The Bright Light Social Hour - Infinite Cities

Standing without places
Rotation into phases
Neon constellations
Echoing the nameless
Cities without limit
Carpeted and endless
Quilted emigrations
Moonrise in our faces

Stay until we call it home
Stay until we call it home

Distant western gazes
Swollen hearts in vases
Fugitive embraces
Packed away in cases
Comfort is a siren
Radiant and instant
Scattered by the movement
Moonrise in our faces

Another Austin band I definitely should have known about sooner, I only started earnestly listening to BLSH recently, after missing them perform at SXSW again, and then reading up on them for TMIS! I'm sure they're practically heroes in the local music scene, having won several awards at SXSW starting in 2011, and creating a viral song/video supporting Texan pro-choice Senator, Wendy Davis (who should have become governor but I digress), and last year doing the theme song for Amazon show Sneaky Pete. Their sound is kind of hard to pin down, a little psychedelic, and progressive-to-slightly-punk, yet still sounding folksy at times. (I bet Keith is super familiar with them and cringing at my description but my ears + my experience = my words, heh.)

RIYL: The Dear Hunter, Emarosa, Run River North, Minus the Bear

Upcoming Shows

Florence + The Machine - Ship to Wreck

Don't touch the sleeping pills, they mess with my head,
Dredging the Great White Sharks, swimming in the bed,
And here comes a Killer Whale, to sing me to sleep,
Thrashing the covers off, it has me by its teeth.

And oh my love remind me, what was it that I said?
I can't help but pull the earth around me, to make my bed
And oh my love remind me, what was it that I did?
Did I drink too much?
Am I losing touch?
Did I build this ship to wreck?

To wreck, to wreck, to wreck,
Did I build this ship to wreck?

What's with the long face? Do you want more?
Thousands of red-eyed mice, scratching at the door,
Don't let the curtain catch you, cause you've been here before,
The chair is an island darling, you can't touch the floor

While "Dog Days" is probably the most fun Florence song to date (mandolin and clapping and triumphant chanting chorus!) I can never get over the lyrics to this dreamy tune. I'm pretty sure I attempted to karaoke "Ship to Wreck" one brave and tipsy night, and I'm pretty sure that it's a good thing I don't remember it. Florence has one of those inimitable voices - powerful, moving, a bit of lilt, hint of pain. Wish I'd caught their set at ACL a couple years back! (Darned different weekend line-ups.)

RIYL: Of Monsters and Men, Lana Del Ray, Kate Nash, Adele

Good God, under starless skies we are lost
And into the breach, we got tossed
And the water's coming in fast!

Upcoming Shows

The Kooks - Be Who You Are

You are just a kid
With a sentimental heart
Fade away what happened
Before you were a star

You don't need the package
You don't need the stuff
You don't need nobody
To feel your empty cough
 

With their first new song in at least a couple of years, The Kooks give us a throw-back, happy, boppy, British invasion-eque track, perfectly suited to it's place on a best-of compilation album. 

RIYL: The Wombats, The Vaccines, Bloc Party, The Libertines

Upcoming Shows

Wilderado - Bottoms

Speak up now, I know you said it before
Why don't you say it again but louder
I hate it that it takes a load from my back
That you never even needed at all

Can we meet at the bottom?
Can we call that home?
Can we both admit that we're just not fit
To be alone? 
We come here alone

Formerly calling themselves Bird Dog (two earlier EPs that have been re-released under the new name), Wilderado (Google does NOT like that spelling) are currently on tour with Judah & The Lion (whom I find ridiculously overrated), grinding it out on the road and releasing several singles over the past year, all of which I adore. Not sure what else to say about these four dudes based out of L.A. but I'm so happy that Spotify helped me discover them! Oh, and their videos are totally lo-fi throw backs, kinda fun. 

RIYL: Run River North, Pinegrove, Ha Ha Tonka, My Morning Jacket

Upcoming Shows

Pronto Mama - Double-Speak

Now you're right
You're right
You'll get your very own cell
Come live with me
You'll get your very own cell
I'll get mine as well

Woke up the other day to a major thunder storm, so I put on some mood music: We Were Promised Jet Packs. Love those guys, especially love seeing them live - so impressive. Thought (again) about posting one of their tracks here on TMIS but I've been waiting (like everyone) for some new music to be released. I decided to double check their Facebook page for info. (They're in the studio!) And then I found a post recommending this fellow Glasgowian band! (WWPJP guitarist had them play at his wedding.) Pronto Mama have a bit of buzz now in the UK, with their debut LP Any Joy coming out next month. 

RIYL: WWPJP, Twilight Sad, Blaenavon, JAWS, Frightened Rabbit

Upcoming Shows