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"Shortwave Party Where to Begin 7"

And so inevitably we begin playing catch up on 2012. The proliferation of year-end lists from a variety of sources clued us in to many of the outstanding local acts that we missed last year and on whom we will be trying to offer opinions shortly. But Free Week has also been a great reminder of the immensely overwhelming amount of talent with which we still remain unacquainted. And what better place to begin than with Where to Begin, from local jangle-rockers Shortwave Party?

After reading through a few of the reviews that are out there on Shortwave Party, I think the most apt description for them would be Florence Welch of Florence & the Machine fronting the Walkmen. Like the Walkmen, Shortwave Party are able to back their jangle with an appropriate amount of rock. There’s energy even in a slower number like “Hopeless.” What gives Shortwave Party the potential to stand out from the pack a bit more is the voice of frontwoman Shelby DuPerier. It’s a powerful and subtly nuanced voice that can belt out the emotional power of the ballad “Hopeless” while rocking out on a more upbeat number like “Where to Begin.”
Shortwave Party - 'Hopeless'

When I think about local artists that you could compare Shortwave Party to, I think about Literature or Shivery Shakes, who have both demonstrated an ability to take dirty garage rock into more melodic places. There’s also some of Belaire in here when you consider the strong, rocking female frontwoman elements.

Shortwave Party certainly have the potential to become an important member of the ever-growing garage rock movement here in Austin, and their upcoming LP will go a long way toward showcasing those talents in even more depth. In the meantime, check out their fantastic Free Week show this Thursday night at Hotel Vegas with Major Major Major, Migrant Kids, and Borrisokane.

- Carter - Ovrld


"Shortwave Party "Where to Begin/Hopeless"""

Shelby DuPerier's voice summons the frailties of the youthful human heart. Her powerful vocal presence could resonate in any number of musical contexts, but they work particularly well against Shortwave Party's mid-Eighties alt-pop. Inspired by the Smiths, the quintet never lets the mope grow maudlin. Credit guitarists Justin Finney and Brady Porche, who weave a riveting web of jangle that magnifies DuPerier's soulful yearning. - The Austin Chronicle


"Post-It Spécial EPs / Singles n°3/Shortwave Party-Where to Begin"

Shortwave Party - Where To Begin
Format 7 inch/Mp3

Sorte de nouveau rock nappé de guitare surf (genre les Strokes se prenant pour des Beach Boys), 'Where To Begin' serait à lui seul un bon titre bien catchy. Mais avec ce chant féminin genre Siouxsie s'essayant à faire la diva soul, il prend une dimension nettement supérieure qui le fait passer de la catégorie "ouais, sympa, mais vu le nombre de trucs qui m'arrivent chaque semaine dans les oreilles, ça sera vite oublié" à la "il m'en faut plus et tout de suite". Les deux titres qui complètent ce premier single sont malheureusement un peu moins convaincants : 'Hopeless' est un slow un peu trop sirupeux pour être honnête alors que 'Terez' aurait sans doute gagné à être élagué d'une grosse minute pour plus d'efficacité. Mais cela reste prometteur (on n'entend pas tous les jours un chant féminin de cette qualité) et comme la version digitale peut se télécharger gratuitement...


- Dans Le Mur Du Son


"SHORTWAVE PARTY “WHERE TO BEGIN” 7? with download code"

???????????????????????????!???????5??????????SHORTWAVE PARTY?2???????7?!A?1????????????????????????????????????????????LITERATURE???????????????!?????????????????????????????????????????????????????!B?????????????????????????????????Shelby???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????!DL???3?????????? - Waterslide Records (Japan)


"Shortwave Party-Where to Begin"

As you know, we like reading band's own descriptions of their music, and this Austin, Texas five-piece have gone for "Jangle pop that makes people dance and/or nod their heads approvingly." A slightly humble description I think you'll agree, yet it suits them well. Shortwave Party's debut single certainly gets an approving nod from us, but we'll pass on the dancing part as we'd just end up looking like a twat with two left feet. Anyway, 'Where To Begin' seems an appropriate title for a first offering and musically it should catch the ears of people whose tastes include soulful indie-type guitar music. B-side 'Hopeless' is a particularly heartfelt and powerful example of vocalist Shelby's fine pair of lungs and you can see how she's been compared to Florence Welch.

Sound-wise Shortwave Party are less commercial, and this is to their credit. Second B-side 'Terez' is a great little lo-fi pop tune given extra clout thanks to that voice, it's a combination that works wonderfully and you hope they don't get tempted to buff up the sound to go seeking more widespread appreciation, but then people have to make a living, and if the songs are still up to this standard then we can't really complain. It's the lead track that understandably marks the high point of this debut single, mixing a scratchy riff with some twanging guitars and a bouncy rhythm that's got "underground hit" written all over it; it's an appealing little number for sure. We look forward to nodding our heads approvingly when the next release comes around.
- The Sound of Confusion (UK Blog)


"News du 7 octobre 2012 : Shortwave Party"

Pour un temps limité, Where to Begin, le premier single de Shortwave Party est offert sur Bandcamp où l'on peut aussi commander le 7".

