Aug 022013
 

Is our skin to keep the world out or our bodies in?

OK, I tried to hold out as long as I could, but I have to post about this song because it has been coursing through my brain for the last 2 weeks.

I first heard about Hands Like Houses two winters ago, when it was announced that Jonny Craig had recorded guest vocals on a song from their upcoming album. I mean, magic words: JONNY CRAIG.

Of course I ran off to listen to it and I promptly had a music orgasm. I remember thinking that the singer sounded a bit like Brendan Urie (Panic! At the Disco), and then when I found out the band is from Canberra, Australia, I was officially on board. Have to give love to the Canberrians! That’s where I saw the Cure perform in 2000 and the people in that city were so unbelievably nice to me—one of the radio stations there kept playing my story over and over, so when I would go to various places around town, people would say, “Are you that American?!” So bizarre. But I have had affectations for that city ever since, so I definitely wanted to support Hands Like Houses.

Their debut album was released a year later in the States. I liked it enough, but it wasn’t like, “HOLY SHIT YES.” It didn’t have that instantaneous effect on me that some music does. But for some reason, I started listening to it a lot more over the last year, really listening to it, hearing the nuances that have that heart-tugging quality that I missed the first time around. And finally one day, I realized that this band was starting to fill the void that Emarosa left in my heart. (Fun fact: I tweeted that a few weeks ago and Emarosa replied to me, promising that new music is on the way! DYING. Bradley Walden from Squid the Whale has replaced Jonny. I’m pretty stoked to hear the outcome.)

Anyway, Hands Like Houses released their sophomore album a few weeks ago and I was smitten at first listen. The song that I shared at the beginning of this post was my instant favorite—I was editing Warped Tour photos when it first came on and it made me stop dead.  I love it when music has that ability.

These guys killed it at Warped Tour. Henry even bought me a Hands Like Houses tank, and he never buys me SHIT at Warped Tour. I think he’s just happy because it’s a band that has no screaming and no Jonny Craig (except that one song). I’m already crying for them to come back to Pittsburgh.

DON’T MAKE ME COME TO AUSTRALIA AGAIN, YOU GUYS!!

/end sixteen-year-old girl diary entry

  4 Responses to “Hands Like Houses – A Tale of Outer Suburbia”

  1. Adding to Spotify playlist. Thanks for always turning me on to new music! I really love this song.

  2. Ha, love it :-) I say go to Australia…why not?

  3. Now you’ve piqued my curiosity. I want to know more about this trip to Australia!

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