Two songs, originally created years ago and found on a random backup cd. Imagine the surprise! Two gems of droney, rain weather music.
Cover art by Jackson, William Henry, 1843-1942, photographer, Public Domain. Home of cotton picker.
Tres Pianos is exactly what it sounds like: Three pianos that are all overdubbed without a click track. The result is fumbly, cloud-like, and feels exactly like a cool but dry Sunday morning.
Photo courtesy of Library of Congress. Public Domain.
Soloman House interior – piano, by Bain News Service, publisher. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/ggb2006010801/
In May 2014, we conducted a brutally effective experiment with Amazon’s Mechanical Turk. The objective was to receive completely unbiased, brutal honesty from people we're not likely to ever meet in person. We asked these people what they thought about the first seven seconds of the song I Wanna Be Afraid, and the answers were stupendously honest. The rest of this page contains these answers unedited, ripe with memorable prose and (in some cases) un-self-conscious frustration at having to listen to music they didn't enjoy...
There's nothing that really happens in the first 7 seconds of the song. It's hard to judge what the song is going to do after only 7 seconds and a very basic guitar riff with drums.
The starting background makes me feel that I am on the playground doing marchpast! Only jarring noise. Could have started with a guitar or saxophone piece.
the music was nothing more than a drum beat - the singer sounded like he was in pain
I loved the music of the song and it is amazing.
I did like the song, particularly the beat in the beginning. I thought the beat was very uplifting, something that you would hear after accomplishing a huge feat. However, the lead singer did not have that great of a voice.
I dont wanna be mean.. but I'm afraid of the singer's voice it's like he's taking drugs but still I salute with the efforts.
I like the theme of this song.
its very energitic [sic] and i like this
I like the strong guitar and drums. I thought the empty pause at the very beginning was a bit too long.
The first 7 seconds was alright, but once the singing started I did not enjoy it anymore. I am not saying that it did not take talent to make it but it just was not y cup of tea.
not at all
It's rather noisy in the beginning but I like fast beats. The title needs to be changed.. it's not something a lot of people can relate to because most people don't want to be afraid.
I like the music of the song.
another of already toomany heavy metal bands
Not sure I like the tone but like the melody.
I'm sorry but it is very repetitive and conventional. It sounds like there was very little prep or practice involved. Sorry for being brutal but I'm being honest.
The background music is effective.
Music is not pleasant and not matching the song, song is good.
music was good rocking
It startled me. The beginning was very quiet and the contrast wasn't a good surprise. I like different and I can see where this was going but the transition could be tweaked just a tad. I didn't want to listen to more but I did and I actually LIKED the song once it got past the 1 minute mark. The lead singer has a great voice. Perhaps working on the smoothing out some of the accompanying guitar and drums so it's not quite as harsh and appeals to more people, more of the time would match the singer's appealing voice. Sorry if that was too honest. I'm a music lover. :)
The guitar music is impressive
The vocals are interesting. The sound quality is poor. I would speed up the tempo.
I didn't like, some thing is missing, i can hear that some one is shouting.
its very energetic and enjoyable i likes this song
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By M
This stripped-down Austin duo brings raw passion and much enthusiasm to the rock table with their simplistic use of drums, vocals and one guitar. It’s not a combination that many bands can successfully pull off, but Sprightly Moans has made a sound uniquely all their own that’s instantly recognizable.
When most people think of a guitar-and-drum band, Jack White probably comes to mind with his garish brightness and blues-influenced grunge rock but don’t be fooled by the genre. From soft, acoustic melodies tinged with sadness to harder-hitting pop-rock anthems, Sprightly Moans brings to music what a lit fuse brings to a rocket – quiet and unassuming at first, but you’re just waiting for it to explode.
The lyrics are simplistic but full of meaning, and can bring about a surprising range of emotions within the same song – laughter and melancholy, happiness and reflection – without losing the listener’s focus. Some songs just seem to be the soundtrack to life and its various ups and downs, which means Sprightly Moans should be playing in the back of your mind at least once a day.
