Results tagged “somethinginteresting”

Every week, Le Diamant Brut shuffles through our inbox, unearthing musical MySpace gems for you -- here at home and beyond. Enjoy.

Although they may share neighboring shelf space in record stores and similar vowel sounds with the DC reggae/punk band, their music couldn’t be more different. These two blonde Cincinnati boys, Benjamin Davis and Sebastien Schultz, have come up with a fairly affecting mixture of perky pop and sweetly vulnerable indie rock. Well, to be fair there is a third member; she’s a 1973 reel-to-reel for playback of background mixes named Irene. They’ve built up a little steam recently on the music blogs, and of course they’re headed to Austin for SXSW.

Here’s the scene: It’s late in the evening on a Saturday night, and there’s a line full of 16-to-30-year-olds wrapped around the block extending away from the large black door of the New Brookland Tavern in Columbia, South Carolina. Tonight, local, epic, electronic rock band Baumer is playing, and it’s going to be a packed house. A sizable portion of those dance party hungry hipsters clad in t-shirts both black and neon waiting in queue will not even make the capacity cut-off point. But, many of them will stand outside for a good portion of the set, listening from the street. Inside, as Baumer heats up, the cramped crowd bounces and sweats to New Order-inspired electronics, indie rock guitars and a bold voice not unlike that of Muse singer Matthew Bellamy. This isn’t a rarety for the band; it’s every time they play a show in their hometown.

What’s the Deal: There’s one main, overwhelming reason why The Blow made it into this week’s Le Diamant, and that’s because of their song “Parenthesis.” It’s the kind of cute and quirky pop tune that made the songs off the Juno soundtrack so viral. The Blow is the devious and rascally spawn from the mind of musician, visual artist and performer Khaela Maricich. The other half of the creative team that is The Blow is (or was) Jona Bechtolt. According to the group’s MySpace, Bechtolt has left the band, most likely to further his singing and programming in his solo project, YACHT. The Blow have this whole middle school crush ‘Do you like me? Check yes, no or maybe’ thing going on that sinks its teeth in all the way to the gums with a swirling mixture of video game-style electronics and poppy folk.

What’s the Deal: Austin’s own experimental electronic, post-whatever eclectica outfit The Black & White Years – Scott Butler, Landon Thompson, John Aldridge, Billy Potts – have an album arriving this month. They’re having an album release show at Stubb’s on February 22nd. They’ve brought on some comparisons to the Talking Heads, and their upcoming album was even produced by Talking Head Jerry Harrison. Even though it’s not exactly the most accurate comparison that could be made here, there’s still a little fingerprint present in the punchy, artful rock and funky, dance-heavy sounds.

The speed of light is just under 300,000 km/s. It takes about 8 seconds for the sun’s light to reach us on earth, and that’s about how long it should take you to find Lightspeed Champion (aka Dev Hynes) completely charming. After his days in the short-lived, dance-core group Test Icicles, Hynes began this folked-out, playful, indie-pop project. His debut full-length, Falling Off the Lavender Bridge, comes out February 5th, and it’s full of players that provide the perfect accent to his earnest twang and sweetly-sung melodies. For the album, the American-born, U.K.-raised Hynes struck out for Omaha and decided to enlist Mike Mogis as producer to add that Saddle Creek sound. It was here that he found his additional players for the record in Mogis, Nate Walcott, Clark Baechle from the Faint, as well as members of Cursive and Tilly And The Wall. He keeps good company, even on tour. He’s been out with Bright Eyes, Final Fantasy and Patrick Wolf. While touring, Hynes enlists a rotating cast of accompanying musicians pulled from a list of his musician friends.

What’s the Deal: Leatherbag is the brainchild of super-busy Austin singer/songwriter Randy ‘Bag’ Reynolds. He’s released a few Eps and his debut full-length for Superpop Records, Nowhere Left to Run. Throughout the releases Reynolds has proven that he’s a powerful songwriting force whether he’s playing organic alt. country or garagey, folky rock, or whether he’s alone with his guitar or with a band behind him. Sometimes Reynolds has a strong Dylan-esque sound, but we won’t hold that against him, mainly because the music that accompanies it is enhancing and completely complementary.

On “Cruel Thing” the soul influence is obvious, as is a touch of Burt Bacharach, on this sweet and smooth song with female backup singers, some keyboard prances and gentle layers of strings. Singer/songwriter Perry Serpa does his best Marvin Gaye on the track off A Moveable Feast. The horns, woodwinds and strings all contribute to the triumphant chorus on “Through With Love,” which has Serpa declaring just that.

What’s the Deal: Frank Smith isn’t the name of a man, but the name of an alt. country/Indie band of six with some of the most compelling songwriting in Austin. Their recent move from Boston has brought the group to an ideal state for their layered Americana full of gruff and gravely vocals, pluck and twang. They were even nominated for “Outstanding Americana Act” for the 2007 Boston Music Awards. Most of the time their music is a slow-moving, meandering drive in the country or on the winding roads of Appalachia letting the banjo and steel guitar radiate outward in waves to bounce back and forth between the birch trees and pines.

What’s the Deal: Definitely one of the better pun band names, with an extra ‘r’ thrown on the end to avoid any messy copyright fisticuffs with Lucas and the Star Wars powers that be. This Austin foursome have very successfully emerged in time with a re-popularization of shoegaze in a way that doesn’t seem contrived or cleverly created to take advantage of this renewed interest. Instead, they fit right in there with Jesus and Mary Chain and My Bloody Valentine, or at least a step below. It’s fuzzy, super-loud, noise pop with a steady beat, wave after wave of ambient guitar noise and warm vocals that melt into the music.

