Paper Route - Chariots

Love is never invincible
It's a musical embodied into a soul
You, you thought of it differently
Treated everything, a moment of memory
You promised me that everything was fair
If it's love or more
But you're giving up the fight
Is it not worth fighting for?

Doing my research, as I do, I just discovered that although Paper Route has been around for over a decade, they've changed band members, and record labels, several times. This single is the second to be released in front of their upcoming album, which will be their first LP from Kemosabe Records, and first with Nick Aranda on guitar, and it's featured in a trailer for the FIFA 17 video game. But, who cares? What drew me to this song? Honestly, I think it's that the opening 20 seconds (the part used in the trailer, incidentally) sound almost exactly like the start of a song I already knew and loved: Heavydirtysoul by TØP. Don'tcha think?? (I mean, I like the entirety of both songs, which turn out very different, but still, I wonder if they paid to sample it.)

Upcoming Shows

The Dear Hunter - Gloria

Soon I'll know exactly where I stand
Found in a flood of incendiary plans
Oh, I've been falling fast into the rhythms without rhymes
I won't be giving up again; yeah, I'll be getting up again

I'm a fan of quite a few...let's call them "departure side projects". You know, the kind where someone's got a musical itch that just doesn't quite fit with their primary work. Sometimes the project stays on the side. Albert Hammond, Jr.'s work, which we featured last month, fits this mold. As does the work of Casey Crescenzo, although The Dear Hunter might be more analogous to City & Colour; more of a true departure.

I first discovered a The Dear Hunter a few month's ago and have been very impressed with the variety and depth of the work. "Gloria" the latest release is more of the same, and a great intro to an interesting artist I can't wait to hear more from them when I see them live this fall.

If you like this one, take a look at the video for "Waves", which might be right up there with my favorite songs of 2015.

Upcoming Shows

Explosions In The Sky - Disintegration Anxiety

Sometimes you just need beautiful noise paired with some heads-down and mostly mindless work to get your head on straight and your attitude adjusted towards being awesome. Today it's been some house cleaning and The Wilderness, the latest effort from the intense and interesting instrumentalists Explosions In The Sky.

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Sjowgren - Seventeen

I'm
Coming up with all the things
So won't
So won't you come and join me
Life
Life can deal some crazy things
But don't worry
Don't you worry
We'll find it

This may be a one-hit-wonder, released last summer, but it's a nice listen and who knows? Maybe Sjowgren will surprise us with a new EP someday and we can all say, "Oh, I remember that band!"

Upcoming Shows

FOXTRAX - Underwater

I can’t tell the time
When I’m working on my grind sometimes
And my worries are waving with the wind
And I don’t mind if I feel blue
If I’m staring at the moon
And the stars are staring at me with a grin

I first heard this song last week when it was featured on Alt Nation's Advanced Placement program, and made a note to re-listen. Then I saw that Underwater was also featured on iTunes in the #1 spot for New Artists. Come to find out this is the debut single from the first EP by a basically brand new (formed in 2015) band. Somehow these just-graduated-from-college-and-moved-to-L.A. dudes are already attracting huge buzz: FOXTRAX even got written up in a UK blog saying, "They are guilty of producing an extremely fun live performance... tighter than a hipster's jeans." So. Guess I'll be looking for them to pop up in Austin sometime soon.

Upcoming Shows