“I Wanna Be Afraid”, a single from their Demos III EP, recalls lazy days with your friends - times when you just hung out together and had a few cold ones in the heat of summer while listening to music on the back porch. The lyrics are trippy and easy to sing along with as you sway with the wind that blows your hair – and your mind. On the other hand, “Love is Nothing Without Eternity” is haunting, ethereal and jaw-dropping in its tenderness and respect to the creation of the song and the words that lie within.
As brilliant as they are with lyrics and as creative as they are with sound, the vocals can occasionally come across as too muddled to properly understand and might seem a touch overplayed in the closed-mouth way of some singers today. But that’s not to say Sprightly Moans is just another band, not at all. They are a dynamic, integral part of the Austin music scene and around the world, a spaceship waiting to break through the atmosphere into the world beyond.
Determination, a unique style and caring about their audience is a winning recipe that this band is cooking up fervently, with no plans to stop anytime soon – and that’s good news for everyone.
By Brendon at Shadows Records
The three track EP is very enjoyable and will be a good home for any fan of classic rock. Often in today's music it's hard to find artists that go straight to their roots without mimicking them entirely. Sprightly Moans brings a fresh spun sound that will have their listeners captivated. I think these guys have a bright future and I look forward to their full album release...
Sprightly Moans’ first ever music video, and of the song I Wanna Be Afraid. The record that this song appears on can be purchased here (this is a super limited edition pressing, so get it while you can).
By Jer at Sleeping Bag Studios:
“I Wanna Be Afraid,” the second track on the EP is the unsung hero for sure. I know just by my own natural tendencies that this will end up being the track I love the most. There’s something about the approach to this track in the chorus…but that line in particular “I Wanna Be Afraid…” it’s almost like you can hear him searching his mind for the feeling each time he repeats the line. Vocally, this EP again shows just how much a band can grow in a short time. They are beyond spot on in all three tracks, beyond rock and into the beautiful. They pull you in; it’s that same somewhat…I dunno…it’s a different approach…like…if you like the singer from The Cold War Kids, you’ll know what I mean I suppose. They sound like there’s a struggle and a battle to be won each time the mic is switched on; full of raw emotion and a trembling hint that they could just as easily break as explode.
“Love Is Nothing Without Eternity…”
How on EARTH am I going to keep a review on a three song EP to a reasonable length if you people are going to put a track as amazing as THIS on your discs?
To read the rest of this review, please go to sleepingbagstudios.ca
By Indie Band Guru:
There is music in our heads that always wants to escape into the real world. Unfortunately it is not always the easiest thing to get the beautiful sounds in your head to transfer to the recorded medium. Sometimes a little help is needed and a partner in crime/music. This led to the creation of our recent find, Sprightly Moans...
To read the rest of this review, please visit indiebandguru.com.
By Chris Romans of Hear The Indie.
Emotion is one of the prevalent qualities on Demos III as far as I am concerned. I know this is a fairly cliche or useless descriptor, but hear me out. While so much garage rock, punk rock, black metal, and other lo-fidelity forms of music are intrinsically emotional in one way or another, it often feels like a facade. So many modern punk bands with their pseudo-anarchistic mannerisms, roaring guitars, and deafening vocalists belting into a microphone feel empty to me. Granted, this is not every act in the genre, but it seems like the music is manufactured for the purpose of sales. As such, emotions are present but empty, used simply to lure people already in an emotional state of mind. Lyrical topics are followed quickly, with so many artists hitting on contrived and stale topics, such as governmental oppression. Sprightly Moans manages to surpass my emotional expectations with unique lyrical topics, often bordering on beautiful poetry (and sometimes surpassing the borderline) and a fairly interesting manner of expressing these thematic concepts musically under the guise of lo-fi garage rock.