Photo by Herald H. Schoeder courtesty of Essay RecordingsSHANTEL What’s the Deal: Finally, some club music that doesn’t make you want to club yourself for being so easily convinced into going “clubbing.” In case you missed them on NPR’s All Songs Considered, which everyone should be listening to, Shantel & Bucovina Club Orkestar is comprised of German electronica master Shantel and an ensemble of Balkan sounds. The result of this mix of electronic beats and...

Image from MySpaceMICE AND RIFLES What’s the Deal: It’s impossible to hear a band name like this one from this Austin sextet and not be curious enough to give it a listen. If you do, you’ll find an alt. country group making the most of pedal steel, acoustic guitar and a singer with a unique and brawny voice. The group may have a classic country sound found in between the twang and Great Depression subject...

What’s the Deal: They’re a local grand, alterna-pop group that has come from out of nowhere with a sound that’s just quirky enough for indie rock fans and also highly marketable. Their upcoming debut album, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, recorded and produced by local Lars Goransson arrives soon, and if they play their cards right the group will be set for certain heat-seeker status. Don’t hold it against them that the title is so very close to Wilco’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Sonically, the two don’t share many similarities. Soaring vocals hijack the focal point of many of the songs with their sometimes Muse-esque method, and spacey keyboards fill out the four-piece rock sound nicely.

Photo by Felicia Graham courtesy of MySpaceTIL WE'RE BLUE OR DESTROY What’s the Deal: One thing that Austin has plenty of is indie bands. There are multitudes of poppy, lo-fi folky or staggering, swaggering rock groups swelling with intrigue and buzzing around the local scene destined to either shoot straight and swift to national cult favorites standing or be just another weekend bar band. However, Til We’re Blue Or Destroy are one of the groups...

Image from MySpace by Aubrey EdwardsMOTH! FIGHT! What’s the Deal: These local musicians with a appreciation for all things Victorian mix keys, samples, autoharp, guitar, banjo, violin, sleigh bells, trumpet and several voices to create a sound that changes abruptly from the melodic to the cacophonous, and all the while keeps eyes and ears perked toward their performance. Every member plays at least two or three instruments. Their music is a cascading, clamourous, curious sound...

Image from MySpaceBONAPARTE What's the Deal: Chances are slim to none at the moment if you are in the United States and you want to see this odd rock and roll force that's catchy, boisterous and riddled with pop culture references. Bonaparte is the name taken by the project’s mastermind and frontman who is from unknown international origins. His MySpace says he hails from Berlin, but it also claims St. Helena as well as saying...

Once in a while, we like to take some time to introduce you to bands -- both local otherwise -- that we think you'd enjoy. Le Diamont Brut aims to showcase those MySpace gems we hope to see shine. Recommend your local suggestions by emailing music@austinist.com. THOR HARRIS What’s the Deal: It’s hard to resist reviewing an artist named Thor, as in super-brutal, Norse god with a head full of long locks and a giant...

COLOUR REVOLT What’s the Deal: There’s a small college town in Mississippi where Colour Revolt is waiting like a swollen, porous sponge for someone to wring them out over the parched mouths of indie rock fans and critics alike. Right now, there is only the self-titled 6-song EP re-released in October of ‘06, but they’re currently in the final stages of recording their debut full-length. The EP, which caught ears at Spin and Stereogum...

OURS TO ALIBI What’s the Deal: They’re a five-man mostly-instrumental indie rock group from Atlanta. Their atmospheric sounds and tri-force of guitar experimentalism is at times reminiscent to Texas favorite Explosions in the Sky, only with a little Sigur Rós-style guitar bowing. With no label support yet, they just released their second full-length, Beacons. Sometimes on the record, the group needs more than a few minutes to get across what they’re trying to say,...

Once in a while, we like to take some time to introduce you to bands -- both local otherwise -- that we think you'd enjoy. Le Diamont Brut aims to showcase those MySpace gems we hope to see shine. Recommend your local suggestions by emailing music@austinist.com. MiKenPike What’s the Deal: Don’t let the name discourage you - it’s a mash-up of the members’ names. Their story is one of the more miraculous musical 180s in...

Once in a while, we like to take some time to introduce you to bands -- both local otherwise -- that we think you'd enjoy. Le Diamont Brut aims to showcase those MySpace gems we hope to see shine. Recommend your local suggestions by emailing music@austinist.com. FINAL FANTASY What’s the Deal: Final Fantasy is Owen Pallett, and yes, he is a fan of the game series. That’s actually where he got his name. His music...

Once in a while, we like to take some time to introduce you to bands -- both local otherwise -- that we think you'd enjoy. Le Diamont Brut aims to showcase those MySpace gems we hope to see shine. Recommend your local suggestions by emailing music@austinist.com. BON IVER What’s The Deal: Charming and intimate soulful folk songs lead by an acoustic guitar and the enchanting falsetto voice of Justin Vernon. For Emma, Forever Ago is...

JOSH RITTER What’s The Deal: Josh Ritter graduated from college with a major in American History through Narrative Folk Music, which makes the title of this folk-pop singer/songwriter’s recently released album, The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter, fitting as well as boastful. He can boast all he wants with those hearty lyrics fat with imagery and the voluminous songwriting of this, his fifth album. Comparisons to Bob Dylan as well as John Lennon immediately come...

Once in a while, we like to take some time to introduce you to bands -- both local otherwise -- that we think you'd enjoy. Le Diamont Brut aims to showcase those MySpace gems we hope to see shine. Recommend your local suggestions by emailing music@austinist.com. THE UNFORTUNATE HEADS What’s the Deal: The Austin indie folk fivesome has just released their sophomore disc, Come Be Light. Featuring multi-instrumentation by the likes of banjo, keyboards, upright...