Fun Fun Fun Fest Preview: The Promise Ring

It’s two weeks away from one of our favorite festivals, if not, our favorite Austin festival, so it’s time to take a look at some of the acts we’re really anticipating taking the stage.  For me, the first nostalgic nod has to go to the Promise Ring.  Yeah, I was 17 during their hey-day, so it makes perfect sense that I would have fallen in love with their music, labeled as emo at the time (though with no association to the current range of emo).  Their highlight, in my eyes, definitely has to be Very Emergency.  Whether you want to label it with a genre or not, it was a great pop record, and one that still holds a special place in my heart.  Unfortunately, I never had the chance to catch the group live, as I was living in Oklahoma (the land of no shows) during my peak of adoration, so I’m overly excited to see these guys.  Glad Transmission got them to break out and bring the rock.  Whether you’re nostalgic or just curious, this is a must see band for my two cents.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/01-Happiness-Is-All-The-Rage.mp3]

Download:The Promise Ring – Happiness Is All The Rage [MP3]

They’ll be playing Sunday on the Orange Stage at 6:05 PM.

FT5: Second Wave Emo Records

Looking back at my sad excuse for a life, I realize that my obsession with music had to begin at some point. I flirted with metal, as I alluded to last week, but mostly I found my love in classic California pop music and punk rock. Along the way, I meandered a bit off the path, as most did during the late nineties. Where did I land?  I landed in the wonderful world of emo. Sure, you’re thinking that I shopped at Hot Topic and couldn’t get Fall Out Boy out of my head, but I’m talking about the predecessors to the entire scene; well, the predecessors of the predecessors. I’ve devoted this week’s Top 5 to my one true love, emo. We’ll call it my Pop 5 Emo Records, and the countdown is after the jump.

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