To start, I support this idea fully. I am glad to see that the folks involved with the Single Cuts venture are instilling the spirit of artistic collaboration into the local Austin scene. So what is it? Taken from the press release: Each issue will showcase a group of musicians pulled together from Austin's music scene in order to write, record, and mix a song in one day! The goal is to foster community, and cross-promotion among Austin's vibrant group of artists.
I look forward to hearing/seeing more from this project. Collaboration is an essential part to any artistic movement, including local music scenes. Single Cuts plan on creating a new product every four or five months. You can also become involved yourself. So head over to their site to get details, and check out "Jackie." www.singlecutsmusic.com www.twitter.com/singlecuts www.facebook.com/pages/Single-Cuts
The Great Nostalgic are set to make their return to the stage after a nearly five month absence this Sunday [03.13.11] at Red 7. Of course they spent that time recording their second album Hope We Live Like We Promised, which is set for the street date of April 5th. Leading up to its release the band has been giving us a new video every month since the new year. The month of March brings us the clip for "Hustlers and Junkies." The masquerade type theme makes me think of one of those secret rich people orgies, but that is only because I recently watched Eyes Wide Shut. This video on the other hand features no sex, just some serious rocking out. And because it is a good song, that is acceptable. See below.
It also looks like we get several chances to catch them during SXSW. Their upcoming dates are here, which includes the official vinyl release at Emo's next month. Hope We Live Like We Promised can be ordered now. For those who need to get up to speed on one of Austin's best locals, their self-titled debut can be downloaded for free from their site.
Sun. March 13th - 8pm@ Red7 (free SXSW event)
Tue. March 15th - 12am@ Ghost Room (free SXSW event)
Fri. March 18th - 1pm@ 604 E. 6th st. 2nd floor (free SXSW event)
Sat. April 2nd - 10pm@ Emos (Vinyl Release Party!)
The march toward the release of the Great Nostalgic’s next album is gaining momentum. The band is solidifying a new lineup, gearing up for SXSW shows, and of course prepping the album for a March/April release. In a recent email, frontman Abram Shook gave me some details on the themes of Hope We Live Like We Promised…
“The album does indeed still maintain a bit of a concept, though not quite as much of a story arc as the first record. This one is set up more as a series of vignettes about ordinary life in a neighborhood. Sometimes the stories intersect, and sometimes they spin off in their own directions, kinda like the movies Short-Cuts, or Smoke. It’s definitely poppier and lighter than our first record, but still keeps a 70's psychedelia feel throughout, and reveals more with multiple listens.”
According to Shook Hope We Live Like We Promised is sequenced for vinyl-style listening, songs heard in groups of sides. So if you want to get the full effect, picking up the vinyl album would be a good idea. The pre-order is a great deal and is up on their site.
Also on the site they have made the download of their spectacular debut available for free/donation. So if you’re unfamiliar with the Great Nostalgic this is a great way to catch-up. Especially for any non-Austinite that may be reading this, so you can hear the quality music our local Austin scene offers.
The band is also releasing a new video every month leading up to Hope We Live. The first two are already available.
January’s offering was “The Great Unknown.”
And the latest for February is "Spirit World"
p.s. I have heard the album (yes, be jealous) and can attest to Shook’s statements above. It’s poppy, it’s fun, and another solid offering from the band. I’ll most likely post a short review/write-up closer to the album’s official release.
Here's something I came across on the twitter yesterday...
Hope We Live Like We Promised
That is the fantastic title and equally-as-fantastic cover art for the forthcoming album from local Austin powerhouses The Great Nostalgic. According to their website the next dose of melodramatic indie prog rock is dropping this April. It's been a minute since we've heard from them; as their self-title debut sent waves across the Austin blogs in 2009. Even I couldn't resist piling on the accolades here on Trinity Stardust. It will be interesting to see if The Great Nostalgic will follow the same thematic structure on this release as they did in the past. So the countdown begins for what has to be one of the most anticipated local releases of 2011.
The band is also offering a great vinyl pre-order offer. Looks like 20 bills gets you the new album with "D-side" bonus tracks, a digital download, and a cd copy of their debut. Quite the deal.
With their self-titled debut, The Great Nostalgic have created an album that rides the line between music and theater. From start to finish it plays as an orchestrated score of life’s turns of love and sorrow. At the album’s best points they channel the dark dramatics of Arcade Fire’s “Neon Bible,” and at others it recalls The Cure’s 80s-era pop. Whichever direction it goes, the movements come as carefully manipulated and will entrance any listener.
The Great Nostalgic is a virtually new Austin five-piece that has wasted no time in gaining a buzz. The band, captained by Abram Shook, was named by The Austin Chronicle as one of 9 bands to watch in 2009. With a name that invokes a sense of grandeur, they seem poised to join other high theatric-sounding bands like their fellow Austinites Shearwater, or Arcade Fire.
The album opens riding a haunting piano on “Grace,” as Shook’s dark vocals (think modern Bowie dipped in Robert Smith’s gloom) encapsulate a nightmarish lullaby. “And these are the stories of the city / you’ve loved, and lost,” he sings setting up the narrative for the rest of the album. Shook’s vocal then opens the second track “The Kingdom” accompanied by whirling guitars that help him explode the track when the hook hits.
“Young Lovers” is the token pop tune to turn the frown upside-down and focuses on the happier moments for the heart. It’s a summertime love song purely fit for holding hands. Elsewhere on the album “House of My Father” displays similar pop appeal, featuring the most rhythmic dance moments.
But between those songs there are some monsters. The quiet ballad “The Letter Opener” features a seductive vocal performance from Pink Nasty (who also shows up later to harmonize on “Queen and Country”). The Great Nostalgic have a real burner on their hands with “Fire Brigade,” which comes midpoint and features pretty much every musical movement found throughout the album on this one song.
“Return to the Kingdom” is an epic closer you can only expect after listening to all that had come before it. Relying more on the instrumentation and subtle harmonizing, than Shook’s lyrical antics, it puts its entirety in context of the theatrical sound of The Great Nostalgic.
While it does feature several stand out tracks, this album is one best if listened from beginning to end. Like a book or a motion picture, each chapter can only fully be appreciated given its placement in the overall big picture. Each song features internal moment that in the greater scheme fits with the progression of the album. In this The Great Nostalgic have created a symphony more that just an album. This is indeed an impressive effort. Good show!