Indeed, the lyrics on the whole are a point well worth noting. With each track lending some sort of evocative phrasing or idea. Additionally, the ability of the lyric producer to begin by examining a topic so worn out, then throw in his own existential perspective. I can not get "Love Is Nothing Without Eternity" out of mind, not only because of it's hauntingly simply melody, but because of the words sung throughout. They are catchy because they rely heavily on elements of folk and contemporary pop music, almost bordering on a religious tune by the likes of Michael W. Smith at moments, and it leads to an extraordinary output with the focal point being love, death, some sense of existential longing, crossing the border where nihilism (and a generalized disattachment to the physical universe) meets a longing for life...
To read the rest of this review, please go to heartheindie.com.
By Chris Marsh, of www.crossradar.com.
...and after all that, the curveball is found in ‘Love Is Nothing Without Eternity’ – a beautifully delicate acoustic number with a Hawaiian vibe. It’s a preciously fragile song which wouldn’t be at all out of place on an indie movie soundtrack...
To read the rest of this review, please go to www.crossradar.com.
Along the intricately tangled roots buried deep within the origins of rock, emerges a powerful force known as Sprightly Moans. The Austin, Texas duo has just unleashed the latest single “I Wanna Be Afraid” From their upcoming album Demos III scheduled to be unveiled January 30th, 2014. If the single is any indication as to what Sprightly Moans intends to bring to the discriminating ear, be ready for a chilling meet and greet filled with a perplexing, yet fascinating musical experience. Laced with a mysterious voyage through the inner-workings of darkness and desire, the single is surprisingly accented with energetic twists and turns.
“I Wanna Be Afraid” is a carefully crafted Hard Rock piece that lyrically dances with the taboo while also redefining the rules of engagement for avid rock consumers. The use of conscious wordplay and elaborate vocal changes throughout the song worked in a cohesive manner with the instrumental elements to produce a flight of the imagination into an unchartered realm. The lyrics work effectively to blanket the atmosphere with a heavy, shadowy cloud that becomes surprisingly weightless as the chorus lurches in. When a band can actually make the tiny hairs on your neck stand up, it is fairly certain to say that they have delivered...
To read the rest of this review, please go to vdfashionblog.wordpress.com.
By Sir Jorge of SellOutRecords.Blogspot.Com
Sprightly Moans puts together an eclectic blend of music, and does so in such a daring manner. You get that from the first sounds of "Demos III", their latest release, and while it may be short in songs, it proves to be an emblem of creative music. It’s a powerful performance piece that is hard to classify in one genre. Sure, it’s easy to say it’s rock, but it also has moments of indie, symphony, folk, and a touch for the dramatic here and there. You don’t hear this kind of passion in a lot of artists, which is why the album fits so well with me.
Not since I first heard Bradley Hathaway perform at Tomfest, have I heard such a unique mix of passion and poetic lyricism. Sprightly Moans provides a good wall of noise on “Blushes all Around”. Some may liken it to MeWithoutYou, and others may hear shades of Pedro The Lion, with a louder “White Stripes” tenacity on guitars. On “I Wanna Be Afraid” the band really stretches a bit, rolling through a variety of sounds and rhythms yet holding tight to the rock infused sound.
To read the rest of this review, please go to selloutrecords.blogspot.com.
Release Date: January 30th, 2014
Totally unique design; We’re confident that no band has ever created a CD sleeve quite like Demos III. Black felt and regular white card stock were combined to create the sleeve, while three songs rest on an unmarked, silver cd. Fans who get a copy will receive something special; it took us fifteen minutes to make each one.
Demos III has been reviewed by a number of publications, including here, and here.
We are having a CD release party and we’re giving them all away for free. Want one? Then I suppose you’d best RSVP, and quickly.
By Mike Giord.
...I Wanna Be Afraid, which is a true masterpiece, we're really talking about a track of rare preciousness with a very special item on a guitar. Very emotional, a text that makes inroads into any heart.
To read the rest of this review, please go to musicrev1ew.wordpress.com/
By Mike Giord.
When it comes to avant-garde there comes to mind a lot of music, because the avant-garde masterpieces has given us so many albums... Forgettable. But now come to our rescue the Sprightly Moans, American band with a rock vein makes a voice its characteristic point.
