Black Books

We last left local quintet Black Books happily playing supporting sets for the Flaming Lips in the UK. No surprise they're scoring points overseas and leaving the hometown circuit in the dust; hypnotic pop with a galactic sheen generally works better in the frosty Atlantic than a humid gulf. Following an EP, their eponymous full-length opens with the smoldering "Favorite Place," also the kick-off of January's four-song Aquarena tease, after which the subsequent 10 songs cash in on the same glistening, spacious majesty. At its core, Black Books makes modern, meat-and-potatoes indie rock, but rarely does a young band with such humble capital generate music that sounds this expensive, accomplished. The huge swathes of space between the drums and bass, the starry, tempered nature of Ross Gilfillan's elfin voice – it's all working – especially in the expertly placed, and mystically subtle tugs of guitar on "The Big Idea," like churning magma deep beneath the Earth's crust. There's the slow, deliberate wash of reverb that coats the two-minute "Alley Cats," and the warped, hyperspace anthem "Take Take Take." There are even moments such as "Out the Door," where Black Books actually resemble a more grounded Sigur Ros. With production chops to match their ambition, an ordinary-looking band manages to build something spellbinding.
**** - The Austin Chronicle

Nostalgic undertones conjuring up early MTV sentiments, you know, when rock was still rock, Austin’s Black Books blend the dreamiest of melodic guitar riffs and unhindered, grunge-flecked vocals with big, woozy orchestral sounds making an audience out of the endless Texas sky above. Wiping your heart on your sleeve in one dramatic gesture, a psychedelic softness of melting harmonies and liquidy, textural effects brush the hair from your face and envelop you in this psychedelic incubator of an afterglow. My Morning Jacket and Grandaddy comparisons can take up pages in every other post, but this one belongs to Black Books and their wildly inventive and exceptionally charming take on psych rock. - Line of Best Fit

Austin psych pop band Black Books has toured with the Flaming Lips but hasn’t even put out its debut LP yet. That’ll change Oct. 15, when Black Books comes out on Believe Records. One of the album’s best songs, “Paradise” has been floating around for a hot second, but the accompanying video is premiering just today on The A.V. Club. The clip, which was directed by London Independent Film Festival award winner Brett Harvey, doesn’t actually feature the baby band, but does feature Susi Brister’s Black Books artwork come to life. Brister’s multi-colored fabric swallows up a couple of British people, but it’s rather lovely and all in the name of art, so it’s okay. - AV Club

Alongside their atmospheric sensibilities are strong ties to their Southern roots. The acoustic guitars of country and the droned-out sounds of shoegaze might be at opposite ends of the musical spectrum, but Black Books sits comfortably in the center with a warm, folky feel that embraces experimentation to the fullest extent. - Interview Magazine

A lot of local bands can struggle for recognition outside the city limits, but Austin’s Black Books have the opposite problem. The five-piece is signed to UK label Believe Recordings, and they’ve developed a sizable following half-a-world away. Earlier this year, Black Books were whisked away to England for a series of headlining shows and a stint opening for the Flaming Lips. But back home, the group has struggled to gain a foothold–the vagaries of their record deal have left them doing things the DIY way. Yet that might all change with the release of their self-titled debut.

Black Books was recorded by guitarist Kevin Butler at his own Test Tube Audio, a studio in South Austin. The album takes its cues from psych-rock, building walls-of-sound that recall Pink Floyd’s spaciest moments. Emotions sit front-and-center; singer/guitarist Ross Gilfillan and keyboardist Meg Gilfillan wrote the songs right around the birth of their first child. The growing pains are evident, as songs pitch fitfully between quiet beauty and cathartic noise.

Black Books stopped by KUTX’s Studio 1A right before a trek up to CMJ, the annual music conference (and buzz band breaker) in New York. Songs like “The Big Idea” show why the band has caught on around the world. It won’t be long before the same thing happens locally. - KUTX

They have perfectly executed a seamless mixture of dream pop, shoegaze, and southern rock to make a sound all distinctly their own. There is just something thought provoking about every song from their catalog that makes you stare into the stars and wonder. - My Old Kentucky Blog

When I heard Black Books’ “Favorite Place”, the opener on their self-titled debut album, I immediately recognized a similar ability this band had in creating a vast, ambient setting. While Ummagumma‘s journey was an instrumental, planetary one, Black Books’ is more astral. “Favorite Place” originally appeared on the Austin based band’s EP Aquarena, but it also successfully lays the framework for their first full length studio album. This song creates what could be anyone’s favorite place as it blooms into a dream with its alluring synths and buzzing, drowsy bass while singer, Ross Gilfillan lulls, “I couldn’t breathe/ you’re exceptional."

Following “Favorite Place”, “Maria” mounts gradually with its vacillating sound effects and uses the building suspense to its advantage. It takes off mid-way through with feverish guitar and drums accompanying the effects and drives “Maria” to a candid, bombastic close: “Who cries a tear for you?/ No one but Maria.”

