Should has returned after 13 years with a new record, Life A fire Without Sound, courtesy Words On Music. Marc Ostermeier and Tanya Maus of Austin continue Should in the way they left off — beautifully pleasant and minimal shoegaze pop. “Turned Tables” fits this description nicely with a dream-like melody and soft, dual vocals.
Tag: austin
Household Names: Stories, No Names [Album Review]
Household Names is an almost too-perfect descriptor for an alternative pop group. And with this group’s extensive background of songs used in television appearances, it is even more appropriate. There was a time when groups like Soul Asylum or Gin Blossoms were the centerpieces for any given film or TV show. And now, Jason Garcia…
Recommended Show: Daniel Francis Doyle at Comet Tavern
Daniel Francis Doyle hits Seattle later this week and will perform at Comet Tavern. Doyle is a one man math rock band and he pumps out pointed guitar riffs, obscure percussive genius, and wildly intellectual wordsmith-ery. No doubt you’ll see several off last year’s We Bet Our Money On You, possibly including favorites “Cursive” and…
Royal Forest [Feature]
Sometimes a band needs a shake-up, and sometimes a name change is the perfect catalyst. Royal Forest wasn’t always this band’s name; no, they were once called Loxsly. With the new name, Royal Forest sheds the past and reinvents themselves with a slightly updated sound that hints of a little math-rock and a curious Texas-inspired…
Harlem [Feature]
Meet Harlem, your new favorite garage/thrash band. Based in Austin, by way of Nashville, they recently released their sophomore album, titled Hippies. Hippies is packed with the jangle of rough guitar pop and carefree vocals packed with occasionally indecipherable lyrics. These traits are often synonymous with garage pop. It is harmonious with a hint of…
The Lovely Sparrows: Take Care [Video]
Originally recorded in 1974 by Big Star, Alex Chilton’s “Take Care” wasn’t released until 1978 on their Third/Sister Lovers LP. In 2003, Yo La Tengo included a rendition of track on their album Summer Sun. Then, in 2009, The Lovely Sparrows laid down their version of Yo La Tengo’s version while recording demos for their…
Neon Indian: Psychic Chasms [Album Review]
Prior to the release of debut LP Psychic Chasms, Austin’s Neon Indian had already begun to garner a substantial quantity of hype from tastemakers across the globe. In first visiting Psychic Chasms, one is struck with the term ambiguous. Sure, the album and the band hint at a wider experimental electro-folk, folktronica, or whatever subgenre…
Built By Snow: Mega [Album Review]
Built By Snow is certainly a strange name for a band that backs instrumentals with bits and sounds that make reference to old Super Mario or Dig Dug bites (your mother would have killed if you got snow near the game system). But, Mega would have to be a perfect title then – since Mega…
Belaire: Belaire EP [Album Review]
Belaire’s self-titled CD-R EP is in an artsy home-decorated jewel case with a Jackson Pollock-style drip and splatter paint job. Belaire‘s hometown is Austin and it is no wonder, then, that their music is optimistic, has a carefree bounce, and is catchy and lovable and creative. Currently the group is in the midst of a…
Voxtrot: The Start Of Something [7″ Single Review]
In what I consider the best new band of 2005, Voxtrot takes its twee roots and adds a heavy dose of indie-pop. Happy melodies, catchy choruses and thought-provoking lyrics are the makeup of this group’s music and The Start of Something 7†is what started it all.
