It’s no secret to anyone paying attention to the Austin music scene that Black Books created a steady stir of buzz about themselves when they quietly released their debut EP An Introduction To.. about a year ago. So..now that we’ve been introduced, when might we hear some new material and most importantly when will have full length from the band? That question has been on the minds of many and the answers are coming…

The band recently set loose a brand new track from their upcoming full-length titled “Out The Door” on their Bandcamp page just two days ago. And if this is any indication of what to expect from the pending release, which we hope to see early in 2012, we are all in for a treat. I’m pretty sure that we are…

The new track comes just a few days after a cover of The Cardigans “Love Fool” showed up on the SYFFAL (Shut Your Fucking Face And Listen) site. Love the name by the way.

And I bring you both..The beautiful “Out The Door” single and the fun, dreamy cover “Lovefool”..

MP3> Black Books ‘Out The Door’

MP3> Black Books ‘Lovefool’ (Cardigans Cover)

Former Mighty Lemon Drops guitarist and songwriter turned producer/engineer David Newton, has resurfaced as a player once again with his latest outfit David Newton & Thee Might Angels and just released the Paint The Town EP.

I have to admit that my interest in some of the new music that is coming out these days has been fading in favor of revisiting some of the older stuff that occupied my time. The Mighty Lemon Drops were definitely a favorite of mine for awhile until they disbanded in 1992. Happy Head, World Without End, and Laughter all deserve a little revisit or visit if you haven’t done so yet.

Before you do that, check out David Newton & Thee Mighty Angels title track from the Paint The Town EP.

MP3> David Newton & Thee Mighty Angels ‘Paint The Town’

Speaking of festival favs, The Antlers secured a spot with me as one of my favorite bands of current. They pulled off one of the best performances at this year’s ACL Festival despite an early, early time slot on one of the main stages. That, and they were some of the nicest guys.

A little late on board with these guys, just discovering the beautifully heart-wrenching Hospice earlier this year, but better late than never as they say. This year’s follow up to that album Hospice is about to find a same year EP following in it’s wake titled (together) which is set for release Nov 22nd on Frenchkiss Records. If the track “Parentheses (PVT remix) is any indication, The Antlers are having a damn good year.

You’ll find guest appearances on the EP from Neon Indian, Bear In Heaven, and Nicole Atkins

MP3> The Antlers ‘Parentheses (PVT Remix)’

Just over a week after catching this intriguing Japanese trio Boris, weave their mystical sound of multitudes of styles and genres at Fun Fun Fun Fest, the band releases the second track from their upcoming release aptly titled New Album. “Flare” follows the first single released which was titled “Spoon” and can be found on New Album released on limited edition vinyl and CD at independent retailers on Record Store Day: Black Friday Nov 25th and worldwide on December 6th.

Still trying to wrap my head around this stuff, but it’s fun for sure.

MP3> Boris ‘Flare’

Who doesn’t love Superchunk? How can you not? Don’t be Foolish.

Happy Halloween from Superchunk via the band offering up a cover of the Misfits “Where Eagles Dare”.

The band says, “Happy Halloween everyone! An omelet of disease awaits your noontime meal! In the tradition of doing something we did last year, we’ve got another Misfits cover for you. We recorded it with John Plymale at Overdub Lane. Everyone sings! So it’s festive.

MP3> Superchunk ‘Where Eagles Dare’ (Misfits cover)

Not nearly as frightening as the name might suggest, UK’s The Horrors kicked of a U.S. tour early this month in support of their most recent release Skying, that will find them taking to the beloved Parish stage in Austin on 9/21. If you’ve had your fill of the electronic bleep blip, dj riddled, get so friggin happy scene, like myself, The Horrors inspire memories of Bauhaus, Peter Murphy, and even Echo and The Bunnymen at times. It’s okay to wallow in darkness every now and then. That’s why we have Prozac.

The Horrors w/The Stepkids opening things up at The Parish. Doors @ 8p.m. TICKETS

MP3> The Horrors ‘Moving Further Away’

The Horrors US tour:

9/21 – Austin, TX – The Parish
9/23 – St Louis, MO – The Firebird
9/24 – Minneapolis, MN – Triple Rock
9/25 – Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall
9/27 – Toronto, ON – Lee’s Palace
9/28 – Montreal, QC – Cafe Campus
9/30 – Washington, DC – Black Cat
10/1 – Asbury Park, NJ – ATP
10/2 – Philadelphia, PA – World Cafe Live
10/3 – Allston, MA – Brighton Music Hall
10/4 – New York, NY – Webster Hall

Miniature Tigers is a treat for the indie-electro lover, the pop guru and the believer of online relationships. IE, the bandmates explored each other’s music so much that guitarist Charlie Brand moved west to make music with drummer Rick Shaler. Match made. Boosting the same genre to which Neon Indian and Crystal Castles have similarly contributed, these tigers may not be so miniature after the festival. Songs to check out: “The Wolf” (featured in “Easy A”) and “Bullfighter Jacket”.

