Austin Music Minute: Recent Episodes
KUT & KUTX Studios, Laurie Gallardo
AMM Oct. 30: Genesis Owusu at Empire GarageThe world is in mass chaos. The end seems close at hand. But every day, somehow…one manages to rise up and move forward. So observes The Roach.
Whether the protagonist of Genesis Owusu‘s latest release Struggler is a roach in the literal sense (a talking roach? most alarming), the follow-up to Smiling With No Teeth, taking a few existential cues from Samuel Beckett‘s Waiting for Godot, zooms in on the central character’s feelings of helplessness as he doggedly perseveres amidst the destruction surrounding him, all while dealing with what Owusu describes as a ‘mental crisis.’ In this case, that which does not kill us makes us a stronger roach, no longer held back by the past.
Following tomorrow’s performance in KUTX’s Studio 1A, Genesis Owusu has a show tomorrow night, Tuesday Oct. 31, at Empire Garage on E. 7th. Doors at 7 p.m., and the show starts at 8 p.m.
The post Struggler appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
AMM Oct. 28 2023: LEVITATION Saturday & Sunday.Brian Jonestown MassacreRight. Do the hydrating. Get your caffeine on. There’s much more ahead at LEVITATION this weekend, and your AMM has a smidge of recommendations, if you’re so inclined. Make sure to check Levitation’s website for the full schedule. Let’s go.
- For tonight, Saturday Oct. 28: Mexico City’s Sonido Gallo Negro headlines at Hotel Vegas, with an afterparty featuring Como Las Movies and Trejo; Palehound and Speedy Ortiz are on the line-up at The Parish, with Baths and Alexalone; AMM fave Glassing plays Empire Control Room, opening for Uniform with Skeleton; Die Spitz is the perfect fit for the chaos at Stubb’s with Amyl & The Sniffers and Militarie Gun; a major line-up at Mohawk with headliner Durand Jones featuring Austin artists Kalu & The Electric Joint, Adrian Quesada, and AMM fave Chief Cleopatra; and the Far Out Lounge and Stage is the magic spot for a momentous occasion with The Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Veldt, The Black Angels, Lorelle Meets The Obsolete, The Dandy Warhols, and KUTX October Artist of the Month Daiistar. Holy. Hell.
- Levitation wraps up tomorrow, Sunday Oct. 29 with Miami-based band Mustard Service at the Parish; Spaceflight Records artists Big Bill, Billy King and The Bad Bad Bad, and Nemegata take over The 13th Floor; AMM fave Magna Carda starts out the evening at Far Out Lounge and Stage; Altin Gün at Empire Garage; and quite possibly one of the most GARGANTUAN ways to open a show – the inimitable Fuck Money annihilates the Mohawk stage ahead of Death From Above 1979, with Demob Happy on the bill.
Go forth for some quality not-behaving.
PalehoundFuck MoneyBadbadnotgoodChief CleopatraMustard ServiceMagna CardaThe post LEVITATION: Saturday and Sunday appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
AMM Oct. 27 2023: A few AMM picks for LEVITATION Fri/Sat.Allah-LasIn addition to hosting performances at venues along Red River, downtown, and South Austin, LEVITATION has a new central wind down hub, Levitation Lounge at 809 E. 6th, where festival goers can take a break and maybe catch a few Levitation artists doing DJ sets. You’re gonna need it during this busy weekend. And you know how the AMM does this thing – here are a handful of picks for tonight, Friday Oct. 27, and Saturday, Oct. 28. So much going on that it hurts:
- Tonight – Recent Studio 1A guest Alan Palomo at Empire Garage on E. 7th (“La Madrinleña” from World of Hassle is featured on today’s AMM); Allah-Las at Far Out Lounge and Stage in South Austin; the incomparable Flying Lotus takes over the room at The Concourse, 8509 Burleson Rd.; Bully is back in Austin for a performance at The Parish, 501 Brushy St.; celebrating more than 10 years of Sorrow and Extinction, Pallbearer reigns with doom at The 13th Floor on Red River; and celebrating their new self-titled LP, Queen Serene starts out the evening for Ulrika Spacek at Antone’s, with Holy Wave.
- Saturday’s hot spots – Amyl & The Sniffers at Stubb’s; Mercury Rev’s Clear Light Ensemble presenting a live score for the 1932 horror classic Vampyr at Elysium; Kris Esfandiari‘s heartstopping King Woman performs at Empire Garage, and with new music from Wait Til I Get Over, Durand Jones headlines at Mohawk.
More LEVITATION selections from the AMM coming up tomorrow. Stay tuned.
BullyFlying LotusQueen SereneThe post LEVITATION: Friday & Saturday appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
AMM Oct. 26 2023: A Curious Mix of People release show at The Parlor.Sixteen DeluxeSurely you heard about it on an extra cool episode of My KUTX.
Your AMM host recommends A Curious Mix of People: The Underground Scene of ‘90s Austin by aforementioned My KUTX hosts (and former KVRX DJs, by the way), filmmaker Richard Whymark and writer Greg Beets. Both authors experienced the madness and mayhem firsthand, so this sharply crafted compilation of interviews with fellow ’90s scenesters, show and venue photos, and badass flyers provides a fascinating and entertaining oral history of Austin’s burgeoning underground scene.
Following a recent panel at Austin Central Library for the book launch, the celebration continues with several familiar faces reuniting for a big show Saturday Oct. 28 at The Parlor, 4301 Guadalupe. A few original bands, and some new iterations make one sick line-up: Glorium, the original Austin version of Gomez, The Living Pins, Jesus Christ Superfly, Yard Work, The John-Pauls, and Hammel On Trial. It all kicks off with a special invocation presented by Mike Henry at 3 p.m.
-Special thanks to Richard Whymark for use of the photos below (Sincola, Inhalants, Wannabes) and on KUTX’s homepage (Cathy Shive of Furry Things) for the Austin Music Minute.
Inhalants. Photo by Scott Gardner.Sincola at Aqua Fest. Photo by Richard Whymark.The Wannabes. Photo by Richard Whymark.The post So Very Curious, Indeed appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
AMM Oct. 25 2023: Latasha Lee and Blakchyl at Radio East.Latasha LeeThe new Eastside location of Radio Coffee and Beer has been open only a few days, and already it’s buzzing with so many upcoming shows. The AMM got word about a big one coming up this week, a spectacular benefit on Friday in support of the DAWA Fund, created to support BIPOC community frontliners financially and through culturally-relevant health-centered programming.
Black Live Music Fund and Radio will host two powerhouse performances for this event: Savor the classic R&B/soul vibes by the sensational Latasha Lee, and the absolute poetic force of a rap/R&B vocalist recently featured on a KUTX pop up set at ACL Fest, Blakchyl. And rounding out the night, all the high-energy spins courtesy of DJ Bad Apple.
It’s happening this Friday night, Oct. 27, at the new Radio East, 3504 Montopolis, in support of DAWA. Doors at 7 p.m.
Knock. You. Out.
BlakchylDJ Bad AppleThe post Friday at Radio East appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
AMM Oct. 23 2023: Allison Russell at 3TenAllison RussellAs a child, Allison Russell believed she would lose her life at the hands of her adoptive father.
At age 15, she left home and began a long and arduous healing journey after suffering so much abuse. She emerged from the trauma with a life she never thought possible – a Grammy-nominated artist, an accomplished musician contributing to several great bands (including AMM fave Our Native Daughters), and a powerful individual who would not be buried by her demons. Instead, Russell faces them head on and, in the case of her second solo LP The Returner, does so with the most uplifting blues/gospel/soul grooves to cast them out. It’s an album of cathartic, transformative moments, filled with as much gratitude and joy as it is with regained strength, a celebratory new chapter in Russell’s creativity and personal experiences.
Russell brings The Returner Tour to Austin for a performance tomorrow night, Wednesday Oct. 25, at 3Ten. Doors at 7 p.m., and the show starts at 8 p.m.
The post The Returner appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
AMM Oct. 23 2023 – Goth Gala at SagebrushHaunt MeIt wasn’t a terribly exciting soap opera in the beginning.
Dark Shadows was promoted as a “gothic” program, which mostly meant darkened corners, blowing curtains, and thunder and lightning around the Collinwood mansion, where the Collins family and all the drama resided. It attempted to cater to a specific gender normative audience – the “housewife” – with the usual 1960s daytime television fare. Then producer Dan Curtis, always envisioning more, added a ghost to haunt one of the old empty homes near the Collinwood mansion. Plenty of viewers may have said, “What the hell am I watching?!” But the supernatural themes drove the ratings up (“We had to go all the way with the spook-o…” Curtis once said). However, that was nothing compared to what was about to happen, an unprecedented move that would change TV forever. His name: Barnabas Collins, cousin Barnabas from England, portrayed by classically-trained actor Jonathan Frid. The Collins family are stunned by the striking resemblance between their mysterious new relative and the portrait of Barnabas’ ancestor on the wall at Collinwood. Little did they know a vampire was now in their midst.
The skyrocketing popularity was unbelievable, and overwhelming for Frid, who honestly had no idea that he’d become a sex symbol. And from this madness came the film based on the series, House of Dark Shadows (1970), maintaining the basic storyline but with more gore and fangs. Don your best cape and head to Sagebrush for a special screening of this classic at 7 p.m. tonight, Monday Oct. 23, at the Gothic Gala. It’s followed by a performance by AMM goth/darkwave fave Haunt Me at 9 p.m.
Full disclosure: Your AMM host is also host of this specially curated evening. Fangs out, homie. The Collins’ are expecting us.
Barnabas Collins (Jonathan Frid) & Maggie Evans (Kathryn Leigh Scott) in House of Dark Shadows (1970).The post Haunt Me and Dark Shadows appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
AMM Oct. 21 2023: Carrie Rodriguez’ LABORATORIOCarrie RodriguezA recent Instagram post by Alex Marrero encapsulated a perfect but all-too-familiar sentiment.
Marrero, known for his work in Brownout, Grupo Fantasma, Los Lobos and numerous others, is part of the multi-talented house band of Carrie Rodriguez‘ LABORATORIO, an ongoing musical project exploring and celebrating Latinx culture and its many contributions to the ongoing American experiment. Rodriguez, Marrero, Roscoe Beck, David Jimenez and Peter Stopchinski are the alchemic artists making every LABORATORIO collaboration a unique and magical experience, and tomorrow’s beautifully crafted set at Stateside will mark the series’ twenty-second installment. In a nutshell, it keeps getting more stunning and amazing with every uplifting performance.
All this circles back to Marrero’s wry observation: Enthusiastic inquiries made about LABORATORIO always seem to come his way after the fact. It’s time to change that.
Catch the next LABORATORIO tomorrow night at Stateside at the Paramount, featuring newly-signed Partisan Records artist Angélica Garcia (the compelling “El Que” is on today’s AMM – and you may recall Garcia’s vocals on Adrian Quesada’s “Ídolo”); and lauded writer/photographer Cat Cardenas, whose work has appeared in Rolling Stone, the New York Times, Washington Post and Texas Monthly. Doors open at 6 p.m. The show begins at 7 p.m.
Full disclosure: Your AMM host will serve as emcee for this spectacular event. Avoid ruminating after the fact. See you Sunday night.
Angélica GarciaCat CardenasThe post Bienvenido al Laboratorio appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
AMM Oct. 20 2023 – Tomar and The FCs at C-Boy’s.Tomar and The FCsAMM fave “Enough is Enough” from Rise Above by Tomar and The FCs is today’s featured track, but make sure to add the sensational “New Way” to your library, a single that’s turning 1 year old this weekend. Another burner with killer horns and Tomar Williams killing it on vocals, as always.
Music is a family affair for Williams. He started his career with his family’s bands in the late ‘80s along the Chitlin Circuit, and though the young Williams had never performed before, he carried a natural ability that shined immediately. He picked up various instruments with an instinct and versatility that was mind-blowing, in addition to having a voice beyond his years. In the early 2000’s, Williams and brother Salih became more involved in the production and songwriting end of music, but it was clear that those vocals belonged front and center. Tomar and the FCs was launched in 2015, a far different time from Williams’ first Austin gig in ’86-’87 with his sibs at a place called the Cave Club at 7th and Red River. But that award-winning voice was better than ever and ready to go.
It’s a show that must be experienced live. Tomar and the FCs takes over C-Boy’s Heart and Soul at 10 p.m. tonight and tomorrow night, sharing the bill with Go Machine this evening, and with The Soul Supporters tomorrow.
The post Get It appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
AMM Oct. 19 2023 – Jalen NgondaPhoto: Rosie CoheKUTX has been spinning “That’s All I Wanted From You” by Jalen Ngonda, but today’s AMM shares the title track to Ngonda’s album, Come Around and Love Me. Perhaps “nu-soul” is the easy reference point for describing the incredible sound of this London based artist, but clearly there are greater forces at work here. Genres like R&B and soul are present, but free-flowing and nebulous, weaving between classic and modern. The style is uniquely his own, and though it also goes without saying, Ngonda’s vocal talents are unmeasured. What an incredible addition to the Daptone roster.
Don’t miss Jalen Ngonda tonight, Thursday Oct. 19, at Empire Control Room and Garage on E. 7th. Doors at 7 p.m., and the show starts at 8 p.m.
The post Come Around and Love Me appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
KVRX Presenta Un Show HispanoSabrina Ellis and Nelson Valente of Como Las Movies.Today’s AMM includes a shout out to our colleagues at UT’s student-run station KVRX 91.7. It’s important to note that “None of the hits, all of the time” includes lots of musical discovery at KVRX-hosted live shows, too. There’s one this week at Chess Club in honor of Hispanic/Latine Heritage Month, KVRX Presenta Un Show Hispano, putting the spotlight on Latine artists in Austin.
This is a sick line-up: Como Las Movies (featured on today’s AMM with the new track “La 6” including vocals by Sabrina Ellis), songwriter/vocalist Marylynn Alvarado, rock en Español/rock independente con Jabalí, and cosmic cumbia reggae provided by Roleros Cosmicos, plus a set by KVRX DJ Hierba Malita. It’s all going down tomorrow night, Thursday Oct. 19, at Chess Club on Red River. Doors at 6 p.m.
JabalíThe post Toda Esta Musica appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
It goes without saying. But for the curious newbies: Acid Mothers Temple will rattle your ribcage and all organs contained therein. In other words, this is one of the most fulfilling live performances your soul will witness, an ensemble wholeheartedly committed to its magnificent craft, a mind meld of psych, metal, drudge and sludge weaving you into a trancelike state. Though at first one may be convinced it’s a wall of sound and nothing more, the gargantuan grooves make their way into the thundering, pulsating mass. This is why you’re swaying in time. As one reviewer stated, this badass band from Japan doesn’t just look like a troop of wizards. They are wizards.
Acid Mothers Temple returns to the ATX to melt faces tonight, Tuesday Oct. 17, at Hotel Vegas in the patio, with The Stargazer Lilies and Grandmaster on the bill. Doors at 6 p.m. Then join Neon Lemon and ST 37 for the afterparty on Hotel Vegas’ indoor stage, starting at 10 p.m. Bring the earplugs – but stand in front.
The post Heavy appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
Lovelorn, featuring new members Kyle Harris and Steve Pike.Following the breakup of their previous psych-gaze band Creepoid, Anna and Patrick Troxell forged an electro post-punk dynamic as the duo Lovelorn. And now the ATX-by-way-of Philly outfit is ramping things up with two new additions to the line-up, guitarists Steve Pike and Kyle Harris. No doubt extra shreds will add even more discordant dimensions to Lovelorn’s dark electro-pop vibe like the harshness of 2021’s What’s Yr Damage, bounding into something more industrial/noise-psych power synth, or what Lovelorn describes as “drug pop.”
Lovelorn has a date with Austin tonight, Monday Oct. 16, at Mohawk‘s indoor stage, on a bill featuring Fawn, Prehuman, and Thirst For Love. Doors at 8 p.m. This all rules.
The post What’s Yr Damage appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
Riverboat Gamblers. Photo: Sam Rich.The AMM’s back at it with a few more ACL Fest selections, and a couple of must-see non-festival related shows to sink your fangs into. Here’s a list. Check it twice:
- At Zilker Park this afternoon, start the day with sets by Austin artists Blakchyl, Nemegata, and Rattlesnake Milk; Angel White and Calder Allen are doing their second ACL weekend; and it’s worth going out of your way to catch AMM fave Sudan Archives. Tonight, Tegan and Sara perform, as well as The 1975. And there’s an ACL Fest Nights show with Madison Cunningham at the Scoot Inn.
- There’s an anniversary to celebrate tonight, freaks. Riverboat Gamblers‘ Something To Crow About turned 20 this year (what the hell?!), and that means Mike Wiebe will swing from the rafters – or whatever’s available – at a big ol’ show irreverently titled AC Hell Festival at Hotel Vegas. Eight bands, two stages, doors at 7:30 p.m. Starving Wolves, The Oxys, Tiny, The Del Vipers, The Get Lows, User Unauthorized, and No Association all provide an entire night of various levels of face-melting.
- And tonight, YAWN presents an excellent line-up at Cheer Up Charlie’s featuring San Gabriel, Skateland, and Oklahoma City band Chelsea Days. Doors at 8:30 p.m.
- Tomorrow’s ACL Fest line-up features a few festival debuts by local artists – country artist Kathryn Legendre plays at noon, and folk/pop songwriter Sisi Berry takes the stage at 1 p.m. Catch Caramelo Haze at 3:15 p.m. And there’s a slew of second-weekend sets by Yves Tumor, Little Simz, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Cigarettes After Sex and Death Grips.
Gonna say this over and over: Go support the bands, even if you’re abstaining from those of the wrist variety.
The post More Weekend Picks appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
We Don’t Ride LlamasIt’s round two of the Austin Music Minute‘s selections for ACL Fest 2023, along with AMM show picks off the beaten path for those not festivally-inclined. No, “festivally” is not an actual word, but you get it:
- At ACL Fest out at Zilker Park, Austin-based band We Don’t Ride Llamas performs this afternoon at 1:40 p.m., and it’s also Abraham Alexander‘s second weekend set at 3:10 p.m. Shoutouts for tonight include Parisian artist FKJ, Maggie Rogers and Portugal. The Man – and here’s hoping for a much longer set by Kendrick Llamar, preferably not unplugged.
- Devon Gilfillian performs at Antone’s, and The Breeders play at Stubb’s, as part of ACL Fest Nights.
- Lauren Lakis celebrates the release of her album A Fiesta and A Hell with a show tonight at Swan Dive, 615 Red River, featuring Alexalone, Daydream Twins and heavy wall-of-sound maestros SKLOSS on the bill. Doors 9 p.m.
- Behold! A most wicked Friday the 13th show at The Lost Well, 2421 Webberville Rd., featuring Sabbath Crow, Cheer Reaper, Mr. Lewis and The Funeral 5, and Sex Pump. Doors at 8 p.m.
- And tonight at Flamingo Cantina, 515 E. 6th St., roots rock reggae from Kingston courtesy of Earthkry, starting at 9 p.m.
- Tomorrow afternoon at Zilker, do not miss Blakchyl, Nemegata, Rattlesnake Milk, Devon Gilfillian, Angel White, and Ben Kweller. You can also cut crazy loose with Nashville outfit Snõõper, and witness the magic of AMM fave Sudan Archives. All hail Natural Brown Prom Queen.
And remember: Go support the bands, even if you’re abstaining from those of the wrist variety.
The post ACL Fest Friday and More appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
Wait. You missed Night 1 of Deezie Brown’s Wire Wheel Opera House series (Part II) last night?? Do not despair! The Austin-based rap artist and producer behind 5th Wheel Fairy Tale is presenting the next round tonight, Thursday Oct. 12, at Chess Club on Red River. And true to form from the previous iteration of Wire Wheel Opera House launched at C-Boy’s in 2021, it’s gonna go LARGE.
The evening begins with a set by Deezie Brown, followed by the enigmatic Kids In A Daze, longtime friend and collaborator Malik, a set by Geto Gala featuring Brown and Jake Lloyd, and DJ Protégé. Doors at 7 p.m.
The post 5th Wheel appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
This is the definition of an all-around badass. Anastasia Hera picks up where frustration or despair would’ve left off. Her philosophy? “Life as art.”
Feeling passionately about rap since her childhood, Hera focused on developing this love of her favorite music into a signature style that doesn’t adhere to just one genre. Facing single motherhood and a variety of challenges along the way, Hera’s resilience helped her power through to become the rap artist, producer, teacher, actress, and successful entrepreneur she is today. In addition to founding the non-profit CAKE (Creativity Abundance Knowledge Elevation) in 2015, which provides support for women and girls in music, Hera launched her company HERA Tropical Rum in 2021.
Don’t miss Anastasia Hera at the next Skylab, a music industry social presented by Spaceflight Records tomorrow evening, Thursday Oct. 12, at Scholz Garten on San Jacinto Blvd. It’s an early free show, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., and it’s open to everyone, not just the music industry folks!
The post Life As Art appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
Don’t fret, pet. This evening, treat yourself to some electrifying glam daddy blues. Austin-based songwriter and face-melter Jeremiah Jackson describes his style as a combination of Bowie, Butthole Surfers and Queens of the Stone Age, all rolled into one sequin-clad glam rocker. Catch the vibe at Jackson’s show tonight, Tuesday Oct. 10, at Meanwhile Brewing, 3901 Promontory Point Dr. It’s a free show starting at 7:30 p.m. Glitter and sparkle, baby, and check out the EP Awake, featuring the title track heard on today’s AMM.
The post Jeremiah Jackson Believes In You appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
It’s a golden twilight, when the stars and a sliver of the moon are visible, even though the sun hasn’t completely set yet. It’s a wisp of a breeze…or was that a ghost? It can be the early morning light just as easily as it could be a star-studded night sky. And, much to the delight of your AMM host, one fan describes AMM featured track “Stop Waiting” by Cigarettes After Sex as “another great night driving song.” It is. Mesmerizing with a longing that could never be quenched, it’s made all the more ethereally seductive by the vocals of Greg Gonzalez.
Cigarettes After Sex is known for their subterranean dream-pop mystique, a dreamlike ambient presence with a dark edge to it, from their EP I (2012) to their 2017 self-titled debut album, and their 2019 release Cry. But don’t skip over the two-track dark pop caress of Crush (2018). And following the KUTX-featured single “Pistol” comes another two-track treasure, Bubblegum, from which “Stop Waiting” comes. Put this one on the playlist for your next road trip.
Cigarettes After Sex performs tonight, Monday Oct. 9, at Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park, as part of ACL Fest Nights. Doors at 7 p.m.
The post Stop Waiting appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
Yves Tumor. Photo: by Myles Hendrik.Buckle up. Presenting more selections from your friendly neighborhood AMM:
- At ACL Fest this afternoon at Zilker Park, remember to catch Die Spitz, Shooks, Angel White, Calder Allen and Ben Kweller. Tonight, Tanya Tucker and Foo Fighters blow it up. Tomorrow, AMM must-sees include Grace Sorensen, The Walkmen, Jane Leo, Yves Tumor, The Breeders, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Cigarettes After Sex and Odesza.
- Head over to Sagebrush today to get yer kernels popped at Austin Corn Lovers Fiesta. Doors at 1 p.m., with music on both stages inside the cool darkness, starring your AMM’s favorite heartbreakers and internationally renown hoodlums, Hickoids. The line-up includes Lost Knobs, The Ghost Wolves, The Beaumonts, The Living Pins, Pussy Gilette and many more.
- Happening tonight at Swan Dive, Half Dream celebrates the release of their album, Will I Still Bloom?, with Batty Jr. and The Episodes. Doors 8 p.m.
- Also tonight, Hard Proof and friends gather for a big Felabration!! at Far Out Lounge and Stage, celebrating the music of Fela Kuti with Superfónicos and members of Golden Dawn Arkestra, Grupo Fantasma, Black Pumas and Trouble In the Streets. Doors at 8 p.m.
Remember: Go support the bands, even if you’re abstaining from those of the wrist variety.
The post ACL Weekend and More appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
Bass Drum of DeathLooks as though your Austin Music Minute host got a little carried away again and got some dates mixed up, but didn’t want to waste a perfectly good Bass Drum of Death song (“Everybody’s Gonna Be There” from Say I Won’t). Click on the LISTEN button to hear how it went down…slightly erroneously:
- The AMM selections for ACL Fest 2023 Friday include aforementioned badasses Bass Drum of Death, along with AMM fave Little Simz, plus Maggie Rogers, a tip o’ the hat to The Lumineers, definitely The Mars Volta, and Kendrick Lamar.
- For those not festival-ing, there’s a must-see early show at Hotel Vegas tonight with Eagle Claw and The Grasshopper Lies Heavy, with doors at 6:30 p.m. That’s followed by an insane line-up with Brooklyn band Godcaster, Borzoi and Glasshealer, starting at 10 p.m.
- Also tonight, Mamahawk has a single release show (“Blue Jay”) at Chess Club, paired with a Math Judson album release show (No Needs A New Shirt), and a set by The Get Lows, Doors at 7 p.m.
- A short list for ACL Fest for early Saturday includes four sets, one right after the other – Die Spitz at 11:45 a.m., followed by Shooks, Angel White and Calder Allen. Then head over the BMI stage for Ben Kweller at 3 p.m.
- As you’ll hear, the AMM mentioned the wrong show day for the Austin Corn Lovers Fiesta at Sagebrush. It’s actually tomorrow, not today, but happy to give them a little extra AMM love. Doors for tomorrow’s crazy party, instigated by Hickoids, are at 1 p.m. Both stages in the house will be invaded by the likes of Hamell On Trial, Lost Knobs, Jane Woe, The Ghost Wolves, The Beaumonts, Pussy Gillette, The Living Pins and more. Sick and twisted. As it should be.
Something for everybody. Go support the bands, even if you’re abstaining from those of the wrist variety.
