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 Read more

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 Read more

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: Read more

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

What’s in a band name these days anyways? The name Deer Tick might not conjure up any ideas of pleasantry, but as the band’s music would suggest, life isn’t always that pleasant. If you really want to get down to it, rock-n-roll was born out of the blues, and we all know that the blues weren’t exactly a reflection of the best of times for some folks.

So, Deer Tick write rock-n-roll songs founded in the solids of their predecessors, and as the title of their latest full length titled The Black Dirt Sessions might suggest, shiny happy people songs are not their forte. What the band is great at doing with their music, is tugging at and reflecting  the emotional core of our existence as human beings. While the recorded material seems tame enough in the realm of rock, the live shows are a treated as a challenge by the band, to be a little more extreme.

Principal songwriter and front-man John McCauley has another project which will be in town during SXSW, but I will address that soon enough.

A bit from the band’s website:

There are many reasons why Deer Tick are an excellent band. Here are mine. Firstly, they have great songs. War Elephant is a great album. The follow up, Born on Flag Day is just as strong. Alt-country is a curious genre, often misconstrued, misrepresented and misunderstood. Well, for me, this lot here’s a contemporary blueprint. There’s country (duh), punk, blues, folk, grunge and garage rock. Hell, even their choice of cover versions – Replacements, Michael Hurley, John Prine, The Sex Pistols and Chuck Berry – goes a long way to pinning down their sound.

McCauley’s voice is a hybrid of Kurt Cobain and Gary Louris from the Jayhawks. Sometimes he sounds like he’s been gargling gravel with moonshine. He can croon, he can yelp and he can shout. He’s a superb lead singer, backed by a talented, if mostly acquiescent unit. They recently recruited guitarist Ian O’Neil from New Jersey noiseniks Titus Andronicus, which allows McCauley more freedom to noodle, drink more beer, or, um, get his cock out.

If there were one band that I had to choose to see at SXSW this year, and only one, it just might be these guys. The have the stamp of approval from Brian Williams, so why think twice about it? And you have 3 opportunities to do so..

03.18.11          Swan Dive/Barbarella – SXSW      Austin, TX, US      Partisan Records/KF Records/Brooklyn Vegan Day Party          FREE

03.19.11          Lustre Pearl – SXSW (NOTE: as DEERVANA)          Austin, TX, US             A Classic Education, Tim Easton, Robert Ellis, Holy Sons, Dawes

03.19.11          Mess With Texas Party – SXSW          Austin, TX, US             Dead Milkmen, !!!, Ted Leo, Odd Future, Surfer Blood, Thee Oh Sees, Off!         RSVP

MP3> Deer Tick ‘Piece By Piece Frame By Frame’

Local instrumental outfit Balmorhea, who happen to reside on one of the most prestigious local indie labels Western Vinyl, have newly recorded material available, along with a local show to kick off a pending tour. Candor/Clamor is a two track vinyl option from the band currently available that continues on the band’s path of creating music suited for your best daydream soundscape.

The band will be performing this Friday at Mohawk with Eastern Sea and Danny Malone, and if you want free tickets to the show..send me an email. Winners for a pair of tickets will be randomly selected and notified by noon on Friday.

MP3> Balmorhea ‘Clamor’

Balmorhea tour:

Cloud Nothings – Cloud Nothings

I think there’s something kind of punk rock about an artist that makes you want to face punch your speakers because you hate them so much when you hear them.

The Cloud Nothings are not a punk rock band. They are garage-y pop, formulaic riff rock with vocals like Daniel Johnston meets They Might be Giants, or Alvin and the Chipmunks Overall, the vocals sound so far away it’s not just the next room, it’s the next house. Lyrics are catchy albeit indiscernible.

But, their music does grow on you. Because of my punk-rock roots, the snotty vocals on Not Important softened my initial reaction. However, I still couldn’t get past the lollypop-kids falsetto on Understand at All. Sometimes, the Lo-Fi, DIY sound makes it hard to tell if they are trying too hard, or not hard enough.
There has been a drastic improvement in this album over their previous recordings over, and this could very well be a stepping-stone to taking Cloud Nothings to the next level. My favourite song on this album (drum roll please)… “Not important”. I suggest checking it out.

