You’ve heard this idea before. Surf beat, reverb vocals, lo-fi-ness all around. But unlike other garage pop groups, GALPALS isn’t wholly boring; quite the opposite in fact. Bands that use retro aesthetics (so…all of them basically) are under the misperception that their music has to be lackluster and mellow (because I guess that’s what they think 1950-1988 was like). They follow this concept to a fault. This is not a mistake to be made by learned people. GAL PALS seems to have picked up on this as their new single “For Our Sake” is far from jaded. The guitar progressions are quick, bouncy, and have a natural feel. The vocal melodies are what sell the track. Even the reverb heavy background vocals instill vigor and swing into your step (the backup vocals which are, by the way, perfectly placed within the song). To miss this new group would be folly. –Taylor Browne

At first I thought I couldn’t be more depressed about not seeing Ty Segall and The Oh Sees earlier this month, but then I found out that Austin’s The Golden Boys opened for them. WOE IS ME. This wonderful band is on tour at the moment. Show them love and check out this video from their new album "Dirty Fingernails".

Shoe-gazing might sound like a passive activity performed by nostalgic music fans, but when you combine the rhythmically methodical drums & bass and the heavy aluminum-necked guitar of The Gary, you might be inclined to add a tributary to the genre. As jazz pianist Thelonious Monk once said, “The genius is the one most like himself,” and that’s exactly what the Gary are. When The Gary prepare to play, their iconic vocalization of “Ready Gary?!” stokes the audience for the sounds to come. Jumping across the generation gap isn’t easy but The Gary make it look like a walk in the park, that is to say, a walk in a park full of memories of how music imparts wisdom through the ages.

The Gary recently made the Texas-leg of a tour with Mission of Burma, which they were vocally excited about, and it certainly showed in their performance. Their most recent release titled “Remains” sustains an energy of thoughtful distortion among today’s clean-cut pop culture. Nothing against today’s Top 40, but when you get tired of hearing the same song rehashed for the umpteenth time, check out The Gary and join the cult of followers. –Jake Lauterstein

Listening to hhhhhh will immediately transport you to a cool desert night. Sadly the desert has no wi-fi. My favorite hhhhhh (which is the sound a cactus makes) track so far has to be “there there son”. It starts with a sparse but sexy Latin guitar and shakers. Straight out of the Texan desert (we don’t have deserts) the layering and orchestration of hhhhhh is simple and clever.

Not only are Latin and Texan influences mixed together, but it also draws on a plethora of American aesthetics. Elvis Presley Viva Las Vegas background vocals can be heard in concurrence with a Queens of the Stone Age desert rock feel (perhaps not as aggressive sounding, but nonetheless present; (an Acculturation wet dream)). As the EP progresses we are allowed a glimpse into each of hhhhhh’s voices, none of which seem forced or random and much like the songs themselves, each aspect of this band is neatly sewn together.

MEGABIG harkens back to the era of Van Halen with a bluegrass tinge. Despite how terrible that idea sounds, MEGABIG is absolutely fantastic and gives us the best of power chord rock and roll. What makes the band’s self-titled debut EP so good is that the band, unlike the genre they are modeling themselves after, isn’t afraid to try something non-commercial and potentially off putting. The guitar will switch from basic power chords to a searing solo, the back-up vocals are inspired, and in addition to this there are moments where the entire song will just devolve into Sonic Youth noise.

On top of all of this MEGABIG is just, simply put, fun. It has the same six pack-loving care free feel that is indicative of hair metal bands, but the music itself isn’t as bland as that genre. Each track offers the listener a new form of pure rock and roll joy.

From our good friends (well…I say friends. More like they don’t know who we are, and we look on longingly) at The Good Music Club, we have a delicious video of Austin’s most beloved Whiskey Shivers playing a song off their new album "Rampa Head". Having been at the show myself I can safely vouch for the pure delight that is this performance. Here at The Deli Austin Office we are positively abuzz and excited about the new Whiskey Shivers album (I look across The Office, i.e. the room, at the cat in the corner. The cat stops and looks back at me blankly. It’s official. We are abuzzed). –Taylor Browne

Check out this video from the very perdy sounding country band K Phillips & The Concho Pearls. Wait for the chorus; it’s most definitely worth it. Also, female bassist = YES.
 

