3]

Download: Ty Segall – Who Are You [MP3]

Show Preview: Ty Segall @ the Mohawk (10/1)

Date Friday, October 1st
Location Mohawk – Inside
Doors 1000 pm
Tickets $8 at the Door

In case you haven’t been able to make some of the super-memorable shows this week, a la Pavement or GBV, you have a chance to make up for that by attending Ty Segall on Friday night.  I caught the dude a few months back, and I’m super excited he’s coming back through town.  His new record Melted is a huge progression, and it definitely has me loving his every move.  You’ll want to go check him out, and you’ll also get a chance to see The Golden Boys and Pure Ecstacy in the mix on the evening too. Don’t miss it; you’ll be glad you went.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Caesar.mp3]

Download: Ty Segall – Caesar [MP3]


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