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Black Books Promo Pic 2013Throughout the album, droning synths and mystical effects join subtle guitar and steady drumming to set the scene while soaring, Oasis meets Band of Horses vocals act as a vehicle, propelling the listener through the environment. The album is full of full of slow-burning dreamy ballads juxtaposed with swampy, My Morning Jacket-esque southern rock anthems.

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Having already opened for The Flaming Lips and with such an impressive first LP, Black Books are a promising young band that will continue to develop and come into their own. Being compared to an array of outstanding artists so early on gives the band’s sound a sturdy foundation while leaving ample room to grow.

Keep Black Books on your radar: they’re going places. - Bearded Gentlement

Spacious psychedelia, a burbling, drifting form of dream pop with a big-sky Texas twist. The band represents another branch on Austin’s cosmic cowboy family tree. - AV Club - Austin

Spacious psychedelia, a burbling, drifting form of dream pop with a big-sky Texas twist. The band represents another branch on Austin’s cosmic cowboy family tree. - AV Club - Austin

‘This is our first time playing outside of Texas,’ Black Books’ lead singer tells us. It should be their second, but the Flaming Lips pulled out of the previous night’s show due to illness (or because they were loaded, Wayne Coyne jokes later on). Their first show outside of Texas, not their first show outside America, or their first show in the UK (although also both of these things). Outside Texas. And they are playing the London Roundhouse, supporting the Flaming Lips. Suffice to say Black Books are a lucky bunch. Things are going well for them, and not undeservedly so.

When this six piece strum out their first chords, it instantly becomes apparent how appropriately matched they are with the Flaming Lips. Remember when them Lips more closely toed the line between pop and experimental noise , when there was slightly less fuzz and slightly more hooks? These memories come flooding back when listening to Black Books set. But this isn’t a simple rehashing. There are smatterings of all sorts in Black Books sound (although sadly minimal references to the seminal Dylan Moran, Tamsin Grieg, Bill Bailey, Simon Pegg, Johnny Vegas, Kevin Eldon comedy). They have a bit of a Kings of Leon via Breaks (breaks breaks) thing going on, as well as a kind of Coldplay via dream pop and notbeingshit sound. Stand out tracks include ’Maria’ & ’Favourite Place’ which tread the line between stadium friendly and fuzzy noise expertly.

As the Flaming Lips’ roadies set up their absurd plinth and cord heavy light show, Wayne Coyne takes the stage for his version of a mic check. In reality this is a disjointed half hour speech concerning the value of music and performance. His conclusion is maybe not what you would think. Coyne frames his talk around the tornado in Oklahoma City: In light of this, tonight is just a ‘silly show’, his life is essentially just a silly show. In order for us all not to be embarrassed by being here, at just some silly show, we need to tell everyone it was the MOST important show. This is the pact we make.

We were at the most important show.

Kind of

Mic check over, Wayne leaves the stage again, and comes back ten minutes later for the start of the set. The show is light and noise and colour and Wayne Coyne cradling a doll, making its hand grab his face. At one point he shines a spot light into the crowd, trying to catch people smoking joints. He is disheartened when he can’t find any. The only people I can find are flouting boring regular smoking laws rather than actual drugs laws. The set is a fairly equal mix of Terror and pre-Terror tracks. Coyne, struggling with the cough that caused him to cancel Monday’s show, just about manages to keep it together, with one notable exception. During one of the final choruses in ‘Do You Realise’ he breaks, coughs and splutters. Not missing a beat he holds the microphone to the audience, who proceed to do his job for him. After the song, Coyne, noticeably moved, says that that when the inevitable Spielberg adaptation of their career hits the cinemas, people will laugh at the section where Wayne Coyne breaks down during the chorus of ‘Do You Realise’ during the most important gig, and the whole audience join together to step in and save the day. They will say it is unrealistic and overblown. We will stay quiet, smiling knowingly at one another. You weren’t there man.

You can catch Black Books and The Flaming Lips again at their rescheduled roundhouse show on Monday. Before this Black Books will be playing the Dot To Dot festival. The Flaming Lips are a little more elusive. After Monday’s show you’ll have to wait till Bestival to be blown away again by all their crazy sights and sounds and shit. - Music Broke My Bones

One day in the future, at the time of the invasion of the Intergalactic Crown Prince of Martalia, we have it on sound authority that the anthems of all the nations will be scraped. The peoples of the earth will unite under one banner to defend our increasingly frail lands. They will march into battle with only one song as their anthem – Favorite Place by Black Books.
It’s true, we’ve seen the future and it’s all about Black Books dear friends. The alien invaders will quake at the sounds of the hypersonic galactic southern rock of Black Books and will be repelled. You couldn’t make this stuff up, HG Wells tried but fell short (though Jeff Wayne is a legend).
Don’t believe us? Well listen to the ET destroying tune below:

See, I’m right.
Black Books are in the UK for the first time this week and we’re pretty sure they’ll leave triumphant. Their stellar interpretation of psych rock is bold, ambitious and doesn’t fall short. This is the slightly abrasive, unshaven and not quite sober older brother of dream pop. We love it. - Sounds Good to Me Too

Bombast doesn’t seem to have a place in indie music much in 2013. The Arcade Fire are the last big indie band that could lay claim to the true Springsteen-ian ideal of bombast, and so much of today’s landscape tries to shirk from the potential bigness of rock music. Deerhunter and Kurt Vile opt for a lo-fi production aesthetic. Phosphorescent go for minimal melodies and James Blake prefers minimal arrangements. The whole folksy movement (The Lumineers, Of Monsters and Men) likes cuteness instead of grandeur, and punkish acts like Wavves and Savages fill their songs with power instead of space.

