Listening to “Suehiro” with little to no sleep is a very bad decision. The jarring synth makes one think that the Daleks are hunting you and, with the dark and often destructive lyrics of Borrisokane, it doesn’t seem very likely that any handsome time lords are coming to save you. YOU’RE GOING TO DIE.

Overall Borrisokane’s EP Disaster Face seems stripped down and minimalistic. But each instrument is placed well within the confines of each track, successfully furthering the mood of the piece. Borrisokane has created a strong atmosphere through its use of space and cavernous sounds but truly this album is based around rhythm. The drums are often the center piece for each song, as if the drummer were conducting the band.

The opening track, “Do The Squirmy Worm” has an excellent groove while the guitar skips and scurries over the rest of the song. The tone of the lyrics and cutesy sounding sythns will remind Austin music lovers of the most palpable Baker Family. Borrisokane’s lyrics however have a hint more humor to them (“Elizabeth” for instance: “Let’s flood the basement, let’s set the cats free,”). Bouncing Paul McCartney pianos are always welcome and I particularly enjoyed the anti-ending of “Do The Squirmy Worm”. The tracks “Sinking Catalina” and “Isotel” are equally lovely. The warmth in “Isotel’s” guitar tone is matched only by the gorgeous string section (piccicato is always a plus) and the wonderful vocals by Rebecca Asuan-O’Brien.

Too often songs will telegraph the end of the tune. This is a fault that Borrisokane makes light of in one track and then falls for in the next. The climax of “Elizabeth”, while having an excellent placement of horns, announces the ending a bit too loudly. And in contrast with the subtlety of the rest of the album, it comes off as a bit obvious. The clear climax of “Isotel” is far more successful. The juxtaposition sells the transition and right as this new section of the song hooks the listener with a wonderful melting guitar tone, the whole album stops rather abruptly; kinda like this review. -Taylor Browne

It was like any other night at the 29^th Ballroom. The same somber, generally unimpressed, middle aged gingers wandered around as Horti from Whiskey Shivers and his companion made lewd gestures at the high school students. But, when they realized the high schoolers were just Bobby Jealousy in marching band costumes, Horti and his comrade became despondent. However, the commonplace feel of the night changed as the opening act began. Growl, a youthful five piece, ripped through an amazing set.

Stylistically, Growl sounded like early Kinks, but structured with the mind of an older Ray Davies. While the chords are popy, the tone and manner in which they were played gives way to a more intelligent agent at work. Speaking with guitarist Sam Houdek after the show he said that the band is immensely democratic, with each member bringing his or her ideas to the table. The comparison to The Kinks took him by surprise, as none of the members “really listens to them.” Each member comes from a completely different way of music, stated Houdek.

With such a diverse mixture of ideas, it may come as no surprise that Growl is one of the more wholly enjoyable indie groups in Austin today. -Taylor Browne

If you ever want to relive what it feels like to finish the first Sonic the Hedgehog game, but you don’t want to go through the humiliation of Metal Sonic curb stomping you, you can circumvent this embarrassment by listening to Whale Watch instead.

The title track Miss You In The Mountains & Indian Style are the strongest tunes on the album. They convey all of Whale Watch’s funky, post rock, and 8-bit influences perfectly. I got the chance to see the group at their cd release party at Cheer Up Charlie’s. I walked in during the heartwarming track Rain Song, in which all of the members save for the cellist had stopped playing. The cellist placed numerous layers of his instrument over a piccicato track. Usually during such songs the drunken crowd members of any bar would stumble out for a cigarette, but the audience was transfixed. Listening to Whale Watch, either live or on record, is an absolute treat. -Taylor Browne

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.