(Please note: this review was originally written in Italian, and the above is a rough translation)
To read the rest of this review, please go to www.mikegiord11.com.
By Jer at SleepingBagStudios.com
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good SPRIGHT!
Let’s face it – Christmas music isn’t always “all that.” There are often too many bells and certainly not enough ROCK. You might even argue that over time the holiday season itself has become more about presents than it has been about presence…so let’s change that up this holiday season – meet SPRIGHTLY MOANS!
This electric two-piece band comprised of Dave and Jeff from Austin, TX keep the volume up whenever there’s space to crank it up and this interview is no exception. We had the good fortune and opportunity to talk with Dave from Sprightly Moans and find out what’s happening with the music, the upcoming debut album in 2014 and I get some tips directly on how to handle the never-ending Christmas season I live a 12th of my year in.
As it turns out – Dave’s got a WICKED sense of humor – one I really dig on personally. Getting to know him a little behind the scenes allowed me to take a few of the traditional “chains” off in this interview and just ask whatever came to mind. No lie – I always love it when these interviews head in that direction…we all know there’s no telling what might be the burning question on my mind at any time.
So let’s find out what those are and how Dave’s own mind works trying to follow me down the rabbit hole of independent music journalism. It might be Christmas but you don’t have to suffer along with Ebeneezer & the carols that come with it. Start prepping your New Year’s Eve today and turn this music up! Curl up beside your yule log, click on one of the active links in the article to take you to some official music to listen to while you check out what’s happening lately here in this interview with Sprightly Moans.
Happy Holidays All!
Jer @ SBS
SPRIGHTLY MOANS INTERVIEW:
SBS: Sprightly Moans! Hello and WELCOME to sleepingbagstudios – thanks for being here with us. I’ve been slowly researching, listening to and stalking you all in an attempt to get the most I can out of you. And it’s funny you know…I’m a word guy…a writer of sorts…so when I came across this quote about your 2nd Demo CD on sprightlymoans.com:
“Notably, the sleeve was made from a single piece of felt card-stock paper that was lovely to the touch.”
I don’t know if anyone else out there has noticed this, or asked…but that statement is in the past tense. So OBVIOUSLY, when there are a MILLION and ONE things I could ask you about your lives and music…this is somehow the burning question atop my weirdly-bearded-brain – What HAPPENED to the paper? How hath you soiled the loveliness?
SPRIGHTLY MOANS: Oh, we were fools with that paper, giving it away like we did. Absolute fools.
SBS: Alright…now that important detail is on the record I’ll back it up. For the people that don’t know about you yet – tell us about Sprightly Moans. How did you get together and decide to do this?
SPRIGHTLY MOANS: I wanted to create music. Loud music. Music that was direct and incontrovertible. I started messing around with the sounds I heard in my head (not a fail-safe instrument) and put some drums on it. Needless to say, it sounded terrible. The drums needed more awesomeness, so I started the search to find a drummer.
The first drummer I found was pretty cool, but I think he resented me on account that he didn’t find it funny to have found a book entitled, “Isn’t It Wonderful To Be Gay?” in his bass drum after a rehearsal. Another drummer had me convinced that he was a John Bonham expert, but I became convinced otherwise not too long after we met.
Finally, Jeff came along. Jeff has a much more sophisticated sense of humor. That and he can play the hell out of the drums.
SBS: You also sound like you have a solid plan in place when it comes to the recording process. If I’ve got my facts straight, you’re just about to release the final EP before embarking upon the recording of your debut album. What made you choose this approach and what advantages does it give you when you start to record the new album?
SPRIGHTLY MOANS: Well, close on that one. We’ve got two more demo releases to let go of before attempting the real thing, which will take a lot of money to do it right. We’d prefer to do it right. I’m absolutely considering male prostitution to make budget. It’s an option, and a tax-free one at that, if I can deal with the brutal change of spirituality, of course.
That aside, the approach from the beginning has really been about learning about what
to present and how to present it. It’s a huge advantage to have absolutely no one paying attention and slowly put more time and effort into how things are done. Mostly, I wanted a chance to get better everything before going at it with the big ideas, like recording an album and prostituting myself out to fund it. It’d be a jump in dedication in both cases, that’s for sure.
