Synth Pop

Phantogram and Kings of Leon Moody Center Drew Doggett
Drew DoggettLive MusicReview

Live music review: Kings of Leon and Phantogram Prove They Have Plenty of Fire at Moody Center

Drew Doggett 1587 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

I hate the term “guilty pleasure.” Loving music based on the approval of others will drain you. While I’m not saying I’ll grab the aux cord to blare “Sex on Fire” during a road trip, I will die on the hill that Aha Shake Heartbreak was a seminal record for 2000s alternative and indie rock. Maybe it’s the Nashville boy in me, the lover of arena rock, or the nostalgia for how their southern riffs colored my upbringing in Tennessee. Kings of Leon rock. And on August 14 at Austin’s Moody Center, they brought a 28-song, anthemic setlist to prove it.

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Urban Heat at Metro Ryan Odom
Greg AckermanLive MusicReview

Live music review: Rising Austin synth act Urban Heat played Metro Music Hall with Gvllow

Greg Ackerman 972 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

Rising Austin synth pop, post-punk act Urban Heat played Salt Lake City’s Metro Music Hall on August 7 with intense, darkwave band Gvllow from Southern California.. Led by veteran musician, Jonathan Horstmann whose previous project, BLXPLTN was well regarded in a crowded Austin music scene. With Urban Heat, Horstmann has elevated his game, earning Song of the Year at the Austin Music Awards last March with the single “Have You Ever.” The trio’s superlative performance last Wednesday in SLC showed just how far the young band formed in 2019 has gotten in a relatively short period of time.

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Drew DoggettReview

Live music review: Feeling Alive with TOPS At Mohawk Austin

Drew Doggett 522 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

With their concise old-school rock formula, it’s tempting to label Montreal’s TOPS as a nostalgia project. But pop-rock doesn’t account for the band’s intricate layers and synthpop negates the group’s prowess in both their instruments and songwriting. Sure, the keys pop and levitate into a lush atmosphere, but it’s a dreamy wave that invites you to dance not brood as was the case last Friday in Austin’s Red River District at The Mohawk.

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Mike CosmicPremiere

Song Premiere: Primo the Alien drops Sexual Safari today

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Although plans for an ambitious summer tour have been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it has not stopped Primo The Alien from her galactic journey. The synth-pop artist continues to record from the confines of her guest bedroom expanding on her synth-wave legacy. The single “Sexual Affair” was a product of being quarantined for the last couple of months. Today announces the release of the single here at The Cosmic Clash.

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