Tag Archives: Austin

03/05/2013 · 4:17 PM

Zorch – Sign to Sargent House/New Album in Works

Zorch, Austin, TX‘s hyper-kinetic duo, premiered a new song, “We All Die Young“, a release from their forthcoming full length. The track is available through SPIN Magazine with the full length album expected to be released this summer. Clearly the big change, however, is that Zorch has signed on with Sargent House for management and label. This, while a massive change, is not necessarily a massive surprise.

Zorch is composed of Zac Traeger (keyboards, omnichord, vocals) and Shmu (drums, omnichord, vocals), whom hail from Wisconsin and Canada respectively. The duo originally met around Boston and after moving to Austin in 2009, the foundation of what would become Zorch was laid. After years of building up a reputation within the city’s DIY scene, Zorch will again play their annual multi-performance marathon during SXSW in Austin this March (listed below), marking a welcomed combination of both their roots and their future.

Take a listen and go ahead, get excited. Frankly, I always assumed Zorch was already on Sargent House so the move is a welcomed decision in my mind. But who knows? Maybe you disagree with me to which I simply say: you’re wrong. Indulge yourself to some experimental beauty while at work, in your classroom, or simply walking down freezing streets. It won’t be long till March comes along, the beginning of a long overdue spring and summer (time is relative, get over it). Till then.

Austin, TX – SXSW:

3/10/13 – Yeast by Sweet Beast @ Chain Drive
3/11/13 – Weird Destiny Freakout @ The Museum of Human Achievement
3/12/13 – All Tamara’s Parties @ Cheer Up Charlies
3/12/13 – SXSW Showcase @ Metal & Lace w/Assacre
3/12/13 – Granada House Backyard Shredathon @ The Granada House (1184 Greenwood Ave) 3/13/13 – Slip n’ Slide Party III @ Second House (2906 E. 2nd.) w/Delicate Steve
3/13/13 – SXSW Showcase @ TenOak w/Sorne
3/14/13 – House Party @ Hobbies’ Odd (1118 Linden St)
3/14/13 – Escapes @ Club 1808
3/15/13 – The Vagabond Collective showcase @ Austin Kickboxing Academy
3/15/13 – Wuwufest @ Russian House w/Why?, T-Bird and the Breaks
3/15/13 – SXSWendy’s @ Wendy’s
3/16/13 – Hometapes/Spacebomb Friend Island @ The Museum of Human Achievement

Zorch Facebook
Sargent House Zorch Page
Zorch Bandcamp
Zorch Site

- Cliff

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Tagged as album, alt, alt rock, alternative, alternative rock, Austin, dissociative identity productions, download, duo, experimental, experimental rock, festival, garage rock, indie, indie rock, label, lofi, March, math, math rock, Music, music festival, New, noodle, noodle rock, pa, philadelphia, rock, rock n' roll, sargent house, sargent house records, Shmu, single, SXSW, Texas, track, TX, we all die young, Zac Traeger, zorch

01/31/2013 · 12:24 PM

My Education – A Drink For All My Friends

There has been some incredible releases already with the New Year, whether it is through TTNG or Tyvek. Yet as I work through my long overdue articles, a particular one always strikes my attention. Back towards the end of November, an Austin, TX staple, My Education, released their sixth album, A Drink For All My Friends in North America on Headbump Records/Haute Magie and in Europe on Golden Antenna. Sonic explorer’s at heart, My Education’s A Drink For All My Friends is the band’s most streamlined and aggressive effort yet, while remaining an entrancing cinematic journey throughout.

Originally formed in 1999, the band’s membership has expanded and contracted between and after each release. Still, while the material buildup of the group has changed, the sonic landscapes have grown with each release. Think of it like Doug Martsch’s Built to Spill lineup, except within the vast domains of post-rock, post-prog, and post-hardocre. My Education has released 5 full-length albums, several singles, compilation appearances, and a 12″ vinyl collaboration with avant-hip hop duo Dalek. in the past, as well as having their singles remixed by members of bands such as Kinski, Pelican, Red Sparowes and Dalek.

