Bouquet Live at the Smell in LA
The Smell is a venue that looks like it sounds—a grimy, back alleyway hole-in-wall place in the middle of Downtown Los Angeles, not too far off from the infamous Skid Row. With its…
Austin’s Feverbones Announces EP, Shares “Astoria”
Austin’s Feverbones—a new project consisting of members of Dana Falconberry’s band, The Eastern Sea, and The Great Nostalgic—has announced that they will soon release their debut EP. “Astoria,” a cut from that album…
Show Preview: Centro-Matic at Mohawk w/ Onuinu After Show
When I moved to Austin in 2001, Centro-matic was a buzz band. I can still vividly recall the man at the center of it all, the prolific and unpredictable Will Johnson, sitting solitary…
Album Review: The Ruby Suns – Christopher
The first time I heard the Ruby Suns, I was riding in a friend’s car. The first track sounded good, so I asked who it was. The song ended and the next track…
Album Review: Amor de Días – The House at Sea
As the first gauzy strums of songwriting-duo Amor de Días’s new album began to wash over my ears I instantly regretted my choice of location in an urban coffee-shop, wishing instead I were…
Album Review: The History of Apple Pie – Out of View
London quintet The History of Apple Pie has been seeing the hype pile on for a while. After a stretch of live performances, during which they have been experimenting with and perfecting their…
Autre Ne Veut Releases New Single and Video “Play by Play”
With a little under a month until the release of their album Anxiety, Autre Ne Veut has unveiled the second single from the record. “Play by Play” emerges as an ambitious electronic R&B…
Buke and Gase Release Album and New Video
Buke and Gase released their second full-length album yesterday on Brassland. To coincide with that release, the duo has released a video for album track “Hiccup.” An ever shifting and dizzying collage of…
Animal Collective Release Video for “Applesauce,” Announce Tour
As a follow up to their recent and more experimental album Centipede Hz, Animal Collective has released a video for their new single “Apple Sauce.” The video itself is build on the experimental…
Wolf People Announce Album Fain, Share Single, “All Returns”
Jagjaguwar Records has announced that it will release the second album from the UK’s Wolf People. Fain will be released on April 30th (29th in the UK) and will purportedly utilize “traditional English and…
The Men Share Live Video Performance of New Single “Electric”
We wrote previously about the new album and single from The Men. Now, a live video featuring the single “Electric” as well as carnage and mayhem at a show in London in June…
New Track: “She-Devil” – Barren Girls
Merge Records has announced that it will release the debut effort Hell Hymns from North Carolina’s gritty, garage punk outfit Barren Girls. The album’s lead single, “She-Devil,” features gravelly vocals provided by Carla Wolff…
Album Review: Local Natives – Hummingbird
On Hummingbird, Local Natives match their already developed abilities to construct propulsive, explosive indie-rock with a sense of restraint and the sublimely beautiful to produce one of the year’s finest albums so far….
Album Review: Widowspeak – Almanac
Captured Tracks Records and the city of Brooklyn, NY that it calls home have become increasingly reliable in terms of churning out quality indie artists. This week, one of those artists, psych-folk group…
New Track: “Jolene” – White Blush
Los Angeles resident Carol Rhyu creates music under the moniker White Blush. Rhyu has just self-released her eponymous debut EP this month. The six song EP is balanced on Rhyu’s breathy vocals and…
Jim James Announces Tour Dates, Album Stream
We wrote previously about the two singles (“Know Til Now” and “A New Life“) previously released in advance of Jim James’ newest album Regions of Light and Sound of God out February 5th on…
UK’s Annie Dressner Announces New EP
In 2011, US ex-pat and former NYC resident Annie Dressner self-released her debut album Strangers Who Knew Each Other’s Names. Now, the UK songstress has announced that the follow-up EP will be called…
Ty Segall, Ex-Cult, and OBN III’s at Mohawk
Crowds were surfed, pits were moshed, beers were hurled at the stage, and faces were melted in a blistering fury of psychedelia. I guess one way to sum it up is the bruise…
Album Review: What Made Milwaukee Famous – You Can’t Fall Off the Floor
They are not from Wisconsin, but the indie rock band What Made Milwaukee Famous (the name references a country song which references the slogan of a beer bran—yeah they’re that awesome) has been…
New Video “Ecstasy” from Matador Records Signee Iceage
We wrote previously about “Ecstasy,” the single from Matador Records band Iceage’s forthcoming full-length You’re Nothing. Now, the caustic punk song has an equally caustic video to accompany it. Watch the video for…
Outstanding New Pop from Pageants – “Musings of the Tide”
I fell in love with this song at once. That guitar tone is just about perfect, crunchy enough to rock but avoid sludge as it’s played with upbeat stop-start strums. Rebecca Coleman, formerly…
New Track: “Fantasy” – MS MR
MS MR, who have generated a good deal of new content in the past year, have released another new song in advance of their full-length, Second Hand Rapture, due out via Columbia Records on…
Eerie New Song, “Why Toto?” from Pearl Necklace
It sounds as if Pearl Necklace has documenting a haunted Shaolin temple with an 80s era boombox on their new song “Why Toto?” The track bears a consistent hiss and subtle sounds unfold…
Epic New Track from Akron Family – “No Room”
Dead Oceans recording artists Akron Family have evolved and shifted drastically over the span of their career. On their new track “No Room,” released in advance of their full-length Sub Verses (April 30th),…
Album Review: Camper Van Beethoven – La Costa Perdida
In the time before ‘indie-rock’ there was Camper Van Beethoven, an irreverent, experimental group formed by singer-guitarist David Lowery, whose eclectic escapades across the genres of folk, psych, and punk rock helped give…
Ava Luna and Zorch at Museum of Human Achievement
Saturday night, after catching a great show by Linen Closet, I bolted across town, deep into Austin’s East side to catch NYC’s Ava Luna. The band’s newest effort Ice Level blends R&B and spastic…
GALPALS to Release “For Our Sake” 7″ on Howling Owl
One of our favorite Austin bands, GALPALS, has announced that they will release a 7” single on English label Howling Owl. The single, which drops February 18th, will feature their song “For Our…
Linen Closet Live at the Central Presbyterian Church
After a quiet, beautiful set by Some Say Leland, the multitude of members (including two drummers) of Linen Closet took the stage at the Central Presbyterian Church Saturday night. The project is the…
Album Review: Shugo Tokumaru – In Focus?