Friday 11:20-12:00 on the Austin Ventures Stage

MP3> Miniature Tigers ‘Gold Skull’

Former Pavement (love ya!) frontman Stephen Malkmus and his Jicks band are set to release their 5th full length recording on August 23rd, titled Mirror Traffic, and the press surrounding the album suggests that this might be the bands best work to date. If you are interested in checking it out, you can find Mirror Traffic streaming in it’s entirety over at NPR. We’ve got the track “Senator” here for you as well. You know what a Senator wants? Just take a listen.

MP3> Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks ‘Senator’

Tour dates below as well, with no Austin date currently scheduled, but you would have to believe that Malkmus wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to play our fine city.

Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks – TOUR DATES

8/23 – Los Angeles, CA Amoeba Free All Ages Instore Performance – 6pm
8/25 – Brooklyn, NY Academy Free All Ages Instore Performance – 6pm
8/25 – Manhattan, NY Other MusicFree All Ages Instore Performance – 9pm
9/20 – Detroit, MI, Majestic Theater
9/21 – Toronto, ON, Phoenix Concert Theatre
9/22 – Ottowa, ON, Ritual
9/23 – Montreal, QC, Corona Theatre
9/24 – Boston, MA, Royale
9/26 – New York, NY, Terminal 5
9/28 – Philadelphia, PA , Theatre of Living Arts
9/29 – Baltimore, MD, Ram’s Head Live
9/30 – Charlottesville, VA, Jefferson Theater
10/1 — Saxapahaw, NC, The Haw River Ballroom
10/2 – Atlanta, GA, Variety Playhouse
10/4 – Nashville, TN, Mercy Lounge
10/5 – Indianapolis, IN, Earth House
10/6 – Chicago, IL, Vic Theatre
10/7 – Milwaukee WI, Turner Hall
10/8 – Minneapolis, MN, Pantages Theatre
10/11- Seattle, WA, Neptune Theatre – (with Ty Segall)
10/12 – Vancouver, BC, The Biltmore Cabaret – (with Ty Segall)
10/13 – Portland, OR, Crystal Ballroom – (with Ty Segall)
10/16 – San Francisco, CA, Treasure Island Music Festival
10/19 – Los Angeles, CA, The Music Box – (with Ty Segall)
10/20 – Solana Beach, CA, Belly Up Tavern – (with Ty Segall)

Sundress has been on the fringes of my radar for a little while, mostly through word of mouth and stumbling upon their live show awhile back here in town. The Denton based band has managed to raise quite a few eyebrows with little in the way of recorded material available, including a nomination for Best New Band by Dallas Music Observer as well as catching the attention of some guy named Wayne Coyne. With Coyne on board one can assume what you might be in for stylistically…maybe a little bit of  psych tinged rock?

While there’s a definite 90′s British shoegaze, psych-rock feel to the songs, Sundress craft a sound that makes it all feel fresh and relevant again. The upcoming self-titled EP, offers up a diverse, solid collection of 6 tracks that will certainly see the band making waves for the next few years if they continue on this plotted course.

The self-released Sundress EP sees official street date Aug 16, 2011.

MP3> Sundress ‘Derelict’

Look for the band to tour later this summer and into the fall with these two dates scheduled currently.

7/23 – Denton, TX – Hailey’s w/ Stardeath & White Dwarves
10/7 – New York, NY – Cameo Gallery w/ No Man, No Eyes

The Antlers recently made their way into my music consciousness with their 2009 release Hospice, via a friend handing me a copy of the album. My interest in the band was subtly sparked just days before by the most recent release Burst Apart lingering in the future, along with the single “Every Night My Teeth Are Falling Out” fresh on my mind. Spending time with Hospice, which is an incredibly complex, beautiful, dark, sexy record, peaks some serious interest in this band on my end. I question the ability to recreate the magic of that record, but I’m sure that The Antlers still have plenty in store that will keep our musical leanings focused on their potential talents.

The band plays what is sure to be one of the waning moments of Emos outdoor stage on Tuesday night..take notice.

Get TICKETS

MP3> The Antlers ‘Every Night My Teeth Are Falling Out’

Canada’s modern answer to hardcore, punk based rock, Fucked Up are set to release their epic 18 track album titled David Comes To Life next Tuesday 6.7.2011. Two dates into the David Comes To Life tour finds the band playing Mohawk during the Chaos in Tejas weekend this Sunday 6.5, and if you haven’t seen this band live, you owe it to yourself to get a little Fucked Up. The larger than life, bald, and often wearing little clothing lead singer Damian Abraham is worth the effort.

