Tag: video

Psych Fest Preview: Blackwater Holylight

Leave a comment

Austins Psych Fest kicks off 4.25 and runs through 4.27, and maybe a little insight into what Im looking forward to specifically some sleepers or lesser-knowns is warranted. I know you didnt ask, but Ill tell you anyway.

Blackwater Holylight: Friday, 6:15, Janis Stage

Day 1, get there early and get the weekend started right. Sandwiched between the sweet sounds of Jesse Sykes, and the local headliners The Octopus Project and Explosions in the Sky, is a whole lot of black. And I love black sonically and visually.

It would be an easy stab at pushing the other blacks in the middle pack, but Blackwater Holylight deserves the attention just as much as the others. Austins Psych Fest has never been shy about showing off their love for the heavy, stoner, psychedelic, shoegaze-sludge rock and they packed in a few hours of this right about the time that most cubicle-occupying day-walkers are mid happy hour, washing away their weeks worth of toil and making plans to utilize what little time they have to enjoy over the next few days. I think you know what you should be doing in lieu of that time-honored, soul-suck of a tradition. Blackwater Holylight.

The band just released their 2025 EP If Only You Knew, which sees the members exploring more personal themes lyrically while steering into the same sonic vibe. A few singles have surfaced already, if you’re looking for a taste. And the All I Need Cover is kinda cool.

The Setting Son Share I Still Cant Decide What I Want

Leave a comment

Danish outfit The Setting Son are on their way to releasing Cul-de-sac this June, and a little listen to this ditty might have your ears perked up, ready to try on something new going into next year. The group have been around for some time, and they do make some nods to psychedelia throughout their catalogue, but the way the two guitar lines work in unison on this album really makes me think upon the Go-Betweens. It’s pop music, but it feels elevated and yet so simple that you can’t help but treat is as a little piece of tasty ear candy you can come back to again and again. Light jangle, little haze and a hell of a melody…check it!

Psych Fest Preview: King Hannah

Leave a comment

Austins Psych Fest kicks off 4.25 and runs through 4.27, and maybe a little insight into what I’m looking forward to, specifically some sleepers or lesser-knowns, is warranted. I know you didn’t ask, but I’ll tell you anyway.

King Hannah: Sunday, 2:55 PM, Janis Stage

King Hannah‘s unique blend of influences think PJ Harvey, Massive Attack, and Mazzy Star makes for the perfect concoction to set the tone for the 90s-heavy Sunday lineup. While the bands roots may be in Liverpool, the American influence left on them during their first North American tour found its way smeared all over their 2024 release Big Swimmer.

Referencing songwriting legends like Bill Callahan and John Prine in lyric, while still maintaining their own distinct perspective, makes for incredibly enjoyable listening especially when a patient ear is applied. Dig into their catalog of two full-lengths, and some notable covers (Madonnas Like A Prayer and Bruce Springsteens State Trooper) and you’ll find yourself awash in a constant glaze of slow-building sonic landscapes, accented by Hannah’s deeply personal and reflective lyrical process.

Coming off a lengthy, successful European tour with countless sold-out shows, the band returns to North America for the first time in a few years. Get there early.

Bouquet Return with Moon Was Made

Leave a comment

Feels like its been forever since we’ve heard from Bouquet, who generated a good amount of buzz with their 2015 In a Dream EP, but until this year, they’ve stayed mostly quiet. Alas, they’ve returned with this burning bit of pop, meandering between a dreamy state and a more playful brand of indie rock. There’s this snaking guitar line that runs throughout, seemingly dodging the keyboard notes that rain down in the background, all while the vocals overlap one another to create this thickened pop soup. And, while I admittedly see the proximity to dream pop and such, I can’t help but hear these notes that almost feel like a young Jenny Lewis in their presence. They’ll release their first LP in a decade, Spellbreaker, later this year!