The post ACL Fest…And More appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
The Mars Volta. Photo: Anthony Norkus.All right, so this one’s a day early, but it’s good to have a little game plan for something as gargantuan as Austin City Limits Music Festival. Today’s AMM provides a short list of favorites to check out when the fest kicks off tomorrow at Zilker Park.
The afternoon is off to a great start with an early set by Devon Gilfillian, along with The Altons, Thee Sacred Souls and Studio 1A standout Abraham Alexander. Long Beach pop trio Half Alive is.a good lead into Portugal. The Man. But it’s a tough decision for your AMM host because two faves, Bass Drum of Death and the incredible Little Simz, play at the same time. Either way, follow it with Maggie Rogers, The Mars Volta (featured on today’s AMM), then make way for headliner Kendrick Lamar.
The madness begins tomorrow afternoon at Zilker Park, with Asleep At the Wheel greeting you with a set at 1 p.m. Welcome. Remember to hydrate.
The post ACL Fest Preview appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
One could compare the stark beauty of any given piece by instrumental ensemble Balmorhea to a vigorous inhale/exhale while standing before a gorgeous, never-ending landscape in the natural world. Breathing in the beauty, you’re overwhelmed by the majestic surroundings while simultaneously astounded by their quiet power. It’s unsettling and wonderful.
Such is the power of Balmorhea, who released their eighth studio album this summer – their second recording on internationally renown label Deutsche Grammophon – titled Pendant World. Balmorhea founders Rob Lowe and Michael Muller continue to expand their ensemble’s atmospheric range by elegantly shifting their ambient exploration into varied rhythms and percussive arrangements. Featuring collaborations with violinist/vocalist (and longtime AMM fave) Aisha Burns, cellist Clarice Jensen, and experimental jazz saxophonist Sam Gendel to name just a few, this beautiful experiment of sound and silence continues to evolve into something greater than ever before.
Experience the magic that is Balmorhea at their performance tomorrow night, Thursday Oct. 5, at the Paramount Theater, with special guest and Pendant World contributing artist Joseph Shabason opening the show. Doors at 7 p.m.
Joseph ShabasonThe post Pendant World appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
The forthcoming album Fox Street Blues by Buenos Diaz has a family story behind it, perhaps one that’s familiar to many generations of survivors. As songwriter/vocalist Nick Diaz explains, “These stories are unfortunately the norm and a large part of the American fabric.” But the album is a testament to how Diaz’ family persevered, and how music saved his life.
Fox Street is the Houston neighborhood his mother grew up in, where she lived with her mother – a single mom – and her older brother. Diaz’ grandmother worked most of her life to support her family, a pattern that would repeat itself when Diaz’ own father left his family. Despite the difficult times, the blues fueled a new fire in Diaz’ life. He took up guitar at age 17 and was playing the blues alongside a badass crew of older musicians to learn everything he could about his favorite music. Imagine learning from the best of the best. Albert Collins, Johnny Clyde Copeland, Gatemouth Brown, Billy Gibbons… All of it shaped the artist Diaz is today.
Here some of the new music from Fox Street Blues when Buenos Diaz performs tonight, Tuesday Oct. 3, at the Far Out Lounge and Stage. It’s another great line up featuring Lauren Gurgiolo’s musical project The Dialtones, and a set by Dylan Bishop. Doors at 7 p.m.
The post Fox Street Blues appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
BORISEarplugs are not optional for this one.
The double headliner at Mohawk tomorrow night, Tuesday Oct. 3, is over the top sick. Tokyo heavy sludge masters Boris share an explosive bill with one of the most influential bands in several things heavy, from sludge to grunge, noise to doom, Melvins. Like, what the hell?! Both of these bands in one night? Ridiculously awesome, but emphasis on the earplugs, if you’re interested in preserving whatever hearing you’ve got left, especially to witness the badassery of Boris guitarist Wata shredding into oblivion against a tower of amps. And whether you think Buzz Osborne‘s riffs remind you of Black Sabbath or Black Flag, you’re gonna need to brace yourself either way. And you just might get to witness Boris covering the very track that inspired their band’s name, so…
Doors open at 6 p.m. tomorrow for this outdoor stage event, with chaotic noise rockers Mr. Phylzzz (was informed it’s pronounced “flies”) opening the show. And don’t miss the afterparty on Mohawk’s indoor stage, featuring The Flood playing their album release show, with longtime AMM fave Bridge Farmers. Holy hell. Forget your ears. Your ribcage won’t make it.
The post It Might Get Loud appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
Put this in your 2024 calendar, in case you missed out this year. On Sept. 21, Mayor Kirk Watson officially declared the day as David Shabani Day in the City of Austin, presenting Shabani with “a proclamation for their craft and work in the industry both locally and abroad.”
This is meaningful for Shabani on many levels, coinciding with his Homecoming Tour, named in honor of a few cities on the route with a significant role in his life, as chronicled on the single “YUL to DFW”: Montreal, QC, where Shabani is originally from, and where he wrote his first ever rap-bars; Dallas, where he was raised; and Austin, where he’s built his musical career.
Shabani’s Austin performance is tomorrow night, Saturday Sept. 30, at Empire Control Room on E. 7th, opening for hip-hop artist Asher Roth, on a bill with Austin artist Kardinal Bloo’s hip-hop project Global Octopus. Doors at 7:30 p.m.
The post The Homecoming appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
Truly a Renaissance man. No exaggeration. Songwriter. Musician. Multi-media artist – which you’ll know first hand if you’ve ever been to Mobley performance. And now, in the recent words of Jonny Jukebox, “Are you ready for the next level?”
Mobley’s journey takes its next cue from a collection of demos titled Worktape, and that’s exactly what it is. The great and powerful musical wizard pulls back the curtain for a glimpse into his creative process, from lyric writing to piecing songs together, featuring rough cuts from Young and Dying In the Occident Supreme, and Cry Havoc!. Though none of these demos were meant for public consumption, Mobley describes Worktape as a retroactive voyeurism hopefully leading to a deeper insight and connection to the music.
It’s time for an unorthodox performance experience. Presenting Mobley | A Deconstructed Concert: No speakers, no raised stage, no physical barriers. Just a pair of headphones for each audience member for this astounding immersive event, culminating in a live track recording for Mobley’s next album. The concert is this Saturday night, Sept. 30, at Originator Studios, 718 Northwestern Ave., with special guests Urban Heat and the aforementioned Jonny Jukebox. Ticket info available via Mobley’s website.
The post Worktape appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
We’re all guilty of building up expectations. So, you might spin Corinne Bailey Rae‘s latest blazer Black Rainbows and find it something of a departure for Rae, in terms of a style that incorporates R&B, jazz and soul. This one gets loud, bold, experimental in many parts, powered by guitar and unapologetic vitality, all inspired by Chicago’s archive of Black art. “But it sounds different,” you say, “so not like her music!”
Stop right there, pal. Rae’s story is rooted in rock. As a teenager, she played in a rock band and was inspired by women-led bands like L7 and Veruca Salt. Those were the formative years. Perhaps it’s different from previous releases, but Black Rainbows highlights another brilliant layer of Rae’s talent. Think about it; this one’s not so different. It’s unabashedly, wholeheartedly Rae.
Catch Corinne Bailey Rae at her show Friday night, Sept. 29, at The Paramount Theater. Doors at 7 p.m., and opening the show is an artist described by NPR as one who “embodies the soul of jazz: Exploration,” songwriter Melanie Charles.
The post Black Rainbows appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
Put the go-to retro label aside for a minute. The Heavy Heavy moves beyond that with a multi-layered ‘60s sound on their debut EP Life and Life Only. The way Georgie Fuller and Will Turner channel psych and mod influences with folk and soul in a timeless shimmer feels more instinctive than imitative. Then again, it’s also refreshing to see Fuller and Turner freely embrace the artists who’ve inspired them along the way, from the most obscure (do yourself a favor and look up The Action) to legendary figures like Paul Weller.
The Heavy Heavy is back in Austin to play a show tomorrow night, Wedensday Sept. 27, at The Far Out Lounge and Stage in South Austin, with The Mellows open the show. Doors at 6:30 p.m.
The post Miles and Miles appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
SheverbTruth be told, your nerdy AMM host is drooling like a goblin over Hyperreal Film Club‘s upcoming scary October screenings at Hotel Vegas. This Austin-based film lovers’ club, formed in 2016, does badass pop-up screenings of independent films of every genre at various spots around town, and provides a platform for guest columnists to write about the films they see – the good, the bad, and the seriously ugly. And October is looking terrifyingly awesome, with House of Wax, Event Horizon, Basket Case (Henenlotter??!! Yessss!!) and Ringu, not to mention a much milder nostalgic stroll through the jack-o-lanterns with Halloweentown.
Before your AMM host overdoses on horror galore, let’s rein it back in to the here and now for an ultra cool happening tonight at Hotel Vegas. Welcome to the 1971 wild contemporary western outlaw adventure Zachariah, though this is not your daddy’s gunslinger movie. Hailed by many as the original gay western predating Brokeback Mountain, Zachariah brings sharp shooters, electric guitars, drummer Elvin Jones as a bandit in the most badass ensemble, and starring John Rubenstein and Don Johnson as the worst bank robbers ever. It all starts with a mail order gun…
Tonight’s screening features a music video release performance by Austin-based psych-western outfit Sheverb, featuring the fabulous Brigitte Bandit, for “Pamela Anderson Was a Prophet”; and western-infused baroque pop courtesy of KUTX’s June 2023 Artist of the Month, Pelvis Wrestley. The event starts at 8 p.m. this evening. Let those spurs sparkle.
The post Zachariah…And Pamela Anderson appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
It’s understood that certain platforms are commonly utilized for a significant amount of musical exploration, but your AMM host prefers Bandcamp, which is where your aforementioned host had a field day with a bunch of Gus Baldwin releases. Full volume, full throttle, starting in all caps with “LOAN SHARK” and “KILLER OF THE MAN II,” […]
The post Havoc appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
All the heart emojis go here. The word that may best describe Brooklyn-based duo Matt and Kim is euphoric. Two decades together and six albums, one EP and a collection of remixes later, they remain one of the most joyful and joyous musical duos to connect with live audiences. They’ve navigated an independent career of […]
The post Oh Hell Yeah appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
Home Is Where captures the frustration, the mindlessness, the disassociation of existing – or, attempting to exist – in an increasingly apathetic world on The Whaler, with the exhilaration of punk, hardcore, and a nod to emo. It’s a sonic transmission of one overwhelmed with repulsion, not just bursting but tearing out of the societal […]
The post The Heart Is appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
East Austin is the place to be this weekend, specifically along E. 12th St. Not only are there a lot of great shows to catch during the Eastside Kings Festival, but creative collective PietchHouse is offering a sneak peak of the Future Front House for Future Front Texas.
The new Future Front HQ, 1900 E. 12th St., houses a community space and exhibition series for local artists, with women and LGBTQ+ creatives at the helm. As a special preview of the new location, everyone’s invited to An Eastside Evening with Magna Carda, featuring a photo exhibit, a conversation with the East Side Riders bike club, and a performance by Magna Carda. The event begins at 7:30 p.m. tonight at Future Front House. Tickets are available at the PietschHouse website.
The post An Eastside Evening appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
Sean Mack McDonald and Stan MosleyNot only is this event an annual tradition, it’s actively keeping alive a vital part of Austin’s musical history and culture that many still are unaware of. The 11th Annual Eastside Kings Festival, presented by the Eastside Kings Foundation, kicks off tonight in grand style with a party at Antone’s, featuring Terry Harmonica Bean and the Boo Boo Davis Band. The live music continues through the weekend, Monday and Tuesday, with blues, jazz and gospel artists performing at Skylark Lounge on Airport Blvd., Justine’s Brasserie on E. 5th, and venues along E. 12th St., an area that was a hotbed of blues and R&B during the post-war era.
Eastside Kings Foundation came into being in 1999 with Eastside Kings, an album recorded by Dialtone Records producer and EKF founder Eddie Stout, featuring several of Austin’s largely unknown African American blues artists. But one LP wasn’t going to cover it. An entire series of Eastside Kings albums followed, and eventually the festival was born.
This year’s festival includes Sean “Mack” McDonald and Stan Mosley (pictured above), Orange Jefferson (featured on today’s AMM), Glenda Dotson with Harry Bodine, the Jones Family Gospel Singers, Pamala Allen & Co., the Gospel Starz, Keith Dunn, and many more, including a few familiar faces in the backup bands – Je’Texas, Dylan Bishop, Hash Brown, and the Moeller Brothers with Nick Connolly.
Check the EKF website for the full schedule with set times and locations. Tickets are available at Antone’s Record Shop.
-Special thanks to Eddie Stout for his assistance with today’s AMM.
The post East Austin Royalty appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
photo: White LIght ExposureOne word that may come to mind when describing Magic Rockers of Texas: Irreverent. And irresistibly so, like someone grinning smugly at your discomfort while asking, “What’s your problem?” With the kind of bangers Magic Rockers puts out, it works like a friggin’ charm. Excellent stuff from the mind of songwriter/vocalist Jim Campo, with the temperature fluctuating between punk, garage rock, and an almost sickening pop sweetness that buckles your knees.
Then a most awesome curve ball is delivered in the form of Life’s A Bowl Of Cherries…And All I Got Was Stems! Wanna commiserate over a couple of Lone Star tall boys? The new album’s stories come from not so much a pity party, but as a kind of…declaration of independence, maybe? As in, “Look, I’m tryin’ here,” or “It’s not you, it’s me.” Check out the video for the album closer, “Words in a Bin,” and feel crushed as it slowly peels your heart into shreds. “Me / I’m a bottom feeder boy / and it’s all I can do to keep moving forward / I write my thoughts down / they’re only words in a bin…” It burns so good.
Why don’t more people know about Magic Rockers of Texas? Why?? Treat yourself to their album release show tomorrow night, Friday Sept. 8, at Hotel Vegas. Doors at 9 p.m. Gummy Fang starts out the night, followed by Gold Leather, then Magic Rockers, and closing out the night is Otis Wilkins.
The post Raining Cherries and Stems appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
Otis Wilkins. Photo: Genevieve Marie Adams.Don’t be thrown by the words “music industry social.” Though at times it denotes an exclusive (and a bit stuffy) South-By soiree, this time around it’s a party for everybody. Austin-based label Spaceflight Records is kicking off a new residency this week at Scholz Garten, 1607 San Jacinto Blvd. Skylab: A Music Industry Social is a happy hour gathering for those in the industry and the music lovers as well. Everyone from the musicians to the tour managers, bookers to label reps, bands and the fans, all are welcome to get in some great schmoozing and check out some fantastic live music.
The new series starts with Spaceflight artist Otis Wilkins taking over Scholz’ patio stage early tomorrow evening, Thursday Sept. 7, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Catch a different artist from the Spaceflight roster same time each week, including Nemegata, S.L. Houser, Chris Catalena, Trouble in the Streets, special guest Anastasia Hera, and Croy and the Boys, through Oct. 19.
The post Spaceflight Presents Skylab appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
Lindsey Merrill of Little Mazarn. Photo: Uzumaki Eyes.A slight change of plans for tonight’s Little Mazarn residency kick off show at Chess Club. Kindly stepping in for songwriter Sarah Lee this evening is Little Mazarn friend and Wizard Rodeo collaborator, Garrett T. Capps, always delivering killer sets with his band NASA Country, whether it’s at East Austin honky-tonk White Horse or owning the room (literally and figuratively) at the Lonesome Rose in San Antonio.
Capps starts out tonight at 9 p.m., followed by the quiet grace and wonder of Little Mazarn at 10 p.m. Rounding out the night is a badass outfit serving up a healthy dose of Chicken Fried Snake from some distant lonesome highway, Rattlesnake Milk, at 11 p.m.
On the other side of this month’s Chess Club residency coin is Precious Gems, featuring Nicole Hale and Little Mazarn’s Lindsey Verrill, taking up the reins next Tuesday, Sept. 12. The bill includes magnificent post punk madness by Ferret Noise and, bringing the light with Until I’m Light, dynamic duo Felt Out.
The post Texas River Wellspring appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
It’s a perfect start to the week, whether you’ve had Labor Day off or you’re wrapping up the day after punching the clock. Howdy Gals, the Austin-based inclusive live music booking collective, presents Howdy Gals On A Monday at Hole In the Wall tonight. This week’s showcase features Terrence Kiser’s musical project Soul Sipper; Austin […]
The post Howdy Gals On A Monday appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
El sonido, tan rico. Las melodías, tan hermosas. And let us not forget those badass beats. To think it all emerged from the depths of a soul-crushing pandemic… Adrian Quesada spent those isolated days on long bike rides, followed by late nights in the studio experimenting with practically any sounds that came to mind, from […]
The post All About The Jaguar Sound appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
This weekend marks the return of Kids At the Border, benefitting El Centro, CA-based nonprofit Border Kindness Bondad Frontera, founded in 2018. Though the organization is based in California, its work is making a broader, more universal impact upon vulnerable populations from Central American countries. This includes providing humanitarian aid, education services, legal services and […]
The post Kids At The Border appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
Welcome to a double dose of Mamahawk on KUTX – not that you’ll mind in the least. Today’s AMM puts the spotlight on their single “Walk In the Fire,” as cool and invitingly pop/yacht rocky as the vibe off 2019’s Brain Invaderz!. And there’s today’s KUTX Song of the Day with their newest track “Fighter […]
The post Jets and Fire appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
A tip o’ the hat to Lonesome Heroes‘ songwriter/vocalist Rich Russell for describe the recording of his band’s new single “Summertime Breeze” as a heartfelt Traveling Wilburys moment, creating some golden magic with an end-of-summer song, despite feelings of dread over a seemingly endless summer. The new single is from the forthcoming album Seasons Change, […]
The post A Cooler Summertime Breeze appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
This is an introduction, but the the fact is, you’ve probably heard Courtney Santana sing before. Many times. Take some wisdom from 20 Feet From Stardom and know this: You never know the fire behind the scenes. And now it’s time for the center stage. Santana’s 35-year career spans across the entertainment industry, from live […]
The post Introducing Courtney Santana appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
Admittedly, “All Tomorrow’s Parties” was the easy go-to for today’s AMM about the Sterling Morrison birthday celebration tonight at Hotel Vegas. Maybe the featured track should’ve been the closer of their debut LP The Velvet Underground & Nico, in all of its entire seven minute-plus glory. “European Son” was cowritten by Lou Reed, John Cale, […]
The post Venus in Furs appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
If you know about Third Root, or the Austin Boogie Crew, you know DJ Chicken George (Jeff Henry). He’s originally from Houston. Austin is damn lucky to have him. His innovative style, technique and unpredictable grooves have granted him sessions across the U.S. and around the world. But he’s much more than a club DJ. […]
The post Legend and Legacy appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
And now, a couple of recommendations for your music collection. Obviously, you need to add III, the aptly titled third studio release from East LA dynamic duo Tropa Magica, which includes today’s featured track “Todo El Dia” and AMM personal picks “Price of Life,” “Cumbia Mamon” and the album closer that would leave the cucuy […]
The post Todo El Dia appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
That’s right, talking to YOU, neighbor. The AMM is giving you a heads-up about an early show tonight at Hotel Vegas, featuring two Austin bands with new music on the way. BOOHER, the project led by songwriter and former Zykos front person Michael Booher, recently announced the release of the new track featured on today’s […]
The post Hello, Neighbor! appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
Facts. Beth Chrisman and Silas Lowe are two of the most well-respected, in-demand talents in the realms of folk, bluegrass, country and far beyond. If you’ve had the pleasure of working with either musician or both, you know the mad skills you’re dealing with. They’re songwriters, multi-instrumentalists, and vocalists who’ve performed together since first meeting […]
The post Introducing Lost Patterns appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
Jordan Moser reveals a quiet force building beneath a pensive exterior on his 2023 LP Peril. And to be blunt, the cast of musicians in the album credits reads like a who’s-who of awesome badassery, including Lindsey Verrill and Jeff Johnston (Little Mazarn); producer Dan Duszynski on guitar and percussion; vocalist Natalie Jane Hill; Dailey […]
The post The Magician appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
Uplift. Amplify. And inspire. It’s all gold, and artistic expression that Austin-based artist Goldie Pipes intends to share with others, the way his own musical influences have done so over the years. From Bobby “Blue” Bland to Marvin Gaye to James Brown, as well as the gospel music his grandparents listened to, and classic hip-hop, […]
The post It’s Golden appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
Prepare to be transported into fantasy realm/space lore territory of Frank Frazetta proportions, but leaning more toward Ursula K. Guin and Octavia E. Butler reimagining human existence. This is the exceptional gnaw of BITE, the latest narrative from A Giant Dog opening a portal to the virtual world of Avalonia, but what awaits you? Something […]
The post Watch It Burn appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
Not that the AMM has to convince you in any way, but there’s a reason this killer band was recently featured on the KUTX Song of the Day. Combining the super powers of members of three other killer bands – Boyfrndz, Stiletto Feels and Ume, all-star trio Club Coma comes out swinging with obliterating rock/pop […]
The post Club Coma at Hotel Vegas appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
Today’s AMM features the single “The Lesson” by R&B artist Mélat, but be present for the brand new music on Friday with “The Now (Sweet Love No. 9)”, Mélat’s mindful reflection on slowing down to appreciate everything going on around you, recognizing the moment we’re all in, “the sweet taste of the now.” Mélat is […]
The post Bullock Museum’s Third Thursday appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
As J Soulja began focusing on his work as a rap artist, he struggled with the fact that there was no support system rooted in Austin to help rappers and hip-hop culture thrive. But, as any force majeure with an entrepreneurial mind, he set something in motion to support other artists on a similar path. […]
The post Pre-Roll ATX appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
After moving from New York to Nashville in 2014, vocalist Dawna Zahn and guitarist Austin John started their Ameripolitan Music Award-winning band The Hi-Jivers, inspired by their favorite ‘50s and ‘60s rock and blues artists. Along with upright bass player Hank Miles (who makes Austin, TX his home these days) and drummers like Aaron […]
The post Rock ‘N’ Hi-Jive appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
As if you needed an invitation. You know Tameca Jones is a spectacular performer, and this is one of tonight’s must-see shows at Antone’s. Austin’s empress of soul started out as lead vocalist/songwriter for 8 Million Stories before making a big splash of her own as a solo artist – which includes guest vocals on […]
The post An Invite From the Empress appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
It is crazy. And it’s one for the books. David Ramirez is well aware of the gargantuan task at hand. But in a video posted on his Instagram, you can almost hear the mind wheels spinning furiously as he takes it on with the fervor and determination of – well, someone who loves making music. […]
The post Ambitious, Bold and Kinda Crazy appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
Time for a deep breath. Release. Just imagine letting go… That’s the mantra behind Semihelix‘s latest single, “Downstream,” an ode to shattering old patterns and reemerging with a clearer sense of gratitude. It feels totally connected to the band’s recent release, “Slower Pace,” where guitarist/vocalist Geannie Friedman laments life’s ruthless rush job. Where have all […]
The post Floating Downstream appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
Taylor Wilkins has a lot on his plate. Not only does the front man of Otis Wilkins have a superb residency this month at C-Boy’s Heart and Soul, but there’s a new LP in the works, the first Otis Wilkins full-length, set for release next year. Preceding that will be a new single, “Belong to […]
The post Otis Wilkins at C-Boy’s appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
Welcome to a cozy, curious corner of the human psyche. Nestled within is this idea of love, simultaneously familiar and peculiar, stirring memories that put a twinkle in one’s eye. Or…it could resurrect some deeply compartmentalized images too embarrassing or odd to recall. Fort Collins, CO duo Frail Talk explores the nostalgia and awkwardness in […]
Seriously, Versions of Modern Performance sounds as though it could’ve been released in the ’80s or ’90s, but it’s the 2022 debut LP by Chicago’s Horsegirl. Maybe it has something to do with album producer John Agnello, who’s also worked with The Breeders, Sonic Youth and Dinosaur Jr. Or, could it be that Nora Cheng, […]
Ya tu sabes, güey. When it’s a show starring two bands that’ve been featured as KUTX Artists of the Month, it’s gonna rule. Cumbia/pop outfit Como Las Movies (“La Inconforme” is featured on today’s AMM), and rock ‘n’ roll trio Je’Texas are taking over the outside stage tonight, Saturday July 15, at Radio Coffee and […]
Okay, let’s skip the animatronics. It’s a love/hate relationship, actually. They can be really cool, but it…it sends your AMM host into a freaky mindset. Like, some crazy Five Nights scenario-type stuff. So if Falcon Bitch and Gumball from Being Dead actually did meet as animatronic mechs at Chuck E. Cheese, I have mental images […]
For those avoiding the unbearable sunlight, take heed. NITE SCHOOL is at your service. Every second Thursday of each month, NITE SCHOOL emerges from the shadows to present an array of artists and DJs representing the darkest of genres. Curated by DJ Scorpio (Sky Hutchens), this month’s event includes performances by heavy darkwave trio Troller; […]