MP3> Cloud Nothings ‘Not Important’

I’m pretty sure that if they, being the band Work Drugs, keep sending me the tracks, I’ll keep posting them. Hopefully this surfacing of the 3rd track from the Philly chillwave duo, signals getting closer to putting together a full album? Either way, enjoy “Rad Racer” and the video that accompanies the track. And if you have heard the other 2 tracks do a little searching here on the site and you’ll find them pretty easily.

MP3> Work Drugs ‘Rad Racer’

I don’t really know much about this band, but have always wanted to check them out just because of their name.

Cold Cave have an album in store for release on the Matador label. You still  have a while to wait though, as the upcoming release Cherish The Light Years doesn’t come legal until May 5th. April sees the band hitting the road in support of the Kills, and if you haven’t already scoured some leaked copy of the album, you can catch most of it live.

MP3> Cold Cave ‘The Great Pan Is Dead’

Tour dates Read more

Phosphorescent produced one of the more enjoyable albums and live shows that I had the privilege of experiencing last year. The band released it’s fifth full-length titled Here’s to Taking It Easy on the Dead Oceans label, and damn if that ain’t a fine statement to live by now and then.

The band just announced a huge tour, which takes them around the world with notable festival appearances. The best news is, that they will be making a stop here in ATX at the perfectly suitable Parish. I promise you, it will sound awesome, and you’ll talk about it for months after.

May 5th @ The Parish…that’s Cinco de Mayo to all my Mexican amigos.

And I love this song

MP3> Phosphorescent ‘The Mermaid Parade’

Tour dates Read more

Ah, yes. Just speaking about this band, for which I have a special place in my little music heart. It took me awhile to understand the simplistic beauty that Low produces, but once you slow yourself down a bit, and listen, the gesture is greatly rewarded.

Low will release C’mon, April 12th on Sub Pop Records. And of course there is a pre-order for CD and LP with an advance stream for those who do so.

Recorded in an old church in Deluth, MN, Low front-man Alan Sparhawk puts to words his take on what is being called one of the most accessible and affecting albums by the band.

“Warm, pretty, large like Nashville without the country. Mim and I are talking to each other in the lyrics, sometimes it’s not pretty, but it’s as honest as love.”

And, as expected a tour is set to launch starting here in Austin, TX with an appearance during SXSW 2011. Can’t wait.

Check out the first track from the album titled “Try To Sleep” and tour dates after the jump.

MP3> Low ‘Try To Sleep’

Read more

I was reading an article the other day in some magazine (yes they still exist) about the recording of the upcoming Fleet Foxes release, titled Helplessness Blues which now has a hard release date of May 3rd, and quite frankly got me a little excited. It’s been a few years since the band dropped it’s reverb drenched beauty on us, spinning the music media world on it’s head, and it sounds like they may have a suitable follow-up for us instore.

Check out the title track, and tell me it doesn’t conjure up the memories of the first time you heard these guys.

MP3> Fleet Foxes ‘Helplessness Blues’

Austin’s duo Not In The Face, Jonathan Terrell and Wes Cargal, have gotten a decent start to the year 2011 catching the attention of some notable media folks with their scorching, straight from the heart and guitar sounds that will soon be set loose in the form of Bikini. Futuresounds went as far as declaring that Bikini “smacks of brilliance” comparing the sounds to early Springsteen and Hold Steady. With a few songs already floating around from original pressing of Bikini, which is in the process of being upgraded with some new tunes, the band is prepping for the big official release. One of those new tunes just happens to be this one “Not Lonely”. Showing the slower side, and strutting the country influences a bit.

MP3> Not In The Face ‘Not Lonely’

If I know one thing about Terrell, he’s got a passion for the fun, and hard-on for rocking tits off. Hence the bikini?

Catch Not In The Face next Friday for Adi’s First Friday Frolic celebrating the party throwin talents of Knuckle Rumbler. The band plays early, around 6 p.m.