SBS: After listening, it’s also clear that you’re all about the ROCK. Is this the style of
music you’ve both always gravitated towards or was this the sound that was simply born out of playing together since the beginning?
SPRIGHTLY MOANS: Me personally, no. I spent a lot of time listening to a lot of music. I tried different genres out, tried them on like a jacket, but none of them really fit all that well. Finally, I realized that I liked rock and roll sooooo much and the clothes really fit. It’s weird that it took so many years, but better late than never.
SBS: In reading the Facebook page, we get that confirmation from you in the about section. “Direct Rock And Roll,” as you’ve put it. Now, just because it’s been proclaimed obviously doesn’t mean it has to stay that way forever, but rock is clearly what you both love to play. I guess I’m just wondering out loud here (On paper, I know, weird eh?) but are there any limitations that somehow come with that proclamation? You know what I mean – does saying it make it more real somehow?
SPRIGHTLY MOANS: Totally weird: the written word (big smiles!).
The limitations are of expectations and reputations. If people expect us to be direct, of course we’ll feel compelled to be direct. If we get a reputation for being loud, and some money gets put on the table for us to maintain that reputation, of course we’ll feel compelled to stay that way. Who wouldn’t feel the tug?
But…
I really admire people who are brave enough to trash their own reputations. You know the types: they just let go and say “to hell with how I used to do things.” That takes some guts. It’s gotta be fun to mess with people’s expectations of you, trashing a rep like that. It must have the extra added benefit of confounding the people who dislike being confounded!
In any event, I know I’d get claustrophobic being pinned down, having only one way of doing things, and I’m reasonably sure Jeff feels the same way. The thing it all comes down to is, are we willing to do the absolutely most disgustingly wrong thing and scream c’est la vie to the way we used to do things?
I say this: Hells Yeah.
SBS: Rock is arguably the most wide-open genre of them all – tell me how we could identify a Sprightly Moans track apart from any others on a giant music-mix playing randomly. How do we know when we hit the track from Sprightly Moans? What identifies your sound and sets you apart from the rest of the rock?
SPRIGHTLY MOANS: If not our personalities, then I’m not sure. Everyone and their mother is in five bands nowadays, and the market is saturated. If the mash-up of what Jeff and I are doing doesn’t make us different than a number of other rock bands, then that’s okay. I certainly don’t mind trying this out and stretching it as far as it can go, and it certainly is fun to do. But if our personalities shine through our music, and people can hear that off the bat, then that’d be awesome.
But I’ll say this however: the hit-track comes when we have hit-track money in our pockets, and we can both afford to do extremely silly stuff with our money like spend it all on boots. I’d take Cavenders for a fucking ride, no doubt.
SBS: In that same line of questioning – when you’re playing true rock and roll – is there any need for any band out there to try and re-invent the wheel? Sometimes more of a good thing is simply a great thing is it not? How important is it for you to do something “different” in music?
SPRIGHTLY MOANS: True rock and roll seems like true punk rock; It just doesn’t care about what it’s doing. It’s unaware of itself. There is an element of not-giving-a-shit that is essential to true rock-and-roll. Courtney Love, from what I gather, is a perfect example. And not giving a shit, truly not giving a shit and not just pretending, naturally lends itself well to being rather distinctive. It doesn’t matter that something sounds different nearly as much as it sounds distinctive. To me, the hallmark of distinction is whether or not I can fit a record into my life. If a record can’t do that, it’s hard for me to feel compelled to listen to it. I want distinction.
For instance, I’ve always felt that Wilco’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is so distinctive because it’s a perfect album to listen to when I’m completely exhausted and need to get a whole mess of stuff done. To me, when I’m in that mood, it’s perfect and distinctive.