Black Books is different. They deal in the delicate atmospherics of Band of Horses, but with the stadium-sized bombast of Coldplay. So when they sing, “I couldn’t breathe / You’re exceptional” on “Favorite Place,” it actually feels like the instruments are knocking the wind out of you. It’s a slow-burning track (with a phenomenal music video) that is full of power in all of the subtlest ways, and is a true achievement.



“Favorite Place” is the only track from this year’s EP, Aquarena, that made it onto their full-length debut. That record is already out in Europe, where Black Books have played festivals and opened for The Flaming Lips, but it won’t see a U.S. release until August at the earliest.

Until then, though, this ATX band should be on your radar screen. Aquarena is available online and on Spotify for us Texans to hear, and includes some excellent other tracks, like “Marfa,” which exemplifies Black Books’ approach through it’s patience, elegance and hefty emotional payoff.



Separately, Black Books released as a single, “The Big Idea,” which will serve as the centerpiece of their forthcoming LP. It’s an immediately gratifying track on which the Band of Horses (and possibly My Morning Jacket) comparisons come most strongly to life. It’s another track that you can hear right now, and between Spotify and Soundcloud, tens of thousands of people have already taken advantage of the opportunity. The massive guitars, soaring vocals and undulating synth sounds create an epic masterpiece.

And all of this is only build up to the main event. Black Books’ self-titled debut album will have much of the same sort of music, with some songs that are arguably even better than what they have released to us so far this year. “Paradise” takes their moody atmospherics and actually fits them with a driving rock beat for a foundation. “Alley Cats” strips away the grandiose production to emphasize the emotion at the heart of all of Black Books’ recent tracks. “Something to Remember” offers a hidden groove that slowly reveals itself as even funkier than you first imagine.

Get excited for this record. Black Books have perfected a sound that should appeal to a lot of fans of both underground and mainstream rock. They are starting to gather a lot of success and will be back in their hometown in a big way before you know it.
- OVRLD

Black Books have been confirmed as support to the Flaming Lips on their forthcoming London shows at Roundhouse on Monday 20th and Tuesday 21st May. The dates will be followed by a Black Books headline show at London’s Barfly, and three regional dates for Dot to Dot Festival in Manchester, Bristol and Nottingham (on Friday 24th, Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th of May respectively).

The Flaming Lips shows will be Black Books’ debut UK live appearance. Black Books have been honing their live set by playing locally in their hometown Austin, Texas, gaining a reputation early as one of the “Top Ten Locals to Watch” - Austin Chronicle and beyond, “No. 1 New Artist of 2011” - Indie Darkroom Magazine.

Black Books released their debut ‘Aquarena’ EP in early February to continued critical acclaim withThe Line of Best Fit streaming the EP exclusively, declaring the sound of Black Books a “wildly inventive and exceptionally charming take on psych rock”. While the Christopher Thockler (Bombay Bicycle Club) directed video for the EP’s lead track, ’Favorite Place’, premiered on Wonderland (UK) and in the US jointly on Earmilk and Austinist, before winning ‘Staff Pick’s’ on Vimeo.

On Monday 12th May, Black Books release their self-titled debut album. - AAA Music

Black Books have been confirmed as support to the Flaming Lips on their forthcoming London shows at Roundhouse on Monday 20th and Tuesday 21st May. The dates will be followed by a Black Books headline show at London’s Barfly, and three regional dates for Dot to Dot Festival in Manchester, Bristol and Nottingham (on Friday 24th, Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th of May respectively).

The Flaming Lips shows will be Black Books’ debut UK live appearance. Black Books have been honing their live set by playing locally in their hometown Austin, Texas, gaining a reputation early as one of the “Top Ten Locals to Watch” - Austin Chronicle and beyond, “No. 1 New Artist of 2011” - Indie Darkroom Magazine.

Black Books released their debut ‘Aquarena’ EP in early February to continued critical acclaim withThe Line of Best Fit streaming the EP exclusively, declaring the sound of Black Books a “wildly inventive and exceptionally charming take on psych rock”. While the Christopher Thockler (Bombay Bicycle Club) directed video for the EP’s lead track, ’Favorite Place’, premiered on Wonderland (UK) and in the US jointly on Earmilk and Austinist, before winning ‘Staff Pick’s’ on Vimeo.