MP3> Fucked Up ‘The Other Shoe’

Get TICKETS

Watch a short doc on the making of David Comes To Life

Fucked Up Tour:

Austin’s Bridge Farmers delivered a heavy little chunk of a 6 song EP at the end of 2010 titled Din of Celestial Birds that still finds it’s way into heavy rotation around these parts. The band plays a free show inside at Mohawk after the veteran Melvins have their way with the Austin crowd. Stick around, or show up late and catch what is sure to become a rising star in within the camp of those who crave some serious guitar heavy rock n roll.

Show starts at 11:30 and it’s FREE.

MP3> Bridge Farmers ‘Dancing Bones’

The Antlers just released a track from their upcoming Burst Apart album which is set for release on 5/10 on the Frenchkiss label. “Every Night My Teeth Are Falling Out” is a curious title for a song, and one that I can say I can relate to, unfortunately. Hate those dreams. Despite the cringe title, the song has me incredibly curious about this band that I have yet to invest much time. That’s about to change, and with the upcoming tour dates, looks like the live session isn’t far away as well. Austin will see the band on 6/07 @ Emo’s.

You can pre-order Burst Apart now with a variety of options available.

MP3> The Antlers ‘Every Night My Teeth Are Falling Out’

The Antlers tour dates5-12 London, England – Heaven
05-13 Manchester, England – Manchester Club Academy
05-14 Brighton, England – Great Escape Festival
05-17 Washington, DC – Black Cat *
05-18 Philadelphia, PA – First Unitarian Church Sanctuary *
05-19 Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg *
05-20 New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom *
05-28 George, WA – Sasquatch Festival
05-31 San Francisco, CA – Great American Music Hall *
06-03 Los Angeles, CA – El Rey *
06-04 Pomona, CA – Glass House *
06-07 Austin, TX – Emo’s *
06-08 Dallas, TX – The Loft *
06-09 Tulsa, OK – The Marquee *
06-10 St. Louis, MO – Firebird *
06-11 Chicago, IL – Metro *
06-12 Detroit, MI – Magic Stick *
06-14 Toronto, Ontario – Mod Club *
06-15 Montreal, Quebec – La Tulipe ^
06-16 Boston, MA – Paradise *
06-17 Hamden, CT – The Space *

* with Little Scream
^ with the Dodos

They captured our attention with the Exquisite Corpse EP showing multiple levels of potential, wooed us with their dreamy psych-rock tinged live shows, and moved themselves into the stream of consciousness in the modern rock scene, all within what feels like a relatively short amount of time . The female outfit from Los Angeles, Warpaint released their debut full-length on Rough Trade titled The Fool, in late 2010 and this Saturday finds the band in Austin for the first time since the release. While I personally feel that The Fool fell a bit short of the band’s potential, the live show has yet to disappoint, and with road constantly under foot for the past couple of years, one can only believe that it’s been honed to near perfection.

Warpaint @ La Zona Rosa w/PVT and Family Band. Get TICKETS

MP3> Warpaint ‘Undertow’

Take the darkness from Bauhaus, add the up tempo dance feel of New Order and throw in some Clan of Xymox and Wolfgang Press for spice and Cold Cave is what you get. A modern day version of some of the my favorites from the 80′s and they call this genre Darkwave. Whatever you want to call it, I kinda like it. Maybe because it sifts through memories that I thought were long gone by this point.

Cold Cave have a new album coming out next Tue 4.5 titled Cherish the Light Years, and they have just released the second single from the recording titled “Villians Of The Moon”.

The band his the road with a smattering of support dates for The Kills, finding themselves here in Austin on April 20th @ La Zona Rosa. Tickets still available HERE.

MP3> Cold Cave ‘Villains of the Moon’

Cold Cave Tour

If you haven’t checked out EELS, then now is a great opportunity to do so. One of the few bands that arose in the 90′s with the hit “Novocaine For The Soul”, that has managed to slither and slide it’s way through an ever evolving landscape of modern music and always manages to stand tall amongst it all. 9 full-length recordings under his belt, EELS leader Mark Oliver Everett, aka E, takes the band on 2 1/2 month long 2011 world tour and offers up a free 3-song EP featuring tracks from the band’s latest trilogy of recordings, Hombre Lobo, End Times, and Tomorrow Morning to celebrate.

The North American leg of the tour kicks off here in Austin at Stubbs, and you can bet we’ll be there to watch this modern rock mainstay explore their comprehensive catalog of music that has stood the test of time and wears it well.

DOWNLOAD the EELS Trilogy EP

And for old times sake..

