Artist: Balmorhea Title: Constellations Label: Western Vinyl Genre: Indie : Classical UPC: 656605460727 Territory: World Release Date: 02.23.10
While Balmorhea’s previous release All is Wild, All is Silent followed a group of brave travelers across the American frontier, filled with vast, breathtaking landscapes and western touches, their new album Constellations looks not Westward but rather upward. Picture those same travelers at rest during their journey, tired from the day’s toll, lying around a warm campfire, looking up at the endless expanse, heavily peppered with numerous stars and planets as only the isolated countryside can showcase. This isn’t as energetically eager and determined as their previous release, but rather serves as a release for the effort, an exhale, if you will.
The group has had critics from all over in praise of their unique take on minimalist instrumentalism with distinctly classical influences from an eclectic group of sources. Often cited are Stravinsky, Claude Debussy, and more contemporary counterparts like the Six Parts the Seven. Balmorhea was formed in 2006 by Rob Lowe and Michael Muller in the musically fertile Austin, Texas. With the addition of four new members to create a full band, the group has toured the US and Europe three times. They’ve been featured on Pitchfork, Time Out New York, NPR’s Second Stage, and Drowned in Sound, all giving the group high marks and compliments, praising their originality and graceful execution.
Their newest effort is marked by the skillful use of space and restraint. While the previous release often focused on wide open frontier planes, Constellations works with celestial objects but leaves the black space between them as drifting and uncluttered. The disarming simplicity of the tracks proves that Balmorhea doesn’t need dense arrangements full of 180 degree turns to craft deeply affecting compositions. More than just self-imposed limitation, the scale of this collection of songs introduces a sense of intimacy and perspective. The album captivates and inspires our imaginations by recreating the movements and colors of life; this is what Balmorhea are truly great at achieving.
Here’s a great video of the band performing on iNCONTEXT.TV ; their music is even more powerful live:
Grab a free track off of the full length after the jump…
The KEXP crew had their plates full at SXSW this year. They set up a little studio to broadcast out of and are now getting all the amazing footage up online. Check out some of our favorite clips below:
What a week. Despite the heavy hitters such as Metallica, Kanye West and Devo that made it down to Austin for shock and awe performances in tiny venues, SXSW 2009 was still all about the thousands of indie bands trying to shine through a Mid Texas town over-saturated in everything to do with music, debauchery and barbeque.
We took a survey of IODAns that made it down to see the madness and here is our list of stand-outs in no particular order (with as many free PromoTracks we could scramble up!):
The Flower Travellin’ Band-
Winding down their first ever US tour, the fore-bearers of stoner rock made their last stop on tour, Austin, a memorable one. They even made the cover of The Austin Chronicle’s Friday SXSW edition (check out that Sitorla)!
“In fact, tonight’s set confirms the band’s unique sound and vision remains intact. There are moments when they verge of Canfunkoid territory, others where King Crimson spring to mind and where Cream’s ghost is evoked. The overall effect is both startling, uplifting and over all too quickly.” -Mojo Magazine
We couldn’t get a promotrack for you but check a song out by them in an episode of IODAcast here.
Earthless with J. Mascis of Dinosaur Jr.-
Earthless + Mascis was something else. Took a while to get going but then WOW. The drumming was AMAZING and everything came together. What threw us off were the model-types handing out samples of CK One- do they not know their demographic? Doubt people like the dudes below from Black Tusk enjoy the scent of Calvin’s unisex perfume.
This supergroup doesn’t yet have an album out (expect it some time in 2009 via Friendly Fire) but the buzz was roaring leading up to their SXSW baptism. NPR to the most niche tastemaker blogs put them on their must see lists. We think they lived up to the hype and are gearing up to listen to their recently mastered debut.
“After hours spent searching for the Next Big Thing at SXSW, checking out bands attempting to woo jaded industry insiders, it was refreshing to take in the Wrens’ set. These dudes have been there, done that, and done it again. Nobody is running to their laptop to blog about hot up and coming buzz band the Wrens. So their headlining set at the Absolutely Kosher showcase was packed with true believers, dudes who knew all the words and spent the whole time shouting along, not Twittering.
Frustratingly, the set was short on new songs, with only one and a half (the half serving as the intro to “She Sends Kisses”) played. Both were slow, pretty ballads that stood in sharp contrast to the fired-up Meadowlands tracks that made up the rest of the set. Kevin Whelan served as ringmaster/ringleader, jumping around and screaming with hardcore intensity, offering up his bass to the crowd to pass over their heads. At the end of the show, as Whelan took a seat behind a keyboard for “This Is Not What You Had Planned”, Charles Bissell knelt down and planted a kiss on his cheek. It was love all around.”