Yes, this is the band that your Austin Music Minute host won’t shut up about, and mentions on her afternoon show at least every other day. And if it’s not to reference a specific album, of which there are now 26, then it’s to repeatedly recommend the phenomenal Edgar Wright documentary that your AMM host […]
It’s swoon at first listen with opener “Many Hours,” today’s AMM featured track from Tearjerk‘s Face To Face. Right after some dreamy swirls of pedal steel, vocalist/songwriter Vanessa Jollay calls forth some all-too familiar pangs of regret: “Berate myself on Sunday morning / I’m used to it…” Though heartbreak and frustration are common threads throughout […]
It’s devastating. And it’s spot on. LA-based artist Wallice paints a self-effacing portrait illustrating the high-adrenalin elation and soul-obliterating pitfalls of fame on ‘90s American Superstar, the tale of a fictional pop star’s rise and fall in mega-stardom. Though it’s not autobiographical, Wallice didn’t shy away from examining her own dealings with fame, and the […]
It seems impossible to shake off a romantic interest turned sour. Nothing erases the memory. They even have the nerve to show up in one’s dreams. But now, it’s time to reclaim the love. Body Pillow vocalist/songwriter Leslie Crunkilton examines the unfaltering desire in “Want It Back,” the new single featured on today’s AMM, coming […]
The Belle Sounds‘ 2013 self-titled debut moved in a direction similar to that of songwriter/vocalist Noëlle Hampton‘s solo work, weaving lush and delicate acoustic folk pop that holds a quiet power beneath its gentle surface. But even then, Hampton and husband/creative partner André Moran knew an evolution was brewing in the band’s style. And since […]
The influences that drive Je’Texas’ Dylan Bishop come from the old-school rock ‘n’ roll his dad introduced him to when he first started playing guitar. From that moment on, traditional blues proved to be the pivotal point. As KUTX Music Editor Jeff McCord observed about KUTX’s January 2023 Artist of the Month, the band’s only […]
Don’t miss out on Curtis Roush‘s weekly summertime residency at The Far Out Lounge and Stage, another great show in KUTX’s 10th Birthday Concert series. The guitarist/vocalist of Bright Light Social Hour does a solo set and is joined on the bill by a special guest each week. Tonight, the July leg of the residency […]
If, like your AMM host, you’re enamored with Aguas Frescas (parts I and II) by Wildfires, as well as their self-titled Skateland release, you may know guitarist Johanna Heilman. The Austin-based songwriter has been a part of the local scene for over 20 years, starting out as a solo artist making the rounds before joining […]
Here it is, the grand finale of this year’s Sonik Frootz musical residency at Antone’s tonight, Friday June 30, and it’s a big one. Not only do you have Riders Against the Storm guaranteeing an action-packed night, but this evening’s spectacular event includes special guest Topaz Jones, New Jersey-born rap artist and creator of the […]
Welcome to the enchanted forest, adventurer. Batty Jr. is your guide as you curiously meander through From The Land Of Insofaras (2017), moments captured in song, atmospheric sound, and the humor and candor of songwriter Zeke Jamon. Seriously, there’s something ridiculously sweet about Jamon singing “I don’t really have time for this…” on opener “Had […]
For Roger Sellers, the songwriter/musician behind the moniker Bayonne, working on his latest release Temporary Time became both a source of balance, and a way of channeling grief after the loss of his father to cancer. The pandemic was yet another layer in an unnerving situation, capped by isolation and perhaps too much time in […]
This month, darkwave goth rockers Haunt Me released “Dormido” and “Bésame,” two new singles from their first ever Spanish EP set for release July 15th. One song has the narrator longing for the dreams of their love that don’t come soon enough in slumber; the other, a dark desire overflowing because one kiss is not […]
Insert obligatory Buc-ee’s photo here, if Austin is your destination. Today’s featured AMM track is “Sinking Feeling” from Hideaway by San Diego-based band Wavves. After weathering some not-so-positive experiences – well, outright craptastical experiences, to be blunt – with a couple of major labels, Wavves returned to Fat Possum Records to make this album and […]
It’s a fact. Prince got it. Prince totally got Brownout. Surely, you do as well? The Austin-based Afro-Latin funk/soul outfit proved it’s no mere Grupo Fantasma offshoot with the fiery 2008 debut, Homenaje. The collective pretty much bled its entire soul into this homage to their ’70s Latin funk influences, from Fela Kuti to Manu […]
It’s a celebration of Black music on every level. Not only do you get to witness some of your favorite local artists performing on the Antone’s stage, but it’s all in support of relaunching the DAWA-powered Black Live Music Fund, connecting directly with artists to help sustain their careers, while working with organizers to build […]
If you caught yesterday’s badass KUTX Song of the Day, you’re ahead of the game. Lola Tried‘s new airtight power pop/punk blitz “Don’t Care At All” is officially out in the world today, and damn it, it’s love at first infectious hook. Check out the new video that goes with the new track (your AMM […]
KUTX knows how to celebrate a birthday – namely ours, because you know live music is a huge part of the party. We’ve got the shows lined up for celebrating, including some badass local artist residencies, like this one: The KUTX 10th Birthday Concert series presents Curtis Roush & Friends at the Far Out Lounge […]
After gaining an even bigger following beyond their home city with the LP Flower of Devotion, Chicago-based trio Dehd kept a great thing going with follow-up Blue Skies, garage/surf/no wave hooks revved up by sunny punk-pop abandon. Though admittedly, timing is everything. Its release in 2020 coincided with the damn plague, so touring was not […]
Following the previous week and weekend’s Juneteenth festivities, there’s more to enjoy today with the Juneteenth Day of Freedom Celebration, starting at 5:30 p.m. at Antone’s, 305 E. 5th St. DJs Ash-Mar and Kay Cali take over the turntables for this special event, which features a panel discussion with the topic: “How To Keep the […]
Your Austin Music Minute host was introduced to Jack Wilson through music. Surprised? Of course not. Music seems to be a common thread through practically everything in Austin, at least if you’re connected to the scene. After going back and forth between Seattle and Austin, and eventually reestablishing a life here, Wilson continued focusing on […]
What a glorious start to Oblivion Access Festival. With the likes of San Jose, CA trio Duster, mesmerizing New Mexico artist Midwife, the twisted brilliance of doom/grind/post-punk harsh noise outfit Elizabeth Colour Wheel, and the obliterating hardcore that is Oklahoma City’s Chat Pile, it was a perfect evening welcoming fest goers into the abyss with […]
For Spite Creative has teamed up with KUTX to present a Pride Month musical residency at Swan Dive, Be Gay For Spite, spotlighting queer music artists in the Austin scene. The next show is tonight, Thursday June 15, and the line-up includes psych-rock outfit and AMM fave Sheverb; ultra-fabulous and ultra badass rapper and KUTX […]
No need to mess with the volume. It’s already cranked up for you. Holy Death Trio got their start in 2016, and according to legend, it all came about when Mercury was in retrograde. So…that could translate into anything, from dubious to apocalyptic, but in this case it’s an Austin-based three-piece that loves opening the […]
Peruse the credits on the new self-titled LP by Austin-based outfit Cazayou and you’ll find fourteen musicians – fourteen – pouring all they’ve got into this impressive mix that hits you old school but so damn fresh at the same time. Afrobeat, psych funk, cajun, soul, New Orleans jazz, and rock are just a few […]
If The Ugly Beats happen to be the subject of conversation, chances are you’ll bring up a whole bunch of music, winding through the Beats’ own influences to several other ’60s garage rockers and freakbeat fiends from your list of top favorites. Makes sense. The Ugly Beats are music lovers. It’s an obsession right up […]
Look, if you are of a certain…time, you hear someone say “family tradition” and you may break out into song about the more unsavory things you’ve inherited genetically, so to speak. But that’s not what the AMM is talking about today. This is about Feels So Good Records/Prints presenting Family Tradition, a damn good time […]
Time for a recharge. Let this dynamic duo bring those energy levels up. KUTX-featured single “Your Energy” is the latest from Baton Rouge-born/Austin-based artists THEBROSFRESH (siblings Thurman and Torrence Thomas). They’re bringing their own brand of R&B/soul/southern hip-hop/rock ‘n’ roll energy to their show tonight, Friday June 9, at Hotel Vegas on E. 6th. Doors […]
This is a celebration. Throughout June, the Black Live Music Fund will host Sonik Frootz, A Black Musik Residency at Antone’s, featuring a packed line-up of outstanding musical talent for every show. And it covers a lot of ground, from hip-hop to rap to the blues, soul to funk to rock – it’s all in […]
The title of Abraham Alexander’s debut release SEA/SONS suggests a couple of things. There’s definitely a reflection of the time he spent growing up in Greece by the seaside with his brothers, before relocating to Texas. And then, the idea of seasons – not so much about the weather, but the changes in our lives. […]
Songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Anand Wilder (Yeasayer) released his debut solo LP I Don’t Know My Words last year, a revelatory glimpse into his existence during the pandemic. During his isolation, memories of the music he grew up with – Cat Stevens, The Beatles – songs that his mother played at the house, came flooding back. […]
This is not goodbye forever. It’s merely a relocation. At least, it is for those of us who deeply appreciate Jim Eno‘s work behind the scenes, and undoubtedly the vital role he’s played in an incredible band with a reach far beyond Austin. The AMM’s just gonna be blunt and say: It sucks when one of your favorite people moves away, but it’s just another chapter in the story.
So, you may have heard by now that Eno is making the move back to his home state, Rhode Island. Looking back at everything he’s done, you’ll notice he plays it low key and does his thing without much fanfare or attention. The co-founder and drummer of Spoon is also a highly respected producer who’s worked with a ton of artists at his studio Public Hi-Fi, and he’s the founder of Project Traction, a mentorship boosting the careers of female and non-binary musicians in production and recording.
Naturally, a badass like this deserves a big sendoff party, and that’s exactly what Eno’s getting – though he’d probably insist on people not making a fuss. I WANT MORE: A Salute to Jim Eno + Public Hi-Fi happens tonight, Monday June 5, at Antone’s. Doors at 7:30 p.m., and it’s a super secret line-up only to be revealed at the show. Even Jim doesn’t know who’s playing. Proceeds from the celebration support Project Traction.
Speaking of which, today’s AMM features a Project Traction single produced by The Suffers’ Kam Franklin and performed by The Vapor Caves, “Sacrifice.” It’s inspiring to see this idea grow and evolve into a game-changer. There’s more on the way. And from your AMM host, a woman and producer, endless gratitude and respect for the person who launched the program, and continues to be an inspiration himself. Thanks, Jim.
No shortage of shreds where Olivia Jean is concerned. The multi-talented songwriter/vocalist/multi-instrumentalist shows no mercy on guitar. And the shreds are mighty. Badass. Turn up Jean’s latest release Raving Ghost and you’ll feel ’em by the dozens.
For your AMM host, it began with some wise ass informing your host in condescending tones: “Um, haven’t you heard of The Black Belles? You, of all people… Go look ’em up at Third Man Records.” Jean fronted the super cool garage-goth outfit, in addition to performing alongside the best of the best like Wanda Jackson, John C. Reilly & Tom Brosseau, April March, and this guy I’ve heard of who’s also her husband. Solo LPs like the dark and lovely Bathtub Love Killings, and garage/surf AMM fave Night Owl, cast the net out wider for Jean to explore her own style.
Raving Ghost, out now via Third Man Records, has the rave reviews of several critics praising her incredible diversity. With explosive energy at every turn, Jean’s third LP is owning it full-stop: rock, psych, surf, punk and power pop, powered by that merciless guitar.
Time to experience the intensity live. Olivia Jean brings her Raving Ghost tour to Austin for a show tonight, Saturday June 3, at the Parish. Doors at 7:30 p.m. The Get Lows start out the night. Show up for the rave-up. And check out the video below for the single “Trouble” (as heard on Laurie G’s show).
The AMM’s enthusiasm runneth over. Austin four-piece Ladyfang brings a bunch of everything to their new self-titled LP with spectacular cosmic flair; pulsing synth, dance pop, glittery glam and rock all have a place at the table. Their second album was recorded at The Bubble Studios, with producers Chris “Frenchie” Smith and Brett Marcom guiding […]
Large Brush CollectionPRIDE is something Cheer Up Charlie’s celebrates year round, so think of tonight’s Pride Beginnings showcase as something extra, and equally as badass. And seriously, it looks as if the Austin Music Minute requested to book this fabulous all-local line-up: Flyer Club, Batty Jr. (“DO A U E!” is featured on today’s AMM), Young Little Athlete, Lord Friday the 13th fresh off of their recent tour, Large Brush Collection (pictured above), and The Get Lows. Six bands on two stages, and as if that weren’t enough, Austin-based artist and AMM fave Vonne is DJ for the evening.
Doors open at 7 p.m. Just look for the sweet neon oasis at 900 Red River.
Jalesa Jessie is a boss. If you don’t know, it’s Chief Cleopatra the AMM is talking about. The KUTX Artist of the Month alumnus and recent Sonic Guild 2023 grant recipient nominee made a big debut with the EP Luna (2022), featuring Walker Lukens as producer, and Curtis Roush and Jack O’Brien (The Bright Light Social Hour) contributing to the track “Fortuity.” These collaborations were an unexpected surprise in the journey, but Cleo already knew her music was moving toward a more universal vision. Hip-hop, R&B, pop and funk will always have a place in Cleo’s creative inspiration, though rock is at the root of the germination.
A full-length release looms on the not-so-distant horizon. And following a great opening set for Danielle Ponder at Antone’s, Chief Cleopatra is in the spotlight tomorrow night, Thursday June 1, at Stubb’s indoor venue, following a sold out performance by Bryson Tiller in Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater. Doors at 10:30 p.m. Space will be limited. Get on it.
Natalie Ribbons of Tele Novella.Make note of this incredible night coming up at Sagebrush tomorrow, Wednesday May 31:
- It’s a striking voice weaving you into an emotional spell, such sweet croons into booming choruses, equal parts mysterious and enchanting. Natalie Ribbons is the storyteller at the core of Tele Novella‘s expansive melodic charm, a magic brew of medieval-hued baroque pop and Old West-dusted psych. Ribbons starts out the night with a solo set at 9 p.m.
- Writer Libby Webster put it best in a 2017 feature in the Austin Chronicle when describing the enigmatic Knife In the Water, a spirit of “…quiet audacity.” It feels as if the term “slowcore” is limiting; their style is more of a quiet magnitude, a minimalist approach making a bigger impact than simply raising the volume, pushing past country’s boundaries until it’s something uniquely their own. Knife In the Water takes to the stage at 10 p.m.
- And now, a correction. The AMM would like to clarify that Austin-based artist and Buffalo Gals Band member Rebecca Patek (as seen below) is playing Sagebrush tomorrow at 11 p.m., and not the NYC artist and choreographer. (Apologies for the error.) In addition to old-time country/bluegrass/folk solo work with a badass fiddle to boot, Patek is also a longtime collaborator with Melissa Carper.
Caramelo HazeThis Memorial Day weekend, the SIMS Foundation Feel Good Music Festival is taking over The Far Out Lounge and Stage, all in support of SIMS providing access to mental health and substance use recovery services for musicians, music industry professionals and their dependent family members.
Round one of this event tonight features performances by Money Chicha, Caramelo Haze (featured on today’s AMM), Easy Compadre and Megafauna. Tomorrow, dynamic duo Graham Wilkinson and Graham Weber present Grahams Give Back: Bob vs. Bob – local artists performing the music of Bob Dylan and Bob Marley. It’s a who’s-who list of ATX superstars, including Kalu James, Suzanna Choffel, Tony Kamel, Cory Reinsich (Harvest Thieves), Courtney Santana, Evan Charles (Altamesa), Patrice Pike, Ali Holder, Scott Strickland and many others.
It’s all happening tonight and tomorrow at the Far Out Lounge and Stage, 8504 S. Congress Ave. Doors at 6 p.m. tonight, and at noon tomorrow.
Early press photo of The Gories.More of the hot stuff for ya. Hot Luck Festival 2023 continues its Memorial Day weekend run today through Sunday, and in addition to all the delicious bites prepared by top chefs, the fest brings a lot of great live music to the experience, from local and touring artists.
- The big one on the AMM’s radar is the show tonight with Detroit garage rock fiends The Gories (thanks for the intro, Third Man Records) on a badass bill with Riverboat Gamblers and Gus Baldwin and The Sketch at Mohawk. If RG’s Mike Wiebe doesn’t bring down the rafters, The Gories’ set will.
- Tomorrow afternoon, Texas piano man Robert Ellis performs on Mohawk’s indoor stage, and at night, Frankie and The Witch Fingers are on the outdoor stage with Philly rockers Sheer Mag and ATX punk warriors Pleasure Venom. Tomorrow’s shows also include Tear Dungeon (is it “tear” or “tear” – and who mops up after the set?) at Hotel Vegas, and Lafayette band Vermillion Whiskey at The Coral Snake.
- Sunday’s shows include a day party with Jonathan Terrell and Country Worms at High Noon; The Ghost Wolves, Billy King and the Bad Bad Bad and Sam Pace at The Coral Snake; and Annabelle Chairlegs, Deezie Brown, and Sailor Poon storming Hotel Vegas.
Hot Luck, of course the food’s great, but the music’s fantastic. Chef’s kiss.
SuperfónicosSmell it! It’s in the air! All that delicious live music! (See what I did there?)
Along with a dazzling array of culinary delights presented by world-class chefs at tastings at Franklin Barbecue, Fair Market and Wild Onion Ranch, Hot Luck Fest 2023 is also bringing the live music with line-ups featuring local and touring artists at four Austin venues.
Tonight’s shows include Shinyribs at Mohawk, Cortége at High Noon, Thin Lizzy cover band Think Lizzy and Queen tribute band Magnifico at The Coral Snake (formerly Stay Gold/Long Play East), and noise rockers Venus Twins at Hotel Vegas. Tomorrow, catch Detroit garage rock trio The Gories with Austin hoodlums Riverboat Gamblers at Mohawk, Superfónicos at Hotel Vegas (featured on today’s AMM), and The Oxys at The Coral Snake.
More AMM Hot Luck picks coming your way tomorrow. Check Hot Luck’s website for ticket info.
Photography: Syndey Mike-Mayer.[Insert Rod Serling voice here.] Imagine, if you will, an extreme upheaval in your existence, one that you took on willingly, but without considering the consequences. It’s a drastic change in your surroundings that ultimately changes your entire way of life, your work, and your relationships. What will this new terrain, this new atmosphere, bring? This is not a move to a different city, state, or even country. You’re literally on a different planet. Forget the Twilight Zone. You’ve now entered Static Dynamic.
The forthcoming LP by Austin-based collaborative performance group TC Superstar is songwriter/frontperson Connor McCampbell‘s exploration of life evolving/dissolving as one may know it, in terms of romance, job, home environment and even the entirety of humanity. The album is based on the idea of colonizing Mars; the first half tells the story of one character going off to that new life in space, while the other remains on Earth, and the second half takes a look at their different paths. “I wanted to imagine the effects of a Mars work-assignment on a romantic relationship to explore the severance the characters experience from each other’s reality,” McCampbell says.
Today’s featured AMM track is “Some Nights.” Let that disco beat sink in and join TC Superstar for their single release show tomorrow night, Thursday May 25, at Hotel Vegas. Doors at 6 p.m., with sets by KindKeith and Cloud Companion on the bill.
In addition to coming from a musical family, growing up in NYC meant that Emily King was surrounded by a number of influences that shaped the artist she is today, from jazz to R&B to hip-hop. King made her official debut with the album East Side Story in 2007, and since then, the Grammy-nominated songwriter has captivated audiences with a rich musical tapestry that includes soul and multi-faceted pop. This month, King released her first album in four years, Special Occasion, a revelatory exploration of the infinite forms that heartbreak can take on, and of the long-winding journey toward understanding oneself.
King’s current tour brings her back to Austin for a performance tonight, Tuesday May 23, at Antone’s, with special guest Joseph Solomon opening the show. Doors at 7 p.m.
Originally from Seattle, Darci Carlson has mad love for outlaw country, with just a bit of punk coursing through her veins, having done some time as lead guitarist in The Dolly Rottens and co-fronting bassist/vocalist in Brent Amaker Deathsquad. Call it hardcore twang if you like, but these days, it’s not so much punk country as it is…well, country. No need for pop or the other bells and whistles, just country. Carlson reveres the spirit of the outlaw women in the country realm, and lives by this rule: “If you ain’t got haters, you ain’t doin’ it right.”
Truth. Join Darci Carlson tonight, Monday May 22, for the Monday Night Country Club at The Far Out Lounge and Stage in South Austin. Special guest Ellis Bullard shares the bill. Doors at 7 p.m.
It was during the height of the pandemic that CAELIN experienced this full-on writing storm, all the while focusing on sharpening her process and discovering where various music influences were taking her. It was a lot to rein in, and so she began a collaboration with musician, producer, visual artist and longtime AMM fave Mobley to explore how it all could possibly take shape. It felt like an intuitive selection because both artists channel their storytelling into deep-cutting narratives.
After working together the next year and a half, CAELIN’s new EP Save Me From Me emerged from the emotional depths, documenting CAELIN’s experiences in relationships both platonic and romantic, as well as her relationship with herself; and showing CAELIN’s versatility as a producer tackling a number of musical styles.
CAELIN celebrates Save Me From Me with a release show tonight, Saturday May 20, at Stubb’s indoor venue on Red River. Doors open at 10:30 p.m.
So. Damn. Heavy. Bid welcome to your doom metal overlords. (insert AMM host making metal sign with both hands)
But on another note: Seriously, that damn pandemic. Many musicians have their own stories about experiencing delays over tours, album releases, and merch, especially bands awaiting some sweet, sweet vinyl in ultra-cool color variants. Austin-based doom masters and longtime AMM fave Bridge Farmers had to wait a year and a half for their LP Cosmic Trigger in mystical lavender haze to arrive, but the results are totally worth it.
KUTX’s Ryan Wen recently gave a listen to the four-piece doom rockers’ latest, and was struck by its glorious heaviosity. And this is a quote: “…it will be the heaviest thing you’ve heard all year. Count on it.” The AMM enthusiastically concurs. Celebrate Cosmic Trigger with Bridge Farmers at their show tonight, Friday May 19, at The Lost Well, 2421 Webberville Rd. Experimental doom outfit Deep Cross and trad doom fiends Slumbering Sun are on the bill. Doors at 9 p.m. It’s all gonna rattle your ribcage.
Jackie VensonBring the excellent music, and they will come. Amplify LIVE presents a big benefit show supporting the work of I Live Here, I Give Here, a nonprofit connecting the Austin community to organizations and causes they care about. There are so many nonprofits in Austin alone that it’s sometimes difficult to know where to start, so I Live Here, I Give Here provides information (missions, goals), data (statistical info), and personal stories/testimonies from these organizations to help direct supporters to them.
Tonight’s Amplify LIVE event features three outstanding artists, all featured on KUTX: Jackie Venson, Tameca Jones, and Mélat, performing at the Historic Scoot Inn on E. 4th St. Doors at 6:30 p.m. You can find a ticket link at I Live Here, I Give Here’s website. Can you say FABULOUS?
Egaux SellsOkay, seriously; this is another one of those line-ups where it’s like, did you let the Austin Music Minute book this one? Did you?
This week, Cheer Up Charlie’s puts three Austin-based songwriters in the spotlight. Excellent, one and all: Ry Black, a member of Batty Jr., Redbud, and songwriter for his own project Sunroom Sounds; artist and BluMoon front person Kendra Sells’ anti-pop/club punk project Egaux Sells (featured on today’s AMM); and Trapdoor Band/Idyl founder and Keeled Scales artist Alex Dupree. See them all tonight, Wednesday May 17, at Cheer Up Charlies on Red River. Doors at 7 p.m.
The Backseat Lovers, Nov. 15, 2022. Alyssa Olvera/KUTX.When We Were Friends by The Backseat Lovers is one of those impossibly good albums making it difficult to pick just one favorite track. Not fair. The ears are coaxed in with the beautiful opener “Watch Your Mouth” and that’s it. It keeps going. You’re hooked. How could it be possible that this 2019 release would be reminding you of memories from years ago? It’s that kind of magic.
No sophomore slump for this quartet. Along comes the amazing Waiting To Spill, and again, the cohesiveness of the entire work – the attention to every minute DIY detail, the lyrical process, all make it another striking LP. Experience some of that beauty by checking out The Backseat Lovers’ Studio 1A performance, then check out their show tomorrow night, Wednesday May 17, at Moody Amphitheater. Doors at 6:30 p.m., and Chicago-based artist Sofia Jensen‘s indie folk project Free Range opens the show.
Free Range
It wasn’t as if Danielle Ponder didn’t like her job. Her work as a public defender in her hometown of Rochester, NY reflects a soul that’s passionate about supporting her community and using her voice to do so. But that voice is also strongly connected to music. Ponder grew up with music. When it’s in the blood, it’s not about to go away. And it was definitely calling Ponder back.
“We formed a family band when I was 16 and when I would come back from college breaks, I would play with them,” Ponder recalls. “I was in a band in law school too and part of me knew that I loved being on stage. But I always had this fear of being a starving artist. I grew up with a father whose income wasn’t always stable so, I wanted a solid job. But through law school and even practicing, I would still play. I can’t believe how much I was doing. I would do a small tour in Europe, come back, and on Monday I’d be in court like nothing happened. But it just got to the point where I was like, “Man, I can’t do both.” And the choice could never be giving up music, I am absolutely in love with the stage. I knew it was time to completely surrender. This is what I need to be doing.”
And surrender to it, she did. After quitting her job, Ponder began to write the songs that would eventually be on her debut LP, Some Of Us Are Brave. And Ponder’s voice is still a powerful tool elevating the unseen and underrepresented. The title track itself is an homage to Black women and their unique stories.
If you haven’t gotten your tickets to Danielle Ponder’s performance tomorrow night, Tuesday May 16 at Antone’s, you better hurry. Austin’s very own Chief Cleopatra opens the show. Doors at 7 p.m.
Chief Cleopatra. Photography: Moriah Pierson.
Luz Elena Mendoza Ramos says the title of Y La Bamba‘s seventh LP Lucha has two meanings. “Lucha,” a nickname for Luz, btw, translates into “fight.” But “luz” can also mean “light.” Both apply to the album’s exploration of an existence in multiplicity – love, queerness, la familia, Mexican-American roots and Chicanx identity, confronting a familial history fraught with violence, and of course, the struggle and growth within this journey. It’s a diary of the emotion and solitude in pursuit of deeper relationships for Mendoza Ramos, as both an artist and a human being who simply wants to be.
Following this week’s fantastic Studio 1A set, Y La Bamba performs tonight, Saturday May 13, at The Ballroom, 2906 Fruth St. Doors at 7 p.m., and San Antonio-based artist Andria Rose opens the show.