Tan Cologne Return with Cloud of Mirrors

Leave a comment

Former Austin resident Lauren Green has been working with Marissa Macias for several years now, and each time they drop a new Tan Cologne song or record, you can hear them twisting and knifing through new territory, embracing whichever way the sonic winds blow. On their latest single, it begins with a synthetic percussive note, operating more like a metronome than a musical element. This backbone allows for the guitars and vocals to kind of float like bits of vapor, churned in the ether and shining under the light. You’ll find a warm ebb, nipping at your ears, washing over you carefully, and once you awaken from your musical trance, you’ll want to grab Unknown Beyond, their latest LP for Labrador Records.

Lightheaded Return with Thinking, Dreaming, Scheming

Leave a comment

What!? You thought Skep Wax and Slumberland were done with pop announcements today!? Nope. They’ve doubled down with more LP news today; this time the two powerhouse labels team up for a new Lightheaded record, with the group aiming to build on the underrated Combustible Gems. Not sure anyone can argue, but this New Jersey lot come out of the gates with a masterful pop swoon, mastering the art of combining girl-group harmonizing with a modern vision that embraces a world where chamber pop is king. You’ll hear tons of touchstones throughout this singular song, but for me, the arrangements in the back perfectly texture their striking sound. Thinking, Dreaming, Scheming will likely be a personal favorite when it hits on June 27th.

Artificial Go Play Musical Chairs

Leave a comment

We get a lot of emails, and I have a strange way of listening to the lot; I open 20+ tabs and just bounce back and forth between them to see what sticks in my brain…but then there was this Artificial Go track that just kept coming on and on again, and I couldn’t stop playing it. Going back to the email of the tune, it was talking about C86 and Sarah, but the more I played it, the more something felt very Raincoats-ish. It’s got that same sort of punk sentiment, using sharp guitar sounds to crank out melodies with a snappy little drum kicking right behind to maximize the hook. Then, soak up the vocals; they’re joyous and bouncy, except when they’re not, and they hit a sharper attitude, all throwing caution to the wind and bounding forward with exuberance. Their new record Musical Chairs will be out on May 16th via Feel It Records.

Pleased to Meet You: Sister Ray Davies

Leave a comment

Monday is a day to look back reflectively, then imagine where you’ll go in the week that lies ahead. In today’s case, we’re met by new group from Muscle Shoals, Alabama named Sister Ray Davies; they’re definitely crafting a new sound for the region, picking up on the usage of space and ambiance to create modern guitar pop. This single below has been out for a minute (last October), but now they’ve gone and recorded a live version to accommodate the single. The sound billows, and the physical space of the band members is reflective of the way that the sound floats and flutters, shifting before your ears. Hoping we’ll hear more from them as the year unfolds.

Softie’s Kiss Kiss Kiss Video

Leave a comment

Last week was a busy one around these parts, you know, with administering state tests to kids and what not. But, in all that, I drastically regret not posting the latest from Oakland’s Softie. The project has been bubbling about for a few years as the recording work of Nicholas Coleman, and now all the pieces are together for a new EP. One of my favorite pieces about this first listen is how the track seems to operate with two divergent narratives, one fueled by the shredding of noisy guitars and the other a sugary sweetness that operates as the central melody. Somehow, it all swirls and tumbles, converging into one blissed out blast of noisy pop. The visuals also manage to provide some added magic, warping the screen just as your brain tries to adjust to it all. Look for the Somersault EP on May 9th via Cherub Dream Records.

Eric Schroeder Shares High Low Video

Leave a comment

This song from Eric Schroeder was pitched to me as “the greatest hook that Evan Dando never wrote,” and it’ll take you just a few moments to jump right on board with me here. Instantly the guitar sound had me, only furthered when the galloping drums and light piano play join up to drive the song into your brain before Eric even enters the fray. His dulcet tones add a sense of striking calm, with the guitars embracing a deeper tone, albeit one tinged with bits of Western swing nuance. If you’re digging on his sounds, swing on by and listen to his new record, Cat’s Game!

1 … 20 21 22 23 24 … 205
Social Media Auto Publish Powered By : XYZScripts.com