At this point in time, I think I probably should change the site’s name from “Part-Time Music” to “In Case You Missed It” because I no longer make any “hot off the presses” discoveries. Regardless, I’m going to stick with making belated picks because, for the most part, they are just too damn good not to talk about!

Take this track from San Francisco’s The Mantles that I snagged from Weekly Tape Deck a couple weeks back. Although the weather is super shitty in Utah right now, one listen to “Raspberry Thighs” melts away my late-winter/early-spring annoyance and gets me pumped with what the summer has to offer. Shimmering guitars: check. Airy keyboard chords: check. Easy-going vocals: check. I could unfold my tablecloth on the ground and have a picnic RIGHT NOW if it wasn’t so damn cold outside… *Sigh*

Cop the track below and if you live in France or love to pay international shipping, grab the 7” here.

The Mantles // Raspberry Thighs

For those like me who didn’t jump on purchasing The Mantles’s Slumberland-released 7” back in October of last year, now’s the time to correct that error as I got word that it’s back in stock at the label’s store for a paltry $5. Hailing from San Fran, one of the epicenters of music innovation nowadays, this psych-infused garage rock quartet is a cut above the rest when it comes to making 70s-revival neo-jam band music.

Check out an mp3 for their track “Bad Design” (made available from the Slumberland site) and head on over to myspace to stream the B-side “Rachel”. And if you have deep pockets, you can purchase their Mexican Summer 12” as well.

The Mantles // Bad Design

Well if you didn’t know it by the Beach House and Toro y Moi leaks, 2010 is just around the corner. Although we should have some idea about what’s going to happen next year, there are still a series of unknown events yet to be experienced. Well one such gap that has been filled this past week is the initial line-up for Austin’s annual massive cult-like gathering disguised as the South By Southwest Music Festival.

In typical SXSW fashion, most of the 230 bands slated to descend upon the Lone Star State capitol next spring are unknowns, however, after sifting through the 4+ pages of acts, I’ve found some well respected names that are guaranteed to put on a good show. When it comes to bands, you have the whole gamut to choose from. You like international acts, you say? Well they have obscure Norwegian singer/songwriter Julian Berntzen, popular Scottish indie-rockers Frightened Rabbit, and Colbert-approved Swedish swing/hip-hop/jazz group Movits! to choose from. Like the blog-buzzed bands? Well IGIF-approved acts Arms and Fanfarlo are scheduled to appear as well as GorrillavsBear-ed band Fergus & Geronimo and Aquarium Drunkard’s fave Warpaint. Looking for local flavor? Austin has that too with great homegrown acts Harlem and Daniel Francis Doyle.

As for my own personal favorites, quite a few caught my eye. Although I’ve been disappointed with his latest effort Summer of Fear, Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson put out one of my favorite albums of 2008 with his self-titled debut, so I wouldn’t mind checking out his unsteady vocals live. The all-girl Atlanta garage rockers The Coathangers are another act that would be cool to check out since I missed their performance in Lubbock earlier this year. However of all the groups, the two bands I am most looking forward to see are the Vermont female folk trio ironically named Mountain Man as well as San Fran indie-rockers The Mantles. Both feature some incredibly thought out, easily listenable tunes that I think would work great offsetting the hustle-and-bustle nature of the festival itself.

No doubt, about a million more acts will start popping up on the schedule (both officially and unofficially), so I’ll keep you posted on any recent developments.

Mountain Man // Animal Tracks

The Mantles // Don’t Lie

Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson // Buriedfed