Andria Rose
In an Austin Chronicle 2022 cover story, J Soulja didn’t hesitate expressing his gratitude in an interview with Derek Udensi. For the Austin-based hip-hop artist, having struggled to make ends meet in his life, understanding the importance of lifting others around him felt like a revelation. And from helping others comes a fulfillment, an empowerment far outreaching his own success. “I done put my 10,000 hours in,” he explained to Udensi. “I don’t mind you rap better, get farther, whatever. I don’t give a f–k. I want to see you win! Let’s open these doors up, that way [people] can walk through them because there’s n—-s out here who don’t rap anywhere close to me but are surpassing things a lot more than what I may have ever been able to touch…”
The reality for J Soulja is about empowering the community at large. From media coverage to performing at festivals, to getting statewide and national attention, he continues utilizing his platform to uplift his peers in the industry. Organizing shows like the Smoke Out, representing during SXSW, preserving the African American cultural legacy as Director of Cultural and Artistic Liberation for Austin’s Six Square, all of it contributes to this goal.
J Soulja’s next show immediately follows the Get Busy Or Die Tour show going down tonight, Friday May 12, at Stubb’s on Red River. After you catch $NOT, Night Lovell, EEM Triplin, DC the Don and Micro, head on over to J Soulja’s set at Stubb’s indoor venue. Doors at 10:30 p.m.
-Special thanks to Fresh Knight for his assistance with today’s AMM.
Jason Isbell and The 400 UnitJason Isbell’s forthcoming LP Weathervanes, his first album of originals since 2020’s Reunions, takes a hard look at…having some growing up to do. At its core, it’s songs played for, and by, grown ass people, as Isbell might put it. Whereas some music connects to the eternal youth in us all (“I Don’t Wanna Grow Up”), Weathervanes faces the inevitable, and the choices we make in dealing with it all: Life and death, the myths and dangers, regret and redemption, and ultimately – and this is the hardest one – learning to love oneself.
Weathervanes will be out June 9, but before that, you have a few opportunities to see Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit at ACL Live at The Moody Theater. They perform tonight, tomorrow night and Saturday. Doors at 6:30 p.m. all three nights, and AMM fave Amythyst Kiah opens the show each night.
Amythyst Kiah
La Santa CeceliaIn the wake of so much pain, Grammy Award-winning band La Santa Cecilia expresses one overarching wish for all: They want to see you happy. And who better for lead vocalist La Marisoul to sing the title track of Quiero Verte Feliz with than one of the most unique and influential voices in the world, Lila Downs? Everything is collapsing around you, but taking that sacred moment to pause is crucial to the healing: “El mundo se ahoga en un mar de injusticia / Yo necesito parar y sentir / El olor de la hierba y las flores / Quiero bailar, quiero echarme a reír…”
La Santa Cecilia presents a bold musical hybrid of bicultural experiences. Taking their name from the patron saint of music, they combine Latin American musical influences and their Mexican heritage for their own unique take on modern music. And, if you haven’t heard by now, La Marisoul’s voice is a show-stopper. Don’t miss their performance tomorrow night, Thursday May 11, at the Parish. Mexico City-based songwriter Maya Burns opens. Doors at 7 p.m.
Maya Burns
Lindsey Verrill knows the water holds its own magic. Even the poster she created for tonight’s show at Hole In the Wall shares that wisdom: “The river moves my heart to lose these blues.” And Thor Harris himself once described Verrill and Jeff Johnston‘s Little Mazarn as “…a cool float a few feet from the ground through a dimly lit, almost familiar forest,” a most fitting description for the talent flowing through the shimmering and mystical Texas River Song LP. It’s as if Little Mazarn encapsulates the beauty of the natural world with a supernatural sound.
On this misty Tuesday night, Little Mazarn brings that otherworldly magic to the Hole stage along with a couple other Austin legends: Former Bad Livers fiddler/accordionist, multi-talented multi-instrumentalist, and avant-folk maestro Ralph White; and published poet, songwriter, former Zookeeper guitarist, and prolific solo artist Alex Dupree (you need to add You Winsome, You Lonesome and Thieves to your music collection already). Doors at 8 p.m., and the music starts at 9 p.m.
Near and dear to your Austin Music Minute host’s dark little heart. LA darkwave artist Mareux dives deep into the unsettling murky depths of unrequited passion on the new LP Lovers* From the Past. Musician and producer *Aryan Ashtiani created a haunting soundtrack for a haunted memory, making it almost impossible to move on.
Mareux’s current tour includes a stop in Austin for a show tomorrow night, Tuesday May 9, at The Parish, 501 Brushy St. And presenting a perfect opener for the evening, Urban Heat. Doors at 7:30 p.m. The AMM recommends donning anything black in your wardrobe.
Urban Heat
photo: Allan AnsellIt’s many things, coming at you from different directions. Maybe Austin-based band Megafauna is given all the descriptions because of this killer musicianship that owns it. All insanely brilliant live performances aside, it’s never been more apparent than on their sixth full-length release Olympica. This thing is tight yet flies across the board. To hell with any restrictive construct; from every groove to every surge, time signatures throwing you for a loop, you pick up on the coolest pop, sun-drenched psych, undeniable prog power. But the bottom line? Rock. Straight up rock, as vocalist/guitarist Dani Neff delivers the wicked shreds and lyrical prowess that’s always given the band an extra edge.
Don’t sleep on this one. Megafauna’s album release party is tonight, Saturday May 6, at Sagebrush, 5500 S. Congress. The line-up includes Holy Death Trio and The Dead Coats. DJ Dead Flowers starts out the night at 8 p.m.
Throwing shapes! All the colors! Action packed! Well, not quite the same action taking you on a whirlwind ride in the 1986 spy thriller Vikram, but the essence of the film’s irresistible theme song is captured to perfection on The Octopus Project‘s kaleidoscopic electro-pop spree “Vikram Vikram,” now with a new video that’s equally as dazzling and shapeshifting as their cover. Imagine our protagonist (as played by eternal badass Kamal Haasan) on his getaway motorbike – or white horse – escaping explosions or sword-wielding assassins, but amped up by Octo Proj’s prismatic vibrance. It’s quite like the film’s energy – you’re fighting bad guys, but the fight’s got a good beat and you can dance to it…
Check out the new video for “Vikram Vikram” below, and see The Octopus Project tonight, Friday May 5, at the Parish, 501 Brushy St. And talk about action-packed – the bill features an outrageously spectacular set by hardcore renegades F__k Money, and a performance by musician/producer Bryan Richie’s new solo project, Galactic Protector. Doors at 7:30 p.m.
But seriously, in the film’s trailer…that still frame of the pigeon, though…epic.
Kalu and the Electric Joint. Photo: Patricia Lim/KUTXThere is…hesitancy with your AMM host on doing this, but the day and the occasion call for it, so…
The force is strong with this one.
Kalu and The Electric Joint’s Garden of Eden was due for release in 2020, but that was around the time all hell broke loose, to put it mildly. The album would have to wait. However, that wasn’t about to stop the music completely. The band released a few singles along the way, including two from the album, “Like, Maybe” and the title track. As the world gradually began to reopen, they took the time to revisit these songs written before the pandemic to show them some extra love. As Kalu James explained to KUTX Music Editor Jeff McCord in a recent Music Matters column, “…we took advantage of that and really kept at it at a time when there was nothing coming in money-wise or anything like that. We engaged the band and kept rehearsing.”
Garden of Eden is now ready for the world, via Spaceflight Records. And Kalu & The Electric Joint will celebrate with a grand release show tonight, Thursday May 4, at The Paramount Theater. Doors at 7 p.m., and artist Kam Franklin (The Suffers) opens the show. Plus…the AMM has it on good authority that a very special guest star will join Kalu and the band for a couple of songs. Don’t miss it.
It’s a great song, perfect for the road, all about choosing rock ‘n’ roll with no regrets. Maybe you just see the title and you kinda start singing it to yourself. But rather than “Ride On,” today’s AMM features another track from The Nude Party‘s self-produced Rides On LP, “Tell Em.” Just tell ’em the truth, the good and bad times. Music’s not made for holding back.
KUTX’s 10th Birthday Concert series includes a grand returning performance by The Nude Party, following their outstanding set during SXSW at KUTX Live at Scholz Garten (“Leave it to radio people to book an 8 a.m. showcase…”). Their tour brings them back to Austin for a show tomorrow night, Thursday May 4, at the Historic Scoot Inn, 1308 E. 4th St. (recently relocated from Antone’s; all tickets purchased will be honored). The line-up includes UK artist Fonteyn, and Austin’s own Cactus Lee and Hippie Scum. Doors at 7 p.m.
Fonteyn
Slomo DragsSeriously, just sign your AMM host up for all of these killer residencies going off this month. Damn. Another badass rez starting this week features Austin-based pop-rock outfit Slomo Drags at Hotel Vegas, and the first show makes for one hell of a special night. Not only will you get the magnificent stylings of R&B/soul pop songwriter KindKeith on the bill, but also raw and riveting new solo music by Sabrina Ellis (A Giant Dog, Sweet Spirit, Como Las Movies), celebrating the release of “Silk” and “Evil Side” via Nine Mile Records.
Catch the show tonight, Tuesday May 2, at Hotel Vegas. Doors at 9 p.m., and the music starts at 10 p.m. Soooo gooood.
Gather round for Monday evening magic as Ambitions of Ambiguity songwriter/crooner extraordinaire Buffalo Hunt (also known to rogue royalty and underground moguls alike as Stephanie Hunt) invites special guests to join her for Songwriter Mondays at South Austin hotspot Sagebrush.
Every Monday in May, Hunt will be joined by fellow artists for a round of great performances. Tonight’s guests include two AMM faves, David Ramirez and Ley Line co-founder Lydia Froncek. Next week, a most unique voice and presence – Pope Coke partner, Free Lunch founder, and longtime Hunt collaborator Jazz Mills will be part of Monday’s soiree; May 15 features local artist by way of LA, Suzanne Santo and Austin-based songwriter via the Bay Area, Caelin; and rounding out the month, a spectacular line-up with Helyn Rain, Star Parks‘ Andy Bianculli, and Casen Hutton.
Doors at 8 p.m., and the music starts at 8:30 p.m. Swoon worthy, m’dear.
CucoThe rain didn’t stop it. And gusty winds won’t, either. Welcome to day two and three of Austin Psych Fest, the OG that launched the Levitation vibes round the world. Two stages, no overlap, and all incredible. Just don’t wear a hat today, unless it’s strapped to your head…
- It’s an extra special Saturday, at least for your AMM host, who will most assuredly lose her mind over Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Black Angels performing Directions To See A Ghost to celebrate its 15th anniversary, and (OH MY HOLY HELL) The Raveonettes. Longtime fan. Long time. Plus Austin-based artists DAIISTAR, En Orbito, Acid Dad, Hey Cowboy, Superfónicos and Sheverb hit the fest today, along with Night Beats and Toronto band Wine Lips. There’s also a 13th Floor Elevators tribute with what may well be an all-star cast of musicians going all out, starting at 7 p.m.
- You won’t wanna miss Sunday‘s extravagance of talent. Vieux Farka Touré, Los Bitchos, South Korean traditional music group ADG7, Columbian-American band Divino Niño, Melody’s Echo Chamber, and Jenny Juárez‘ musical project Bratty are on the line-up, with ATX artists El Combo Oscuro, Nemegata and Little Mazarn. Of course, rounding out the night is a badass set by headliner Cuco.
Doors at 2 p.m. both days. And all of it is glorious.
The Black Angels. Photo: Pooneh Ghana.Levitation followers on Instagram got the briefest onsite glimpse on a post last night. “Getting the spaceship ready for liftoff here at The Far Out Lounge and Stage. See y’all tomorrow, can’t wait!” Even that snapshot of the light projection was enough to generate excitement – but those insane pics of everybody losing their s%$t at the kickoff show at Mohawk also helped. (A Place To Bury Strangers, plus The Warlocks, plus Archer Oh, plus Austin’s own Blushing and NYC outfit Gift equals sssick.)
Since its beginnings in 2008, Austin Psych Fest has been in constant evolution, building something special from the ground up simply out of passion for the music. There were no intentions of getting huge or going global, but that’s how the story unfolded. The rebranding into Levitation brought opportunities to take the festival around the world. And now, the founders are getting back to the hometown roots that started it all.
Austin Psych Fest’s three-day event highlights some of the best in psych, dream pop, and all manner of independent music with as much reverence for ‘60s influences as for the wave of the future. The festival opens today at The Far Out Lounge and Stage with headliners Toro Y Moi, Yves Tumor, Mdou Moctar, Automatic and the legendary Acid Mothers Temple, as well as Austin bands Annabelle Chairlegs and Being Dead. Tomorrow features Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Raveonettes, and The Black Angels performing their album Directions To See A Ghost in celebration of its 15th anniversary. And Sunday includes performances by Cuco, Melody’s Echo Chamber, Los Bitchos, Vieux Farka Touré and more, along with Austin bands El Combo Oscuro, Nemegata and Little Mazarn.
More Austin Psych Fest picks on Saturday’s AMM. Stay tuned.
The futuristic afro-electronic/hip-hop/neo soul voyage of Satisfy Saturn by Trouble In the Streets is also a celebratory ode to the wisdom of ancestors; a determination to hold space for hope as darkness seeps through; or, perhaps just going for it, even if it all seems pointless. Songwriter/vocalist Nnedi Agbaroji serves as your cosmic guide through the tumult and discovery. “Denying you are hungry no longer / Child from the stars / it’s time to hold your own hand,” Agbaroji cantillates on “Fantastic Vastness,” “You are walking into the darkest rainbow / Reach towards the precipice of your mind past your longest shadow…”
Trouble In the Streets requests that you pull together your sharpest and most celestial ensembles for their interstellar release show and Intergalactic Prom, happening tonight, Thursday April 27, at The Parish, 501 Brushy St. Doors at 7:30 p.m., and ultra-glam femme boy fatale Caleb De Casper opens the show. One not to miss, earthlings. Dance along those shimmering Saturn rings…
Caleb De Casper
Ringo DeathstarrTwo Austin Music Minute favorites are heading out on tour together, and they thought, “Hell, why not have big tour kick off show?”
Elliot Frazier of Austin-based shoegaze shredders Ringo Deathstarr is a longtime friend/producer of Austin’s noise punk outfit Pleasure Venom, so it’s a natural fit. Frazier also produced PV’s scorching full-length debut Rebirth/Return, a high-voltage annihilator powered by songwriter/lead vocalist force majeure Audrey Campbell.
Both bands hit the road soon, but before that, send them off at their show tonight, Wednesday April 26, at Hotel Vegas on E. 6th. Doors at 9 p.m., and the music starts with Stab at 10:15 p.m. Piercing you through and through. No mercy.
Pleasure Venom
MINISTRY. photo: Derick SmithComing up this week at Emo’s, an evening of electronic and industrial music innovators. The AMM is all over it.
Ministry, a pioneering figure of industrial rock and metal founded in 1981, used to move more along poppier synth styles in its earlier stages. But as band founder Al Jourgensen experimented with the latest technology emerging at the time, Ministry evolved into a darker, heavier, often jarring presence musically. Albums like Twitch (1986), The Land of Rape and Honey (1988), and The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste (1989) reconfigured the course of electronic arrangement. “Industrial” seemed a fitting term for the raucous, metallic and harsher terrain of the music.
This year, Ministry’s headlining a series of spring tour dates with two very special guests: Iconic electronic artist Gary Numan (featured on today’s AMM), and electro-industrial band Front Line Assembly. See them all tomorrow night, Wednesday April 26, at Emo’s, 2015 E. Riverside Drive. Doors at 6 p.m.
Caroline PolachekToday’s featured AMM track “Sunset” is on Caroline Polachek‘s second album released earlier this year; Desire, I Want To Turn Into You, a poetic homage to the metamorphic powers of desire, sometimes ruled by a frenzied momentum. There’s exhilaration, there is anguish – and every detail is savored on Polachek’s striking arrangements. Desire can be as destructive as it is intoxicating, but above all else, it keeps us moving forward. Or…alive, perhaps?
Caroline Polachek will be in Austin for a show tomorrow night, Tuesday April 25, at ACL Live at The Moody Theater. Doors at 6:30 p.m., and LA electronic artist George Clanton opens the show.
George Clanton
GalacticIt’s a bit of Texas, a bit of Louisiana, and an incredible line-up of artists bringing you the best of both worlds. Yee-Craw: A Tex-Orleans Experience celebrates music artists from Texas and New Orleans with live music – and it wouldn’t be complete without a crawfish boil, too!
Everything kicks off tomorrow afternoon, Sunday April 23, at Empire Control Room and Garage on E. 7th. Doors at 2 p.m., and the event includes performances by Galactic (featured on today’s AMM), The Suffers, Greyhounds, and THEBROSFRESH, along with two late-night sets by Mike Dillon and Punkadelick, and The Iceman Special.
Laissez les bon temps rouler. As good as all git-out, y’all.
Don’t sleep on it. Austin-based artist and AMM fave David Shabani has a couple of nights remaining in his April residency at the fabulous Geraldine’s. Shabani and The Nu Leopards deliver the smoothest grooves of hip-hop, soul and R&B, this time with an expanded band and a few special guests joining in. Catch Shabani and crew tonight, Friday April 21, starting at 9 p.m. You’ll find Geraldine’s inside Hotel Van Zandt, at 605 Davis St.
Welcome to your Friday night flight. Like Shabani says: “A feeling you can’t really force…”
Los AlcosFor those who celebrate, the AMM wishes you a very happy – and hopefully mellow – 420! Speaking of which, Latin psych outfit Los Alcos is presenting a spectacular 420 Fiesta with a badass line-up tonight, Thursday April 20, at The 13th Floor, 711 Red River. Check out performances by Los Alcos, Billy King and the Bad Bad Bad, She23, Alesia Lani, and Norman Ba$e. Doors at 8 p.m., and proceeds from the party benefit The Last Prisoner Project, a nonprofit reform project working to free individuals imprisoned for cannabis.
It’s always the same. Your AMM host soaks in every sweet mellow groove of “Simply Belong To You” by Austin outfit Shinyribs, then waits ’til the very end for Kevin Russell to hit those high notes. What a treasure.
Shinyribs is a free-flowing musical melting pot in the local scene, consisting of so many ingredients in the recipe – from Texas blues to New Orleans funk, Memphis soul to country twang, generous helpings of every kind of roots music you can dream up. And this band thrives on the live experience, which could mean anything from a raucous sing-along to a literal conga line through the audience.
Remember that Shinyrib’s upcoming show, part of the KUTX 10th Birthday Concert series, has been rescheduled for tomorrow, Thursday April 20, at The Far Out Lounge and Stage, 8504 S. Congress Ave. Doors at 6 p.m., featuring an opening set by Texas String Assembly. Yes, this is epic. Go forth, and celebrate.
Aaron Miller of Josie Lockhart.This is your Tuesday night sorted. Another awesome line-up on the bill at Chess Club: A recently-featured AMM fave, Futon Blonde, who just released their 6-track EP Something That We’ve All Experienced Together Before – start with opener “Lonely as the Sun” and you’re hooked; songwriter Aaron Miller’s solo project Josie Lockhart – today’s AMM featured track is “If There’s A Heaven” from the Santa Rosa LP; and Walkabouts, led by songwriter Sam Shaffer.
All are playing tonight, Tuesday April 18, at Chess Club, 617 Red River. Doors at 8 p.m., and the music starts at 9 p.m. Do it.
Futon Blonde
The Well. Photography: Mitch Kline.This is one of those show that you stay up late for on a Monday. The AMM has spoken.
Austin heavy psych-rock trio and KUTX Artist of the Month alum The Well is winding down a spring tour, following several tour dates across the U.S. with Swedish doom metal outfit and fellow badasses Firebreather. Just before doing a couple more shows in San Antonio and Dallas, The Well returns to the ATX to play tonight, Monday April 17, at The Lost Well, 2421 Webberville Rd. Firebreather joins them on the bill, along with Austin desert rockers Greenbeard. Doors at 7 p.m. Don’t leave the earplugs at home.
This’ll get you going, pure joy in music form. Austin-based R&B funk/soul outfit Honey Made is the kind of band that sets the tone the moment they hit the stage, bringing infectious grooves and the kind of call-and-response energy that ignites any crowd in an instant. It’s also a big reason why Radio Coffee and Beer in South Austin is thrilled to have them perform tonight, Saturday April 15. The music starts at 8 p.m., with rock ‘n’ soul band Brother Thunder opening the show.
Imagine all the James Brown, Sly, Parliament and even Sierra Leone Refugee Allstars party vibes combining forces for one big blowout. Go for it.
Sabrina Ellis of A Giant Dog. Photo: Vicious Velma Photography.This is probably one of the last opportunities you’ll get to see A Giant Dog for awhile, at least in a headlining capacity like tonight’s Sagebrush show. True, A Giant Dog is opening for Dinosaur Jr. at Lakeline Park on April 29, bringing the polar opposite vibe of Soul Asylum‘s scheduled acoustic set that night.
But there’s a few changes going on and other projects in the works, as you may know: In addition to solo magic, songwriter/vocalist Sabrina Ellis performs killer sets with Como Las Movies; Andrew Cashen morphs from mesmerizing cult leader-like crooner to fearsome bloody overlord in .02 seconds, or vice versa, whichever strikes first; and Daniel Blanchard, the guy in the white shirt in the band pic at the top who drums like a beast, is running away to Pittsburgh or something. That’s just a few examples. Your AMM host is forgetting stuff.
Busy times. All good. So jump on it. Catch A Giant Dog tonight, Friday April 14, at Sagebrush, 5500 S. Congress Ave. It’s an excellent line-up presented by Yawn Productions featuring Pelvis Wrestley and recent Studio 1A guests The Stacks. The music starts at 10 p.m.
Can you handle it?
Sudan ArchivesRevival Cycles is hosting the 8th annual Handbuilt Motorcycle Show this weekend, a grand celebration of the craft and design of custom motorcycles with…a helluva lot of great live music, including national headliners and so many of the outstanding local artists we champion on KUTX 98.9.
The Handbuilt Motorcycle Show is Friday, April 14 through Sunday, April 16 at Austin American Statesman, 305 S. Congress Ave. And what an incredible set of line-ups each day: Friday – Sudan Archives (featured on today’s AMM), Magna Carda, Geto Gala, and DJ Lady Wonder; Saturday – Soccer Mommy, Good Looks, Redbud, Animals On TV, Mom Rock, Gus Baldwin and The Sketch, and DJ Hollywood Jones; Sunday – Allah-Las, Superfónicos, Money Chicha, Nolan Potter’s Nightmare Band, Amplified Heat, and DJ Bambi. Everything kicks off at 5 p.m. Friday, and at noon on Saturday and Sunday.
Narrow Haunts. Photography: Oscar Moreno.From the ashes of the Red River District venue formerly known as Barracuda arose a new band that would not be contained by the 2020 lockdown. Featuring members of Unknown Relatives and Think No Think, ruthless protopunk annihilators Narrow Haunts has been performing and terrorizing the locals for two years now, taking on opening slots for bands including Trail of Dead, Sparta and others, and now they’re ready to unleash a 3-song EP in the near future.
For now, join the Narrow Haunts hoodlums for a show tomorrow night, Thursday April 13, at Mohawk on the inside stage. The line-up includes Austin bands Intensive Care Unit and Sugar Purr. Doors at 8 p.m. They’re ruthless. You’ve been warned.
Every single track on NNAMDÏ‘s Please Have A Seat is addictive enough to get stuck in the brain, and rightly so. The Chicago-based artist made a conscious decision when making the album: Each track had to be hummable.
Heralded as a multi-genre pop savant, NNAMDÏ mixes together what may typically be regarded as disparate sounds and sonic textures, and makes them work together in strangely satisfying, complimentary ways. Really, it boils down to NNAMDÏ making…whatever he wants.
NNAMDÏ returns to Austin for a performance tonight, Tuesday April 11, at the Parish, 501 Brushy St. Fellow Chicago artist Luke Titus opens the show. Doors at 7 p.m.
Songwriter, guitarist and vocalist Jess Shoman confronts the question eternal: Why do we not go for the excess of love we deserve? Or, in her own words, “What the hell?”
As Chicago-based music artist Tenci, Shoman celebrates self-rejuvenation on her second album A Swollen River, A Well Overflowing, an interplay of multiple instruments, and words and ideas from Shoman’s journal, trying to comprehend what this journey is all about. Tenci’s tour brings her to Austin for a show tomorrow night, Tuesday April 11, at Mohawk on Red River, on the inside stage. Austin-based artist and AMM fave Egaux Sells opens the show. Doors at 7 p.m.
Egaux Sells
The song featured on today’s AMM is R&B artist Daniel Fears‘ “Keep On,” and it caught the attention of composer Nate Laningham. He approached the KUTX Artist of the Month alumnus and asked if he’d be interested in arranging the song for a string ensemble. It made perfect sense. As a conservatory-trained trombonist himself, Fears was very interested in the idea, but he wanted to take it to the next level. The plan was simple: Fears and Laningham’s collaboration would create a welcoming space for R&B within the classical realm. Needless to say, the results were stunning, and it was only the first of Fears’ songs that would be reimagined through this classical soundscape.
Close To Home is a special program featuring intimate performances of these reimagined works, an absolutely breathtaking reintroduction to Fears’ distinctive R&B style through the workings of a classical ensemble, with arrangements by composers Laningham, Mobley, and Anthony R. Greene. There are two shows scheduled for Close To Home with Daniel Fears – Saturday’s show is sold out, but some tickets remain for tonight’s performance at the Draylen Mason Music Studio at KMFA, located at 41 Navasota St. The show starts at 7 p.m.
