Growing up in the San Diego sun, I’m used to people welcoming the summer with open arms. Yet, in Austin, some people are already clamoring for the Fall. The smoldering heat and the growing humidity are reasons to wish the season ended as early as it began, but for me summertime has always been my favorite time of year. In the summer, I’ve found that my musical taste shifts quite a bit. I gravitate more towards pop and jangle rock rather than post rock and electronic. These types of tunes are a better fit for days at the greenbelt and floating down the river. It seems that some bands in Austin shift their tone to match the warmer temps and lazier days too. Case in point, Tiger Waves and their latest savory single “Weekends.”
Coming off their recent EP, Don’t Be Yourself, an 8-track with some great art pop gems, the group have released a summery single that pricked my ears upon first listen. Wrapped in some delectable vocal harmonies, “Weekends” is a self-deprecating tale of a relationship that seems to have gone south. With lyrics that shoot blame and accusations while professing relationship aspirations, the song is deeper than the typical summer pop tune. Tiger Waves have quite a few elements layered up on this grooving track including: distorted and melodic guitar parts, hand clap percussion and a bouncing bass line. But the leading pieces of the song are the vocal melodies and harmonies. Tiger Waves’ sound on “Weekends” has been compared to Brian Wilson and Animal Collective. And when listening to the track I definitely hear some vocal similarities between Tiger Waves and Animal Collective. Take a listen below to “Weekends” to hear it for yourself.
Tiger Waves - 'Weekends'
And if you enjoyed “Weekends,” be sure to check out Tiger Waves’ Bandcamp page for their latest EP Don’t Be Yourself. My favorites off that 8-track are “I Hope You’ll Feel Alright”and “From The Start.” Also, the band has a couple local shows coming up. July 12th they’ll be playing with The Boxing Lesson at the Mohawk and July 20th they’ll be at Stubbs with The Whalers. Be sure to check them out then and have fun listening to to all the summer jams this season ushers in.
-Dan