 |
|
| |
 |
Tex la Homa is the studio based recording project of songwriter / producer Matt Shaw. Who after two ep's on two record labels in two years,has released his first full length collection of songs in the UK. Already available in Japan on Painted Sky Discs, ‘Dazzle me With Transience' by Tex La Homa showcases a unique talent.
A soulful mix of lo-fi guitar, breakbeat and electronica, the songs of Tex la Homa are written from a personal perspective, and offer an honesty that is both shocking and touching. Matt's half whispered vocal style was described by one reviewer as ‘slightly sinister,..It's the whisper in your ear that you know it would be better to ignore'. The songs are supported by some truly haunting production that references New Order, Yo La Tengo, Eno and more.
From his first shows, supporting American counterparts Her Space Holiday and Bright Eyes, Tex la Homa has evolved into an intense live experience, gaining a reputation for Mogwai like sonic extremes. |
| |
 |
Where to begin with Tex La Homa.... "Dazzle Me With Transience" is probably my favorite disc of 2002. It covers almost the entire spectrum of human emotions, ranging from upbeat pop, to melancholic movements. Opening with something good, entitled "Something Good", you're in familiar territory, blazed by the likes of Her Space Holiday. However, this is no rip-off artist. Matt Shaw, aka Tex La Homa, takes his music is entirely new and unique directions. Take the simplicity of "Here With You", the title track of an EP released earlier this year. The drums and bass instantly hook you, and the cool soothing vocals breeze through, maintaining its airy feel. Things turn slightly more introspective with "Never Gonna Go Away" and "Feel Tied Down", and pick back up with the easygoing "Good Luck". A strangely title "Robot Arms Devoid Of Feeling" is perhaps the most downbeat of the collection, comprised of only acoustic guitar and Matt's vocals. "If You Ask" must have been written around 2:00 am in some bar somewhere, on a napkin perhaps. It just has that feeling, a feeling that carries over to the closer "Need To Find A Way" - a bit of sobering redemption that brings the disc back to the center. Masstransfer.
With his lo-fi aesthetic, whispery vocal and studious reductions of favourite musical heroes, Matt "tex La Homa" Shaw epitomises the classic bedroom-studio boffin. Equal parts indie rock and electronic pop, Shaw's debut album is also a beautifully understated, fragile affair, reeking of tuneful gloom. His influences are clear enough: If You Ask is prime Luna; Cool Runnings and When I Am Lost are, respectively, New Order and The Cure on a tight budget; and Here With You holds a mirror to his recent touring partners Her Space Holiday. Original? No. Bewitching and addictive? Definitely. The Times
'The Summer of 2002 has it's first event, it's first emergence; This is Tex La Homa, the solo project of Matt Shaw, who completely eliminates all competitors in matters of lo-fi songwriting. A pop classic, and calm with it, it hides some treasures found in the contemplation of the infinite. Here acoustic instruments lie together happily with their electronic neighbours, -sometimes reserved, sometimes more gregarious ("Cool Runnings")-which gives the album a rare and untouchable air. "Dazzle me with Transience" is not the work of a disciple of desolation, but relates the thoughts and ideas of a young man who observes from a distance the world through which he moves. The fragile voice and phrasing wrap around the lyrics like garlands around a Christmas tree and give the compositions of the album even more depth. A disc full of maturity, at times it reflects a certain spontaneity in the manner of the songwriting and a real reflection on life which give it a soul. Matt Shaw oozes emotions from his pores, and this sensitivity is exacerbated within the autobiographical lyrics. The small saturations of "Something Good", the subtle dynamics of "Feel tied down" and of "Launch", the sunny introductions..all are here to take the listener hostage and compel them to become an actor in the entirety of this record. Graced with simple guitar lines and uncomplicated arrangements ("When I am lost") and the manner in which Matt Shaw seems to be whispering confidences in your ear ("Here with you"), Tex la Homa are in pole position for the summer, with a soundtrack for evenings, for warm and peaceful times.'