Shortwave Party is like The Strokes, if The Strokes weren’t boring. A more apt comparison would be to The Smiths or The Walkmen; bands which have a palpably energetic sound to their sometimes heart breaking tunes.

Shortwave Party’s charming songs are grounded by frontman drummer Dolores J. Diaz’s forward driving dance beats. Meanwhile, guitarists Justin Finney and Brady Porche (what a name) jump back and forth from jittery indie riffs to an almost ‘wall of sound’ style, giving each song a fantastic depth. In addition, Michael Kuntzman’s clever bass lilts in and out of the song’s spotlight with a laid back but nevertheless wholly present tone. On top of this already smooth pie of sound, vocalist Shelby DuPerier (okay, now I know they’re making these names up) belts her heart out. Her voice conveys the grief felt by the overly self-conscious (once again, Morrissey and Leithauser come to mind), but doesn’t come off as pretentious sounding as this sentence. –Taylor Browne

Residual Kid has released a video along with their fantasticly sludgy new single "Friend". While I’m always a bit skeptical of the actual punkness of skateboarding, the video is an absolute treat to watch; especially near the end when the kids pull a Pete Townsend on their instruments. "Friend" itself is somewhat tongue in cheek, with lyrics like "If they open their chests, and let out the flies, they wouldn’t be so quick to judge". Coupled with a la di da chorus and poppy but clever chords, "Friend" is not a song to pass up.

The trio has a show next week on the 18th at Stubb’s and they’ll also be at Fun Fun Fun fest this November.

Brains is the first track on Crooked Bangs’ Bandcamp, and is one of only two songs which can be played. The rest of the album remains a mystery. To find the rest of Crooked Bangs’ material I had to equip my Indiana Jones whip and hat and enter the jungle of low quality YouTube. But the choice of their flagship track could not have been better.

Brains’ head banging energy never falters. Guitarist Samantha’s (last name unknown; the mystery thickens) tone is fantastic. It smeaks, in a good way, of Sleater Kinney guitarist Carrie Brownstein, as she plays with the song’s deceptively straightforward, not to mention sexy, 1960s beat by hitting delicious off rhythms. Simultaneously, Leda Ginestra’s vocals sound like Corin Tucker beat up Danzig and then made out with Brian Ferry. Her voice effortlessly moves from a growl to chill inducing. – Taylor Browne

Upcoming Shows

Bands often reflect their environment. So far, Austin has been defined very heavily by its Psychedelic garage rock scene, but this has never completely captured the Texan Capitol. Austin’s old college-town feel still lingers here, despite the immensely huge and annoying immigration of people from L.A., NYC, and, well, everywhere (except Baltimore. Those guys are staying put it seems. What’s Baltimore doing right I wonder?), and no band seems to be filling that void.

Mirror Travel (formerly Follow That Bird) is coming straight out of that old Austin ethos. The music is simultaneously relaxing and powerful, giving us an intelligent spin on indie rock. Lauren Green’s ethereal vocal melodies are matched perfectly with the solid rhythm section. Mirror Travel seems to always know where a song should go. So, if you want to know what Austin sounds like, don’t move here, just listen to Mirror Travel. Seriously, don’t move here. There are cancer bats. – Taylor Browne

Led by front man and blind rebel TJ Wade, Foot Patrol’s sexy and very healthy obsession with your feet is a breath of fresh air (not that The Foot Patrol would like that; they prefer your digits being a bit gnarly in terms of smell). The Foot Patrol’s album Pussyfooting is up-tempo, insanely solid in terms of rhythm, and the melodies are simply fantastic. On top of this, their live acts will knock you off your feet (there are so many opportunities for puns here). On stage, The Foot Patrol’s costume choices look like Roxy Music got bitch slapped by the goblins from “Labyrinth.” Everything about this band is perfect. With just one listen to The Foot Patrol you’ll break down and need a tow truck (concluding pun courtesy of Don Denham). – Taylor Browne