Over the past couple of years Austin's own group of hand-percussion aficionados Clap! Clap! have been steadily building a reputation as one of the most entertaining live acts in town, bringing their very own brand of dance-punk to stages around town to perform in front of appreciative crowds eager to free their bodily movements of any restraint. After a year of work including many hours spent determening the very best method of transferring their high energy dance rhythms onto disc, Clap! Clap! are now prepared to offer up their first proper recording. The album titled You Love This! will be available starting next week at CD release shows at Emo's in Austin and Lucy's in San Marcos, at Waterloo and Sundance Records locally, and if you're not local you can also grab a copy through the official site and MySpace page.

You Love This! has keyboard and synth-driven sounds along with occasional guitar freak-outs on songs like "Relation Control" that instantly bring to mind the electronic-dance-rock style popularized by the Rapture, while other moments on the album such as the opener "Pressure of Your Pressure" recall the new wave tendencies present on the Faint's debut album. Another track on the album that begs repeated listening is "Space Dance," a downtempo dance track that occupies a full six minutes of last half of the album and sounds as if Bowie himself lent a hand in the production. You Love This! is filled with 10 tracks and clocks in at just under an hour in length, including a re-recording of the live favorite "Talk Shop" that features a guest spot from Chief of the local (San Marcos) hip-hop outfit The Word Association.

Party Ends said: "With the popularity of LCD and the Rapture singing about dancing and the crowds going nuts- the world now have a new entrant into the talented dance post-punk game: Clap! Clap!. The recording quality and full sound of this album is unlike anything else locally being produced and is a fantastic representation of what locals have known for years- that Clap! Clap! live shows are out of control."

Austin Sound said: "Already working from a reputation as one of the best live bands in Austin (and San Marcos), Clap! Clap!’s full-length debut You Love This has been building anticipation for almost a year. Onstage the group is a dynamic octagonal whirlwind of synths, guitar, electro-beats and unrestrained movement that lives up to their moniker and explodes infectiously into the crowd. It’s the Rapture brought home and the Faint resuscitated, all with a playful enthusiasm that takes the pretentiousness out of IDM."

Clap! Clap! said: In 2004, Clap! Clap! was born with a mission: to bring energy back to live shows and to make the energy infectious amongst the audience. Armed with 8 members, the band hopes to continue its quest to bring back audience participation and energy to live shows. With influences such as The Faint and The Rapture, dance and electronic rock is the band’s forte. The band utilizes five keyboards and two guitars to generate layered, accomplished songs. In 2005, MTVU recognized Clap! Clap! in a nationwide contest, “The Best Band on Campus,” and listed the band amongst the top 10 in the nation. Although the band did not win the contest, the campus newspaper honored the group as the top band in the city of San Marcos. The following year, the band relocated to Austin only to be the Austin Chronicle’s recommended choice for best new artist in 2006.


Clap! Clap! - You Love This!

1. Pressure of Your Pressure
2. Talk Shop
3. Troubles with Doubles
4. Dr. Doctor!
5. Relation Control
6. Props to the DJ
7. You Love This!
8. Space Dance
9. We Lurk for Love
10. Coach

www.clap-clap.com

Labels: Local