post-hardcore

The Blowies: “Bye Bye Polar Bears”

Longtime morning listeners can attest that the late great John Aielli was incredibly keen on his almanac commemorations, especially Halloween and Valentine’s Day. But the class act John was, he always kept it kosher on the actual calendar day, saving the delightful disdain of his Anti-Valentine’s playlist for February 15th. So in the time since he left us, it’s not surprising that former producers of John’s (including myself and my colleague Taylor) and other “Aeillians” like to jump the gun and get a little smarmy on Hallmark’s favorite holiday.

In that scornful spirit, For Spite presents “Singles Only” 6PM tonight at The Far Out Lounge, hosted by KUTX’s own Taylor Wallace. For just $10 you’ll get a lot more than a bouquet or a box of chocolate – four sets of hand-picked Austin acts back-to-back, each packed with a brand new offering. The evening kicks off with a Kiki Machine music video premiere and continues with three kick-ass single releases from Die Mart, Exotic Fruits, and today’s feature, The Blowies.

Comprised of Sharks in the Deep End ex-pats Tucker Jameson and Samuel Thompson, this hardcore duo dropped their uncouth debut The Blowies back in 2020. Their already-cynical take on societal commentary has flourished from their of-kilter confidence at start of the pandemic era into the breakneck tongue-in-cheek typhoon we now know as The Blowies. A new gale of high-octane punk touches down later this year on an as-of-yet-untitled sophomore full-length, one that brought The Blowies back to Public Hi-Fi Studio, this time with producer-engineer-extraordinaire Max Lorenzen. And when The Blowies hit the stage at 8PM tonight, join them in chanting an irreverent anthem that almost seems to celebrate the pessimism surrounding climate change by bidding farewell to our arctic ursine neighbors, “Bye Bye Polar Bears”!

Shadow Work: “Warm Tones”

There’s no doubt; Denver’s got a splendid music scene. Yet despite an artist multiplicity that gives Austin a run for its money, it’s rare to come across an act that captures several sounds of the city simultaneously. So if you want a calculated combo of post-hardcore guitar, jazz-injected percussion, and turbulent pride-of-punk bass riffs, sign up for shadow work.

This capricious art/math-rock trio first crawled out of the woodwork on last May’s debut album Robben Island and have since gone on to share a handful of singles, including two in 2022 alone. The latest one, “Warm Tones”, (mixed and mastered by Snoop Dogg/Lil Baby/Trey Songz producer John Scott) sets the stage for a Southeastern U.S. tour at the end of the month. shadow work has stops planned for Birmingham, Nashville, and Atlanta, so if you’re the type to hold onto Texas’ high temps as long as possible, consider working their whirlwind “Warm Tones” (with its daring dynamics, melancholy chord changes, and jaw-dropping instrumentation) into your upcoming Fall playlist. Either way, keep on the lookout for a national tour and a new record from shadow work within the next year.