On Monday 12th May, Black Books release their self-titled debut album. - AAA Music

Builds from subdued, clean-channel electrics into a flurry of echoing synths and guitars layered beneath excellent vocals. It reminds me of a more atmospheric, less country version of early Band of Horses - Pop Press International

Builds from subdued, clean-channel electrics into a flurry of echoing synths and guitars layered beneath excellent vocals. It reminds me of a more atmospheric, less country version of early Band of Horses - Pop Press International

A perfect blend of heavier instrumentals and ghost like vocals… there’s something addictive about lead singer Ross Gilfillan’s vocals. - Abacus Post

A perfect blend of heavier instrumentals and ghost like vocals… there’s something addictive about lead singer Ross Gilfillan’s vocals. - Abacus Post

Widescreen music at it's best. - SupaJam

Widescreen music at it's best. - SupaJam

Blending heavy doses of psychedlelia with sun-soaked melodies and huge, anthemic soundscapes. - Loud Horizon

Blending heavy doses of psychedlelia with sun-soaked melodies and huge, anthemic soundscapes. - Loud Horizon

Dreamy, dark, seductive - Alfitude

Dreamy, dark, seductive - Alfitude

You can feel the warmth of the Texan sun seep through. - The Pigeon Note

You can feel the warmth of the Texan sun seep through. - The Pigeon Note

Fans of the southern rock sound will instantly be drawn to their music… if you’re a fan of Fleet Foxes, Band Of Horses, or My Morning Jacket, give them a shot. I assure you they will not disappoint. - Myspace Artist HQ

Fans of the southern rock sound will instantly be drawn to their music… if you’re a fan of Fleet Foxes, Band Of Horses, or My Morning Jacket, give them a shot. I assure you they will not disappoint. - Myspace Artist HQ

Euphoric psych-pop with new fangs and focus this time around… There’s also more of a wearied Neil Young-ian edge in lead singer Ross Gilfillan’s lonesome howl this time around. What remains the same is Black Book’s immense hooks and soul-stirring orchestrations that sweep you into the cosmos with their inter-galactic beauty. - My Old Kentucky Blog

Racking up comparisons to Grandaddy and Band of Horses, Black Books are the latest act to emerge from the music breeding ground of Austin, Texas. They sound a bit like Arcade Fire, if Arcade Fire took a detour into the Deep South and then emerged from a psychedelic trip in the Mojave Desert. - Wonderland Magazine

Racking up comparisons to Grandaddy and Band of Horses, Black Books are the latest act to emerge from the music breeding ground of Austin, Texas. They sound a bit like Arcade Fire, if Arcade Fire took a detour into the Deep South and then emerged from a psychedelic trip in the Mojave Desert. - Wonderland Magazine

You'll find yourself immersed in dream/pop as well, but it's a combo of genres that work well for these guys. Driving guitars and melodies that give you this out-of-body experience, you'll find yourself repeating these tunes a few times. Aquarena is well worth the price. - Oh So Fresh!

The song itself is a mesmerizing journey, and they give it a wonderful video to go with it. - We All Want Someone To Shout For

I’m a fan of local quintet Black Books‘ mesmerizing style, which they’ve aptly described as “Southern dream pop.” And they do weave expansive, shoegazey psych-pop waves, providing the perfect soundtrack for the vibe you get as you lay back and absorb a star-filled Texas sky. It also remains with you after you’ve listened, warm and shimmering in what I can only describe as the colors of bliss.
The band members have played together for awhile now, but officially formed Black Books in 2010, and they’re ready to release their debut full-length early next year. But keep in mind they’ve just released a 7-inch with two new tracks that will not be on the upcoming album, so make sure to check those tunes out.
- KUT Austin - Laurie Gallardo

Austin goodies Black Books remind me of a shoegaze My Morning Jacket. I sort of can't believe I just wrote that but listening to "Out the Door" over and over, that's the pervading feeling. My friend Shopkins hearts them hard and oh my, it's a lovely sound they're making.

Singer Ross Gilfillan is married to organ player Meg and they have a two year old son. They currently reside in a camper trailer.

He was in a garage band with most of the guys in Black Books from middle through high school. Originally he was the drummer/singer in the band but now he's learning guitar and doing the vocals up front. He hopes to remember all the guitar parts by SXSW.

Gilfillan loves light beer, tubing down the river, and BBQ. His dream is to live on a large piece of land and have a "BIG" family.

Here's his excellent take on...

The LP Questionnaire
Name: Ross Gilfillan
Do you have any nicknames? Rossco or Honey…depends on who is talking to me.

1. Pretend you’re 15. Name three songs you'd put on a mix tape for your girlfriend/boyfriend. I was 15 in 1998. I didn’t make mix tapes for my girl friend because I was an idiot, but band mate Clarke and I exchanged mix tapes quite a bit. I can recall three that were really memorable: The Flaming Lips – Bad Days, Nirvana – Even In His Youth, and Beastie Boys – Sabotage. I think I still have some of them in a box.

2. Which evil villain would make the best President? Magneto. He looks like a founding father with his long white hair. He is really cranky…so he might be the first Tea Party candidate to make it to the oval office. And, if he acted up the X-Men would straighten his ass out. It’s important to have checks and balances.

