Results tagged “balmorhea”

The genre-defying instrumental band Tortoise arrives in Austin on the 15th in support of their seventh proper full-length LP, the aptly-titled Beacons of Ancestorship (Thrill Jockey). It's their first new disc in five years, though its cast of five has been quite busy in other projects. They formed in 1992, a Chicago/Louisville conglomeration of rhythm players/sections brought from Bastro, Eleventh Dream Day, Precious Wax Drippings and Tar Babies. Their arsenal of instruments was always impressive - vibraphones and analog synthesizers weren't exactly on the radar of most indie bands in 1994. The fact that really, nobody has ever known what to do with Tortoise (the infamous "post-rock" tag still follows them wherever they go) has probably in part contributed to the band's longevity.

In our fine capital city, we often get spoiled with the amount of independent music born here, right under our noses. With so many indie labels and artists, it's easy to sometimes overlook an amazing talent or forget how incredible the talent is that you've already discovered here. Balmorhea (pronounced Bal-moor-ay) is group that once heard live is impossible to forget. Standing yards apart from the typical indie setup, Balmorhea gives us gripping classical instrumentation wrapped in a tender, acoustic package.

We are thrilled about music in Austin this May, and a big part of our excitement is thanks to the fifth installment of Chaos in Tejas, a multi-venue festival featuring the best punk and hardcore has to offer. This year's venues include Emo's, Red 7, Mohawk, Beerland, the Broken Neck and more, and the lineup is better than ever. Don't miss Propagandhi's reunion tour in support of their new release Supporting Caste, get some Amebix and Severed Heads of State action, shake to the Thermals and please (please) don't miss sets by Harvey Milk, Times New Viking and Trash Talk. Check here for the complete lineup and ticket info, but stay tuned: Austinist will be giving away tons of tickets and three day passes in May.

They’re a really potent and moving orchestral acoustic troupe from Austin who are great about filling the city air with overwhelming atmospheric sounds. They released their third full-length, All is Wild, All is Silent, on Western Vinyl Records (home to J. Tillman, Dirty Projectors and many more) in March, and it’s a wonder why the gorgeous sounds of this record haven’t consumed the city. The rise and fall of strings, acoustic guitars, clashing symbols and the occasional haunting echoey vocal make this one of the more powerful Austin music outfits.

Has it really been four years since those first tedious video diaries, clips of theremin-playing kitties and bootlegged SNL sketches began showing up en masse online? YouTube, you have changed our lives, from expanding our minds to insulting our intelligence.

It's no secret that we in Austinist really crush on Balmorhea. Perhaps it's our gloriously out-of-the closet predilection for hooky, pop-sensible instrumental music. Perhaps it's the great art direction and atmosphere they conjure. Hell, perhaps it's the wonderful folks in the saddle.

This Will Destroy You is a hyperbole with a wink, but only slightly. Masters of the thrash-y guitar climax borne of humble, pensive expositions, there's a lot to blow your hair back, and if you just had a messy break-up or a secondary relative die, you're probably going to be more susceptible to actual - albeit, temporary - destruction by the moving instrumental anthems they craft.

Sub Pop darlings Fleet Foxes performed to an attentive, sold-out crowd at Mohawk last night, supported by Seattle's The Dutchess and the Duke and locals Balmorhea. Austinist contributing photographer Ali Bagheri provided the photos.

By now it should be apparent that we at the Austinist think that Fleet Foxes are absolutely, 100% badass. After all, in the last three months we've touted the excellence of not only their eponymous debut LP, but also have we waxed eloquent on their Sun Giant EP—reading those reviews makes it pretty clear that this is a band whose return to Austin falls into the highly-anticipated category. Simply said, preceding this quintet is a reputation as a throwback to kinder, less electronic musical times, and they have garnered critical acclaim far and wide not only for their studio work, but also for their consistently-satisfying live show. The modest northwesterners use cascades of vocal harmonizing, led by talented frontman Robin Pecknold, and well-arranged instrumentation to make them a group more than worthy of Mohawk's hump day headline.

Minneapolis' intriguing and mostly-instrumental outfit, Dosh, headlines a deep and fascinating set Thursday night at Emo's. Dosh, aptly named after lead soundmaker Martin Dosh (sometimes drummer and co-songwriter for Andrew Bird), blends the electronic with folk and jazz and postrock and whatever else you can think of to form an energetic brand of ambiance—his new album, Wolves and Wishes, has received enthusiastic reviews, and the Martin Medeski & Wood comparisons lie not too far beneath the surface. Surely, this will be a show where the focus is multi-formed and looping is plentiful, as the absence of regular vocals will keep the eyes moving from instrument to instrument, allowing the musicianship and electronic handiwork of those on stage (often just Dosh himself) to shine through.

If you're not familiar with the industrious Balmorhea-ns, you're doing yourself a grave disservice, and, frankly, need to get in touch with the scene. The music is vast, yet meticulously restrained: melancholy, determined pianos slowly upended by cellos, soft-spoken conversations between two acoustic guitars, and distant, inscrutable audio samples that elaborate on what each piece seems to urgently chronicle.

The Church of the Friendly Ghost’s forte is bringing its audience a range of new sounds, and this Friday night is no exception as four Texas experimental musicians will take the stage at the Salvage Vanguard Theater paired with artist LORI 16MM, who will be projecting a film and visual installation.

With all due respect, It's easy to get lost in the scuffed gloss of Austin's rather self-aware indie-rock scene. Take it from us, and we honestly love the damned thing, in all of its shabby hipster glory. We just sometimes need a change of pace to keep a healthy perspective on all the different pockets of music in this crazy burg. This evening, we encourage you, if you're so inclined, to join us for an evening of solid, unconventional artistry in a scene that is thriving and gaining Austin national recognition for something other than our hallowed go-to bands.