'enormous' 9/10 record of the week. soitditenpassant.com
'Tex La Homa songwriter/frontman Matt Shaw uses the same basic formula as the bands I hear on FM radio, but with one notable "problem": he is creative. Instead of following the pack and pasting a Reason loop into the foreground of a song, he uses technology to enhance his work. Skill vs. novelty/trends: are you listening to me, rap/rock cretins? "Something Good"'s mix of acoustic guitar and country twang caught me off guard. Just as I was about to skip ahead, I was hit with a marvelous gated loop that wove in and out of the rhythm, ever driving. "Cool Runnings" incorporates a bassline reminiscent of Joy Division-era Peter Hook, adding early Autechre FM synthesis with a minimal, progressive harmonic structure. It's quite a treat for headphone addicts (myself included). Shaw's voice suggests a mixture of Daniel Ash and Leonard Cohen -- a very smooth, almost whispered delivery that drifts along like subtle smears of color. His lyrical content is so surreal that even after five listens, I can't recall what he said. I think this is quite charming, actually; after a year of listening to the Cocteau Twins' Head Over Heels, I still had no idea what Liz was singing, and my enjoyment wasn't hampered one bit. A handful of tracks near the disc's end sound like padding -- they break the album's context, and lack the twittering noises, heavy reverb and synth washes that imbued the other tracks with so much personality. Other than this, Dazzle Me With Transience feels complete; the ideas are fleshed out, developed, and reach closure within each song.' splendidzine.com
'Matt Shaw operating under the alter ego of Tex La Homa, follows Piano Magic, Grant Lee Philips and Bob Mould as the latest to dip his toes into the waters of electronic ambience. His experience supporting the likes of Bright Eyes has taught him that wearing your heart on your sleeve can be a good thing, and this debut long player see him exploring moods and textures, his voice alternately hushed and devotional, then skittering like a drunken ice-skater over the top of sparse alien melodies. 'Robot arms Devoid of Feeling' and 'Feel tied down' recall the bruised emotion of a prettier Arap Strap, while elsewhere there are shades of Mogwai in a good mood. Were this graced with a pedal steel and mandolin the style police would have labelled it Americana, as it is, we'll have to invent a pigeonhole for him, how about Anglicana?' Logo Magazine
No, I've never head of them either and I don't have a clue what their name means - but Tex La Homa are the studio project of one Matt Shaw from the UK. It starts off well with a paen to the quiet songs on the first Velvet Underground album (Femme Fatale/Sunday Morning/ hints of Heroin) on 'something good'. That's good and I love the song, but from then on the CD loses it's derivate quality and becomes unique. There's a groove to the songs (very shy Stone Roses? ) in the rhythms and Matt's almost-whisper creates a magical atmosphere. Sometimes the songs are quiet, sometimes fuzzed low-fi guitar takes over (a bit of Jesus and Mary Chain perhaps). These are very personal songs, 'feel tied down' is one of those personal statements that are universal in sentiments and 'launch' is simple, raw, and beautiful. 'highfalutin' is like someone speaking quietly to a lover and if you don't relate this to something in your life then you should get out more.
I have a very special part of my record collection: albums I play when I'm on my own and in a quiet mood and want to leave the world outside for a while. It includes Mike Johnson and Revolution 9 (I can't even remember what made me buy them in the first place) and some Sebadoh. You can take all the other music away from me but you have to leave me those because they pluck some heartstrings that nothing else reaches. Tex La Homa can join that special place. coolnoise.co.uk
these guys are wicked because as boring as they could be, with the lofi melodies filled out with electronica, they really arent because its all so lovely, whether its pulsing electronic breakbeats or just cure-ified guitar miserabilisms its all done amazingly and with lots of accessibility. matts voice is like warm honey as well. i wanna hear this band cover unchained melody. itd be fucking amazing. krayon.co.uk
' Tex la Homa's "Feel tied down" was the highlight of the Melodic label's "A Room Full Of Tuneful" v/a compilation. That intimate, Palace-like track is being reprised here, and it's once again one of the highlights. Apart from its highbrow title, the honest intimacy of most tracks on "Dazzle" is quite pleasing, especially late at night. There's the odd breakbeat or sniff of electronica here and there, but otherwise, the sounds here are quite timeless and mostly lo-fi. Palace, Sophia and the intimate side of Orange Black come to mind, as well as gentle British indiepop a la Durutti Column, Felt or acts on the Geographic label.' U-zine
