Spin This: July 5
Pure X—Pleasure: Pure X used to be called Pure Ecstasy, but don’t let the name change fool you. They haven’t gone punk rock on us: this is the same sleepy Austin trio that’s poised to break big. Pleasure is the group’s debut album, coming hot on the heels of a number of lauded singles released last year. Pure X’s music sounds like it was concocted in the middle of a humid summer night. The rhythms are languid, the guitars are textured and dreamy, and Nate Grace’s voice wafts in and out of the mix. It’s a very specific sound tethered to a very specific mood, but Pure X pull it off through simplicity, subtle hooks, and some fine instrumental work. Take a listen to “Twisted Mirror” below.
Pure X – Twisted Mirror
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The Old 97’s—The Grand Theatre, Vol. 2: For the Old 97’s, it’s all about capturing the live experience and putting it tape. Over the course of their eighteen-year career, the legendary Dallas band has had varying degrees of success with their albums. They started out as a pure country band, quickly fell into the alt-country movement of the mid-90s, then steadily shifted towards a more polished pop-rock sound with 2001’s Satellite Rides. The past few years have seen the band attempting to combine the country-punk fervor of their younger days with the sweet ‘60s pop the members profess to love. Last year came The Grand Theatre, Vol. 1, a sprawling collection of tunes first practiced on the stage of Dallas’s famed Sons of Hermann Hall. And now comes Vol. 2, another pitch-perfect primer on the Old 97’s inventive sound. It might not fully capture the chaotic energy of their live shows, but it comes pretty close, and KUT’s got you covered. Take a listen to “I’m A Trainwreck,” recorded live in Studio 1A.
The Old 97′s – I’m A Trainwreck
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Podcast: Download (6.5MB)
