Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Maybe it's me, but the past few weeks have been a veritable bombardment of new music.  Good music and bad music, all of it has just been washing up on the shores of my puttering Macbook.  Because focusing on one band makes me anxious that I'm leaving out too much, this week's column will be a break from the usual format to include various updates on the local Austin scene.

Austin Sound Compilation: Sound Advice IV

First and most importantly is the Austin Sound compilation of local music from the past year, which came out right before South by South West.  (Disclosure: I write for Austin Sound as well, in case you're wary of conflicts of interest.)  For the past few years, Austin Sound has been cataloging the year's best in Austin music for free download.  I wasn't involved in this year's project, but it ended up including tracks that I mentioned here at Side One Track One, as well as a few that fell through the cracks for me.

You can download the full compilation, titled Sound Advice IV: The Way We Get By, here. Some of my favorites included:

The Deaf Ears - Live Forever

The Dear Ears' album Live Forever was one of my favorites from the past 12 months and I regret not writing about it as much as I should have.  Like a pop-version of Jude/Ross, a band I championed for a while last year, The Deaf Ears know exactly what it takes to make a successful pop song without sacrificing any of the genuineness of the underlying content.  This song is one of the more condensed on the album, so if you like it be sure to check out the full affair.

:The Deaf Ears - Live Forever:


Monarchs - Come On And Move Me

First listen is going to generate the obvious Thao with the Get Down Stay Down comparison, so be prepared to fight the urge to file Monarchs under "unoriginal", because there's more than meets the eye here.  The Monarchs (well, namely lead lady Celeste Griffin) were one of those band I kept missing last year, always hearing the name but never forcing myself to get out and listen.  Now, honestly, I'm glad I have.  I'll be checking out their album Those Words, Those Frames soon.

:Monarchs - Come On And Move Me:


Way No Way - Too Late

Way No Way never made it in the column last year, namely because they released their first album via cassette (unfortunately, the lines between "vintage" and "unlistenable because I don't own a tape player anymore" are quite blurry in my house).  That said, they seem to fit right in with the 90s mix tape I've been working on lately (don't ask) or all the old Strokes albums I have in some box somewhere, which, trust me, is a good thing.  This song, Too Late, is off their album (which you can actually listen to and download here).  The song on the Austin Sound comp is actually Better Off Alone, so it's your lucky day.

:Way No Way - Too Late:

Harlem

I can't decide if I love or hate Harlem.  Am I attracted to dirty riffs and ambiguity that mark their new album Hippies?  Or am I pissed that exactly none of it makes a shred of sense, and have unconsciously decided to stick around to find out?  Pitchfork purportedly "gets it" (or at least 81% of it), even my own Austin Sound blew their "one of the year's best new releases" load all over it.

And seriously, what's with all the static? Have these guys got something to hide?  Or is it one of those "leave 'em something to wonder about" ploys?  I honestly don't know. But here's some music and a video anyway.

:Harlem - Friendly Ghost:

The band is playing at Waterloo Records on Sunday at 5pm.  There's free beer, which I think might be conducive to the "getting it" process.  What's this video about?  And does Gay Human Bones imply the bones of a gay human? Or the gay bone of a straight human?  Dammit Harlem, I don't get it!

The Economist Takes Note

An interesting aside here to end the post.  Last week's issue of the Economist (a great weekly magazine based in London, mostly about policy, economics and business) featured a piece on SXSW in Austin.  It's an interesting perspective on the festival, and the surprising growth of Austin from "a sleepy state-government and university town" into a "cultural and technological hub."  And who do we have to thank?  "Shearwater, Spoon and Okkervil River."

In case you were wondering about the finances behind the yearly gastrointestinal mess of free beer and BestWurst (at least that's my biggest SXSW takeaway from previous years), get this: "In total, according to an analysis from Greyhill Advisors, the 2009 festival brought some $99m to the Austin economy."  Who wants new bike lanes?  Austin does!  Read all about it here.
 

- John Michael Cassetta -



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