They are doing a lot of different stuff on there they haven’t really done with other records (my opinion), and they certainly re-invented the wheel. But more importantly, can anyone argue with me that it’s not an incredibly distinctive album? They are doing a lot of random stuff on that record, a lot of different stuff as you put it, but there is a soul to that album, a dream that we dream, as listeners, along with Wilco, when we listen to it or even think about it.
That’s distinction. Will Sprightly Moans ever get there? I’m not sure, but I won’t turn down the honor of having a distinctive album to anyone who listens.
SBS: I have the feeling you guys could very well make anything or any experience in life ROCK – so I’m gonna ask your advice on this situation I’m in…
You see…it’s Christmas time and all that…yuletide etc…and I have a MASSIVE amount of family. Good times are had yes…but it also results in a ton of driving around and listening to over-played, boring-ass Christmas music. No joke guys – the family is so big that I usually receive my last Christmas presents around my birthday exactly one month later.
So…for the holidays…for me…and for the people out there…
If your Christmas was to last a literal month – how would Sprightly Moans go about making that ROCK?
SPRIGHTLY MOANS: Pull pranks on all of your family.
There has to be heavy metal Christmas songs out there. I’d search for death metal, create a playlist, and casually leave the cd in a very normal looking Christmas album.
You could even have a label printed up of Barry Manilow looking all Barry Manilow-ish and paste it to the cover of the cd, just so that no one would suspect anything. Casually leave it by the cd player. Even forge a note from one Aunt to another: “I was thinking of you when I made this mix cd. Love you so much!” Another trick would be to put a massively short and brutal Xiu-Xiu song in between a bunch of Frank Sinatra Christmas songs. It can be done.
You could also enlist your cousins to ding-dong-ditch your family. I wouldn’t stop there; I’d get the entire outside of your folks’ front door decked out like it’s halloween, and possibly enlist more cousins to dress up all ghoulish and ring the doorbell, and ask for candy. Tell them they get five bucks extra if they refuse to take off their masks and brandish squirt guns. Always remember: super-soakers are your friends.
Whoopee cushions are also an excellent way to spend the holiday. Even better, but harder to keep a straight face with, would be a remote control fart machine. The batteries would be well worth the expense, and having kids running around wondering who is farting is good ole fun in the winter months. It’d be exactly like a laser light for kittens! Who doesn’t love kittens? Don’t be a hater on me if you dislike kittens. I don’t want to hear it. Kittens are awesome.
SBS: Ok. On to next year! Tell me about the future – how far away from the recording of the new album are we and what early details on it can we pull out of you now?
SPRIGHTLY MOANS: We’re pretty close to finishing up. As soon as that happens, we’re in-like-Nixon. Expect it by the end of January…
SBS: And how about live shows? Anything coming up? How often are you out there?
SPRIGHTLY MOANS: Not often enough! Since we are so new, I’m having trouble convincing promoters that we’re going to put on a good show and bring an audience with us. The only solution is to accept every single show that comes to us, and frankly, I’m not sure if either of us wants to do that. However, I’m cautiously optimistic that our next show will be better attended, possibly because I’m willing to bribe, extort, and blackmail otherwise well-meaning folks in good-standing with the community to come. Bigger problems have been solved via cajoling than I care to mention.
SBS: When recording as a two-piece band is it important to think about how you’ll be able to play those songs live? At the end of the day I would imagine you wouldn’t want to ever over-complicate things too much in case you wouldn’t be able to bring it all to the stage or have to hire a third member…but let’s hear it from you – what’s the real deal?
SPRIGHTLY MOANS: You’re totally right. The last thing I would ever want to do is saddle Jeff with too much detail to worry about. I say, let it ride and to hell with the haters who are in the back saying, “well it doesn’t sound like it did on the record.” Well, uh, duh. It’s more fun anyway!
If we do hire a third band member, it’ll be someone who sticks out like a sore thumb; I have to replace my role in the band somehow.
SBS: I was also curious about this other thing I read on the about page of your Facebook profile. It mentioned that your demos left a distinct “visual” mark in addition to the sonic one. Go into that a bit for me…how important is the visual representation behind the music? What can you communicate or express through art or media that you aren’t able to in your music?