- Dans le Mur...du Son (French Blog)


"MP3: Shortwave Party – “Where to Begin”"

“Where to Begin” is an enjoyably vigorous effort from Shortwave Party, a group from Austin, Texas. A distorted rhythm section and fleeting guitar jangles lead over hectic percussion and bass, finding a perfect placement between jangle-rock revivalism and swift indie-rock of today. Their Facebook page provides a more thoughtful summary: “If Florence Welch had separate love children with Johnny Marr and Julian Casablancas and those kids committed incest and that monster started a band.” The emotive vocals howl and whimper during the screeching verses, truly shining during a bustling chorus where she brings her voice as low as possible before erupting with an anthemic jolt. Shortwave Party appears to be on a quick rise to prominence. - Obscure Sound


"Album Review-Shortwave Party-Where to Begin"

You can't tell from the title, Where to Begin, whether that's a question or an answer. We'll venture that it's both, despite the question-mark’s absence. This is, after all, Shortwave Party's debut EP; three tracks’ worth of jangle-happy, lofi surf bop. Question - because we're wondering what to expect from a grrl -fronted and lofi surf -backed –band; and Answer - because this is it, the first pass at defining the quintet's sound, genre, and playground; this is where we start.

And like most lofi, there is a bit of ear-training required - You could mistake "jangly" for "spangly: muddily-mixed and reverbed highs", and thus miss out on some of the very nice workings in these tracks; where guitars dominate the sonic landscape with both crunchy mass-strummings and prettily-picked highlights, reverberating and filling in the EQ curve.

Where to begin? Let's open like this EP, with the title track; a buoyantly-danceable, furiously-sparkling piece; full of rambunctious chord change-ups and assorted breaks; presided over by Shelby DuPerier's excellent, darn-near-contralto vox. A bright beginning for this collection, and sign of things to come.

Track 2, "Hopeless", is not as Emo as the title may imply. Though a slower number, DuPerier's vox once again leads us through the tune's energetic guitars; her voice ranging romantically up and down the scale, letting us follow the song's emotional peaks and troughs.

Which brings us to "Terez", perhaps the best and deepest track, and thus a natural to conclude this EP. With straight-forward, head-pumping verses, split up with minimalistic breaks; the guitars crunchily driving the chord progression, leaving DuPerier opportunity to favor us with some very nicely-done soaring passages.

Overall, if asked, we'll say we're happy to begin right here with Shortwave Party's brand of jangle-happy beach bop. -Scott Osborn

You can find out more about Shortwave Party and upcoming shows on their facebook. - The Deli


"Shortwave Party"

Shortwave Party are one of the latest welcome additions to Austin’s indie pop scene in 2012. This quintet creates charming and upbeat guitar pop tunes with soaring vocals, plenty of jangly riffs, and just enough groove to make you bob your head and tap your feet. Last month, they released their first EP, Where To Begin. It’s available as a free download on Bandcamp, and for the vinyl collectors, you can purchase it as a limited edition 7?. They perform frequently at venues like 29th St Ballroom, Hole in the Wall, and Beerland. Their sound finds itself comfortably somewhere between the influences of the Smiths and the Buzzcocks and more contemporary bands like Real Estate and Beach House. Go get your jangle on and enjoy. - Side One Track One


"Introducing: Shortwave Party"

Shortwave Party is like The Strokes, if The Strokes weren’t boring. A more apt comparison would be to The Smiths or The Walkmen; bands which have a palpably energetic sound to their sometimes heart breaking tunes.

Shortwave Party’s charming songs are grounded by frontman drummer Dolores J. Diaz’s forward driving dance beats. Meanwhile, guitarists Justin Finney and Brady Porche (what a name) jump back and forth from jittery indie riffs to an almost ‘wall of sound’ style, giving each song a fantastic depth. In addition, Michael Kuntzman’s clever bass lilts in and out of the song’s spotlight with a laid back but nevertheless wholly present tone. On top of this already smooth pie of sound, vocalist Shelby DuPerier (okay, now I know they’re making these names up) belts her heart out. Her voice conveys the grief felt by the overly self-conscious (once again, Morrissey and Leithauser come to mind), but doesn’t come off as pretentious sounding as this sentence.
- The Deli


Discography

Shortwave Party: Where to Begin... (7-inch)

Photos

Bio

Shortwave Party is a rising new band based in Austin, Texas, that’s been performing and recording since October 2011. Within that time-frame, it has gone from playing small backyard parties and weeknight shows for scant crowds to playing weekends at popular venues with well-established local acts like Knifight, Bobby Jealousy, One Hundred Flowers, Baker Family, Belaire and Dikes of Holland. In October 2012, the band released a 7-inch that was recorded and mixed at its home studio. The band has also performed live on KVRX, the student-run, independent radio station at the University of Texas, and received a slew of positive reviews for the "Where to Begin" 7-inch/EP.

The band’s sound is firmly rooted in pop music, but such a broad classification doesn’t paint a full enough picture. (The Smiths if they’d been a punk band with a female singer? Perhaps. But even that description fails to tidily sum up the bulk of Shortwave Party’s material.) Guitarists Justin Finney and Brady Porche take turns playing jangly arpeggios and leads over melodic chord progressions. Bassist Michael Kuntzman plays nonintrusive melodic lines that still rise up into the mix and command your attention. Drummer Dolores J. Diaz propels the songs with a dance beat that sets the often-bouncy tempos. Vocalist Shelby DuPerier, who might otherwise overpower a less catchy instrument section, stands out as the face, or rather the main voice, in the band’s sound. The alto singer’s voice moves effortlessly into a smooth falsetto at times and her timbre has a rich warmth. She also belts it out with a soulfulness that sounds genuine in an age where Diva clones parrot one another on network television shows. Altogether, it’s an exciting combination.

For the future, the band looks forward to playing more strong bills in town, doing a mini Texas tour, recording an LP, playing SXSW (with a bit of luck) and furthering the momentum that has gotten them this far. And, of course, getting signed someday and being able to make a living doing what they love: playing music they love would be nice. But then again, the band so enjoys just being a part of the local scene that the simple joy wrought from a drunken night of fun with other bands is enough to sustain them.