They will not be contained. Just before heading out on a spring mini tour, including a performance at This Is The End Fest in Houston, Austin-based hardcore psych/rage punks (and AMM fave) BONDBREAKR get the pit started at a big show tomorrow night, Friday April 7 at Kick Butt Coffee, 5775 Airport Blvd. They’re on the line-up with another band about to hit the road, headliner Hans Gruber and the Die Hards, along with SUMPP, Pocket FishRmen, and Jankem. Doors at 7:30 p.m. Prepare to be wrecked.
Do not adjust your TV set. Actually, the adjustments will be made to you. (Insert evil laughter here.)
Today’s AMM presents a video premiere for a new track by Hong Kong Wigs, “Fa Fa Fa.” Sure, everything seems all rosy and Brady Bunch-esque at first, including a family with mostly chipper expressions glued onto their paper bag faces. But things turn trippy and the cookies from the oven go bad. Real bad. What is that family watching on TV?? Check out the video below, and join Hong Kong Wigs for the first night of their April residency tonight, Wednesday April 5, at The 13th Floor on Red River. They’re joined on the bill by Pollen RX and Exotic Fruits, with DJ Beats of Burden wrapping up the night. Doors at 8 p.m.
TearjerkIt’s the power of the inner metamorphosis.
Tearjerk songwriter/vocalist Vanessa Jollay pierces the heart with dream folk resplendence on today’s AMM-featured track “Can’t You See I’m Changin’,” a gentle but unwavering admission of letting go and rebuilding, with a renewed point of view. “I’ve opened blackout curtains / Dug up wisdom from within…”
Tearjerk kicks off a new residency this week at Hotel Vegas on E. 6th, where they’ll perform every Tuesday in April with different guests in the line-up each week. This week includes The Stacks and BRUCE, a solo project by Carrie Fussell (Calliope Musicals). The first residency show is tonight, Tuesday April 4. Doors at 9 p.m.
Photography: Brandon Aguilar.Yes, it’s a special occasion tonight at The Saxon Pub. Following BMI‘s Songwriter Series performances, 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., will be an intimate evening with two Austin artists on The *Texas to Tennessee Tour*:
- Here stirs an Irish spirit with a Texas heart. Pat Byrne achingly captured the often unglamorous and unforgiving elements of a musician’s tour life on his recent release, “Feels Like Living,” recorded within the walls of an old church with some of his favorite local artists. Keeping the faith isn’t easy, but the music seems to move the soul forward.
- Postcards and letters are more romantic than email or texts. But even better? For Jaimee Harris, it’s writing love songs. That was part of the inspiration for getting Harris’ album Boomerang Town in motion, though it really began to take shape in 2016 during a time of great loss and personal reevaluation of her life, including a reconnection to her faith.
Tonight’s show starts at 8 p.m.
Photography: Ashley Frutiger.Time for the AMM to dish out the drama. There’s NO rest for the ~~wicked~~ famous. You can’t go for a walk, a coffee, or a freakin’ bathroom break without the ruthless paparazzi mowing you down in the damn bathroom stall with cameras and personal questions referencing that mean-ass tweet about you that went viral.
Now that the AMM rant portion is out of the way, time for some tea-spilling about everyone’s favorite trash-glam garage punks Lord Friday the 13th. DID YOU KNOW: The band is celebrating the video premiere of their single “Larger Than Life,” a gloriously over-the-top look at the highs and lows of fame – and notoriety, filmed in LA from Sunset Boulevard to a jaunt through Hollywood Forever Cemetery.
See the new video tonight, Saturday April 1, at Feels So Good Records, 211 E. Alpine Rd. Following the premiere are performances by Lord Friday the 13th, Favor and Grocery Bag, with DJ Hollywood Jones spinning between sets. Dimestore glitz, trashy glamour, and blinding impetuosity. Doors at 6 p.m. And dress for that red carpet, darling.
“Larger Than Life”
GlasshealerHere’s another friendly reminder during KUTX’s spring membership drive of all the musical discovery that KUTX brings to you. This week, the Austin Music Minute spotlights two bands putting out new singles: Felt Out’s new album Until I’m Light is out April 14, and just ahead of its release is the hushed “fraught pop” beauty of “Room”; and today, experimental alt.-quartet Glasshealer releases their brilliant, searing art punk single “Ever Love, Ever Have,” featured on today’s AMM.
Catch Glasshealer and Felt Out at their double release show tonight, Friday March 31, at Hotel Vegas on E. 6th, on a bill that includes experimental metal outfit God Shell. Doors at 9 p.m. Holy hell, all of this is badass…
Futon BlondeExpect three new EP’s from Austin-based band Futon Blonde this year, starting with today’s new release, Something That We’ve All Experienced Together Before, with the fantastic opener featured on today’s AMM, “Lonely As the Sun.” And on each EP, the band’s taking a leap into different genres, with the newest leaning more into brighter pop/rock hooks and a breezier touch.
Join Futon Blonde for their EP release show tonight, Thursday March 30, at Chess Club on Red River, with KUTX Artist of the Month alumus San Gabriel, and songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Drew Patrizi‘s project Trumpeter Swan. Doors at 8 p.m. This is going to rule.
Just on the heels of a very busy SXSW, Austin-based dream pop/shoegaze psych outfit Daydream Twins are wrapping up their March residency at Hole In the Wall tomorrow night, Wednesday March 29. It’s been a solid run at Hole, with ample opportunity for the band to share a new song on each show night, in advance of the follow-up to their self-titled 2022 debut LP.
Doors for tomorrow night’s show are 8 p.m., and joining the Twins on the bill are Dewey Ivy, I’d Really Like To See You Again, and Bristol/Toronto artists UVB-76.
Jon LloydWhen not shredding for Hong Kong Wigs or Sweet Spirit, Jon Fitcher embarks on his own mad scientist musical experimentation as Jon Lloyd. And what’s in the lab? Fitcher delights in weaving unusual and intriguing soundscapes into traditional pop styles. Inspired by all the good things like horror films, detective novels, good doggos, road trips and (oh HELL yes) Gary Numan, Fitcher creates a unique trip of his own on Jon Lloyd’s debut LP, Walking the Rope, released on Mr. Pink Records.
Now’s your chance to catch Jon Lloyd during a night of awesome solo performances tonight, Monday March 27, at Chess Club on Red River, with Vanessa Jollay (Tearjerk) and Paul Stinson on the bill. Doors at 8 p.m., and the music starts at 9 p.m.
Vanessa Jollay
Alyssa Kelley and Matt Salois of Deer Fellow.Today’s AMM featured track “Filtered,” a single from the forthcoming EP Unraveling by Austin-based duo Deer Fellow, explores the side effects of endless exposure to personal details of people’s lives via social media. But is this actually reality, these perfectly packaged action shots of brief moments that are meant to stir up envy? It’s time to see past the filters.”This song is a reminder to myself to…not look at my own life through this lens of altered reality that we’ve come to regard as normal,” says songwriter/vocalist Alyssa Kelley.
Deer Fellow celebrates the single release with a show tonight, Saturday March 25, at Radio Coffee and Beer, 4204 Menchaca Rd. The line-up includes a solo set by Katie Claghorn (Redbud), Aubrey Hays, and Elijah Delgado. The show starts at 8 p.m.
Photography: Jay Ybarra.More shout-outs are in order from the AMM! If you haven’t already, make time to listen to Pause/Play‘s episode highlighting the experiences of Black artists in the local music scene. One of those artists is in the spotlight on today’s Music Minute – writer, actor and hip-hop artist Te’aunna Moore, known to the world as Blakchyl.
Moore got into rap when she was in high school with the help of a local nonprofit known as Cypher, connecting students to musicians to encourage them to write and perform. Moore’s biggest hope is that this kind of mentorship will continue to inspire and pave the way for future artists, the way it did for her. ““I hope to see something like a Cypher in the future,” she says. “I feel like if young people had some type of guidance like that, seeing other men and girls that look like them, who are really genre-bending and helping their community and making opportunities for themselves to leave and see the world.”
Blakchyl is one of several artists in tonight’s HELL’S HOTTEST Vol. 2 showcase at Empire Control Room on E. 7th. South Texas hip-hop artist and producer HELLCAT leads the bill featuring Censored Dialogue, Ben Buck, Khxnid, Sol Basik, Apollo and Naahlah. Doors at 7 p.m.
Cheeky OrangeXavier Sanchez and Thom Valles first met during their high school freshman year in their hometown of El Paso, and it strikes the AMM as hilarious that the two couldn’t stand the sight of each other. However, a drumline teacher at school instinctively brought them together in band. Something clicked back then, and now their combined talents and exploration of rock, punk, psych and thrash creates a badass primal explosion. On their debut release TRASH, Cheeky Orange knows the distortion draws you in and messes you up.
Catch Cheeky Orange at their show tonight, Thursday March 23, at Mohawk on the indoor stage, with Gorbit and Luxury Television on the bill. Doors at 8 p.m.
Tell them the El Chuco homegirl sent you.
Lady DanIf you’re on Instagram, the AMM recommends following Yawn Productions (@yawnproductions – sporting a yellow logo and the subheading “Stevie Ray Yawn”), spearheaded by the wonderful and talented Jake Ames. Somehow, the bassist for The Good Looks and guitarist/lead vocalist of The Stacks finds the time to book these awesome shows for South Austin treasure Sagebrush, but it’s clearly the dedication of a genuine music-lover.
These have been some pretty stellar line-ups, from Buffalo Hunt and Twain, to Batty Jr., Big Bill, Alex Dupreé, and Lord Friday the 13th, to name a few. The next show coming up features Lady Dan, Lady Chops and The Goddamn Jam, and Sugar Purr, all performing tonight, Wednesday March 22 at Sagebrush, 5500 S. Congress Ave. The music starts at 9 p.m.
John Wesley Coleman IIIIf you know, you know. This is a special occasion with plenty of beautiful music to go around. Today’s AMM points you toward a cozy gathering of magical artistry stirring the mood tomorrow night, Wednesday March 22, at Mohawk on Red River. The indoor stage will be graced by the gorgeous musical ambling and hushed vocals of banjoist Lindsey Verrill and saw/harmonium player Jeff Johnston as Little Mazarn; one half of South Portland experimental pop duo Dimples, Colby Nathan; and, as featured on the AMM, Feels So Good Records artist and Tin Whistle Art Gallery proprietor John Wesley Coleman III. Coleman’s latest album Kiss Apocalypse includes today’s track, “Talk About the Good Times.”
These are the good times. Doors at 8 p.m.
Danny B. Harvey. Photography: Christoph Ochal of Metalchroniques France.All right. Perhaps you’re still in bed, guzzling water or craving greasy food. Or maybe you managed to maneuver your way around the SXSW-induced chaos and avoided it altogether. Either way, you’ve survived SXSW. Well done. However, the AMM is here to remind you that the music keeps going here in Austin all year round.
Rest up, then catch the Tuesday Rock Show tomorrow night, Tuesday March 21, at Kick Butt Coffee, 5775 Airport Blvd. Danny B. Harvey and Casino Frap are joined on the bill by Trashy Annie, Deuce Coupe and The Genders. Doors at 7 p.m., and the music starts at 8 p.m.
Trashy Annie
Olivia JeanThese lists are not so random. There’s a method to the madness. It’s just that the madness tends to take over. Here are the AMM’s SXSW picks for Friday, March 17. Remember to hydrate:
- Space Flight Records has its official showcase tonight at The Creek and The Cave, 611 E. 7th, which includes Christeene, Kalu and The Electric Joint, Primo the Alien, Trouble In the Streets, Big Bill, Otis Wilkins, Night Glitter, The Tender Things, S.L. Houser and more.
- The Third Man Records unofficial showcase (part two) at The 13th Floor on Red River features Be Your Own Pet, Protomartyr, Snooper, Olivia Jean (“Trouble” from the forthcoming album Raving Ghost is featured on today’s AMM), and more.
- Ovrld and LORO present a showcase at Central Machine Works with an acoustic set by Sir Woman, Angel White, Retro Cowgirl and Goons.
- Aquarium Drunkard and Gold Diggers present a showcase with Golden Dregs, Aoife Nessa Frances, a solo set by Fruit Bats, Bonny Doon, Pearl & The Oysters, and Orions Belte.
- Mike & The Moonpies play tonight at Sagebrush, with Mayeux & Broussard, Jordan Matthew Young, and a couple of sets celebrating new releases by siblings Ben Ballinger and Galen Ballinger.
- Chicken Ranch Records‘ official showcase at Valhalla includes Caleb De Casper, Mr. Lewis and The Funeral 5, Peelander Z, Broken Gold and more.
- The Earth Libraries showcase at Hole In the Wall features Batty Junior, The Juniper Berries, Future Crib, Dorio, and more.
- Tonight’s Kill Rock Stars official showcase at Cheer Up Charlie’s includes Mightmare, Shaylee, Shutups, Ron Gallo and more.
Also tonight: Adrienne Mack-Davis at Shangri-La, 1016 E. 6th St.; The Tiarras at Cooper’s BBQ, 217 Congress Ave.,; Blondshell at Swan Dive; and Os Mutantes at Hotel Vegas.
NemegataAll right, little trooper. Little camper. Little buckeroo. These are your AMM SXSW picks for Thursday. And if you can sneak a nap in between shows, you are one lucky bastard:
- An official SX showcase starting at 7 p.m. at Sheraton Backyard with We Don’t Ride Llamas, Grace Sorensen, Lara Price, Daniel Fears, and Nemegata (“Pasos” is featured on today’s AMM).
- An official showcase at 8 p.m. at Valhalla, 710 Red River, with Vacation, Drakulas, Urban Heat, Decent Criminal, Glass Spells and Rich Aucoin.
- The IFeelGoodRightNow showcase at Central Machine Works with AMM fave David Shabani & The Nu Leopards, Shakiel Smith, Kydd Jones and more.
- Texas Cookin’ with Mayeux & Broussard and Friends at Sam’s Town Point, 2115 Allred Dr., with Mayeux and Broussard, Kathryn Legendre, David Beck and more.
- Southby Schmouthby at Long Play Lounge East, 1910 E. Cesar Chavez, includes Star Parks, Slomo Drags, Billy Glitter, Waldo Witt, Hong Kong Wigs and more.
- The SPIN showcase at Stubb’s features Killer Mike, Painted Shield, Voxtrot, Renforshort, Sunflower Bean, AMM fave Sunny War and more.
- Stoner Jam 2023 heavy music fest at The Far Out Lounge and Stage, with DUEL, LaGoon, Greenbeard, Amplified Heat, Monte Luna, High Desert Queen and many more.
Tribe MafiaMaking lists. Checkin’ ’em twice. Gonna find out…if you can handle this much in a single night, but that’s how SXSW is, right? Here are some AMM South-By selections for your Wednesday shenanigans. Live and in yo’ FACE, freak:
- Join KUTX’s The Breaks hosts Confucious and Fresh for SXSBreaks at the Sheraton Backyard at 8 p.m., featuring Bianca B-Lo, Stasseny, Lil Ke, Skateland, Alesia Lani and more.
- An outstanding line up presented by Punk Black: Femme Fetale, an all-femme fronted showcase with Atlanta artist Lesibu Grand (pronounced le-SEE-boo, and not in the erroneous way your AMM host did – deepest apologies for that), Austin trio Pussy Gillette, LA-based band Cinnamon Babe, Austin band BONDBREAKR, ATX Afro-rockers We Don’t Ride Llamas, and Norwegian band Mirror Lake. The show starts at 7 p.m. at Latchkey on E. 6th.
- An official SXSW cumbia showcase at Hotel Vegas at 7 p.m., with Superfónicos, El Combo Oscuro, Money Chicha, brand new AMM fave Son Rompe Pera, J Guero and more.
- Wizard Rodeo and Spaceflight Records present People Are Beautiful at The White Horse on Comal, with Sunjammer, Jane Weaver, Garrett T. Capps, Carson McHone, A Giant Dog, and Daniel Romano’s Outfit.
- Dark pop band and longtime AMM fave Namesayers presents Grindhouse Island, a showcase with Namesayers, Sea Moya, Moving Panoramas, and Walker Lukens, starting at 6 p.m. at Spokesman Coffee, 440 E. St. Elmo Rd.
- The Windsor Park Spring Music Series at Knomad, 1213 Corona Dr., includes sets by Sabbath Crow, Suspirians and more.
Caramelo HazeTime for the next heaping batch of AMM South-By selections for Tuesday, March 14. It ain’t right to feel this tired, it’s only Tuesday:
- The DAWA Fund presents the Vision 8291: UNITY showcase at Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheatre, with J Soulja, Urban Heat, Caramelo Haze (featured on today’s AMM), Eimaral Sol, The Tiarras, and CP Loony. The music starts at 7:45 p.m.
- Howdy Gals and Happen Twice present Eastside Bockparty at Long Play Lounge East and High Noon on E. Cesar Chavez, featuring UK artist Alien Tango, Winona, MN outfit Sleeping Jesus, Shooks and more.
- An official SXSW showcase tonight at Chess Club, 617 Red River with garage post-punk band from The Netherlands Iguana Death Cult, Brooklyn noise rockers Venus Twins, and Narrow Haunts.
- An additional short list of badass notables performing tonight – The Ophelias at Central Presbyterian Church; Fennec at Cuatro Gato; Moon Panda at Half Step; the phenomenal RVG at Empire Control Room; Chetumal, MX artist Immasoul at the Parish; The Lemon Twigs at Cheer Up Charlie’s; and Bartees Strange at The Belmont.
And don’t forget: KUTX Live at Scholz Garten kicks off tomorrow morning with KUTX Artist of the Month Jane Leo at 7 a.m. No, that’s not too early. Just don’t sleep tonight, then cruise into Scholz with rock ‘n’ roll bedhead. No prob.
Holy WireAll right. We’re doing this. Here’s an AMM list of SXSW picks for Monday night, including official showcases and the cool stuff off the beaten path. Whaddya mean, you’re tired? It’s only Monday. Drink some water and get going:
- The SXSW Music Tech Mashup continues tonight at Empire Control Room on E. 7th St., with The Black Angels, Sir Woman, Pearl Z, David Shabani, Jaron Marshall and more.
- Cardiff punk outfit Panic Shack plays the British Music Embassy showcase at The Courtyard, 208 W. 4th St.
- The gargantuan Spring Break Boogie Kickoff continues at Hotel Vegas and The Volstead on E. 6th St. with A Giant Dog, Pleasure Venom, Annabelle Chairlegs, BONDBREAKR, Why Bonnie, Chucky BLK, Hey Cowboy!, Holy Wire (featured on today’s AMM) and many more.
- Indefinable and badass, Philadelphia-based artist Andrea Valle performs tonight at Sellers Underground, 213 W. 4th St.
- An instant AMM fave, Montréal, Québec band Le Couleur plays the M for Montreal and Investissement Québec showcase at Swan Dive on Red River.
- The official HTX Music Monday showcase features DJ Hella Yella, Ndebele R&B artist Le Mpendulo, San Antonio-based artist Jay Amari and more at Vaquero Taquero, 603 Sabine St.
- It’s a late night set for DAIISTAR at an official SXSW showcase at The 13th Floor, 711 Red River.
- The No Sleep No Hunger showcase at Hole In the Wall on Guadalupe includes Rae Isla, Bowling Green, KY band The Josephines, King Youngblood (featuring Zach Person), Exotic Fruit, Holy Wire pulling double duty tonight, and many more. Doors at 7 p.m.
SkatelandHonestly, it’s a series of lists, isn’t it? That’s because there’s so much going on in the next few days that it’s IMPOSSIBLE for the Austin Music Minute to focus on just one show. The AMM presents another handful of selections to kick off SXSW this weekend, including official showcases and those shows off the beaten path. Let’s go, Beauford:
- The Pietschhouse New Bloom showcase continues tonight at Planet K, 1516 S. Lamar, with KUTX February Artist of the Month Skateland (featured on today’s AMM), Jonny Jukebox, DLG, AMM fave Chief Cleopatra, and Juice. Doors at 4 p.m.
- Kerrville Folk Fest presents a day show at Radio Coffee and Beer, 4204 Menchaca Rd., with performances by Good Looks, Ley Line, Brennen Leigh, and Georgia Parker. Doors at 3 p.m.
- For Spite presents SXLatinx unofficial showcase with Los Alcos, Alex Y Los Cósmicos, El Combo Oscuro, Ritmo Cascabel, and Miguel St. Michael. Music starts at 7 p.m.
- Free Zone East presents an unofficial SXSW In the Backyard showcase, 3304 Thompson St. featuring AMM faves Large Brush Collection and Creekbed Carter Hogan, Miss Miranda, Will K, Turtle Pond, Baltimore-based artist Cal Folger Day, and E. Artifact. Music from 2:30 p.m. today ’til sunset.
- SXSatellite 2023 takes over The Parlor, 4301 Guadalupe St., with Stella and The Very Messed, Magnet School, The Wheel Workers, Parker Woodland, Jay Satellite, Houston-based band Cool Moon, Roominghouse Madigrals, and Gospel and The Wolf. Music starts at 2 p.m.
- Resound Weekender, For the Record vendor market at Mohawk, 912 Red River, starts at 1 p.m. and features assorted mind-bendingly wonderful sonic adventures with Thor Harris’ Ambient Exploration with Bird Peterson.
- More shows tonight include Sailor Poon at Hole In the Wall, with The Pinky Rings and Choux Choux; and Amplified Heat at The 13th Floor, 711 Red River.
SusuThey’re baaack.
KUTX and the Austin Music Minute are here to guide you through the mighty beast known as SXSW with official showcase selections and shows off the beaten path. It can be a little overwhelming. Here’s a short list of just a few shows happening tonight. Buckle up:
- Feels So Good Records presents a show with AMM-featured NYC-based duo SUSU (“Slow Death” is the track on today’s AMM), and Austin bands The Ghost Wolves and The Shanks at the FSG HQ, 211 E. Alpine Rd. Doors at 6 p.m.
- Make your way over to Do512’s The Smoke Show at Hotel Vegas to see The Octopus Project, Me Nd Adam, Being Dead, Flyer Club and Foxtales, along with a surprise guest. The music starts at 7 p.m.
- A badass line-up at Kick Butt Coffee, 5775 Airport Blvd., featuring The Dead Houseplants, Shivering Demons, Naga Brujo, Straight Stitch, Spit City, Shared Walls, and more. Doors at 5:30 p.m.
- For Spite Creative presents For Spite’s Sake, an unofficial showcase at The Far Lounge and Stage, including Billy King and The Bad Bad Bad, The Boleys, The Deadcoats, and Daymares. Doors at 7 p.m.
- KUTX January 2023 Artist of the Month Je’Texas plays a show at Valhalla, 710 Red River, with Holy Death Trio and The Point. Doors at 8 p.m.
Chris Lopez of Lizzie Page.“when my eyes are in my lids / i dream of hell,” intones Chris Lopez from the warped and warbled beginnings of “Hell Rises.” The single is from Lopez’s multi-layered project Lizzie Page, an experimental sonic incarnation described by Lopez as “queer, Chicano, bipolar music.” Lizzie Page’s discography includes solo albums and Lopez’s collaborations with Rip Levesque, Marcos Rocha and Abraham Rodriguez.
Check out Lizzie Page tonight, Thursday March 9, at Hole In the Wall with multi-genre artist Fillet, bedroom/dark pop artist and AMM fave Vonne, and self-described pop-punk princess Raine Mara. Doors at 8 p.m., with the show starting at 9 p.m.
Add this to your International Women’s Day soundtrack ASAP. Actually, add it to any soundtrack that reminds you that you’re a badass. Austin-based R&B dynamo Alesia Lani clarifies the situation with “Breaking Me Down,” a rock ‘n’ soul firebomb releasing the exasperation from going round in circles. Our protagonist is done with the cut-downs, the insecurity and all the bull. And on the latest single, Lani joins forces with forces with renown guitarist/songwriter Jackie Venson for extra shreds and volume, more fire to the fierceness. Spoiler alert: Lani will not be broken.
Join Alesia Lani for her residency performance tonight, Wednesday March 8, at Long Play Lounge East on E. Cesar Chavez. The music starts at 9 p.m.
Jackie Venson
At a time when it feels as though slowing down is next to impossible, The Band of Heathens forges through all the doomscrolling with a deep appreciation for the Simple Things.
Their new album, out March 17, includes recent single releases “Stormy Weather,” “Heartless Year” and today’s AMM featured track “Don’t Let the Darkness,” each connected by the common thread of resilience in the midst of challenging times – the word “challenging” being an understatement, of course.
The Band of Heathens have a couple more hometown shows at C-Boy’s Heart and Soul before heading out on tour toward the end of this month. Check them out tomorrow night, Wednesday March 8 at C-Boy’s at 10 p.m., followed by songwriter Caroline Hale at midnight. If you’re around earlier for happy hour, don’t miss The Moeller Brothers at 6:30 p.m.
Justin Boyd. Photography: Steve Bennett.Your Austin Music Minute maven has returned from her two-week hiatus, which included an extremely brief but brilliant Nashville trip to see Lord Friday the 13th at The Blue Room at Third Man Records, and providing a literal weep fest at this year’s Austin Chronicle Austin Music Awards, so much so that every tree, plant or drainage hole along Red River got watered. And just before the madness of SXSW descends upon us, the AMM is here to remind you that there’s live music in Austin all year round.
Today’s AMM features the latest installment of Me Mer Mo Monday, a showcase spotlighting experimental music and artists creating unique soundscapes. This evening’s show includes the enigmatic electronic textural sculpting of FllAPS; the Hindustani synth-acoustic arrangements of Plume Girl; and extraordinary San Antonio-based sound artist Justin Boyd. Experience Me Mer Mo Monday tonight, Monday March 6, at Dada Lab, 2824 Real St., starting at 7 p.m.