A prolific multi-instrumentalist and commercially successful Japanese singer-songwriter, Shugo Tokumaru claims to draw the inspiration for his imaginative music from his daily dream diary. If this is the case for his newest album,…
Album Review: Nightlands – Oak Island
Dave Hartley, the one-man force that is Nightlands, emerges from the electronic shadows with his second album, Oak Island, out this week on Secretly Canadian. After “inviting [us] for just a little while,…
Album Review: Foxygen – We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace and Magic
All the promise reflected in Foxygen’s overdue debut full-length Take the Kids Off Broadway has been fully realized on their sophomore effort, We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace and Magic, which…
Album Review: Toro y Moi – Anything in Return
The sounds on chill-wave pioneers Toro y Moi’s new album, Anything in Return, glide through elements of pop, indie, hip-pop, house, and funk that are ceaselessly stimulated by itching, festering, fun textures that…
Video: Dinosaur Jr. – “Pierce the Morning Rain” featuring Henry Rollins
Dinosaur Jr.’s newest album I Bet On Sky proved that the quintessential indie trio hasn’t lost anything in the way of distorted guitar lines or blistering solos. Their new video for album track “Pierce…
Cayucas Releases New Video, Announces Bigfoot
The wait is over! Cayucas has made official the news of their debut full-length, Bigfoot, which will see release through Secretly Canadian. The second track that has been made available from the debut album…
Video: Nite Jewel – “Memory, Man”
“One Second of Love,” the second effort by electronic pop chanteuse Ramona Gonzalez, aka Nite Jewel, dropped last March, but the songstress is still generating outstanding new content from its tracks. The video for…
Video: What Made Milwaukee Famous – “Gone and Done It Now”
In advance of their third album, You Can’t Fall Off the Floor, Austin’s What Made Milwaukee Famous have released a video for album track “Gone and Done It Now.” Employing a faux late…
Blues Control Releases New Video Ahead of Tour
On their track “Opium Den/Fade to Blue,” Blues Control have a unique take on psychedelic that diverges from most contemporary bands that use that descriptor. The song meanders through new age sounds as a…
Video: Acre Yawn – “Whisper Through the Walls” Live at the Parish
As we mentioned during our Free Week reflections, one of the best shows we caught was folk duo Acre Yawn at the Parish. Pop Press International tried its hand at making videos for…
Album Review: Parquet Courts – Light Up Gold
Brooklyn-based indie-basement group Parquet Courts develops a fresh and winning take on slacker punk-rock over the course of their debut album, Light Up Gold. With lazy thrills reigning in their voices and aggressive,…
Album Review: Yo La Tengo – Fade
It’s like Big Star never stopped making music. Sure, it is a far more current and contemporary imagining of the essential, under-appreciated rock heroes, but the spirit is there. After all, it was…
New Track: “Dropla” – Youth Lagoon
Youth Lagoon, aka Trevor Powers, has announced a new full-length; Wondrous Bughouse is out on March 5 via Fat Possum. “Dropla” is the first single from that album. I think I’m going to have…
New Track: “Fields” – Tiger Waves
Tiger Waves make some of the most beautiful recordings in Austin. Their last single, “Weekends,” floored me, and their newest one “Fields” is no less convincing. Built on descending guitar melodies, the song…
New Track: “Lose the Baby” – Lost Animal
The second single from Lost Animal’s forthcoming album Ex Tropical presents a slightly less quirky and more beautiful version of the band’s steady synth-based pop. Jarrod Quarrell vocals take an even more prominent position in…
New Track: “Time in the World” – Colleen Green
Hardly Art Records can take pride in releasing a wide range of outstanding indie acts from the challenging, sax-fueled punk of K-Holes to the quirky pop of Deep Time to the pretty ballads…
Video: U.S. Girls – “Work From Home” NSFW
U.S. Girls have released a video for “Work From Home,” an album cut from GEM, released last year. The song and video explore the prostitution as lead singer Meghan Remy sings “When times get tight /…
Video: Suuns – “Edie’s Dream”
We wrote previously about this first single from Suuns forthcoming album Images Dur Futur, which will drop on Secretly Canadian on March 5th. The video, directed by the band and filmed in the…
Video: Ty Segall – “Thank God for Sinners”