SPRIGHTLY MOANS: Oh that’s really important. I really feel like any new band that attempts to give their music to others, to sell it in particular, has a hellova hurdle in front of them. Think about it: first, a band has to invite others into listening to the music, and then hope that the people who check it out are interested enough in the band to invest in it both short and long-term. That can’t be accomplished without a sense of taking the relationship between fan and band seriously.
On the band side, frumpiness is cool, but a danger when it’s time to present. When bands don’t care about presenting themselves, I wonder if they do it out of spite, like “I won’t dress up for Sunday school!” Maybe that’s me. Maybe I’m being completely off-base about presentation, but I want people to know that I will not abuse their attention or listenership. Taking pains to make the visual mark so distinctive? That’s one way to do it.
SBS: Alright Sprightly – it’s nearing the end of 2013…as randomly as you can think of, tell us a couple predictions for the upcoming year 2014. Anything!
SPRIGHTLY MOANS: Ahh, 2014 will be the year of privacy! 2013 was all about having our innocence about the internet completely shattered, and I think 2014 will be the year we start taking it back. It’s on.
SBS: When is it acceptable to NOT rock?
SPRIGHTLY MOANS: Never.
SBS: I’ve heard it said many times that AC/DC’s album Back In Black is like, drumming 101 for the new drummer. I was wondering what you guys might say as far as songs go – what’s the ultimate rock and roll blueprint out there?
SPRIGHTLY MOANS: What a question! I have absolutely no answer for you! Fucker- you stumped me!
SBS: Websites! Do some promo! Add a smiley-face! Whatever you guys wanna promote, have at it – but send these people somewhere specific online to find your music and stay updated on the details of the new album!
SPRIGHTLY MOANS: Oooooo, point. Absolutely savvy. Okay, then I’ll say this:
Come to our show on January 30th, 2014 at Red Eyed Fly in Austin and you’ll get a hell of a present. You will get a free, limited edition copy of Demos III. Plus, the first ten people to arrive will get a USB stick that has lyric sheets and beautifully done guitar tablatures of all the songs on Demos III. How dat?
SBS: Dave – just wanna say thank you again for being a part of this interview and taking the time to answer all this madness on behalf of yourself and Jeff. Before I let you go for good, I’d just like to offer you the open floor as we do with all of our guests. Take this next spot to say anything you like, shout out anyone you want or bring up anything we missed!
Sprightly Moans – you guys ROCK. Keep doing what you do.
SPRIGHTLY MOANS: Thank you! We will! As we’ve been given the opportunity to get on a soapbox, here are our tips for being a driver in Austin,TX:
Try to understand that most drivers in Austin fall into two categories: Fast, and slow. The slow drivers clog up the flow by not giving a damn about anyone, and the fast drivers are keen to pass you at any cost because generally, they don’t give a damn about anyone either. Texas drivers are very much like honey badgers.
In Austin’s driving culture, the slow drivers are often in the passing lane. This is due to Texas having so many silly left turns off of highways. Don’t blame the slow drivers for being in the passing lane; Blame the culture instead.
Never, ever, drive slow in the passing lane, unless you wish to punish other drivers (see below):
Tailgater Management Move Number One! Feel free to punish drivers who tailgate you by boxing them in. Let me explain: four lane road, no passing, slow moving car in the other lane. Match the speed of the slow-moving car to punish the shit-head tailgater behind you both. Insert evil laugh.
In a four lane city road in Austin, if the right-hand lane has lighter traffic and the inner lane has heavier traffic, many drivers will boldly pull into that right-hand lane. Never mind if you wish to turn into that very same right-hand lane and have the right of way! These people are turning into it and there’s nothing you can do about it. Approach cars pulling onto the same road as you with caution, because they don’t give a fuck (see below):
Austin TX drivers are like honey badgers.
Access roads are the roads parallel to the highway that you get on after you exit. They will mess you up if you aren’t familiar with them. If you come to Austin and wish to enjoy this fair city, accept the fact that you will get lost/turned around at least five times. Expect massive shaming and blushing for your efforts, too.