Photography by Ann Alva Wieding for Space ATX.Your AMM host’s first introduction to Hilary York, self-described “’70s singer/songwriter stuck in the present,” was with York’s 2006 romantic full-length debut The Moon, in particular the intimate sway of “Out of Sight” and the awe and wonderment in “Any Sweeter” (“…Something like that day / It’s the same light today”). Originally from Houston, York spent time overseas with her musical family as a child, but it was her move to Austin when she first picked up the guitar. She’s been playing shows in the Live Music Capital and points beyond, including NYC and Spain, since 2000.
Today’s featured AMM track “Over the Line” is from the 2021 full-length release 3, produced by The Greyhounds and featuring contributions by a huge local all-star artist list, from Gian Ortiz (Je’Texas) and Mike St. Clair (Pocket Sounds), to Lauren Gurgiolo and Nick Yaklin. And this month, York has a Monday night residency at The 13th Floor, 711 Red River. Catch the show tonight, Monday Feb. 20, starting at 9 p.m.
Photography: Renée Parkhurst.Exciting times for trash-glam punk outfit Lord Friday the 13th, starting with this week’s release of their new EP, Disaster Piece – most of which was recorded in early 2020, pre-pandemic (and now available on cassette via Feels So Good Records, FYI). A dazzling, TMZ-styled new video for today’s AMM featured track “Larger Than Life” will be out soon, filmed in Hollywood and complete with maddening, in-your-face paparazzi. And coming up, a much-anticipated performance at The Blue Room at Third Man Records in Nashville on Thursday Feb. 23 (road trip, anyone?), opening for their friend Alan Sparhawk‘s (Low) new musical project DERECHO, along with otherworldly Nashville glam artist Gyasi.
Before they hit the road, catch Lord Friday tonight, Saturday Feb. 18 at the new Blue Palace, an independent live music and productions space, 802 Prince Valiant Dr. They’re on the bill with Motel Kicks and Public Age. Doors at 7 p.m.
Poster art by Billie Buck.
Honey MadeA band that can hold its own alongside the likes of the great Lee Fields or the legendary George Clinton & the Parliament Funkadelic has got to be a band worth checking out. The time is now. Treat your self to a night with Austin-based R&B/funk/soul outfit Honey Made, playing tonight, Friday Feb. 17 at Skylark Lounge, 2039 Airport Blvd. The music kicks off at 9 p.m., but you should get there early for happy hour to catch a set by Brannen Temple and The 19th Street All-Stars, starting at 6 p.m.
Brannen Temple
Not to brag, but…we gotta brag. We know how to throw a party. The KUTX 10th Birthday Concert Series delivers another badass show this week, with dark synth-pop duo Night Drive, darkwave/post-punk outfit Urban Heat, and eletro-pop project Holy Wire. See them all tonight, Thursday Feb. 16 at The Parish, 501 Brushy St. Doors at 7:30 p.m. See you there!
Haunt MePerfect. The sun just went down.
Your AMM host first got word of Austin-based darkwave/goth duo Haunt Me when they played an event presented by The Glass Coffin – a favorite haunt, if you’ll pardon the expression. And with the acquisition of their album This Sadness Never Ends, the AMM made all the dark connections to this prolonged gaping into the romantic abyss. What is love without the pain? “Our Ghosts,” “Nothing Lasts” and HM fan fave “Dancing In the Dark” (an original piece, not the Springsteen ode, although can you imagine…?!) are absolute necessities for your darkest soundtracks.
Don’t Fall Asleep is the latest morbid gem for your collection – perhaps not for the faint of spirit, but undoubtedly a delectable six-track collection of instant classics for one’s gothic soul to feed upon. Don’t miss out on Haunt Me’s performance tonight, Wednesday Feb. 15, at Mohawk on Red River. The line-up reigns in darkness with Dallas-based duo NITE, and Austin bands Dragon Rapid and Nemion. Inside stage, doors at 8 p.m.
HickoidsWhether you’re floating on air with hearts in your eyes, meticulously assembling an anti-Valentine’s Day playlist, or you’re your own Valentine, the Austin Music Minute offers a few show picks to fit the vibe. Show some love for these local artists tonight:
- A Valentine’s Showcase with Star Parks, Sun June & friends, and Hey Cowboy! at The Volstead on E. 6th, starting at 8:30 p.m.
- Austin cowpunks and AMM sweethearts Hickoids & The Cuntry Killers (featured on today’s AMM doing a heart-slaughtering rendition of “Burning Love”) play the You Give Love A Bad Name VD Dance, 8 p.m. at The Lost Well on Webberville Rd.
- Do you love pasghetti and meatbulbs? Sure, we all do. Join the fam for Pelvis Wrestley‘s Spaghetti Dinner at Hole In the Wall, featuring Sabrina Ellis, Redbud and Little Mazarn. Doors 8 p.m. Food is the love language; carbs, the romance.
- For Spite Presents: Singles Only at The Far Out Lounge and Stage, with sets by Exotic Fruits, Die Mart, The Blowies (featured on today’s KUTX Song of the Day) and Kiki Machine, Doors at 6 p.m.
- A Valentine’s Day Rock Show at Kickbutt Coffee on Airport Blvd., starring Danny B. Harvey & Casino Frap, Dogs and Diamonds, Trashy Annie, and The Genders. Doors at 7 p.m.
Photography: JXN ART.It’s a natural fit. Individually, Stephanie Hunt (Buffalo Hunt) and Jazz Mills are phenomenal artists in their own right, with vocals surpassing expectations. Together, though…something distinctive emerges. A simple Hunt/Mills harmony is a magical vibration.
Both singers have been collaborators for over a decade. Among other projects, they’ve performed as part of the Popecoke collective, a fantastical melding of art, fashion and pop culture experiences as inspiration for their narrative.
Interestingly, it’s not often the two get to perform together, which is what makes this evening so special. Buffalo Hunt and Jazz Mills perform tonight, Monday Feb. 13 (or, as they recently described it, Valentine’s Eve), at Arlo Grey at The Line Hotel. It’s a benefit to show some love for local nonprofit Free Lunch, founded by Mills and Carrie Fussell (Calliope Musicals) to reduce food insecurity in Austin. Doors at 8 p.m.
Take a moment to drop whatever you’re doing and check out the recent Studio 1A performance by Jane Leo. Music Editor Jeff McCord sat in for the session and recently did an interview with the dynamic duo, featuring singer/songwriter Jane Ellen Bryant and Daniel Leopold of Leopold and His Fiction. It’s a trip to learn that Bryant and Leopold had no intention of starting a band; this was only supposed to be a one-off recording project. And now there’s a debut LP release this Friday.
Rave reviews are in for Jane Leo’s February residency at Hotel Vegas, which continues tomorrow night, Sunday Feb.12. The bill includes Tele Novella (surely you’ve heard your AMM host rave over Merlynn Bell – in particular, the track “Never”) , and yet another dynamic duo, Carruthers and Rousch, featuring songwriter Mia Carruthers and Curtis Rousch (Bright Light Social Hour). Doors at 9 p.m. That’s when your Sunday fun day actually starts.
Photography by J. Rabin.Make space for this dynamic duo – and get the bubbles out.
Let’s start with Jake Lloyd, resident badass who’s not just about the pivot; Lloyd beautifully mixes, masters, respects and loves many musical genres, and is a natural at combining them. Then there’s Deezie Brown, fellow badass, lyrical poet, and master producer with an ear for minute detail, perfection to the point of distraction. Both are standouts in hip-hop/rap artistry reaching beyond Austin. Both tell damn great stories. And when Lloyd and Brown combine their super powers, they become the experience known as Geto Gala.
Time to bring out the bottles as Geto Gala grants your “Champagne Wishes.” In a continuing series of incredible live performances presented by Firehouse Lounge, 605 Brazos St., Geto Gala returns there for a show at 9 p.m tomorrow night, Saturday Feb.11. Cheers and salud, GG crew.
Make way for the Em El Vee. Matthew Logan Vasquez is taking on his first national tour since 2019 and the release of Light’n Up, an ode to his home state of Texas recorded at his then-residence in Norway. Now back in Wimberley with the fam, Vasquez is gearing up for the new show dates in support of his follow-up LP out April 7 – and keep in mind there’s a new single out this Friday.
First, the upcoming tour includes a February residency at C-Boy’s Heart and Soul, 2008 S. Congress Ave. MLV performs with his band each Thursday night this month, including tonight, Thursday Feb. 9, starting at 10 p.m. Songwriter Jesse Woods’ new project Chaparral has a set at 11:45 p.m.
Each week features Vasquez exploring different musical genres, and this time it’s on the slightly softer, more folky side. Apparently, last week’s show got pretty loud, so Vasquez says it’ll be a bit quieter this evening.
Maybe.
Photography by David McClister.The rustling and murmurs started with the tales unveiled on the artist-formerly-known-as Rod Melancon‘s full-length debut Parish Lines (2014), almost like ghosts of past and present from the Austin transplant’s childhood home of Vermilion Parrish. It was only the beginning of the burgeoning storyteller’s powerful homage to the Bayou State – and, in no uncertain terms, whatever he could clearly live without. His creative metamorphosis continued on through the darkest corners of Southern Gothic (2017), on to the 2019 critically-lauded Pinkville and 2021’s For Louisiana – simultaneously a love letter to home, and an unfiltered condemnation of the systemic injustice that plagues it.
Now the untamed gator is on the loose with a new name – and a recommitment to the evocative, badass delivery that brings his music to life in a bath of fire. (Re)Introducing Rod Gator, and his newest single “Born In the Octagon”(featured on today’s AMM), another firebreather built on grit, and pulsing with an early Black Sabbath metal beat while guitars wreak havoc. Gator’s celebrating the new music with a single release show tonight, Wednesday Feb. 8, at Hotel Vegas on E. 6th. The line-up features a set by the Otis Wilkins Trio, another iteration of Taylor Wilkins’ band; Colton Cerny & The Hog Leg Band, and Ol’ Saint Walt. Doors at 9 p.m.
People the world over recognize this kind of talent. Beth Chrisman has captivated audiences on stages everywhere, from performances on Mountain Stage and A Prairie Home Companion, to the International Bluegrass Music Association, and many new fans in Angers, France and Toronto as an artist with Project ATX6. Bluegrass Situation writer Devon Leger sums it up perfectly: “…Beth Chrisman is a firebrand, and one hell of a performer!”
Born in Kentucky, and raised in Fairbanks, AK, Chrisman found her community in the music she grew up with. Since arriving in Austin in 2006, being a natural talent and a multi-faceted artist, she easily connected with several local musicians of many genres to perform and collaborate with. Whether playing with The Carper Family, High Plains Jamboree or her honky-tonk solo project Missy Beth and the Morning Afters, Chrisman is always a standout talent, mastering the fiddle, banjo, and breathtaking harmonies.
You have the chance to see and hear for yourself when Beth Chrisman plays tonight, Tuesday Feb. 7, at Sagebrush, sharing a bill with fiddler extraordinaire Sparkle-Grass. The music starts at 8 p.m.
Photography by Mike Manewitz.This one’s for you, pardner, from the depths of your country-fried soul to the soles of those badass chartreuse cowboy boots. Embracing “glam senselessness and country sensibility,” Pelvis Wrestley holds the sounds of classic country to heart, while ushering in a new era in which songwriter/vocalist Benjamin Violet shapes a distinctive western-infused baroque pop with a queer Americana aesthetic. Pelvis Wrestley’s debut LP Vortex Vorever is Violet’s love letter to the journey…along the highway, across the stretch of plains, the music always calling.
Pelvis Wrestley kicks off a musical residency tomorrow night, Tuesday Feb. 7, at Hole In the Wall. This week’s stellar line-up includes a set by Emily Whetstone (Harry and Emmy, Van Mary), music artist Román‘s folk punk project Specific Thing, and power trio Hong Kong Wigs. Doors at 8 p.m.
Sure, you can credit the ‘shrooms for Margo Price‘s most inspired songwriting moments on her latest LP Strays, if you like. Price and husband Jeremy Ivey wrote the new album while trippin’ during a trip in South Carolina, the ideas flowing like waterfalls after a torrential downpour.
But this songwriting marks the arrival of a different energy from Price, as someone sagely observing life’s upheavals and changes from an enlightened P.O.V., thanks to personal experience and an empathetic soul. It’s also incredible to hear Price’s band, the same band that’s been with her since before Midwest Farmer’s Daughter (2016, via Third Man Records), expanding upon a sound they built together, as Price collaborates with Sharon Van Etten, Lucius, and guitarist Mike Campbell (The Heartbreakers) to push her creativity further. She puts it this way: “You get stuck in the same patterns of thinking, the same loops of addiction. But there comes a point where you just have to say, ‘I’m going to be here, I’m going to enjoy it, and I’m not going to put so much stock into checking the boxes for everyone else.’ I feel more mature in the way that I write now, I’m on more than just a search for large crowds and accolades. I’m trying to find what my soul needs.”
As part of KUTX’s 10th Birthday Concert series, KUTX presents Margo Price tonight, Friday Feb. 3, now at Emo’s, 2015 E. Riverside Dr. Doors at 8 p.m., with Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country opening the show.
Photography by Meghan Baas.Love Austin Music Month may be wrapping up this week, but KUTX shows the love for Austin artists all year round. And today, AMM kudos go to dream folk outfit Half Dream. Recently announced as an official SXSW artist for 2023, Half Dream also has a new album on the way, with a new music video for “Too Much” (featured on today’s AMM), and they just added two new members to their line-up. An excellent start to the year!
Bundle up and check out Half Dream at their (indoor) show tonight, Monday Jan. 30, at Hole In the Wall for On A Monday: Nicely Done Co-Op Presents, with New Braunfels artist Con Davison‘s musical project Alabama Deathwalk, and soundtrack to your dream state Daybed. Doors at 8 p.m.
Time for the shreds. Turn it up. Doom it up. Sludge it up. Make it heavy.
KUTX Artist of the Month alum, longtime AMM fave and embodiment of heaviosity (that should be a word) The Well is today’s featured badass band, as we cruise into the remaining days of Love Austin Music Month. The trio recently announced some tour dates with Swedish doom metal crew Firebreather for March and April. But first, they’ve got a show coming up tonight, Saturday Jan. 28, at Swan Dive, 615 Red River. The bill includes psych-rock outfit WEAVR, post-punk/bass heavy fiends Exotic Fruits, and Houston pop-punk band Forget-Me-Nots. Doors at 9 p.m.
It’s gonna get loud. Deal with it.
Photo: iq3 photography.For the AMM, it started with the self-titled 2018 release by Pleasure Venom. Kick it off with opener “Hive” at earsplitting volume (though “I Can’t Find My Black Lipstick” is essential GRWM music). It’s a peek into the beginnings of a garage band too big for the damn garage. They were bursting at the seams. This nitro-fueled femme-fronted punk onslaught would explode its way into opening spots for artists like Garbage (not to mention praises from Shirley Manson herself on social media) and Against Me!, and an ACL Fest debut.
It’s just the beginning. As part of KUTX’s celebration of Love Austin Music Month, the AMM shines the spotlight on Pleasure Venom’s fearless full-length debut Rebirth/Return, produced by longtime friend, fan and collaborator Elliott Frazier (Ringo Deathstarr), and featuring a cover art portrait of songwriter/vocalist Audrey Campbell by ascending art star Dawn Okoro. This chapter of the journey opens the floodgates to a lyrical and rhythmic ferocity with renewed energy, and something more introspective.
Time to experience this live. Following their recent interview/performance for The Drop music series at Waterloo Records, Pleasure Venom does their big album release show tonight, Friday Jan. 27, at Hotel Vegas on E. 6th. And it’s totally family night with AMM faves Otis the Destroyer and BÖNDBREAKR on the bill. Doors at 9:30 p.m. Check your pulse at the door. Goin’ through the roof on this one.
This is guaranteed LIT. The crowd will be jumping. It’s not a prediction, just something you need to know about live shows with Trouble In the Streets. Songwriter/vocalist Nnedi Agbaroji leads the way through a barrage of colossal electro/hip-hop/rap mastery, and this time, the band brings new music that Kevin Curtin aptly describes as “volcanic.”
The single “Can I Breathe” is from Trouble In the Streets’ forthcoming debut LP on Spaceflight Records. Get in on the single (and video) release show tomorrow night, Friday Jan. 27, at Empire Control Room on E. 7th The line-up includes the funkified Viben and The Submersibles and wall-to-wall bass with Casual T. Doors at 7:30 p.m. Get ready.
Kelsey Wilson of Sir WomanIt’s a kind of ’70s soul vibe that draws you in to Sir Woman. Singer Kelsey Wilson has the smooth vocal delivery that owns that sensuality. The multi-Austin Music Award winning band redefines love songs with extra heat on their full-length R&B-fueled debut Party City, with backing vocalists Spice and Roy Jr. as the perfect pairing to Wilson’s dynamic versatility.
Today’s Love Austin Music Month edition of the AMM recommends Sir Woman’s residency at The Continental Club, 1315 S. Congress Ave. Their show tomorrow night, Thursday Jan. 26, includes a set by soul rockers Motenko and guitarist/vocalist Cat Clemons, starting out the night at 10 p.m. To describe the night as explosive doesn’t even begin to cover it.
Motenko & Cat Clemons
Nine-year-old Javon lives the 7th Ward of New Orleans, and looks up to his older brother. He wants to play trumpet in marching band someday, following his brother’s footsteps, but the realities of Javon’s environment are closing in. Is there even a moment for him to enjoy his childhood, let alone follow his dream?
The story is told by Megan Trufant Tillman – known to Magna Carda fans as Megz Kelli – making her cinematic writing and directorial debut with little trumpet. The multi-talented artist ran with a very specific vision for her short film. “The day I started to write little trumpet, there was just a single image in my mind: A little Black boy huffing and blowing an invisible trumpet on the sidewalk of his 7th Ward street. Pretending and dreaming,” Tillman explains. “I didn’t know what the story was – until I started to recognize it as my own, these reimagined fragments of my childhood.”
The film crew shot many of the scenes just two blocks away from Abundance St., where Tillman was raised – and one block over from where her parents grew up. “This story mirrored my time as a child there, losing childhood friends and close family to gun violence – perceiving it to be normal, becoming numb to it,” Tillman adds. “This was and still is the reality of so many kids I grew up with in New Orleans, stomaching and wrestling with loss and violence, hopes and aspirations. Balancing dreams and survival on their two hands.
In addition to several screenings at festivals like Sound Unseen (2022), Black Femme Supremacy Film Festival (2022), and the Lone Star Film Festival (2022), the short also received the Audience and Jury Awards from the New Orleans Film Festival (2022), and Best Cinematography for a Narrative Short from the Tacoma Film Festival (2022). But with all these accolades, it’s time to talk about the film’s soundtrack – an avant-jazz-meets-soul original score co-composed and co-produced by Magna Carda and BLK ODYSSY, featuring a number of outstanding guest artists and musicians from Austin and across the South. And without a doubt, the music is also a character within the story, from the pulse of NOLA’s streets to the way music shapes the life and mind of young Javon.
In addition to premiering the track “Awakening” on your AMM host’s afternoon show on KUTX 98.9, you can join Magna Carda and singer/songwriter/dance artist Grace Sorensen for a live little trumpet soundtrack premiere this Thursday night, Jan. 26, at Firehouse Lounge. Doors at 9 p.m., and surprise guests will be joining the party.
As we enter the remaining days of Love Austin Music Month, KUTX is here to remind you: The key is to show love for our local artists all year round, from buying artists’ music and going to shows, to supporting local nonprofits who support our artists, like the Austin Music Foundation. KUTX lists several ways to celebrate (and continue celebrating) right here.
Today’s AMM spotlight falls on an artist who’s been in love with music since she was just a kid listening to her family’s records. Raised in Roanoke, TX, Bear Ryan had been feeding her old soul with classic rock and the blues greats by the time she arrived in Austin in 1995. That musical love affair grew even stronger with exposure to all the music venues like The Continental Club, Threadgill’s, TC’s and Joe’s Generic Bar, and with all the inspired moments as vocalist and drummer with her band Red on Yellow.
Flying solo these days, Ryan builds with a style that’s raw and unpolished, which you get a feel for on her new track “Irene” (featured on today’s AMM). See the the new video for it below, and catch Bear Ryan at her show at 10 p.m. tomorrow night, Tuesday Jan. 24, at The Saxon Pub on S. Lamar.
El TuleNo excuses needed for making any night a cumbia night, querida, but it’s awesome to see Hotel Vegas Cumbia Night making a fabulous return tonight, Saturday Jan. 21 at Hotel Vegas for your dancing pleasure. ¡Y no olvides la musica!
Starting out the night is Cumbia Austin, providing a free dance lesson to get your energy levels pumping at 9:30 p.m. Then the all-womxn Selena tribute band Las Chicas En 512 kicks off the live music at 10 p.m., followed by Cumbia Night fave El Tule (featured on today’s AMM) at 11 p.m., and sensational San Antonio indie orquesta Latina Volcán performs at midnight. To keep the dancing going, badass DJ Manolo Black spins between sets and closes out the night. Fantástico.
Volcán
Sabrina Ellis of A Giant Dog. Photo: Vicious V Photography.You don’t know until you’ve experienced it live. That should very well be one of the mantras of Love Austin Music Month, the citywide celebration of Austin’s music and the incredible artists who create it. And the live performances in our city alone are tremendous.You can post on Instagram all you like, but being there is what creates the legendary stories that fans feast upon for years to come.
Case. In. Point. —> Ever seen A Giant Dog play? It’s a visceral power that can be felt even if you’re watching from the back of the venue. It’s a headrush and a heart race. It’s a euphoric panic attack. It’s being struck by lightning twice – while gunning for a third. This weekend, you’ll be treated to two glorious nights of A Giant Dog madness: Tonight, Friday Jan. 20 and tomorrow, Saturday Jan. 21, at Chess Club, the cozy spot at 617 Red River that may barely contain all of this energy, but it’ll hurt so good.
Tonight’s soirée includes sets by Blue Jean Queen and Geranium Drive. Tomorrow, Nevil, TV’s Daniel and HOT /// CAKES are on the bill. Doors at 8:30 p.m. both nights. It’s like the AMM booked these shows. Brace yourself.
Dave Tejas of Krum Bums.Did you hear the Austin Music Minute today? Actually hear it, not just read about it here. You can play it below. Maybe you heard it on the radio this morning – and got the jolt of your life, like, “What the hell are you doing, Gallardo?!” Or maybe you were telling yourself, “Hey! It’s about damn time!”
It’s Love Austin Music Month, presented by the City of Austin Music and Entertainment Division in collaboration with KUTX 98.9, a celebration of music artists across all genres that have played a role in our city’s musical history. Whether you’ve got hardcore coursing through your veins or not is not the point. If you know anything about the local music scene, you’ll know why today’s AMM featured band Krum Bums is an essential part of this story. Things started brewing for the crew around 2000, with founding members Dave Tejas and Trae Dog inspired by a Principal Skinner quote on The Simpsons for the band name (so much for Mother Skinner not looking out the window…). Ever since releasing their self-titled debut in 2003, probably even before that, they’ve been doing live shows that have rightly earned legendary status in the annals of ATX punkdom and beyond.
As Greg Beets once wrote in the Austin Chronicle, “Like a glass of vodka flung into your eyeballs, the Krum Bums’ take on punk rock burns.” Through all the chaos, changes in line-up and the city’s skyline, there’s been no signs of slowing down. The fans are lifers.
Want proof? Celebrate more than 20 years of Krum Bums at their show tonight, Thursday Jan. 19, at Mohawk on the outside stage. Doors at 7 p.m. Get your blood pumping with Peace Decay, Liberty & Justice and Nerve beforehand. Oh, and drink the vodka. It’s not for your eyeballs.
Aaron Winston of Russel Taine Jr.“Once upon a time I played a guitar in my bedroom. Now I play in the living room, too.”
In our continued celebrations of Love Austin Music Month, the AMM points a glaring spotlight at ATX-based songwriter/vocalist/guitarist Aaron Winston‘s pop-powered anti-folk project Russel Taine Jr. Not a person, but a band, though it did start as a solo endeavor. Now bringing along bassist Justin Winslow, drummer Wes Armstrong and lead guitarist/vocalist Dylan Hill for the journey, Winston amps up the vibe with a full-length debut, Tales, including previously released singles “Something You Said,” “Hurricane,” “Blue Jean Baby” and “Year and a Moon,” along with today’s AMM featured track “You Like.”
Catch Russel Taine Jr. at their tomorrow night, Thursday Jan. 19, at Swan Dive, 615 Red River. The bill includes sets by Kind Keith, Los Cósmicos, and Twisted June. Doors at 9 p.m.
Rachel Rascoe and Chad Doriocourt of Dorio.Today’s AMM featured track feels so airy, smooth and bass ‘n’ synth disco-danceable that it almost leaves one flabbergasted to hear – oh so sweetly – that one wasn’t invited to the party.
Inspired by a less than desirable neighbor interaction, “Light Me Up High” is just a sampling of the latest sparkling orchestral pop arrangements by Austin-based artist Dorio (Chad Doriocourt‘s songwriting project with collaborator Rachel Rascoe). The song (and new music video), out Thursday, is on Dorio’s forthcoming LP, Strawberry Dream, set for release April 29 via Earth Libraries and Citrus City Records. And, as part of KUTX’s Love Austin Music Month celebration, the AMM is spotlighting a release show – but make it a double – this week at Chess Club.
Dorio’s single and video release is perfectly tied in with new music by Austin-based dream folk artist Tearjerk (singer, songwriter, guitarist Vanessa Jollay) and the single “Show You,” an awesome folk pop-rocker of a pained soul feeling defeated by the struggle to reveal whatever’s inside. Catch this double release show Thursday night, Jan. 19, at Chess Club on Red River. It’s a bill made even more outstanding with a set by San Gabriel. Doors at 9 p.m.
KUTX is celebrating Love Austin Music Month alongside several Austin artists celebrating new music releases. And a big one coming up is the full-length debut of the KUTX January Artist of the Month, Je’Texas.