“Positively everyone at SXSW was at least hoping to see HWGM and it’s not without cause — they’re fantastic. I only knew the names of a few of the songs they played, but everything sounded great. It makes me a little bummed that I don’t live anywhere near the upcoming Grizzly Bear/Here We Go Magic tour. That’s lessened a little bit by the fact that I got to see them pull a young girl who wasn’t more than waist-high out of the crowd to play the maracas along with the band. She kept great time and we all had a great time. Funny how that works.”
We totally loved My Jerusalem. The singer is Jeff Klein, who was in Twilight Singers. They are sort of a “supergroup” although no one in it is famous, but they do come from other bands. Notably, the bassist is Ashley Dzerigian, who was in Great Northern last year, and is now in My Jerusalem. She also happens to be the sexiest woman in rock ‘n’ roll (sorry Theresa Andersson, who was great at the IODA party). Drummer Cully Symington was in Bishop Allen and tracked The Gutter Twins album. Rick Nelson, who plays violin, viola, cello and keyboards in the band, is a longtime member of the Polyphonic Spree and St. Vincent. The show was pretty good, it was a big band and kinda reminded us of the Arcade Fire, only darker and more brooding. Once it got going, it rocked the house.
Absu-
We’ve never laughed that hard at a metal show. The drummer’s evil metal scowl in between tunes was mythical with introductions like: “This next track is called 181- one plus eight plus one equals 10 which is also one. The mysteries will be revealed in the f#@*ing song.” Extra points for track titles such as “In the Name of Auebothiabathabaithobeuee”.
Red Cortez-
Red Cortez (fresh off dates with Morrissey!) were raw and excellent at the reapandsow showcase.
“Make way for Stu McLamb, a genuine new talent with a name straight out of the annals of McDonald’s villainy. Imagined dalliances with the Hamburglar aside, McLamb really can sing– improbably, his voice veered from Roy Orbison croon to Walkmen-style bleat last night while his band swelled and cracked alt country a Whiskeytown fan could love. There’s an attractive symmetry to North Carolina’s the Love Language on stage; two female keyboardists far right and far left, a bass and a rhythm on either side of McLamb, and a drummer in back. Also, the Love Language is just attractive– at least four members could be models. Can’t hurt.
Especially when they’re offering songs that peak on their own, like if Arcade Fire’s big moments came out of back porch jam sessions. And then there’s “Lalita”, a garage-pop break with a tremulous grip on love, life, faith, all of it. McLamb dropped “We are the Love Language” three times during the set. Soon, he won’t have to do that stuff at all. Sooner the better.”
Ty Segall killed it at the Goner showcase!! We were shocked how much we wanted to go see local Bay Area bands even though we’re all located in SF and can see them at any time. The music scene here is so strong and seeing what a presence they had down in Austin made us feel like proud mommas and poppas.
Parties at the French Legation Museum are always so calming and you feel like you’ve been magically transformed out of Texas. Moriarty playing at that venue only added to the far from Texas feeling with their twangy Franco-Americana. Bonus points for their cover of Tom Waits’ “Chocolate Jesus”.
The Village Voice listed them in their top 5 bands they enjoyed at SXSW:
“4. Obits. This particular blog’s crush/obsession with these surly-garage titans continues.”