If you are a pedestrian who has the right of way in a parking lot, and some car is impatiently coming closer to you in order that they may pass you, look at the driver straight in the eye, and give this person the biggest shit-eating grin you possibly can. They’ll slow down.
In Texas, people generally have their shit together, or they have their junk hanging out for everyone to see. People in the latter group will attempt to drink a coffee, choke down a doughnut, and send a passively aggressive text message to their spouse at the same time as downshifting to a lower gear. If you spot one of these drivers, give them their space.
Avoid I35.
Tailgater Management Move Number Two! Lightly touching your brakes will activate your brake-lights. Nothing is more fun than lightly touching your brakes and gunning the accelerator at the same time, because tailgaters have no recourse but to slow down behind you. Insert evil laugh.
Never make the mistake of thinking someone courteous for using their blinkers. Using blinkers is tepidly courteous! There’s nothing as awesome as a courtesy wave and using your blinkers. That, and reward people who give you the courtesy wave. Pay it forward.
To read the full interview, please go to SleepingBagStudios.com.
The music has a lot of guitar, and a lot of drums. My favorite song of the three songs that are available on Demos II is Twin Kilns. It kind of reminds me of Tomorrow Never Knows by The Beatles. And that’s mainly due to the drums in the song. And a little bit of that far away vocal sound that is in Tomorrow Never Knows. The lyrics are honest, the vocalists clearly states that ‘nothing good can come of this.’
To read the rest of this review, please go to heidiswanderings.blogspot.com.
By Chris Roman of Heartheindie.com
As it is, I find the Sprightly Moans to be an interesting band, and maybe even more interesting in words as I conducted this interview with one half of this pair: Dave Wirth. Check out his often witty and rather intellectual responses to this batch of questions, and considering checking out their album Demos II while you're at it.
Hear the Indie: Could you tell me who Sprightly Moans is? How you guys came together and why you have opted to make music in general?
Sprightly Moans (Dave): I started experimenting with awfully loud music in my studio in late 2012 because I needed relief. I fooled around with different guitar textures until it sounded weird and messed up. I started adding some completely amateur sounding drum beats that I did, and stockpiled those ideas, but I realized quickly that was a bad move. I contacted a studio drummer, but I was keeping my hopes up for someone I could work with long-term. Eventually I was able to snucker Jeff Olson into playing. He is ten times a drummer than I am a guitarist. He keeps me on my toes...
To read the rest of this interview, please go to Heartheindie.com
Hailing from Austin, TX, Sprightly Moans has carved out a unique sound scape in the Lone Star State. Fronted by Dave Wirth and saddled with Jeff Olson, this two man show packs a massive punch. Not quite your Black Keys duo, though the amount of sonic space that is filled with two musicians is remarkable. Let me say this, the music of Sprightly Moans will not be everyone’s cup of tea. For those who drink the elixir will be pleased that they let them into their ear drums.
Dave’s vocals are unapologetic and the drum beat takes control of your lower extremities. Each song I listened to had two songs in each; the standard vocals and instruments, then end with a parallel instrumental section with high energy. In Twin Kilns, the outro takes you into the sunset with the percussion. Dots and Dashes shows us some of the higher vocal register reaches of Mr. Wirth. The symmetry of the drum rolls and distorted guitar fit like a glove and make sense of the madness. Brinksmanship takes the dirty grunge sound with heartfelt vocals, helping tell the story.
Having three releases into the market, this group is legit and for real. When they show up on the bill at your favorite music venue, you would regret not having your ears ringing the next day. Don’t mess with Sprightly Moans.
By Donald Mason
By Mike Giord
Oggi abbiamo voglia di postare e quindi ci diamo da fare.
No cicciotti è che ora ci vuole una bella recensione di una band seria e quindi scoviamo nell’underground più profondo per beccarci i Sprightly Moans.
Quanto sono cazzuti? Un casino.
Che genere fanno? Un genere figo.
To read the rest of this review, please go to Mikegiord11.wordpress.com