Make plans to join Je’Texas for their album release show this Friday, Jan. 20, at Sagebrush, but you can also hang with Dylan Bishop, Gian Ortiz and Damien Llanes at a special listening party tomorrow, Tuesday Jan. 17, at Antone’s Record Shop, 2928 Guadalupe. The party kicks off at 6 p.m., and it’s a free event.
The KUTX Artist of the Month is powered by PNC Bank.
Jackie VensonIt’s another action-packed weekend, and one of many reasons why it’s important to support Austin music artists. Even when it’s not Free Week or Love Austin Music Month, these awesome shows are happening all year round. Today’s AMM gives you a little slice of a typical Saturday musical adventure in the ATX. Decisions, decisions…!
- Start the weekend off with a benefit show at Sagebrush, 5500 S. Congress Ave. WesFest supports the LoveWeston Scholarship at UT Austin, in honor of the late Weston Busing, benefitting cancer research. The huge line-up includes several AMM alum – Mayeux & Broussard, Kathryn Legendre, Robert Ellis, and Ben Ballinger, along with Juliet McConkey, Brody Price, Hobby Rancher, and the Sentimental Family Band. Doors open at 3 p.m.
- The Empress is here. Tameca Jones performs at C-Boy’s Heart and Soul, 2008 S. Congress Ave., with special guest Chief Cleopatra to kick off the night. The show starts at 10:30 p.m.
- From TikTok to the Twitterverse, musical and cultural giants are sitting up and taking notice. (Hey, thanks for catching up with us, gang.) R&B/soul artist and guitar maestro Jackie Venson continues her residency at Antone’s, with the spectacular punk/funk/hip-hop outfit We Don’t Rid Llamas on the bill. Doors at 7 p.m., and if you need to keep going after that, Hard Proof delivers a late night set at 11:30 p.m. Damn.
- Raise your (pint) glass to these Texas soul titans. Tomar and The FCs perform at Central Machine Works in East Austin, starting at 8 p.m.
- Sunday night: Don’t forget one of our KUTX Birthday Concert Series shows with Why Bonnie and Sun June at Antone’s. Doors at 7 p.m.
Caramelo HazeThis is how you celebrate a birthday: All the live music. Even better, the KUTX 10th Birthday Concert Series is in sweet alignment with Love Austin Music Month, providing endless opportunities to showcase many Austin artists. And this week brings a very lucky Friday the 13th, because Caramelo Haze is playing the party.
Definitely a KUTX favorite, Caramelo Haze crafts a soundscape pushing expectations to the wayside, with a combination of Central Mexican and Afro-Columbian sounds, Texas soul and psych-rooted Americana. This is your lucky night. Caramelo Haze plays a KUTX birthday show tonight at 3Ten at ACL Live. Doors at 7:30 p.m., and Austin cumbia-psych outfit El Combo Oscuro opens the show.
Sure, Voorhees can bring the mask if he wants, but he don’t need one to dance…
El Combo Oscuro
Ley LineIn honor of Love Austin Music Month, let’s talk about beautiful vocal harmonies for a second. Please, and thank you.
The world seems to pause when the four distinctive voices of Austin-based world folk quartet Ley Line resonate in harmonious union. Pick any song from the stunning We Saw Blue and you’ll be swept away on azure waves, like today’s AMM-featured track “Respiração.” And when you get to experience this magic at a live show…it’s breathtaking.
Speaking of magical, here’s your chance. Ley Line performs tonight, Thursday Jan. 12, at Antone’s. And tonight’s guest on the line-up is singer/songwriter and poetic priestess behind the debut LP Ambitions of Ambiguity, Buffalo Hunt. Doors at 7 p.m.
Stephanie Hunt of Buffalo Hunt.
Tony Kamel. Photography: Josh Abel.Perfect timing. This year, Love Austin Music Month coincides with KUTX’s 10th birthday, and we’re celebrating all year with the KUTX concert birthday series. One of those birthday shows is a residency at C-Boy’s Heart and Soul, starring multi-talented musician, singer and songwriter Tony Kamel (Wood and Wire).
New Year, Old Friends is a happy hour residency presented by KUTX and The Next Waltz at C-Boy’s, featuring Kamel backed by a full band with a special guest joining him each week. This time, it’s producer and founding member of The Greencards, Kym Warner. So basically, warriors at the strings. Watch those fingers fly.
Catch Kamel and Warner tomorrow night, Thursday Jan. 12, at C-Boy’s, 2008 S. Congress Ave., 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. The C-Boy’s residency continues through Feb. 2.
Black BooksSo much to love when it comes to Love Austin Music Month that one month is scarcely enough! But January has been designated by the City of Austin Music and Entertainment Division as a reminder to support Austin music artists all year round. And today the AMM spotlights an Austin five-piece making mesmerizing stadium-sized pop, Black Books. Several fans were ignited by the slow but gigantic burn of “Favorite Place,” the opener on the four-track EP Aquarena and soon the sonic gateway to their 2013 self-titled LP, each track deliberately constructed to resonate in tremendous spaces – physical or cerebral.
Their next LP Can’t Even (2017) was their last full-length release, followed by a handful of of singles in 2020, including today’s AMM featured track “Bad News,” recorded remotely by the band, and their 2021 cover of Radiohead’s “Morning Bell (Amnesiac Version).” More is on the way, and you can catch Black Books at their show tonight, Tuesday Jan. 10, at Hotel Vegas on E. 6th, with Deep Sleep and Tombus. Doors at 9 p.m.
Eve Monsees and Mike Buck.KUTX 98.9 has teamed up once again with the City of Austin Music and Entertainment Division to present Love Austin Music Month,. a celebration reminding all music lovers to support Austin musicians all year round. And you’ve got the AMM here to provide you with details about upcoming shows with local artists, of course! This includes a weekly musical residency of badasses at The Continental Club featuring two talented artists who also happen to be co-owners of Antone’s Record Shop, Eve Monsees and Mike Buck.
It makes sense that this meeting of the minds would click. Guitarist Monsees and drummer Buck both began playing their respective instruments at the ripe ol’ age of 12. Both got their start jamming/performing with greats like Gary Clark, Jr. and The Fabulous Thunderbirds, to name but a few. They founded their own band, Eve & The Exiles, in the early ‘oughts and made their official debut with the band’s self-titled release. And both play with a number of bands and artists, all while managing the shop. Truly Austin royalty.
Tonight, Monday Jan. 9, kick off the week with Texas roots rock courtesy of Monsees and Buck at The Continental Club, 1315 S. Congress Ave. It’s an early show that starts at 6:30 p.m. Stay up late for The Mellows at 10:30 p.m., and acoustic duo The Waymores at midnight.
Sailor Poon. Photography: JXN ART.No shortage of more amazing shows this weekend, thanks in part to Free Week 2023, presented by the Red River Cultural District. And KUTX is tying it in with the celebration of Love Austin Music Month, brought to you by the City of Austin Music and Entertainment Division. The only hard part of all this is choosing which show to go to tonight, dang it…
- The Tiarras, El Tule and Los Kurados at Flamingo Cantina.
- Bright Light Social Hour headlines a Free Week show at Empire Control Room, with Foxtales and The Selfless Lovers.
- Naga Brujo, Queen Jane, BONDBREAKR, and Hellfury play at Valhalla.
- Dallas-based Angel White is on the line-up with Chucky BLK and Uncommon People at Swan Dive.
- Mohawk hosts performances by Alexalone, The Stacks and Harry & Emmy on the indoor stage; Houston punks Sex Pill, and ATX bands Mugger and Save Our Children on the outside stage.
- Sailor Poon (“Pointy Boots” is featured on today’s AMM), Being Dead, LA-based artist Orvy and Transy Warhol at Chess Club.
- Caleb DeCasper, Hong Kong Wigs, Pelvis Wrestley, Haunt Me and Pearl Z take over Cheer Up Charlie’s.
- Annabelle Chairlegs, Queen Serene, Heavy Meddo and Chuck (Emily NoGood) at Hotel Vegas.
- The Well, Greenbeard and Lord Buffalo at The 13th Floor.
- Not a Free Week show, but if you’re in South Austin this afternoon, stop by Feels So Good Records, 211 E. Alpine Rd. for the Twice As Good Fest, with sets by Floats, Dewey Ivy, Kind Keith, Queen Serene and more. Doors at 2 p.m.*
- Also not a Free Week show, but a big family night for your AMM host – Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol, Bridge Farmers, Tia Carrera and Automatic Weekend play at Sagebrush*, 5500 S. Congress Ave.
DIE SPITZAs part of KUTX’s celebration of Love Austin Music Month, the AMM rounds up a few show picks for your perusal. It’s damn hard to choose just one, though, especially during Free Week 2023, brought to you by our colleagues at Red River Cultural District:
- A. Sinclair shares a Free Week bill with Semi Helix, Et Cetera, Shared Walls and Lunar Gold at The 13th Floor;
- Sunrose, Die Spitz (featured on today’s AMM) and STRVCK play the indoor stage at Stubb’s;
- Denver Latin-psych rockers Los Alcos at Valhalla, with Souls Extolled and Our Last Daze;
- And two Free Week shows at Mohawk – the AMM’s favorite nightmare-inducers Tear Dungeon, with longtime faves Big Bill and Megafauna on the outside stage; and Bad Markings, Exotic Fruits and Exercise on the inside stage.
A couple of badass non-Free Week shows of note: Tony Kamel kicks off his January residency at C-Boy’s Heart and Soul tonight; and Cactus Lee performs at Lolo, 1504 E. 6th, as part of the tribute to Dry Creek Café.
All of these awesome shows are tonight, Thursday Jan. 5. Go forth, and get thy face melted.
New StrangersYour AMM host gets greedy when things like Free Week and Love Austin Music Month are happening. So many shows to mention that the Music Minute would turn into a Music Hour(s). However, today’s AMM reins it in a bit to offer two picks for tonight, Wednesday Jan. 4:
- The Continental Club on S. Congress Ave. is home to a weekly residency featuring Jon Dee Graham, William Harries Graham, and Carrie Fussell of Calliope Musicals performing a magical solo set. Gems, one and all. The music starts at 9:30 p.m. If you’re there for happy hour, enjoy a set by Hot Club of Cowtown starting at 6:30 p.m.
- And there’s an excellent Free Week line-up at the Mohawk on Red River, with New Strangers (“Cold Shoulders” is one of today’s AMM-featured tracks), Luxury Television and Fun House. Inside stage, doors at 7 p.m.
Carrie Fussell. Photography: Kate Blaising.
Daydream TwinsYour AMM host is currently experiencing the very distinct feeling of AAH-IT’S-ALL-HAPPENING-NOW. That is to say, KUTX is starting out the year with a bang.
First, we’re kicking off celebrations for KUTX’s 10th birthday this year, with all kinds of live music events and birthday treats – for you! Secondly, the birthday shenanigans this month coincide with Love Austin Music Month, presented in conjunction with the City of Austin Music and Entertainment Division, celebrating all manner of Austin music. And third, it’s Free Week in the ATX, an annual event presented by the Red River Cultural District featuring free music shows at participating local venues.
It’s a lot. All the things are happening! And what better way for the AMM to highlight all three than to shine the spotlight on a Free Week show at Hotel Vegas?! Dig into this all-Austin line-up including I’d Really Like To See You Again, Daydream Twins (“Carpop” is featured on today’s AMM), Glasshealer, and experimental artist Fillet. It’s all tonight, Tuesday Jan. 3, at Hotel Vegas on E. 6th. Doors at 8 p.m.
What you need are some warm fuzzies. This could mean your cool-ass socks or sweaters, but Austin songwriter Ali Holder has some great music in mind. Tonight, all the feels will be felt at Ali Holder’s 1st Annual Holiday Revue at Sagebrush, 5500 S. Congress Ave.
The evening starts at 8 p.m. with a set by Ben Jones, followed by Holder and her band at 9 p.m., Graham Wilkinson at 10 p.m., KUTX April 2022 Artist of the Month Buffalo Hunt at 11 p.m., and capping off the night with Harvest Thieves at midnight. Holder will also be taking donations for care packages for those experiencing homelessness, including necessities, warm clothing and non perishables.
This totally counts as the Festivus for the rest of us. It’s the Revue to-do. Tell ’em the AMM sent you, Griswold.
The best music artists aren’t married to one genre. Lady Dan (a.k.a. Tyler Dozier) wouldn’t be able to stick to just one if she tried. Prior to making her 2019 debut with the EP Songs For the Soulless, Dozier had been listening to all kinds of music. “I just didn’t find my people,” Dozier says in regards to her musical exploration growing up in Dothan, AL. “I was listening to country, psych rock, bluegrass, punk, and old socialist folk.” Dozier eventually made her way to Texas to expand her horizons – and remove the toxicity that was stifling her life.
It made sense to just take in everything sonically and let it all intertwine in a natural evolution on her LP, I Am the Prophet. “I learned how to show my strength, my truth, my self through music,” Dozier explains. “This is my one place to be a bitch if I want to be a bitch. So many of these songs, at their core, are about me reclaiming ownership of myself.”
Don’t miss Lady Dan’s performance tonight, Wednesday Dec. 14, at Chess Club, 617 Red River. The bill includes Little Mazarn and folk pop band Homemade Bangs. Doors at 8 p.m.
There are “the before-times,” and…everything occurring after the pandemic started, often denoting significant change. So in this case, it’s shifting gears in songwriting. As mentioned earlier this month on KUTX’s Song of the Day, Nick Adamo had been poised to run with some major surf-rock vibes before everything abruptly shut down. Three years was plenty of time for Adamo to reassess and return with the superlative and orchestral “Lie To Me,” featuring an entire crew of AMM faves – vocalist Aubrey Hays, pedal steel player Zack Wiggs, and composer Charlie Magnone contributing with strings courtesy of the Austin Symphony Orchestra.
Don’t miss Nick Adamo tomorrow night, Wednesday Dec. 14, at The Saxon Pub, 1320 S. Lamar Blvd., starting at 10 p.m. Songwriter Walt Wilkins plays at 8 p.m., and the mayhem-causin’ sidemen The Drakes do an early set at 6 p.m.
Elise Cook is your narrator within the headspace of Silver Linings, the debut LP by Austin-based lo-fi outfit Bleach Burn. Though the tone is conversational, it’s delivered in a slightly hushed manner, adding to the mystique of its misty dream-pop haze. And there are dreams. There are unanswered questions. A desire is crackling beneath the surface, but fear grips so tightly. Our narrator will not acquiesce to the possibility of that pain…
“Where one might say absence makes the heart grow fonder / I ask, what about me?” Cook murmurs into the darkness on the AMM-featured track “Abscence.” But will the question be answered? “Don’t tell me I’m out of mind / Don’t tell me / Please / Am I out of your mind?”
Get the album, and get yourself out to Hotel Vegas to see Bleach Burn tonight, Monday Dec. 12. Doors at 9 p.m., and the music starts at 10 p.m. with Deep Sleep, followed by Body Pillow at 10:45 p.m. Bleach Burn goes on at 11:30 p.m.
Welcome to the quintessential celebratory band. They are not of this world. They’ll leave you breathless and spellbound. Look, if you know, you know. When it comes to celebrations, Golden Dawn Arkestra doesn’t skimp on extravagance and otherworldly glamour. Whether at a venue, a music festival, or Studio 1A, audiences of all kinds are swept off their feet with Sun Ra-inspired sound, movement and incandescent ritual.
The sensational intergalactic funk/soul outfit presents their annual Saturnalia event to the Paramount Theater tonight, Saturday Dec. 10. Doors at 7 p.m. Indulge in electrifying live music, carefree dancing, and a special screening of GDA’s video for “Join As One,” shot at the Paramount earlier this year.
Masquerade attire is strongly encouraged for this evening’s festivities. Go BIG. You know the band will.
Considering the dynamos behind the synergy of Geto Gala, perhaps the whole might be greater than the sum of its parts. But tap on the breaks there, Aristotle. Both are great artists in their own right. Bastrop-born and raised Deezie Brown enchants and intrigues with the autobiographical stories of 5th Wheel Fairytale, where funk, gospel, roots and twang intertwine; while the multi-faceted Jake Lloyd leads the pack with instant classics “Sweat,” “Cold Summer” and “Crossroading.” The Breaks‘ Fresh Knight put it best when describing Lloyd as “…not all R&B, not all Soul, not entirely Rock, or Country, he’s just Jake.” Therefore, Geto Gala equals badass, times ten.
Today, Geto Gala grants you “Champagne Wishes,” a new single to further entice your thirst, featuring tantalizing synth-bass by fellow eternal badass JaRon Marshal. And it encapsulates the Geto Gala essence perfectly, in Lloyd’s own words when talking about their creations in general: “…southern-centric with luxury and sports undertones. Imagine if baseball cards could rap.”
Best. Description. Ever. Join Geto Gala at their single release show tonight, Friday Dec. 9, at Firehouse Lounge, 605 Brazos. Doors at 8 p.m. Clink those crystal flutes. Salud.
Heads up on an early show happening this evening at Hotel San Jose, 1316 S. Congress Ave. It’s our KUTX February Artist of the Month from this year, Chief Cleopatra! Songwriter and vocalist Jalesa Jessie and guitarist Buddy Lenny will present a stripped-down version of Chief Cleopatra at an early performance tonight, starting at 5:30 p.m. The perfect happy hour. Don’t miss it!
Today’s AMM featured track is “Afrodite” from the EP Luna.
Bali Yaaah. Photography by Instant Crush Productions.This week, Austin pysch-pop rockers Bali Yaaah debut their first full-length release, Lost Behind The Clouds. Though this time, those swirling cosmic Brit-psych and post-punk vibes hit close to home amidst dreams of…breaking out of lockdown and maybe flying off to the beach? Hell yes.
At the time of production, the notion of lockdown was inconceivable. The band began working on the LP at The Bubble at the start of the pandemic in 2020. As they began to process life changing around them, collectively and individually, so too did the music’s direction change, emerging from a strange existence and pining for a hopeful resolution.
Bali Yaaah celebrates the release of Lost Behind The Clouds with a big show tomorrow night, Thursday Dec. 8, at The 13th Floor on Red River. Joining them on the bill are The Coffin Fits, Fogwood, and Kenton McKay and The Sensors. Doors at 7 p.m.
Jonas Hodges of Bali Yaaah.
Chucky BlkIt’s the Speaker Bump Social, though leave it to your AMM host to keep referring to tonight‘s line-up at Hole In the Wall as the “Speaker Bump Special.” But it is special!
- Don’t forget to get your hands on Ben Buck’s B Sides remix compilation, put together by the ATX-based rapper/beatbox himself. From traditional to underground, Ben Buck honors the legacy of hip-hop artists before him, and is one hell of a collaborator. The comp came about when, faced with not being able to meet with other artists in person during the height of the pandemic, Buck sent out acapella tracks from his past three albums to producers across the country. Get that lightning when you see Buck tonight at the Hole.
- Following a spectacular Freestyle Monday session at Knomad Studio, along with the release of the new video for “Heartless Monster”, Chucky Blk is ready for the Speaker Bump Special. Your AMM host is hooked on the poetry of A Scathing Critique of Current Affairs, but don’t miss out on Blk’s cover of Death Grips‘ “Black Paint” with “a sprinkle of Henry Dumas’s KEF 12” in the recipe. Et voila!
- Don’t get it twisted, now. In the words of alt.- hip hop outfit Twisted June, “The FUNK shall be within U.” And by the looks of it, this band is just finding its voice.
Doors at 8 p.m., and the show kicks off at 9 p.m. Get it all.
Modest Mouse at ACL Fest 2021. Photography by Renee Dominguez for KUTX.Hardcore Modest Mouse fans, you might roll your eyes but please bear with your AMM host. It’s the truth: There’s catchy, and then there’s the way Modest Mouse does it. Like those first riffs of “Float On” from Good News for People Who Love Bad News (2004), all the way on up to the banger that’s “We Are Between” from 2021’s The Golden Casket. Songwriter/vocalist Isaac Brock owns it like the badass poet he is.
The Moon and Antartica (2000) is a critics’ favorite for sure, but there’s no denying the power and continued relevance of The Lonesome Crowded West (1997), Brock’s damning portrait of the exploited American landscape – a wasteland of closed strip malls being replaced by even more strip malls, natural beauty reduced to something more barren and clinging to existence. But at the core is the desolation of the people, or what Brock has described as the “dehumanization” of America.
The album will be performed in its entirety when Modest Mouse plays tonight, Monday Dec. 5, at ACL Live at The Moody Theater. Doors at 6 p.m., and the show starts at 8 p.m. with Portland, OR electro-experimental band Mattress.
“Don’t let me go / I’m not prepared / I’m so damn scared / that I’m almost there.”
The photo above was taken by David Brendan Hall. It captures the essence of a Quiet Company show. Taylor Muse leaves his body and something else takes over. The QC fans have always been there for it.
Interesting choice for a lyric selection by your AMM host. Though today’s featured song is “You, Me & The Boatman” (a huge crowd favorite), the quoted lines are from the horn-ringing cinematic outpouring, “Everything Louder Than Everything Else.” Both are from the album We Are All Where We Belong. Every single song is an emotional journey.
There are those who swear by the 2015 LP Transgressor, while some of the QC OG’s don’t hesitate to reference 2009’s Everyone You Love Will Be Happy Soon or even the band’s 2006 debut Shine Honesty. Some remain madly in love with Songs for Staying In, and rightly so. For several of us, We Are All Where We Belong ignited that extra spark that will never go out.
Muse has decided to close this chapter in his musical career, spanning years of so much work, writing, recording, touring, hustle, holiday shows, line-up changes, triumphs, lowest lows, outright bewilderment, blood, sweat, tears, the whole nine yards…and incredible, inspiring music. For a more in-depth story, the AMM recommends Muse’s conversation with Johnny Goudie on the podcast How Did I Get Here?. But for here, just know that newer things are on the horizon.
Fans are flying into town for Quiet Company’s grand finale performance tonight, Saturday Dec. 3, at Mohawk. Longtime pals The Rocketboys and Ram Vela & The Easy Targets are on the bill. The show’s on the outside stage. Doors at 7 p.m. It won’t be cold. Before long, you’ll be drenched in sweat from all the energy.
It seems the Boatman’s arrived. Farewell, but not forever.
Giving credit where credit is due. Many thanks to songwriter and musician Beth Chrisman for the (official) introduction to The Carper Family, back in the day. Your AMM host was quite taken by those superb three-part harmonies so beautifully delivered by Chrisman, Jenni Miori-Hodges and Melissa Carper. Only one Carper in this acoustic trio, mind you, but the collective musical talent made it feel like a familial connection.
Even with The Carper Family’s popularity, and the opportunities it brought, Melissa Carper felt the need to follow her wandering spirit – which happens to be at the core of Ramblin’ Soul. Carper’s second solo LP is a mix of sweet twang, gospel and soul/R&B-inspired croons by a true rambler. Carper is reverential of the musical roots, while not being rooted to any one place herself. The ramblin’ continues onto the next journey.
Before heading back out on the road, Carper performs tonight, Friday Dec. 2, at Stateside at The Paramount. Doors at 7 p.m., and the performance starts at 8 p.m.
If you weren’t privy to their music and shows before, you certainly got the lowdown when they were the KUTX July Artist of the Month this year. Now, following an incredible tour, you can celebrate their return to the ATX in a major way. Urban Heat takes over Hotel Vegas tomorrow night, Friday Dec. 2, with fellow renegades TV’s Daniel (do NOT adjust your set) and dark wave/goth rock warriors Dragon Rapid. Doors at 9 p.m. Don’t miss a single minute.