Now signed to Sub Pop, they played songs from their IODA-distributed 7″ on Comedy Minus One:
The Chap-
We kept hearing over and over that to completely understand and love The Chap you need to see them live… We agree, they were amazing at the Ghostly International/ anticon showcase Wednesday night. The Chap “Proper Rock” (mp3)
from “Builder’s Brew” (Ghostly International)
The IODA Marketing blog will be a bit slow over the next week because we’re heading down to Austin, Texas for SXSW! If the number of RSVPs are any indicator- this years SXSW will be just as packed as year’s passed. Don’t forget to attend our event (details above) and try and check out some of the shows listed below!:
Tuesday, March 17th 2009
End Sounds Second Annual Pre-SXSW Music Party/Show
7pm@Red Seven (611 E 7th St)
Filler (one time only Minor Threat cover band)
Madball
Death in the Park
Reign Supreme
Mike Herrera’s Tumbledown
Call to Preserve
True Widow
Bitter End
The Ramonahs
The Escape Frame
Wednesday, March 18th 2009
Anticon/Ghostly International Present
7:30pm@ Mohawk (912 Red River St) (All Ages)
Christopher Willits- 7:30pm
Restiform Bodies- 8:10pm
Michna- 9pm
Anathallo- 9:40pm
Dosh- 10:30pm
Yoni Wolf (of WHY?)- 11:10pm
The Chap- 11:40pm
Themselves- 1am
Burnside Distribution
8pm@Submerged (333 E 2nd st) (21+)
Jackie Bristow- 8pm
The Summer Wardrobe- 9pm
The Service Industry- 10pm
Sweet Water- 11pm
Blind Pilot- 12am
The Slants- 1am
Tricycle Records/The Bay Bridged
12pm@Beauty Bar (617 E 7th St)
Mike Relm
Vetiver
The Morning Benders
Sholi
Thee Oh Sees
The Heavenly States
Wallpaper
Lilofee
The Frail
Two Sheds
The Union Trade
French Miami
The Red Verse
The End Records
8pm@The Ale House (310 E 6th St- Alley Entrance) (21+)
Junius- 8pm
Hull- 9pm
These are They- 10pm
Goes Cube- 11pm
Tub Ring- 12am
Early Man- 1am
IHEARTCOMIX
7pm@Beauty Bar (617 E 7th st) (21+)
Cerebral Ballzy- 7:30pm
Ninjasonik- 8pm
Team Robespierre- 8:30pm
Totally Michael- 9pm
The Death Set- 9:30pm
Juiceboxxxx- 10:15pm
Thunderheist- 11:45pm
Designer Drugs- 12:15am
Futurecop!- 1:15am
Beauty Bar Backyard:
Paparazzi- 7pm
Radioclit-8pm
The Golden Filter- 9:45pm
HEARTSREVOLUTION- 10:30pm
Ocelot- 11pm
The Toxic Avenger & Franki Chan- 12am
Drop The Lime- 1am
Western Vinyl
9pm@ Club 115 (115 San Jacinto St) (21+)
Mom- 9pm
Callers- 10pm
Balmorhea- 11pm
J. Tillman- 12am
Here We Go Magic feat. Luke Temple- 1am
Hometapes/Leaf
7pm@Habana Bar (708 E 6th St) (21+)
All Tiny Creatures- 7pm
A Hawk And A Hacksaw- 8pm
Stars Like Fleas- 9pm
CYNE- 10pm
Efterklang- 11pm
Megafaun- 12am
Slaraffenland- 1am
Standard Recording Co. / Undertow
11pm@Habana Calle 6 (709 E 6th St) (21+)
Christian Kiefer, Jefferson Pitcher, J. Matthew Gerken, These United States- 11:15pm
Absolutely Kosher
10pm@Prague (422 B Congress Ave) (21+)
Tee Pee Records
8pm@Room 710 (710 Red River St) (21+)
Kreisor- 8pm
Black Math Horseman- 9pm
Night Horse- 10pm
Ancestors- 11pm
Annihilation Time- 12am
Earthless- 1am
Siltbreeze
8pm@Soho Lounge (217 E 6th St) (21+)
Ratas del Vaticano- 8pm
Eat Skull- 8:45pm
Hank IV- 9:30pm
Psychedelic Horseshit- 10:15pm
Naked on the Vague- 11pm
U.S. Girls- 11:45pm
Los Llamarada- 12:30am
FNU Ronnies- 1:15am
Electronic Musician/reapandsow music SXSW Day party
Calle Habana 6 – 709 E. 6th St., Austin, TX Rotary Downs @ 3pm – INSIDE STAGE
NOLA Soul Presents
Historic Victory Grill – 1104 E. 11th St, Austin, TX Rotary Downs @ 5:45
Friday, March 20th 2009
End Sounds
8pm@The Independent (501 N IH 35)
The Escape Frame- 8pm
Death in the Park- 0pm
True Widow- 10pm
Burnside Distribution
12pm@Threadgill’s World Headquarters (301 W. Riverside Dr.)