So as for the release itself? At times, My Educations pulls off tracks that faithfully push forward a movement similiar to that of Turing Machines with it’s electronic pedal heavy riffs and uncompromising percussion/bass. Yet at other tracks, it is a blissful acceptance of beauty in patience as displayed by such groups as Tortoise or Collection of Colonies of Bees. If I wanted to be simpler, I would simply say the album is all over the place except that it is not: rather, it is a very purposeful journey with moments of peace followed by the always present shadow of entropy, disorder, and chaos. A Drink For All My Friends is the album for those vinyl nerds, sitting alone with massive headphones in their room for hours. It is for the intellectually curious introverts in all of us. And, more importantly in my opinion, it’s an album for me.

So trust me on this recommendation or don’t. Frankly, it’s not my concern or job to care. Yet it is my job to cover such a beautifully crafted album, one which I nearly missed due to my own slothfulness. It is a mistake I hope to never make again, particularly with the reward that My Education provided me. Don’t make the same mistake: grab a download, catch them live, and let your inner introvert run wild. I know I did.

My Education – A Drink For All My Friends

- Cliff

Fang Island – Major

9 days ago, Brooklyn’s own Fang Island released their sophomore album, Major, to a gleeful audience excited for more after their debut, S/T full length and teaser Single, “Sisterly“. Admittedly, I was nervous after hearing the “Sisterly” single: it felt as though everything that made them fun to see live had been replaced with…well…FUN (the band). However, after listening to the album, Major, as a whole, I couldn’t be more wrong, a point to which others have taken quick notice of. There’s plenty of other, professional music reviews you can take a look at however my favorite quote is probably from the brilliant crew over at Vice, “As an album, if I had to give Major a rank, I would promote it to General.”

As the album artwork hints at, Major is one hefty, monolithic and just plain regal experience. Compared to their S/T, to which Fang Island described as, “everyone high-fiving everyone,” Major is a far more confident triumphant experience with just a dash of youthful exuberance. As guitarist/vocalist Jason Bartell explains, “One of our core ideas has always been that our songs would be all of your favorite parts of the song that other bands make you wait 8 minutes to get to… We wanted to be the band that’s nothing but your favorite hooks back to back.” I thought they had already achieved that with their S/T release but I guess Major has put any doubt to shame.

However, to give a quick run-down about why you should even care about this particular album, here’s an explanation by Chris Georges (guitarist) on some of the multitude of reasons why they named their sophomore album “Major“:
“- Major key dominant (though the first song is minor)
- Valley girl colloquialism
- Because we (Fang Island) are on an independent label
- Because the rank under Sargent (House) is major
- It sounds like a constellation
- Steely Dan’s “Any Major Dude” was in rotation a lot during the sessions
- The record is packaged to look like stone because it’s ROCK. I really wanted people to hold a piece of rock when they picked up the record.”

I really don’t know how to follow an explanation like that. Despite to say, if you want to truly experience the joy, don’t just stop with the one song streaming on this site, pick up a copy (MP3, CD, LP) or, better yet, catch them live as they go all across the US, pairing up with the likes of Adebisi Shank and Zechs Marquise, including Austin, TX with the “Fun Fun Fun Fest“. It’s great to see a sophomore album actually expand in the right direction from a freshmen album and Major certainly lives up to the description. Well done though last complaint… why not Philadelphia?!

FANG ISLAND Summer 2012 Tour:
08/02 Salt Lake City, UT @ Vertigo *
08/03 Boise, ID @ Neurolux *
08/04 Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theatre *
08/05 Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile *
08/07 San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall *
08/10 Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour *!
08/11 San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar !
08/12 Phoenix, AZ @ The Rhythm Room *!
08/13 Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress *!
08/14 Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad *!
08/16 Dallas, TX @ Club Dada !
08/17 Austin, TX @ Mohawk !
08/18 Volente, TX @ Beachfront Boat Studios
08/19 Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live – Studio !
08/20 New Orleans, LA @ Parish at House of Blues !
08/21 Birmingham, AL @ Bottle Tree !
08/22 Gainesville, FL @ Double Down Live !
08/23 St. Petersburg, FL @ The Local 662 !
08/24 Jacksonville, FL @ Jack Rabbits !
08/25 Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade !
08/26 Asheville, NC @ Asheville Music Hall !
08/28 Raleigh, NC @ Kings !
08/29 Richmond, VA @ Strange Matter !
08/30 Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg !
11/01 – 11/03 Austin, TX @ Fun Fun Fun Fest (exact date TBA)

* w/ Zechs Marquise
! w/ Adebisi Shank

Track list:
01. Kindergarten
02. Sisterly
03. Seek it Out
04. Make Me
05. Never Understand
06. Asunder
07. Dooney Rock
08. Regalia
09. Chompers
10. Chime Out
11. Victorinian

On the Web:
- http://www.fangisland.com/ -
- http://www.sargenthouse.com/ -

- Cliff

Zorch – Cosmic Gloss/E.M.F.