To celebrate the advent of his Twins tour, psychedelic rocker Ty Segall has released a video for album track “Thank God for Sinners.” Although the video seems to be safe for work, it…
EP Review: Lazyeyes – Lazyeyes EP
The recording quality, mixing, and production of “Nostalgia” the opener on Brooklyn quartet Lazyeyes’ self-titled, debut EP immediately arrests the listener. It’s so captivating in fact, that it took me another listen to…
Show Preview: Ty Segall at the Mohawk Friday Jan 25th
Prolific psychedelic shredder Ty Segall has made Austin a frequent stop in recent months, visiting the city more than a couple of times in the past year. His shows always receive a warm…
Album Review: Holopaw – Academy Songs Vol 1
Distant, rapid-fire snares echo with warehouse reverb as distorted electric guitars ring out. This is hardly what I expected from Holopaw, but I’m drawn to it at once. I remember Holopaw as a…
New Track: “A New Life” – Jim James
Jim James has one of those distinctive voices that immediately defines a song. His opening “hey” is no exception on his new song “A New Life,” from his forthcoming LP Regions of Light…
Free Week Reflections Featuring Acre Yawn, Tiger Waves, The Couch, and Sour Notes
Other than the outstanding Marmalakes show at Mohawk on the first weekend of Free Week, I had a strangely quiet experience with this year’s event, despite the fact that the “week” has now…
New Track: “What Else Could They Do” – Popstrangers
After a propulsive, distortion driven introduction, “What Else Could They Do,” the second single from Carpark Records recording artists Popstrangers forthcoming album Antipodes segues into an off kilter melody backed by wavery guitars. The…
Carmen Villain Debuts Excellent Track “Lifeissin”
The new track released by former model Carmen Villain is the first I’ve heard from her, and I was simply floored. Her haunting voice resonates through you, and the melody of “Lifeissin” draws…
New Track: “200 Words” – Fol Chen
Asthmatic Kitty seems to do everything from the bluesy folk of Shannon Stephens to the off kilter dance of Helado Negro. The new track from Fol Chen aligns more closely with the latter;…
Video: Memory Tapes – “Sheila”
In case you haven’t heard, we were very into the new album from Memory Tapes, putting it in our top 20 for the year. Seems like there are some haters out there, but…
The Besnard Lakes Announce Album, Share Expansive New Track
Jagjaguwar recording artist The Besnard Lakes have announced a new album, Until In Excell, Impercebtible UFO out April 2nd. According to a highly enthusiastic press release from the band’s publicist, the record promises…
SXSW Announces Third Wave of Bands for 2013 Festival
South by Southwest has announced another wave of performing artsists for the 2013 festival, bringing the total number of bands announced to around 1,300. For previous installments of announcements, click here and here….
The Men Announce New Moon, Share New Track, “Electric”
After delivering their critically acclaimed album Open Your Heart on Sacred Bones last year, The Men will release yet another record for the label in 2013. New Moon will drop on March 5th….
New Track: “Ghosts and Creatures” – Telekinesis
Telekinesis is the project of Michael Benjamin Lerner, who is three records into his career now. Or will be once Dormarion is released on the Merge label on April 2nd. The Seattle resident travelled…
Video: Foxygen – “San Francisco”
I have been slowly falling in love with Foxygen for the last several months. “San Francisco” is the euphoric climax of our courtship and we are now sealed forever in holy matrimony. The…
Ava Luna Shares Video Ahead of National Tour
Ava Luna’s initially meandering, female-vocal-driven track “Ice Level” becomes a funky, soulful male-led track at the end, illustrating the dexterity and cooperative spirit that defines Ava Luna’s songwriting efforts. The video, directed by…
Photos: Marmalakes at Mohawk (Free Week)
Free Week has gotten more and more crazy (and exciting) with each passing year. The highlight set so far has to be Marmalakes at the Mohawk on Saturday night. With frontman Chase Weinacht…
Season Finale of Hardly Sound Featuring Ralph White Airs Tonight!
As we have written before, Hardly Sound, created by Chris Kim and Randy Reynolds explores and documents integral facets of Austin’s music scene and community. Written with humor and conveying deep respect for…
New Track: “To Look Over the Ground” – Raymond Byron
Raymond Byron is Castanets frontman Ray Raposa’s spinoff project. The project produced an LP under the moniker Raymond Byron and the White Freighter on the Asthmatic Kitty imprint last year. Now, a new…