Hillstomp- 12pm Main stage
Linda McLean- 12:30pm Folk Alliance Stage
Or, The Whale- 12:50pm Main stage
Jackie Bristow- 1:20pm Folk Alliance Stage
Blind Pilot- 1:40pm Main stage
Audrey Auld- 2:15pm Folk Alliance Stage
The Refugees- 2:35pm Main stage
Glenna Bell- 3:05pm Folk Alliance Stage
Terry Anderson & The Olympic Ass-Kickin’ Team- 3:35pm Main stage
Song Island Review- 4:05pm Folk Alliance Stage
Redd Volkaert & Friends- 4:25pm Main stage
Linda McRae- 5:10pm Folk Alliance Stage
Miss Leslie & Her Juke-Jointers- 5:30pm Main stage
Slumberland
8pm@Emo’s Jr (603 Red River St) (All Ages)
YellowFever- 8pm
Woods- 9pm
Air Waves- 10pm
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart- 11pm
Cause Co-Motion!- 12am
Crystal Stilts- 1am
End Sounds
8pm@The Independent (501 N IH 35) (21+)
The Escape Frame- 8pm
Death in the Park- 9pm
True Widow- 10pm
Ghostly International/Full Time Hobby/ Mojo Magazine
8pm@Radio Room Patio (508 E 6th St) (All Ages)
Choir of Young Believers- 8pm
Micah P. Hinson- 9pm
School of Seven Bells- 10pm
Deastro- 11pm
White Denim- 12am
Rolo Tomassi- 1am
Misra
8pm@The Tap Room at Six (311 Colorado St) (21+)
The Gala Band- 8pm
Emily Rodgers- 9pm
Monahans- 10pm
The Low Lows-11pm
Southeast Engine- 12am
Palomar- 1am
Insound’s 10th Anniversary SXSW Party
Noon-6pm@Club de Ville (900 Red River St)
Handsome Furs
Obits
The American Analog Set
The Thermals
The Hold Steady
Saturday March 21st 2009
Load/Dull Knife
8pm@The Independent (501 N IH 35) (21+)
Future Blondes- 8pm
Balaclavas- 9pm
White Mice- 10pm
Rusted Shut- 11pm
Indian Jewelry- 12am
Six Finger Satellite- 1am
Park the Van/ Paper Thin Records
8pm@Room 710 (710 Red River St) (21+)
Eagle Winged Palace- 8pm
The Peekers- 9pm
Golden Boots- 10pm
Floating Action- 11pm
The High Strung- 12am
The Spinto Band- 1am
New Granada Records “No-fficial” Showcase
3pm@Gingerman Pub (304 W 4th St)
New Roman Times
Zillionaire
Hankshaw
King of Spain
Rec Center
Panache Booking/ Lovepump United
8pm@Mohawk (Both Stages)
Daniel Francis Doyle- 8pm
Pictureplane- 8:15pm
Deradoorian- 8:50pm
AIDS Wolf- 9pm
Past Lives- 9:40pm
Clipd Beaks- 10pm
FIASCO- 10:40pm
The Mae Shi- 11pm
PRE- 11:40pm
HEALTH- 12am
Mika Miko- 12:30am
Monotonix- 1am
Victorian Room at the Driskill
(604 Brazos St) (21+) Moriarty- 10pm
Finally, some scientific backing to the funk most feel around this time of year:
“If you woke up Monday morning feeling like your life was particularly in the toilet, you may have validated the formula that claims that the third Monday in January is the most depressing day of the year.
Cliff Arnall, a psychology professor at Cardiff University in Wales, came up with the following formula to determine Blue Monday for 2009:
1/8W+(D-d) 3/8xTQ MxNA
The variables relate to things like weather, debt, Christmas bills coming due, failure of New Year’s resolutions, and the need to take action versus general motivational levels.” (source: CTV.ca)
Here are some songs to help lift you out of the funk and a few to help you dig deeper in (in case you’re a masochist or just happen to enjoy a sad song or three):
Depressing:
J. Tillman, the drummer extraordinaire for the Fleet Foxes, has released 3 solo albums and the most recent, Vacilando Territory Blues, is named appropriately. It is dark, expansive and solemn as all hell.
“Tillman’s stories sound as elliptical as his music, as if the lyrics demand such sparse arrangements. “Everything moves so fast,” he sings on “Steel on Steel”, “leave no time to ask, does nothing last? Do all things pass, just ash to ash?” These songs whisper loudly to slow the world down, to preserve a moment and all its emotions, whether they’re pleasant or– more likely– painful.”
The album that topped many Best Of lists in ’07 (even some Best Of lists in’08) features warped vocals, described by the artist as “angelic and haunting”, set against crackling waves of echoes and ambience:
Blue Giant might have the word “Blue” in their band name and this song title, but this is a bright, shiny and anthemic Southern rock tune: Blue Giant “Blue Sunshine” (mp3)
from “Target Heart EP” (Amore!Phonics)
Record label Ghostly International and modern cult classic programmers, Adult Swim, have paired up for a compilation of new music and art. One tune on the comp, “Light Powered” by Deastro, has a crunchy, marching beat that’ll kick your ass out of bed. Take a listen and tell us you don’t feel reinvigorated:
Artist: Balmorhea
“Harm & Boon”
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