I’ve always wanted to travel around the country. Yet honestly, Texas never made the cut as far as destinations worthy of going out to. Call it prejudices or pure ignorance but it felt like some kind of foreign country with it’s own customs, norms, and procedures. Most of that tends to be true, yet it is perhaps Austin’s particular spin on this individualism that allows it to continue releasing truly ingenious acts. Like the Octopus Project before them, Zorch is making it’s way out into the country side. With their tour starting this week and a brand new EP released through Pitchfork’s “Altered Zones“, Zorch is definitely making friends across the country. Why, you may ask? It’s got a little bit of everything for all of you experimental kids. You prefer Zach Hill’s “Astrological Straits”? Zorch covers those influences in abundance. Do you prefer more rowdy, in your face, electronica like Fuck Buttons? Somehow, Zorch is able to even squeeze that in. Frankly, they remind me in a lot of ways of Tera Melos: sometimes they are indulging in noodly rifts yet by the next song, they are playing with digital synthesizers and pedals. Take a listen through Cosmic Gloss to know exactly what i mean, 9 mins of lofi’d vocals, crashing symbols, and eletronica glitch pop. Yet for those of you who enjoy something more active and less spacey, be sure to check out E.M.F. Furthermore, they’ll be at Danger Danger here in Philadelphia on August 20th. Take a listen and I assume you’ll come to the same conclusions: this tour should be one hell of a good time. So here’s to Austin’s Zorch: thanks for keeping the legacy of truly imaginative music alive.

Zorch Bandcamp

ZORCH LIVE:
06/30 Phoenix, AZ @ The Rogue Bar
07/01 San Diego, CA @ Tin Can Ale House
07/02 Los Angeles, CA @ The Smell
07/03 Oakland, CA @ Gamma Gallery *
07/04 Sacramento, CA @ The Townhouse *
07/05 San Francisco, CA @ The Hemlock *
07/06 Eugene, OR @ TBA
07/07 Portland, OR @ Holocene ^
07/08 Seattle, WA @ Ground Zero
07/09 Seattle, WA @ The Inn (daytime/house party)
07/09 Seattle, WA @ Healthy Times Fun Club
08/10 Austin, TX @ TBA %
08/11 Houston, TX @ TBA %
08/12 Lafayette, LA @ TBA %
08/13 Baton Rouge, LA @ The Spanish Moon %
08/14 New Orleans, LA @ One Eyed Jacks %
08/15 Birmingham, AL @ Magic City Wholesale
08/16 Murfreesboro, TN @ Trash Mountain (pool party)
08/17 Atlanta, GA @ 529
08/18 Greensboro, NC @ The Blind Tiger
08/19 Baltimore, MD @ The Annex
08/20 Philadelphia, PA @ Danger Danger Gallery (anniversary party) $
08/21 Brooklyn, NY @ Silent Barn #
08/22 New York, NY @ Pianos
08/23 Providence, RI @ Local 121
08/24 Boston, MA @ TBA
08/25 Montreal, QC @ Torn Curtain #
08/26 Kingston, ON @ The Grad Club #
08/27 Waterloo, ON @ TBA (day show)
08/27 Toronto, ON @ The Silver Dollar
08/28 Sudbury, ON @ Myths and Mirrors Festival +
08/29 Ithaca, NY @ The Space at Greenstar
08/30 Dayton, OH @ South Park Tavern
08/31 Bloomington, IN @ House Party
09/01 Chicago, IL @ Ball Hall
09/02 Milwaukee, WI @ The Cactus Club
09/03 Madison, WI @ TBA

* with Religious Girls
^ with White Hinterland, Wampire
% with Twin Killers, Caddywhompus
$ with Grandchildren
# with Doldrums
+ with DD/MM/YYYY

- Cliff

Dissociative Identity Productions

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Tagged as alternative, alternative rock, Austin, Downloads, EP, experimental, garage, garage rock, indie, indie rock, math, math rock, Music, rock, Texas

Tag Archives: Austin

Zorch – Sign to Sargent House/New Album in Works

My Education – A Drink For All My Friends

Fang Island – Major

Zorch – Cosmic Gloss/E.M.F.

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