3. What was your favorite cartoon as a child? X-Men

4. What superpower do you wish you had? Easy. This is way too easy! I would be able to fly and control nature. Make plants/trees grow very rapidly and use them in clever ways to exploit the enemy’s vulnerabilities. The enemy probably relies on robots and in the end nature will win over robots.

5. What would the title of your autobiography be? Nature One – Robots Zero: Portrait of a 21st Century Texan

PICK THREE

The Jesus and Mary Chain: Everyone is looking forward to trying to get into Jesus and Mary Chain. It is great to catch such an influential band at such an exciting festival.

Blitzen Trapper: I will try to see Blitzen Trapper because I saw them a few months ago and I want to take my wife. Great live band.

Golden Bear: I will try to get over to Golden Bear because I have heard good things about them…they are from Austin too, but I keep missing them.

There's just so much going on. I look forward to seeing what bands from different towns are doing right now.

You can get ambrosial with Black Books Tuesday, March 13 at Treasure Island at 10 pm.

It's a mellow Saturday at ye olde SXSW place. I'll be back shortly with more from Mahogany and Choir of Young Believers. If you're sitting around like I am you can have a look-see at the LPQ/P3 archiveness.

Our tweets will make you happy at @mspark and @sxsw

And pretty good is really good for me, lp - SXSW.com

Psychedelic, another great ambient psychedelic troupe from the lone star state. Black Books have recently had success with their release An Introduction To… which is the precursor to their upcoming fall record. Take a listen and be sure to check back on SFTT for more info regarding their upcoming release. - Earmilk

Black Books deliver a dreamy, delightful, downer drive on the slowcore "The Big Idea" and "Green Screen," like Loney, Dear and Low wrestling Lightspeed Champion, Idaho, and Wye Oak. They amp it up, too, on "Maria," but save some twinge of Wolf Parade and Fleet Foxes in the harmonic vocals. That could make them dangerous in the U.S. underground. Will Sub Pop steal them? - Jack Rabid, Big Takeover Magazing

Shoegazing at its best. - bandcamp

Black Books are a relatively new Austin band that we’ve recently taken a liking too. Not long ago, the band finished recording their debut EP An Introduction To… which is currently available for free download on the Black Books bandcamp site. Below you’ll find a nice little MP3 of my personal favorite song “Green Screen”. The vocals of drummer Ross Gilfillan on this tune remind me a lot of the reverb laden early work of Jim James mixed with a few parts Mark Kozelek. I’m down with that. - Austin Town Hall

This band is for fans of early MY MORNING JACKET (especially on “Maria“), but this Austin based five-piece have put together an absolutely gorgeous debut EP. - Future Sounds - Larry Little

Big, beautiful, heartbreaking work from this upstart Austin, TX rockers. Sounds as though this band got in bed with Blitzen Trapper and My Morning Jacket and ‘made babies’. Listening to this is like wrapping up in a navajo blanket and laying under the big Texas desert stars with your lover, and, you know, making babies. Or at least this should be the soundtrack. I expect big things from these guys. - yvynyl

10 Locals To Watch In 2011 - The Austin Chronicle - Austin Powell

Drony, dreamy shoegaze. - NPR All Songs Considered

Highly recommended for anyone whose been petitioning for a Grandaddy reunion and those of you who love My Morning Jacket’s until they threaten to morph into Pink Floyd. - My Old Kentucky Blog

bold, beautiful and wholly absorbing.

Texan quintet Black Books produce the kind of music that's both heartbreaking and euphoric, it evokes the same sensation that can be felt listening to bands like The Shins or Band of Horses. Black Books aren't too dissimilar from either band, listening to them makes us want to throw our arms in the air and shout, "Yes! Yes! Somebody else understands!" It's like their music takes you by the hand and lets you know everything is going to be ok.

Throughout their 'An Introduction To...' EP, melancholic moments of reflection are interspersed with gloriously euphoric explosions of unbridled passion. Opening track, 'The Big Idea', highlights everything they do so successfully as a band and why you should be so excited about discovering their music. - Amazing Instore

Ross Gilfillan and Austin band Black Books make me want to go out into my backyard and build the skeletal underpinnings for a set of wings. I've never thought about needing wings before, but every day brings something new and this is today's surprise. I'd need some sturdy and manageable, lightweight wood, along with bags and bags of feathers. Don't care much for actually knowing what I would be doing. Any expertise in aerodynamics would be damned from my mind. We'd rely here on gumption and foolishness to put these wings together. We'd just see how it all went. We'd call up at least two or three different people who possessed hot air balloon licenses (and the balloons, of course, because one is never good for shit without the other) - a few people who would take us up.

