School of Seven Bells

As posted on DC9 at night Welcome to a new joint venture between DC9 at Night and the folks at We Denton Do It, aimed at introducing local audiences to up-and-coming acts they may have missed during recent stops through town. They're the kind of acts we think you're gonna want to know--and right away.

School of Seven Bells - Interview from WeDentonDoIt on Vimeo.

School of Seven Bells shouldn't be a new band to most DC9 readers; we've been slobbering over the band's ethereal, atmospheric pop since we first caught wind of Dallas native and former Secret Machines guitarist Ben Curtis' new project almost three years ago now. And, though the band's down a member these days, it's still offering up a massive sound--and one well worth your listens.

We caught up with the band up in Denton a few weeks back when the band stopped by for a gig at Hailey's and band members Curtis and Alejandra Deheza were kind enough to grant us some backstage face time. In the above clip, the band shares with us some insight into their creative process, their inspirations and the unforeseen effects that their music has had on some of their listeners.

Eternal Summers: Silver

Review By Judson Valdez

We got the chance to book Eternal Summers to a show we held a few nights ago and I had a great time watching them. Following the show they were kind enough to give me a copy of their new record (which came out last Tuesday) for review, so I thought I’d do a kind of all in one wrap up of their live show/new recordings.

In addition to helping put on the show a few nights back, I also ran the sound. As I introduced myself to the band, Nicole Yun (guitar and vox) and Daniel Cundiff (drums and vox), to get some sound specs for their set to come, Daniel was quick to mention the need for some good reverb on the vocals. This was no shock to me as the latest trend in the new group of punk influenced bands out there has been finding their surf rock roots and turning up the verb in both the guitars and vocals. Later on in the night, when asked how much reverb they would like on their voice, Cundiff replied,

“In a sea of reverb, we like the ripples in the water to come up to about knee high.”

Though I put this in the review partially just because I thought it was a great way to answer my question, I also point it out because Cundiff’s statement is a very good summation of Eternal Summers. I’ve been listening to the band’s new album, Silver, on repeat for the last few days trying to decide what I think of it for this review. The thing about Silver is that both its strengths and its weaknesses lie in this “knee high,” mentality of moderation. Some tracks, especially early on, such as opener “Disciplinarian,” show much more of the punk aspects of the two piece while slower and more “chill wave,” sounding tracks such as “Eternal,” show off the bands surf rock tendencies mixed with a Beach House vibe. This nice moderate mix of the current genre trends is what makes this band interesting and very enjoyable to listen to for me.

Though, I still feel like they have some room to grow. While the album is a really solid listen for me, I still feel that there are moments where the careful balance of genres gets a little on the slow side. I think what I’m trying to say is that in our current trend of music, Eternal Summers fits right in, which is both good and bad.

Being a hype band these days has so many obvious advantages, but with it comes a danger of blending in too much with thousands of other bands doing very similar things. For a band like Eternal Summers, the subtle differences are key to making them stand out, which, for a punk band, can be difficult to accomplish. But, seeing the simplicity of their sound live, and then listening to the slightly more texturized version of their songs on the album, I can honestly say that they hit that subtlety in so many ways, and I think that the future seems bright for them. If you have a chance, see them live, and buy the record as well.

Twin Shadow

"Welcome to a new joint venture between DC9 at Night and the folks at We Denton Do It aimed at introducing local audiences to up-and-coming acts they may have missed during recent stops through town. They're the kind of acts we think you're gonna want to know--and right away, as, in our minds, they seem primed to blow. So sit back, watch and enjoy, bros." -DC9

Twin Shadow - Interview from WeDentonDoIt on Vimeo.

by Jordan Smith

Twin Shadow's debut full-length album, Forget, couldn't have come at a better time. With the fall season here in full swing, Twin Shadow fills the void left by summer's passing garage grunge trend and ushers in a new chapter of mellow, self-reflective sounds.

They're the kind of band that high-brow indie connoisseurs just need to know about.

Forget brings everything to the table that a successful, hit record needs. It blends mellow, dramatic, heart-felt lyricism with unconventional nostalgia to shape an adept satirical soundtrack for the huffy beatnik. And, with a select mix of guitar solos and synth melodies, it transitions the listener from the poppy summer jams to the thumping basement dwelling electronic songs of the bitter cold winter.

We met up with Twin Shadow frontman George Lewis for an interview the night of his show as the opening act for Jamie Lidell at the Granada Theater.

The little I had gathered about George prior to the interview made me wonder what to expect on this encounter. But George and the rest of the band proved to be a couple of approachable normal bros. Their band is still emerging in the alternative music scene and not yet buried in success of their blog buzz. Their pretenses have not gotten the best of them and still grant enough humility to be genuine and personable.

Over the course of our talk, George jested about his rise in popularity and mentioned that he wasn't quite to the point of snobbery in precedence of interviews, but that maybe, in the future, there would be a time and place for it.

His outlook on his successes, and his willingness to be professional while maintaining his own identity, makes Twin Shadow to be a band worth watching. George has a personal brand that the iconoclast blog surfer can relate to, but also one that isn't too far gone for marketing. It's similar to what we see with the rising sensation of Neon Indian. Twin Shadow has the ability to identify with the niche of indie music veterans and yet also appeal to the more commercial-friendly crowd as well.

With pop culture and subcultures increasingly changing and mering in the information age, Twin Shadow fits neatly in the middle of marketability and authenticity.