By Doug Freeman
Published on March 11, 2009 at 1:41am
2008 was declared by our mayor to be “The Year of Austin Music,” which was intended to focus attention on helping Austin’s struggling musicians that keep the Live Music Capital of the World thriving as the music industry continues to go through turmoil. The declaration could have just as easily been a recognition of what was another excellent year of music in the Capital City, however. We saw some big breakouts with the amazing return of Alejandro Escovedo and the stunning step forward for Shearwater, while the Black Angels channeled classic Roky Erickson, James McMurtry continued to spit poetic spite, and the Sword drew blood nationally on tour with Metallica. It was also an exceptional year for younger artists that have been featured on our past Sound Advice comps: The Lovely Sparrows, The Strange Boys, Brothers and Sisters, Brazos, White Denim, Black Joe Lewis, and Balmorhea, just to name a few. And this year’s Austin Sound compilation features 21 more local artists that have excited us over the past year and that we think you should hear!
And what does Sound Advice Vol. III suggest are the trends in Austin music this year? Like the national indie scene, some terrific variations on classic psychedelic sounds have pervaded the city (Ringo Deathstarr, the Astronaut Suit, the Boxing Lesson) and we’ve spawned a whole new crop of delicious indie pop that has been central to Austin’s scene over the past decade (Hollywood Gossip, the Model U.N., Built By Snow). The outer limits of country continues to contort in any number of directions, courtesy the rolling raucousness of the Golden Boys, cosmic touch of the Lonesome Heroes, and haunting folk of Dana Falconberry, while rock got a fierce shot in the arm from UME, Harlem, and the Midgetmen. Perhaps most compelling, though, has been the emergence of the subtle songwriting that propels groups like the Eastern Sea, the Sour Notes, and Drew Smith’s Lonely Choir. You can sample all of these Austin sounds below, and much more, with all of the songs available for individual download or as a whole (immaculately sequenced) comp. As always, we’ve listed each artist’s shows during SXSW week, so if you hear something you like, we encourage you to check them out live if you’re in town for the annual cluster-fest.
Another exceptional debut EP from the past year was the Sour Notes’ The Meat of the Fruit. Behind Jared Boulanger’s delicate, nasally croon, and pining lyrics, the quartet swoons a mellow indie-rock that hearkens Death Cab for Cutie. Following up the EP with their recent debut full-length Received in Bitterness, the group branched into even more expansive guitar layers that often shaded the New Year, and are already plotting LP number two, tentatively titled It’s Not Gonna Be Pretty, for release later this year. Also, be sure not to miss their stunning cover of Jawbreaker’s “Accident Prone” in their Sound Off.
Sound Off: The Sour Notes
Album Review: The Sour Notes – Received in Bitterness (SR)
Websites:
www.thesournotes.com
Myspace
SXSW Performances:
March 19 – Carousel Lounge, 3:00pm
March 20 – The Parlor, 3:00pm
Download: The Sour Notes – “Weak at Heart”