We'd order them to stagger the height and distances of their balloons and we'd try to time it just right. We'd bring a step stool up in the basket of the first one and up we'd step, when it looked like everything was right where it needed to be - when it looked like everything was soft and bouncy below us. The wings that we were going to trust would be spread out, spanning a good length and we'd just believe in them letting us glide safely to the next balloon's basket. We'd reach it and we'd do it again, getting a little bit of windburn, with the exhilarating, pants-pissing decision to follow the music where we thought it wanted us to go. - daytrotter.com

It can be incredibly frustrating at times and is also why a band as startlingly fully-formed and brilliant as Black Books can go pretty much unnoticed on these shores for so long. The five-piece from Austin, Texas make huge, passionate indie-rock songs in the vein of early My Morning Jacket, and their An Introduction To… EP, released back in February, is as good as anything we’ve heard this year. - GoldFlakePaint

Their sound is reminiscent of My Morning Jacket and Band of Horses, especially vocally (someone needs to trademark whatever tricks these guys use to sound so great) but also in their melodic construction - Operation Every Band - SXSW 2012

They have made a great update to a tired track. At first they stick close to the Cardigans’ version, excluding the fact that lead singer Ross Gilfillan is a dude and sounds a little drunk as he slurs through the verses. When they hit the chorus, though, things get a bit trippy. The band really hits on the best parts of the song; rather than being repetitive to the point of being grating, they shroud the words in mountains of reverb and distortion until they are soft enough to float on. Even though the second verse is just like the first, coming after that refrain it sounds completely new. Black Books have captured that nostalgia of the original and made it new. - Cover Me

After being labeled one of the Top Ten Local Acts to Watch by the Austin Chronicle and getting the green light to perform at SXSW ’12, the band that has been playing together since they were little kids might finally get their chance to grow up. Black Books, a five piece Austin folk/dreampop outfit, is probably best described as two parts Band of Horses and one parts My Morning Jacket. Blending lush instrumentals with soulful vocals, the band’s sound seems fitting for any summer stroll under a giant starlit sky - Music Whale

Hailing from Austin and fresh off a SXSW appearance, Black Books were rated #13 on Paste Magazine top 100 Bands at SXSW. With the seemingly infinite number of bands that performed there this year that’s some feat to accomplish.

An Introduction To… is an experimentation in atmospheric indie rock and an experiment that works amazingly well. There isn’t a dud on the EP and each track is just wall-to-wall pleasantries of sound. - The Muse In Music

Top 10 EP's of 2011

These favorites come in the form of EPs, singles, 7 inch and split 12 inch releases of the vinyl and digital variety. In no particular order. - Emily Hogan - Wholly Roller

#11 - Black Books’ version of southern dream pop in a masterfully recorded and mixed package. For fans of Sparklehorse and Grandaddy, be prepared for epic soundscapes, excellent guitar work and gently exploding crescendos. - OVRLD

Playing self-described garage magic, the quintet creates epic soundscapes accompanied by reverbed vocals. Starting from the first notes off their debut EP An Introduction To… I was drawn in by their dreamy pop. The slow buildup of the lead song “The Big Idea” explodes into a synthesizer-infused chorus in which the lead singer bellows the lyrics “You can have anything you want” to perhaps a former significant other. Comparisons have been drawn to Sparklehorse, Grandaddy and other southern rock influenced dream pop outfits like My Morning Jacket, and I can definitely hear the similarities, but Black Books stand out on their own because of their excellent guitar work and instrumental balance. - OVRLD

It's like listening to Band of Horses under water. I love the Black Books! - SYFFAL

#1) Black Books

These are my personal picks for the Best New Artists in 2011. Each of these artists have had their first release or started as a band in 2011. They all deserve some recognition for their great music and you should definitely keep an eye on them in 2012 as they take their next steps in their blossoming musical careers. - Dream Wave - Indie Darkroom Magazine 87.7FM WNYZ New York

#1) Black Books

These are my personal picks for the Best New Artists in 2011. Each of these artists have had their first release or started as a band in 2011. They all deserve some recognition for their great music and you should definitely keep an eye on them in 2012 as they take their next steps in their blossoming musical careers. - Dream Wave - Indie Darkroom Magazine 87.7FM WNYZ New York

Black Books are one of my favorite discoveries of 2012. With vocals reminiscent of Jim James and music that alternates beautiful melodies with anthemic apexes, it’s little wonder the band draws comparisons to My Morning Jacket. It’s not all indie southern rock, though, as the band also delves into psych-rock and dream pop. - John Laird - Side One: Track One

Black Books are one of my favorite discoveries of 2012. With vocals reminiscent of Jim James and music that alternates beautiful melodies with anthemic apexes, it’s little wonder the band draws comparisons to My Morning Jacket. It’s not all indie southern rock, though, as the band also delves into psych-rock and dream pop. - John Laird - Side One: Track One

The second I started listening to the first track on their EP, An Introduction to, I was hooked. This 4-song EP is full of glittery electronics with a heavy, soaring guitar and rich drum beats. And the vocals are the perfect icing on this delicious cake. This 5-piece is a powerhouse that’s undeniably great. Black Books is for fans of Sun Airway and Kurt Vile. You have got to check them out. - Wholly Roller

I’ve never been but I think I would love Austin. I’ve found another reason: Black Books. They’re approximately reason #43431.