MP3> EELS ‘Novocaine For The Soul’

And the World Tour

Luke Temple and company have managed to keep themselves busy with a constant touring schedule and recorded releases close enough together to hold our attention. The hard work pays off for fans with another opportunity to catch the Here We Go Magic’s live performance just around the corner, as well as with newly recorded material set for a May 10th release. Listen to the first track released from the The January EP, “Hands In The Sky” and one isn’t lead to believe that this will be much of a diversion from that familiar Here We Go Magic sound.

MP3> Here We Go Magic ‘Hands In The Sky’

North American Tour:

03.29.11 – Columbus, OH – Black Box on Mershon Stage – Mershon Auditorium at Ohio State University w/ Super Desserts
03.30.11 – Indianapolis, IN – Radio Radio w/ Tammar, Red Light Driver
03.31.11 – Madison, WI – High Noon Saloon w/ Icarus Himself
04.01.11 – Iowa City, IA – Mission Creek Festival – The Mill w/ Dark Dark Dark, Pillars & Tongues, Skye Carrasco
04.15.11 – San Diego, CA – The Loft at UC San Diego w/ Cuckoo Chaos
04.16.11 – Indio, CA Coachella
05.02.11 – San Francisco, CA – Rickshaw Shop
05.04.11 – Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge
05.05.11 – Denver, CO – Larimer Lounge
05.06.11 – Lawrence, KS – Jackpot Saloon w/ tune-yards, Buke and Gass
05.07.11 – St. Louis, MO – Firebird
05.09.11 – Chicaco, IL – Schuba’s
05.10.11 – Pontiac, MI – The Pike Room at Crofoot
05.11.11 – Toronto, ON – Horseshoe Tavern
05.12.11 – Montréal, QC – Club Lambi
05.13.11 -  South Burlington, VT – Higher Ground Lounge
05.14.11 New York, NY – Mercury Lounge
05.16.11 Washington DC – Red Palace  *
05.17.11 – Chapel Hill, NC – Local 506  *
05.18.11 – Atlanta, GA – The Earl  *
05.19.11 – Nashville, TN – The Basement *
05.20.11 – Pensacola, FL  – Handlebar  *
05.21.11 – New Orleans, LA – Circle Bar *
05.23.11 – Houston, TX – Fitzgerald’s Downstairs *
05.24.11 – Dallas, TX – Club Dada *
05.25.11 – Austin, TX The Parish *

*With Caveman

The Philadelphia based 2 man chill-wave band Work Drugs have come a long way in a very short period of time. The band sent out their first track “Third Wave” in early Jan of this year. No plans to put out an album, tour, or any of the usual moves that a band makes when they unleash their music on the public’s ears. Just a curious experiment to see what the response would be, and the response was pretty good. Another single shows up a bit later, and then one more not long after that. And now where do we find the band, consisting of Benjamin Louisiana and Thomas Crystal? Prepping to self release a very limited edition recording titled Tropic of Cancer/Capricorn on April 1st. The sale of the recording is to help with the band’s expenses on their upcoming tour which includes several dates in support of Two Door Cinema Club. Not a bad few months for Work Drugs you might say.

You can purchase Tropic of Cancer/Capricorn HERE

Check out the “official” first single from Tropic of Cancer/Capricorn

MP3> Work Drugs ‘Curious Serge’

Work Drugs Tour:

APRIL 2011 TOUR

02APR2011 – Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA

SUPPORTING TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB

06APR2011 – First Avenue Varsity Theater, Minneapolis, MN*
07APR2011 – Park West, Chicago, IL*
08APR2011 – Beaumont Club, Kansas City, MO – Middle of the Map Festival!*
11APR2011- Venue, Vancouver, CA*
12APR2011- The Showbox at the Market, Seattle, WA*
14APR2011- The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA*

Hailing from the land of Minnesota, the recognized purveyors of slowcore, Low, are prepping to release their follow-up to Drums and Guns simply titled C’mon. The first full length in four years has this fan chompin at the bit for the new material and the second track released from the upcoming album “Especially Me” only fuels this anticipation.

C’mon is set for legal on April 12th on the Sub Pop label, and it couldn’t get here any quicker.

MP3> Low ‘Especially Me’

After two EP’s, landing themselves on Fat Possum Records, and putting out a full-length, the school mate band of brothers called Colour Revolt came to a crossroad. Members Jesse Coppenbarger and Sean Kirkpatrick found themselves without a band, and without a label. Dissolving the band seemed imminent, and a short lived breakup took place, but both realized they still wanted to make music together, and lucky for us they still do. Coppenbarger and Kirkpatrick kept writing, pulled a band together, landed a deal with Dualtone Records and put out one of their most comprehensive musical works titled The Cradle in 2010.

The lead track from The Cradle which tells the tale..

MP3> Colour Revolt ’8 Years’

Colour Revolt’s SXSW schedule on Do512