"Tex La Homa's 'Feel Tied Down' stood out amongst a few other heavy contenders on the excellent 'A Roomful of Tuneful' compilation, a mouthwatering taster for what was to come with this release, which is layer upon layer of moody and evocative shoegazin' guitars draped elegantly over throbbing basslines and electronic beatscapes. Matt Shaw's vocals float effortlessly in and out, adding the right touch of intimacy to the already lush warm arrangements. Veering from more indie leanings, beautiful Grandaddy~esque perfect pop ballads such as 'When i am lost' and 'Good Luck' to the more driving Arab Strap like electronics of 'Cool Runnings' and glitchy pulse of 'Feel tied down'. Treading a similar path as Lali Puna, Hood, and Hermann & Kleine, Tex La Homa takes droney and melancholic indie rock as a starting point from which is added snippets of minimal electronica, crisp production techniques, and from it all is molded flawless melodious gems, perfectly suited to summer walks in fields overlooking london, lost in abstract daydream." soundnoisemusic
Play. shimmering Pop fragments snake across the room. Expecting mexicana big beatery. this was a pleasant surprise. Superglider : the label, hint at 'lo-fi' Why oh why lo-fi.? It's certainly not lo-fi in the sense of detuned guitar and half baked ideas shouted into a bucket.. But certainly not over produced blandness and throwaway sentiment...there is heart and soul in these well crafted tunes. today, it seems, people hang on to snappy one-liners, tag lines to hum and chuck. you're looking in the wrong place neither acoustic.. electric.. nor electronic.. All three. an album that defies categorisation in a test, conducted under laboratory conditions..9/10 cats failed to put a date on this album. it's of now, and then..a breadth of fresh air. it takes your time Comparisons... {if you need them} Think of any, good, sonically enhanced guitar based SONGS from the last 20 years. from prime Jason Pierce Spiritualized, through MBV-isms, newer Hood and Pete Astor's Wisdom of Harry.then on to David Kitt, in folk-rock-out mode rather than with the whimsy switch on. and you're beginning to come close to the feel of this cd. Some Well Drawn Boy, and Velvets 'waiting for my man' to boot. It's lonely and forlorn, steeped in sad lament. it's not an album to win friends with, more for moments of quiet reflection and introspection. but not miserabilism. you could revel in the 'there's always someone worse off'-ness of it all..You wouldn't want to live life as Tex La Homa, but thank fuck the pop world has such as they to carry your burdens, be your catharsis. keep the sad torch burning.. This album puts an arm around you and whispers regret into yer ear. but you don't quite know if it's going to turn nasty.. Occasionally the half-remembered familiarity of a refrain alerts you to what's going down. it is an album of intricately constructed music. you are not being held hostage You are left feeling slightly woozy by the dynamics.. there is loads going on, but it's not hectic, it takes the subtle route, a number of lunges, rather than a knockout punch. so much subtlety. probably too much for one sitting. the album demands and deserves undivided attention. it takes your time.. 'yer me best mate you are'. It's unusual to have a cd so full of ideas, and so little in terms of immediate hook. you won't be singing many choruses. too often the subtext to an album described as 'a grower' actually reads. dull. this isn't dull, it's a grower, it's hard to put down. I've listened through five or so times. and still new angles keep striking me.those skittering drum patterns ? are they trumpets ?? vocoder ??? don't know ???? is that for dancing ? a surprising and confounding album: dark, complex and multi-layered. morose with a pop heart. a comedown for those who have crash landed, and don't want to get back up just yet... as many questions as answers. but not posers..... well worth the effort.. it sets up a whirl of possibilities, that gets you reaching back into your collection. yes.. I remember that. as you'll remember this..In This review I've deliberately tried to set up glimpses of moments. that is just what the music conveys. if only these words were half as assured and affecting as Tex La Homa's sounds... The music rooms
'a band who has so far toured with bands like Miss Black America and Anti-Hero, and if this isn't enough they're also compared with the greatest alternive rockbands from today, even by NME's Roger Morton. I don't know if I am saying it right but it's as since bands like Low or Arab Strap around that there is a sort of new blues-indication in music as the music from Tex La Homa sounds so much like Badly Drawn Boy, Radar Bros or Elliot Smith...the sort of modern troubadourism in where the artist doesn't has time to say how beautiful everything is as it's all fucked up anyway... It's a gorgeous fairy tale of the modern society in where we live in...and there is no one who has to be told lies about it. Hearing this cd is facing the hard truth and the most strange thing is : it feels good... ' Dreams never end