Black Books is a 5-piece from the Texas capital. They’re made up of Ross and Meg Gilfillan, Kevin Butler, Mike Parker, and Clarke Curtis. The band plays what they call “a mix of what dream pop and southern rock”. They are old friends but new bandmates. They currently have one release, An Introduction to…. With it they’ve been labelled as a local band to watch in the quality Austin scene. As you listen to their music, you can see why. - 1146 Miles

In my opinion, Black Books is one of the best bands of 2011. Their dreamy / southern-rock sound is true gold and has gained them much attention this year. Their first EP entitled “An Introduction To” is just a sample of their musical talents and will surely leave you wanting more. Their upcoming release, which has yet to be titled, promises to deliver even more impressive dreamy indie-rock and will definitely keep you satisfied. - Indie Darkroom Magazine

Anyone who puts An Introduction To by Black Books in and doesn't melt after the vocals start is a cold hearted bastard.

An Introduction To is like Pink Floyd's Division Bell in 2011, but with the aforementioned Neil Young at the helm. Even the incidental guitar solo has the instant feel of Mister Young about to go in.

Band of Horses meets the electronic brilliance of Hollywood's mega-blockbuster spray on lacquer, An Introduction To, while not perfect, is as close as near-perfect in indie rock as I will get in 2011 I'm afraid.

Everything inside of this short 4 song project is tasteful, if I had to sum it up in a short sentence. As soon as you're in their pocket and the song changes, you feel like you know everything about Black Books, with the exception of how it's going to feel when you snap out of it. - Shut Your Fucking Face An Listen (SYFFAL)

What started as an informal jam session between friends in Manor, Texas, has blossomed into a fully formed indie-pop outfit which celebrated the release of its four-song EP, An Introduction To, last Wednesday, Feb. 16, at Beerland. Signed worldwide to Shifting Sounds records, the fivepiece Black Books create lush soundscapes most easily (and lazily) compared to My Morning Jacket and Grandaddy. - The Vinyl District

What started as an informal jam session between friends in Manor, Texas, has blossomed into a fully formed indie-pop outfit which celebrated the release of its four-song EP, An Introduction To, last Wednesday, Feb. 16, at Beerland. Signed worldwide to Shifting Sounds records, the fivepiece Black Books create lush soundscapes most easily (and lazily) compared to My Morning Jacket and Grandaddy. - The Vinyl District

Introducing, Black Books, bringing The Shins sounding goodness out of Austin, TX while peppering in early My Morning Jacket influence to keep it southern for y'all. "An Introduction To..." is nothing short of a pleasure to listen to. The self described "southern dream rock" fivesome are definitely a band to keep your eye on. - Gluttony Is The New Black

Black Books is a sweet sounding dream pop band out of Austin, Texas that pushes the experimental envelope a bit further than most ambient, gaze-y indie rock without losing that approachable southern charm. I like everthing about this 4 song EP An Introduction To..., so I'll just shut up and let the music do the talking. - QRO Magazine

My resolution seems to have come at the right time, because starting off 2011, I’ve come across a few local artists that have blindsided me, not only with the fact that they seem to have come from nowhere, but in the fact that have produced some of my current favorite recorded tunes. One of those bands is Black Books. I would have to give credit to Austin Town Hall for catching the talent of this 5 piece outfit pretty quick.

As with most bands that seem to drop from out of nowhere, there isn’t much info out there about the group. Well acquainted friends for years that have played music, suddenly decide to form a band and put out some tunes. Having a band member with a recording studio in his house that doubles as a practice space, is a luxury that most bands would prefer, much less kill for, and from which, would benefit greatly. The band has a 4 song EP titled An Introduction To… which is being handled by the UK label Shifting Sounds. The EP is currently available for FREE download on the bands Bandcamp page, but the free won’t last forever. A Feb 15th release date of limited edition 10? vinyl via Shifting Sounds will probably bring the free to a halt, so get it now.

As for the band’s sound..it’s pretty inevitable that there are going to be the My Morning Jacket and Band of Horses comparisons based on the vocals and some of the musical tones, but there’s something unique and interesting brewing in this short set of songs. Electronic accessories that hint at Grandaddy on track 1 “The Big Idea” find themselves sharing as much of the structural integrity throughout the recording, while each track establishes it’s own identity within the space and structure that the band collectively weaves. Well written songs both lyrically and musically, with attention to the details will have locals paying attention to Black Books over the next year. - Sonic Itch Music

bands like black books are why I’m bitter that I don’t live in austin. their ep, an introduction to…, has been played often in my itunes library because the music is just so solid, and the production level is incredibly clear (side note: this is because they record at a band member’s studio, test tube audio). in an email they sent last month, they said the band plans to have another ep out by the end of the year, so cross your fingers that all goes well and we’ll have some new music from them soon. - pavement/gravel - cardoons

Then snuck out later this evening to see one of my favorite new Austin bands, Black Books, who boast the rarely seen drummer/lead singer, and play a kind of off-kilter dream-pop...their "Maria" lit it up + served as the highlight of my night. - The Deli Magazine - NYC

