Hey, long time no blog! Sorry about the unplanned hiatus last week — well, that is to say, I was on vacation, in Austin, TX, and that wasn’t unplanned. Just the lack of blogging. Turns out there was no time, what with the busy tourist schedule we were trying to accomplish. But let me just say that I highly recommend taking some time to visit Austin — it lives up to all that I’d heard about what a great city it is — musically, food-wise, overall coolness-wise, etc. If I didn’t hate hot summers as much as I do, I’d have no problem living there. Where else can you go to see the great Alejandro Escovedo at a weekly residency at the Continental Club during one weeknight, and Faces and Rolling Stones keyboard legend Ian McLagan at his most-weekly free happy-hour gig (happy 2 hours, actually) at the tiny Lucky Lounge a couple of nights later? More on both of them later this week…

Back in the Pacific Northwest, I’ve finally got some time to post again, and today it’s another New Music Monday. And this week, I even have a Northwest band for you: Seapony, from right here in Seattle. Not the most rock ‘n’ roll name, I have to admit (at least it’s not “My Little Seapony”), but what their name might be lacking in oomph, their music makes up for in atmosphere. Their second full-length album, Falling, was released in September 2012, and conjures up some of the best alternative pop of the late ’80s through the ’90s — they sound a bit like the Go-Betweens crossed with the Church and a little Smiths thrown in, fronted by the Sundays’ Harriet Wheeler.

It’s a thoroughly enjoyable listen, a great indie-pop album for a beautiful summer day (not that I’ve had the opportunity to hear it in that context yet, since the months since its release have been Western Washington’s rainy season, but I’m pretty sure I’ll be right). “See Me Cry” is one of the prettiest songs on the record, but doesn’t lack in substance — the acoustic strums have enough weight to keep the song earthbound, despite the airiness of singer Jen Weidl’s vocals threatening to float the song away (and I mean that in a very good way). Many of the other songs on the record feature a tougher electrified sound that works just as well. I suspect I’ll keep coming back to this album for a long time to come when I’m looking for a good pick-me-up.