Austin Sound

One day, archeologists (read Space Aliens) are going to dig up life on Earth in the early 21st century and wonder why love affairs seem to only happen in grainy Super 8 vision. Seriously, can our nostalgic and whimsical relationships be presented in HD for once? The ‘naughts are almost over people - let’s find a new way to visualize this thing called love. And yeah, we’re looking at you, too, Bill Baird! Also, whistling. We thought there was an international ban on whistling after all those young folks ruined it for everyone (according to the Geneva Convention treaty clause #983.7, section F, Andrew Bird is the only artist that gets clemency here). Plus it makes you look like this during shows. But here we have Austin’s beloved Black and White Years, with the help of director Matthew Hoffman, throwing caution to the wind with their new video “Two Reservoirs.” We’ll see if Kanye likes this one enough to post on his blog as well. The song is off of their latest EP, Nursery Myths. Check it out below:

The Black and White Years’ excellent eponymous 2008 debut garnered them well-deserved praise, but could hardly be reviewed on its own musical merits as nearly every blurb about the band necessarily mentioned its production under the hands and influence of the Talking Heads’ Jerry Harrison. With their new EP, however, the local quartet attempts to set out their sound on their own terms, producing and releasing the album themselves. The good news is that Nusery Myths makes clear that the Black and White Years are well capable of holding their own on their own, and that their infectious grooves weren’t simply the product of production. That being said, however, the new EP is generally a hit or miss affair. Those who balked at Scott Butler’s hesitating yelps on the debut will likely never find footing with the band, as it has become clear that his jittery vocals and jumpy falsetto shifts are now hallmark for the band’s sound. Yet even those who did surrender to the fevered neo-wave ballads will be put to the test as Butler throws his voice in full effect here, and sometimes to the detriment of good songs.