Black Books was an early surprise, recalling Phil Collins-era Genesis approached from a post-rock perspective, spacious yet dense, with a singing drummer that used enough reverb to warrant Jim James comparisons. - The Austin Chronicle

I discovered black books' EP An Introduction to... on their Bandcamp page about a week before South by Southwest, and it took all of 5 seconds of "The Big Idea" to get me completely obsessed with the Austin band (preview the track below). Lead singer Ross Gillfilan's voice sounds similar to Jim James' of My Morning Jacket, and the track's descent into a mesmerizing haze of lazy, sprawling psychedelia is maddeningly deliberate and highly addictive. But besides their Bandcamp and Facebook pages, I could find little else on this budding Austin band which made me want to see the band's live performance all the more. Though they may be green, I was delighted to find their audience at Dirty Dog Bar last Wednesday robust and more than a little antsy to see the young quintet perform. I was further impressed by the fact that lead singer Ross Gillfilan was also the drummer, and he not only covered both roles but did so with a light touch that's rare for others of his ilk. The band played a very cohesive set, and I thought they represented their recorded music extremely well. When I met up with the members of black books on Friday for the following interview, it was obvious that they felt great about their first-ever set at South by Southwest: every member of the band was glowing with pride and a quietly shared sense of a job well done. - Laurel Kathleen, Best New Bands .com

This sounds like the album that you'll put on while driving in open highway at night or a lush forest during the day. - The Birdie Blog

Black Books are 5 piece from Austin, Texas that psych rock fans should keep an eye on. They released a great little EP called An Introduction To… and it does exactly what it implies. It’s a great introduction to what the band is all about: Smart psych rock that deserve the My Morning Jacket comparisons that they’ve been receiving. These are tripped out rock jams that everyone can enjoy. This is quite an introduction.

After one run through, I’m incredibly impressed. This is the perfect way to start your career. They main the skills and focus of seasoned veterans. They’re ready to break out. If this EP is any indication, Black Books are going to be a big name soon. - We All Want Someone To Shout For

Black Books spread their lush, dreamy sound over four tracks on a recent nifty-looking green vinyl EP, An Introduction to...; lyrics include the very Texas sentiment "if you're not sunburned you're not having fun"...they've also got some upcoming 3/5 at the Mohawk & two more helping kick off the SX madness Tuesday 3/15 at (both!) The Ghost Room and Skinny's Ballroom. - The Deli

Black Books spread their lush, dreamy sound over four tracks on a recent nifty-looking green vinyl EP, An Introduction to...; lyrics include the very Texas sentiment "if you're not sunburned you're not having fun"...they've also got some upcoming 3/5 at the Mohawk & two more helping kick off the SX madness Tuesday 3/15 at (both!) The Ghost Room and Skinny's Ballroom. - The Deli

Black Books hail from the musical mecca of Austin, TX, and their music feels like a gathering point as well. Their new EP, entitled An Introduction To…, is a four-song, nearly 20 minute journey that builds on itself from track to track. It’s a kind of dream-pop/shoegaze hybrid – although those terms are often used interchangeably. The lead singer sounds like a hybrid himself, mixing the best parts of Damien Jurado and Jim James together. An Introduction To… does just that – offers a solid presentation of a band with undeniable promise.

Said EP will see its official release on February 15th, but you can stream the entire thing right now at the band’s website. There are also plans for releasing the EP on 10? vinyl through the folks at Shifting Sounds, but that seems to be a UK release only. If no one has plans on releasing it here in the States on wax, maybe we’ll just have to start our own label to make it happen. - tympanogram

It's in Swedish but we're #6. - Klubb Ace

I think I may be in love. You know that feeling after you form a crush…that first spark of interest leaving you wanting to know more. You possibly might become instantly infatuated. Sometimes when you learn more they turn out to be not what you hoped or expected. Other times though you end up falling a little harder. It might be love or it might just be a really big crush, but either way it’s something.
My current gushing sighing crush is with the Austin, TX band Black Books. When I first heard their song Green Screen, I thought man this is all over the place dynamically sometimes, the guitars seem to be everywhere… but I fucking love it. And the voice…it’s perhaps a little Band of Horses, perhaps a little Jim James in all his bearded glory but mostly a lot of amazing in it’s own right. I think fans of My Morning Jacket will be crushing right along with me when you hear this group.
Black Books EP is available for FREE download on their website. - Earplugs Not Included

A slow-building, burning from the inside epic, The Big Idea grows and grows, coming on like a sunrise telling you it’s time to get home. It’s a creeper, smoldering under some simple synth lines and evocative guitar growls. Just when you think that’s as far as it’s going, the chorus arrives, expanding temporarily before ceding to the rising guitar.

The real magic begins in the second chorus when it drops to just vocals and a synth swirl. Then the guitar returns, switching gears from “understated” to “dominating”, while Black Books’ lead singer Rosco’s vocals rise to the challenge, delivering a line that’s more desperation than promise:

“You can have anything you want.”
- Capitalist Lion Tamer