Tex La Homa is actually just one guy, Matt Shaw. Mr. Shaw wrote, performed, and produced the twelve indie-with-a-dash-of-electronica songs on Dazzle Me With Transience. For just one guy, heís done a pretty good job, unless you canít forgive the use of a drum machine, in which case you should run like the dickens. Mr. Shaw's 'band' sounds a lot like other indie bands that Iíve heard. 'Something Good'and 'Robot Arms Devoid of Feeling' could be tracks from The Clientele's Suburban Light. The former also has a dash of Her Space Holiday (so does 'Never Gonna Go Away' ), and the latter features guitar stylings a la The Secret Stars. The fuzzed out 'Launch'could have been a My Bloody Valentine song. Dazzle Me With Transience would also go well with an American Analog Set album. There are a few interesting quirks to be found here ñ the sound of being underwater on 'Cool Runnings'and 'Need to Find a Way,' for instance, but mostly this is straightforward quiet bedroom pop. Itís not quite as remarkable as its influences, but it's a respectable facsimile. preamp
Beginning life as a studio-based project for songwriter/producer Matt Shaw, Tex la Homa has evolved into a complete experience, including live shows that have gained a reputation for challenging the sonic extremes of Mogwai. This breakbeats-meets-indiepop combination will please fans of Massive Attack to Yo La Tengo. The chemistry of Tex la Homaís tunes may a simple one, but rarely does any act derive such an attractive result from it. The vast majority of 'Dazzle Me With Transience'is based around complicated, but purposely looped breakbeats backing intricate guitars and Matt Shaw's half-whispered vocals. In fact all instrumentation, songwriting and production (except for minimal contributions by Dave Purse) on 'Dazzle Me With Transience'was a result of the creative genius that is Matt Shaw. The lo-fi output regularly pays homage to such acts as Yo La Tengo, Massive Attack, Mogwai and even Joy Division however there are downfalls. Whilst the beauty of this fragile release is enough to immerse to listener, as the album progresses it becomes rather obvious that there is a lack of progression amongst the tracks to initiate additional movement in the brain, which is what sets the already mentioned acts apart from the field. Still, this album is of resounding beauty, regardless of the repetitiveness. A predictable chemistry will disappoint those expecting this release to change their life, however this shouldnít take away from the fact that this is one of the most enjoyable listens of 2002. Without a hint of pretentiousness, Tex la Homa break down the barrier between happiness and depression and create a sleepy-eyed long player that can be enjoyed by anyone in the need for minimal, yet persuasive mood music.
Rating: 7.6 out of 10. noisetheory.net
for me this is the jewel in the superglider crown.
while the ep's are showcases for some of the standout tracks on the full lengther i would head straight for the lp 'dazzle me...'. and submerge your senses within its glorious soundscapes. though honourable mentions must go to the excellently simple 'piano song' on the 'here with you' ep. a classic song that could soundtrack many a decent ad campaign, and the interesting live version of 'never go away' with its its extended epic guitar workout - revealing the bands passion to rock out a little more from time to time perhaps ?
anyway back to the album ...
the overall atmosphere has a lot of the feel of pre-oasis creation records when guitars chimed alongside subtle studio experimentation, when bands strived for that total blissout effect via guitars and harmony all within the same song.the guitar led ambience of slowdive, the melodic overdrive of classic era house of love, and a taste for my bloody valentines' passion for guitar effects are all buried in these lazy grooves.
spine tingling after effects in several places, 'feel tied down','when i am lost' to name but two.the vocals are mild, soft, predominantly whispered. whereas the basslines deep and in some places dubby (oh for an on-u remix of 'here with you'), and the guitars ? well there are lots of gorgeous shoegazing guitars, that return of the quiet wall of noise style is all over this release - and thats a good thing. very good thing.
there are songs which can literally make you just stop what you're doing and listen 'cool running', something that little of post-oasis creation releases ever did. the electronica pulses and extra touches that are splattered throughout do not distract and make the songs cold and unemotional like a lot of "guitar + protools" set ups can do, the two worlds are joined in a very natural setting. quietly bringing it all home, like you should this cd. ireallylovemusic |
| |
 |
|
| |
 |
|
|
Location:
Not Entered
tex la homa Website
info@texlahoma.com
|