It’s three times as badass. The AMM presents the lowdown for your Wednesday night at C-Boy’s Heart and Soul, 2008 S. Congress Ave. No need to explain ’cause you already know, but… John Doe placed his searing brand on punk with X, but damn well brings next-level renegade as a solo artist with LPs like […]
Bartees Strange‘s 2020 release Live Forever is a remarkable debut, this twist-and-turn cyclone of multi-genre ferocity that feels so organic and effortless that one is left wondering how there’s that much room in the artist’s brain. It’s thunderous, it’s everywhere, and it’s ruthless. So, where to from this point? Bartees Strange keeps the momentum going […]
OH. MY. WORD. This one will stop you in your tracks. But the AMM recommends dancing and flailing wildly about for tonight’s show at Radio Coffee and Beer, 4202 Menchaca Rd. Or consult with your physician to find out if your heart can handle this chaotic musical spree. Did you know??!! Big Bill…is a band. […]
You might have heard your AMM host exclaim, “Cactus Lee, what witchery is this?!” over this song. From those opening strums, plain and simple, “Slowly By” is exquisite. It’s the third track on Perfect Middle Hall, the sixth album by Cactus Lee and the follow-up to Texas Music Forever. Like its predecessors, there’s a Texan […]
D.C. native/Brooklyn-based rapper and producer Oddisee unleashes To What End early next year, his first LP since 2017’s The Iceberg. And as a preview, a couple of tracks are out now – “Hard To Tell,” and “Ghetto To Meadow” (feat. Philly rapper Freeway), the latter of which is blasting today’s AMM. Both are a good […]
It happened at the beginning of lockdown. Son Little (songwriter/musician Aaron Livingston) found a collection of old notebooks hidden away in a closet. “There turned out to be 72 books in there,” Livingston said, dating back to the first one he received at age 9. It marked the beginning of years of cathartic release on […]
The layers of talent in Hard Proof feel infinite, branching out like the baddest family tree around. Back in October, the massive nine-piece Austin-based outfit made extra room for a 16-piece extravaganza known as A FELABRATION at Far Out Lounge, honoring the music of Fela Kuti with help from Kalu James and members of Black […]
The romanticized images of the wild West tend to be over the top thanks to film, especially the so-called “spaghetti” Westerns (the subgenre of Western film made in Europe – namely those of Sergio Leone). Just a few notes of that Ennio Morricone music and you know the gritty, violent exchanges in the harshest sunlit […]
Another excellent musical residency for your consideration from the Austin Music Minute: This time, ATX post-punk/pop outfit Shooks is the featured band of the month at Hotel Vegas. Catch their set every Tuesday night in November, including tonight, Nov. 8, with special guests, songwriter KindKeith and Leslie Crunkilton-led band Body Pillow on this evening’s bill. […]
The answer to the aforementioned question is an adamant yes. Bayonne (composer/musician Roger Sellers) releases his first new single in three years, “Is It Time”, a contemplative introspection into a maddening stillness – life itself at a standstill as time drones on without you. This time, though, the heart and mind are welcoming changes to […]
The answer to the aforementioned question is an adamant yes. Bayonne (composer/musician Roger Sellers) releases his first new single in three years, “Is It Time”, a contemplative introspection into a maddening stillness – life itself at a standstill as time drones on without you. This time, though, the heart and mind are welcoming changes to […]
The answer to the aforementioned question is an adamant yes. Bayonne (composer/musician Roger Sellers) releases his first new single in three years, “Is It Time”, a contemplative introspection into a maddening stillness – life itself at a standstill as time drones on without you. This time, though, the heart and mind are welcoming changes to […]
One of the busiest music artists in the scene is bringing it home for a badass release party. Mobley has played numerous shows across the country to wildly receptive audiences in support of Cry Havoc!, described by the Austin-based songwriter as “a sci-fi concept record” following the harrowing journey of a renegade in an “alternate […]
One of the busiest music artists in the scene is bringing it home for a badass release party. Mobley has played numerous shows across the country to wildly receptive audiences in support of Cry Havoc!, described by the Austin-based songwriter as “a sci-fi concept record” following the harrowing journey of a renegade in an “alternate […]
One of the busiest music artists in the scene is bringing it home for a badass release party. Mobley has played numerous shows across the country to wildly receptive audiences in support of Cry Havoc!, described by the Austin-based songwriter as “a sci-fi concept record” following the harrowing journey of a renegade in an “alternate […]
Growing up in a religious household did restrict the types of music Daniel Fears could listen to for a time. But don’t get it twisted. The music still found Fears. Classical music was a first love for him, and playing at church services provided a foundation on which to nurture Fears’ performance skills. And that […]
Growing up in a religious household did restrict the types of music Daniel Fears could listen to for a time. But don’t get it twisted. The music still found Fears. Classical music was a first love for him, and playing at church services provided a foundation on which to nurture Fears’ performance skills. And that […]
Growing up in a religious household did restrict the types of music Daniel Fears could listen to for a time. But don’t get it twisted. The music still found Fears. Classical music was a first love for him, and playing at church services provided a foundation on which to nurture Fears’ performance skills. And that […]
Moody Bank$‘ connection to old-school R&B came from the music she listened to with her mother. But writing and performing music wasn’t something she saw herself doing until she left California to move to Austin, where she met – and was inspired by – music artists following their creative paths. All of this culminated with […]
Moody Bank$‘ connection to old-school R&B came from the music she listened to with her mother. But writing and performing music wasn’t something she saw herself doing until she left California to move to Austin, where she met – and was inspired by – music artists following their creative paths. All of this culminated with […]
Moody Bank$‘ connection to old-school R&B came from the music she listened to with her mother. But writing and performing music wasn’t something she saw herself doing until she left California to move to Austin, where she met – and was inspired by – music artists following their creative paths. All of this culminated with […]
Día de los Muertos is traditionally celebrated in Mexico on Nov. 1 and 2, a window of time seen as a portal between the living and the deceased. These are moments to visit with loved ones long gone or recently departed, and a celebration ensues with food, music and dancing. One of the Día de […]
Día de los Muertos is traditionally celebrated in Mexico on Nov. 1 and 2, a window of time seen as a portal between the living and the deceased. These are moments to visit with loved ones long gone or recently departed, and a celebration ensues with food, music and dancing. One of the Día de […]
Día de los Muertos is traditionally celebrated in Mexico on Nov. 1 and 2, a window of time seen as a portal between the living and the deceased. These are moments to visit with loved ones long gone or recently departed, and a celebration ensues with food, music and dancing. One of the Día de […]
If you follow the work of Katie Crutchfield (Waxahatchee) and Jess Williamson, you know that Plains is a brilliant pairing of minds and talent. Not only is there a mutual admiration for each other’s work, but Crutchfield and Williamson connect through a unique storytelling vision and lyricism. I Walked With You A Ways brings a […]
If you follow the work of Katie Crutchfield (Waxahatchee) and Jess Williamson, you know that Plains is a brilliant pairing of minds and talent. Not only is there a mutual admiration for each other’s work, but Crutchfield and Williamson connect through a unique storytelling vision and lyricism. I Walked With You A Ways brings a […]
If you follow the work of Katie Crutchfield (Waxahatchee) and Jess Williamson, you know that Plains is a brilliant pairing of minds and talent. Not only is there a mutual admiration for each other’s work, but Crutchfield and Williamson connect through a unique storytelling vision and lyricism. I Walked With You A Ways brings a […]
The mind is reeling. The entire weekend is overflowing with all manner of musical badassery. The only problem you’ll have is choosing which show(s) to go to. So, please spread the word – try something new – buy all the band merch. These are but a few AMM selections for your perusal. The AMM is […]
More LEVITATION is coming your way this weekend, and your AMM host has greedily honed in on a handful of favorites you can’t miss. The music fest, originally founded by The Black Angels in 2008, has events curated worldwide, but the hometown celebration continues to be the destination for music fans from all over. Yes, […]
Release the bats, fiends. This Halloween weekend is a music-filled one – times ten – with Levitation. The Austin-based music fest, originally launched by The Black Angels as Austin Psych Fest in 2008, has its roots based in all things psych, but Levitation plays host to artists across many genres. As you may know, your […]
A tip o’ the hat from the AMM goes to the hosts of KOOP Radio‘s The Lonesome Stranger, a badass Thursday morning escapade of traditional and not-so-traditional country sounds for the most discerning aficionado. And they damn well deliver the most authentic tunes – with “no bro bands or lip sync-ers.” Your AMM host recently […]
Today marks the one-year anniversary of Last Tuesday with DJ Talib Kweli at Native Hostel, a celebration of good vibes and good music, all in support of Austin nonprofit DAWA Fund, empowering community front liners and artists of color through direct financial support and health-centered programming. DAWA founder and one-half of Riders Against the Storm, […]
All right, so it’s a day early, but this is where to spend your Tuesday night. There’s a show at Hole In the Wall with three local artists to keep on your radar: Composer and multi-instrumentalist Mari Maurice’s project More Eaze presents a new album, Strawberry Season, out Nov. 9. Within a swirl of classical […]
To summarize, Taylor Wilkins is “All Things Wilkins” in terms of his musical projects, which include the shreddier adventures of Otis the Destroyer and the introspective dives of Otis Wilkins. We focus on the latter this time, with the recent release of the City Pop EP via Spaceflight Records, and a brand new video for […]
If you’re following The Deer on their Instagram (and you should), you’ve been privy to their adventures on the road, from The Hideout in Chicago to Ecker’s Apple Farm in Wisconsin. The tour is supporting their latest LP, the heart-meltingly gorgeous The Beautiful Undead, via Keeled Scales. And as they make their way back through […]
This summer marked the one-year anniversary of BLK ODYSSY’s incredible debut BLK VINTAGE, and it’s been a life-changer for vocalist/songwriter Sam Houston. Raves for the album and BLK ODYSSY’s live performances spread like wildfire across the country. But for the KUTX Artist of the Month alumnus, success also means paying it forward. Houston continues to […]
The talent behind The Heavy Heavy is outstanding, so it’s no surprise that band leaders Georgie Fuller and Will Turner have a lifetime of musicianship behind them. Fuller’s experiences include performing at Montreux Jazz Festival as a teenager, while Turner undoubtedly connected to the contributions of his Malvern hometown musical predecessors Kate Bush, Led Zeppelin […]
It’s a blast of euphoria – like a revelation, on Guerilla Toss‘ latest release Famously Alive. The NYC-based art rockers revel in their multifaceted dissonant power, and songwriter/vocalist Kassie Carlson elatedly leads the listener through a celebration of living. With bursts of poppy psych, while connecting to the frenetic energy the band’s known for, Famously […]
The sweet, sweet croon of “Ain’t A Day Goes By” is from the forthcoming release Ramblin’ Soul by Melissa Carper, which you’ve probably heard on KUTX recently. The new album is out Nov. 18, and from time to time, your AMM host brings out a few tunes from Carper’s 2021 release Daddy’s Country Gold, like […]
All right – you’re soaking up ACL Fest‘s second weekend at Zilker Park. The AMM recommends you get an early start so you don’t miss must-see performances by Austin artists Lesly Reynaga, J Soulja and Jake Lloyd, hitting their respective stages at noon; KUTX October Artist of the Month Como Las Movies, and Brooklyn-based psych-rock/pop […]
Today’s Austin Music Minute features music by Genesis Owusu, who performed this afternoon ACL Fest – round two. And the AMM has added Arlo Parks, Phoenix, Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats, and Omar Apollo to the list of must-sees for the day. ACL Fest Nights shows tonight include Boston dance/funk outfit Ripe at 3Ten […]
No time to tap on the breaks. Urban Heat has a big weekend ahead with their performance this Sunday at ACL Fest, followed by the start of their national tour next week. However, you have an opportunity to catch Urban Heat tonight, Thursday Oct. 13, at Highbrow Lowbrow, 207 Chalmers Ave. It’s a pop-up showcase […]
The title of Semihelix‘s 2021 release, Recoil – meaning to shrink back in fear – is the opposite of the story behind it. Songwriter/vocalist/guitarist Geannie Friedman emotes a dream pop shimmer of resilience, love and uplifting others in the wake of difficult times and that seemingly undefeatable beast, depression. New music is on the way […]
It’s kind of a big deal. Just before Sabrina Ellis performs as the opener for Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo at the Paramount Theatre this Saturday night, and before one of Ellis’ bands Sweet Spirit blows away the Formula 1 freaks out at COTA on Saturday Oct. 22, you have the chance to see ATX […]
All right. You’ve got round one of ACL Fest under wraps, but does that mean the music stops? Certainly not. You’ve got a date with the SIMS Foundation this evening for their 4th annual Music For the Mind benefit, in support of providing behavioral health care to the Austin music community. This year’s Music […]
All right. Ready for day two? The Austin City Limits Music Festival continues at Zilker Park, and your AMM host presents another quick round of must-see performances. Don’t forget to hydrate: Among the Saturday heavy-hitters, you’ll find duo Sofie Tukker, Atlanta rap artist Big Boi, The War On Drugs, Australian artist Flume, and the incredible […]
Open the gates, unleash the throngs. ACL Fest 2022 has arrived, and with it comes your AMM host’s humble mini-guide for weekend number 1. But first, shout-outs are in order for KUTX Music Editor Jeff McCord and his essential list of badass local artists playing the fest this year; as well as the Austin Chronicle […]
Quick – hide the family! It’s that time of year when a certain music festival rears its terrifying head…and it’s so punk rawk. That’s right. It’s the 13th annual Austin Corn Lovers Fiesta, hosted by ATX/San Antone punk hoodlums and corn hustlers Hickoids. It also happens to have the same acronym as another big event […]
Aquí es donde tienes que estar esta noche. Perfect for date night because it’s got a little bit of everything. Cumbia Wednesdays takes over the house at Hotel Vegas on E. 6th, with a night of live music, dance lessons and a spectacular DJ set to top off the evening. Don’t worry if you’ve not […]
It’s excitement mixed with a feeling of losing one’s footing. Questions race through the mind. What’s going on here? Flora and Fawna songwriter/lead vocalist Lili Hickman captures fleeting moments of pleasure mingled with angst in “Never Mine,” as the young narrator navigates an emotional rollercoaster while struggling with their identity. Hickman explains that the song […]
Giving you advance notice about a must-see October residency at Hole In the Wall! Today’s Austin Music Minute track is the KUTX-featured “Too Much” by ATX dream folk outfit Half Dream. Produced by Elijah Ford and mixed by Nick Joswick at 5th Street Studios, the track is songwriter Paige Renée Berry‘s ode to the resurgence […]
A recent KUTX Song of the Day featured an incredible collaborative work by two ATX badasses, The Bright Light Social Hour and Riders Against the Storm. On the surface, this version of “The Sheriff” is an extension of the previous BLSH piece. But RAS’s powerful imagery is added fuel as the story unfolds. This time, […]
Apparently, the answer to the aforementioned question would be 11:11. And it’s all from the mind of KindKeith on his EP Don’t Talk To Me >:(. Songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Keith Galloway takes us on an eclectic and experimental trip riffing on everything from electronic to R&B, jazz, pop and hip-hop. And there’s today’s AMM-featured track, “11:11 (WHAT […]
Apparently, the answer to the aforementioned question would be 11:11. And it’s all from the mind of KindKeith on his EP Don’t Talk To Me >:(. Songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Keith Galloway takes us on an eclectic and experimental trip riffing on everything from electronic to R&B, jazz, pop and hip-hop. And there’s today’s AMM-featured track, “11:11 (WHAT […]
The world was just beginning to shut down due to the pandemic as Seratones returned home from their Power tour. The only way the band was able to work on new music was through Zoom sessions. Yet over the course of lockdowns and limitations, and dark moments both collective and internal, the energy coming from […]
The world was just beginning to shut down due to the pandemic as Seratones returned home from their Power tour. The only way the band was able to work on new music was through Zoom sessions. Yet over the course of lockdowns and limitations, and dark moments both collective and internal, the energy coming from […]
Though Local H has typically been associated with ’90s post-grunge, they never lost their signature sound moving into the 2000s. As Good As Dead (1996) may be one of their most lauded albums, but Here Comes the Zoo (2002) marked a pivotal moment for the band “that would determine whether or not Local H was […]
Though Local H has typically been associated with ’90s post-grunge, they never lost their signature sound moving into the 2000s. As Good As Dead (1996) may be one of their most lauded albums, but Here Comes the Zoo (2002) marked a pivotal moment for the band “that would determine whether or not Local H was […]
Perhaps you were there that fateful day at Mueller Lake Park, March 25, 2022. Rock the Park was in full swing with the abstruse anomaly we know and lurve, Andrew Cashen. The music superb, the vocals fantastique, and…then there was the matter of possibly sending some people into cardiac arrest because Cashen began climbing part […]
Perhaps you were there that fateful day at Mueller Lake Park, March 25, 2022. Rock the Park was in full swing with the abstruse anomaly we know and lurve, Andrew Cashen. The music superb, the vocals fantastique, and…then there was the matter of possibly sending some people into cardiac arrest because Cashen began climbing part […]
The Austin Music Minute‘s introduction to the artistry of Iram Reyes began with Ex Romantika. As band leader and trumpet player, Reyes turned up the horns and ignited the Latin funk fire on their multiple releases, including the band’s first LP, Latin Funk Konnection. They also drew national attention with their NPR All Songs Considered […]
The Austin Music Minute‘s introduction to the artistry of Iram Reyes began with Ex Romantika. As band leader and trumpet player, Reyes turned up the horns and ignited the Latin funk fire on their multiple releases, including the band’s first LP, Latin Funk Konnection. They also drew national attention with their NPR All Songs Considered […]
This is, hands down, the one-two-three knockout this weekend. Three KUTX-featured artists are taking over Germania Insurance Amphitheater tomorrow, Saturday Sept. 24: If you haven’t guessed by now, Khruangbin is a trio of magical beings from outer space. In their earthly forms, bassist Laura Lee, guitarist Mark Speer and drummer Donald Johnson are a Houston […]
This is, hands down, the one-two-three knockout this weekend. Three KUTX-featured artists are taking over Germania Insurance Amphitheater tomorrow, Saturday Sept. 24: If you haven’t guessed by now, Khruangbin is a trio of magical beings from outer space. In their earthly forms, bassist Laura Lee, guitarist Mark Speer and drummer Donald Johnson are a Houston […]
Just ahead of their forthcoming LP It’s Only Natural out this December via Feels So Good Records, ATX garage rockers The Bad Lovers have got two new singles to sink your fangs into: The laid back Lone Star ‘n’ Clamato savory sonidos of “Michelada River,” and jagged hip-shake rocker out this Friday, “Throwin’ Stones” (the […]
Just ahead of their forthcoming LP It’s Only Natural out this December via Feels So Good Records, ATX garage rockers The Bad Lovers have got two new singles to sink your fangs into: The laid back Lone Star ‘n’ Clamato savory sonidos of “Michelada River,” and jagged hip-shake rocker out this Friday, “Throwin’ Stones” (the […]
Some would say it’s all in the strings, and they’re not wrong. But country-folk/bluegrass master Tony Kamel has the vocals to match. The frontman of Grammy-nominated Wood and Wire is also a standout solo artist, with an album like Back Down Home bringing the Texas Gulf Coast vibes the Houston-born songwriter knows so well. The […]
Some would say it’s all in the strings, and they’re not wrong. But country-folk/bluegrass master Tony Kamel has the vocals to match. The frontman of Grammy-nominated Wood and Wire is also a standout solo artist, with an album like Back Down Home bringing the Texas Gulf Coast vibes the Houston-born songwriter knows so well. The […]
The conversation is the eternal loop with no resolution. What’s the matter? Nothing’s the matter... But you can almost feel the tension and dejectedness on Kiki Machine‘s recent single “Matter,” featured on today’s AMM. The sweet vocals belie the frustration brewing beneath the surface. The Austin-based pop outfit took some time this month to solely […]
The conversation is the eternal loop with no resolution. What’s the matter? Nothing’s the matter... But you can almost feel the tension and dejectedness on Kiki Machine‘s recent single “Matter,” featured on today’s AMM. The sweet vocals belie the frustration brewing beneath the surface. The Austin-based pop outfit took some time this month to solely […]
The flower-powered circus is in town. No need for the trapeze, you’ll fly without it. ATX garage-psych outfit Acid Carousel presents a most extraordinary trip for your ears, a jangly, blissed-out spectacle of colors for the mind in the form of The Most Oddest Thing (2020). May this ride continue to freak out the masses. […]
The flower-powered circus is in town. No need for the trapeze, you’ll fly without it. ATX garage-psych outfit Acid Carousel presents a most extraordinary trip for your ears, a jangly, blissed-out spectacle of colors for the mind in the form of The Most Oddest Thing (2020). May this ride continue to freak out the masses. […]
For Riders Against the Storm‘s Jonathan “Chaka” Mahone, the foundation of Austin nonprofit DAWA (Diversity Awareness and Wellness in Action) is deeply rooted in his own experiences of survival, and his immense gratitude for having a community network supporting him and helping him move toward a better future. This is the thinking behind DAWA’s design: […]
The past is the past…is the past. Yet who among us hasn’t looked back, maybe to brood over what one could’ve done better, or mourn what might have been? Or…perhaps seethe with regret? Why Bonnie‘s debut full-length 90 in November, as rock ‘n’ roll raw as it is gorgeously intimate, dives into the complexity of […]
When one hears of their favorite band or artist taking an “indefinite hiatus,” the immediate reaction from fans may be one of heartbreak. Disappointment, maybe. But give some thought to the musicians simply moving on to the next chapter of their creative evolution. The AMM recommends a great interview that writer Patrick St. Michel did […]
Oh, it’s on. Hotel Vegas has another badass musical adventure for you, courtesy of Heaven or Hotel Vegas and The Nothing Song. Come out to the wholesome debauchery tonight, Wednesday Sept. 14. Doors open at 8:30 p.m., and it all starts with Los Angeles-based songwriter and, quite frankly, artistic supernova Lauren Larkis. This is why […]
A proclamation was presented earlier this morning by Austin Mayor Steve Adler at the Moody Amphitheater, so now it’s official: Welcome to HAAM Day 2022. The annual city-wide Health Alliance for Austin Musicians celebration features live music throughout the day at various venues, this year including a main event at Waterloo Park, and participating local […]
One would be hard pressed to find a recording coming anywhere close to replicating the live experience of Austin 10-piece funk/jazz/Afro-beat inspired outfit Hard Proof. Though some say the band’s 2017 scorcher Stinger drives the polyrhythmic point home. But nothing beats hearing those driving beats and Hard Proof horns live. New music is in the […]
It’s no secret that the Austin Music Minute gets greedy for many great shows happening all at once on the same night. And occasionally, two badass shows will conveniently be at the same venue, like today’s featured Saturday funtime: Welcome to psych-noise rock for your dark soul, or as Austin Chronicle writer Alejandra Ramirez recently […]
Eastside Kings was the title Eddie Stout gave to a collection of recordings of mostly unknown African-American blues artists from Austin, released in 1999 on Dialtone Records. It would be one of several recordings like it highlighting extremely talented local blues artists who were mostly under the radar, including Willie Sampson, Clarence Pierce, Little Joe […]
It’s a big deal for Eastside hang The 13th Floor to make their big move because it definitely means a bigger space. The previous extra-cozy spot on E. 12th sometimes felt it was barely the width of a shoebox, but the gang hosted many a badass party, performance and DJ night there. It was a […]
Seriously, the first track on The Ocean Blue‘s self-titled 1989 debut on Sire Records was the – hook. The opening chords of “Between Something and Nothing” (featured on today’s AMM) lead into not only one of the defining moments of dream pop as we know it, but it’s also this…mood. This cloudy-sky, blustery-wind, lonely-walk broody […]
Tonight is night two of LA punk OG’s Circle Jerks taking over the stage at Mohawk. That’s two nights in Austin on the band’s first tour in over 15 years, and the hardcore fans are here for it. This is a band that paved the way, and have one hell of a legacy to prove […]
Each tale on Alex Dupree‘s latest album reveals the hustler and the con, the man behind the curtain, a series of illusions kept alive mostly out of survival. And every character is unable to cope with the dose of reality they’ve been dealt. Thieves itself was born from Dupree’s own challenges and struggles, and in […]
Getting right to the point: This is one of those Saturday night blow-outs where you’re left reeling with, “WHAT THE HELL JUST HIT ME?” searing through your brain. In other words, it’s gonna be awesome tonight, Saturday Sept. 3, at Hotel Vegas. The evening begins with what KUTX Song of the Day producer Jack Anderson […]
Getting right to the point: This is one of those Saturday night blow-outs where you’re left reeling with, “WHAT THE HELL JUST HIT ME?” searing through your brain. In other words, it’s gonna be awesome tonight, Saturday Sept. 3, at Hotel Vegas. The evening begins with what KUTX Song of the Day producer Jack Anderson […]
Quick note, listener: Today, your AMM host erroneously referred to Jungle”s album Loving In Stereo as “Living…” Deepest apologies for the incorrect mention. Let’s proceed. Josh Lloyd-Watson and Tom McFarland wrote and recorded Jungle‘s 2021 LP Loving In Stereo during the height of the pandemic, while in lockdown. The West London duo had hopes of […]
Quick note, listener: Today, your AMM host erroneously referred to Jungle”s album Loving In Stereo as “Living…” Deepest apologies for the incorrect mention. Let’s proceed. Josh Lloyd-Watson and Tom McFarland wrote and recorded Jungle‘s 2021 LP Loving In Stereo during the height of the pandemic, while in lockdown. The West London duo had hopes of […]
Heads up, hoodlum. You need this dose of ridiculously cool music that you’ll find at The Ballroom tomorrow night, Friday Sept. 2. Just think: Chaos. Recklessness. Deviant. Loud. You know. All the stuff that’s good for you. Welcome to the coolest thing you’ve never seen. Or maybe you have experienced the glorious trash/glam punk party […]
Heads up, hoodlum. You need this dose of ridiculously cool music that you’ll find at The Ballroom tomorrow night, Friday Sept. 2. Just think: Chaos. Recklessness. Deviant. Loud. You know. All the stuff that’s good for you. Welcome to the coolest thing you’ve never seen. Or maybe you have experienced the glorious trash/glam punk party […]
Even if you bothered looking behind you, nothing would be there. Only ghosts. The heartbreaking, gut-wrenching romances of the past tend to fade over time. Yet there are those fleeting moments of wondering why…what the hell was it about…and maybe even, whom. Who was this person, and why did it feel like the end of […]
Even if you bothered looking behind you, nothing would be there. Only ghosts. The heartbreaking, gut-wrenching romances of the past tend to fade over time. Yet there are those fleeting moments of wondering why…what the hell was it about…and maybe even, whom. Who was this person, and why did it feel like the end of […]
The bedroom can be a great spot for recording your music. Get it done on your time, and put something together the moment you’re inspired. Omar “Cuco” Baños is among a league of bedroom-pop artists that got it done that way. Nothing uncommon about the method. But if one of your tracks blows up on […]
Far In, the seventh studio album by Roberto Carlos Lange‘s genre-defying musical incarnation Helado Negro, was inspired by a desert landscape familiar to many Texans. Those who love Marfa often comment on its natural beauty and the moods it seems to invoke. Whatever the case, it seems Marfa’s atmospheric wonder impacted Lange’s own creative exploration […]
Get to know the SIMS Foundation, because it’s an extraordinary presence in the Austin music scene – really, a unique entity that has yet to be replicated anywhere else in the U.S. Founded in 1995 and honoring the memory of Austin musician Sims Ellison, SIMS set out to increase access to mental health care and […]
Get to know the SIMS Foundation, because it’s an extraordinary presence in the Austin music scene – really, a unique entity that has yet to be replicated anywhere else in the U.S. Founded in 1995 and honoring the memory of Austin musician Sims Ellison, SIMS set out to increase access to mental health care and […]
Another all ATX line-up takes over the outside stage at the Mohawk this weekend, Saturday Aug. 27. It’s lightning striking three times, baby: Brownout already had something special with their eclectic spins of Latin funk, soul and psyched-up grooves. Yet these sonic explorations took them to another level with mind-blowingly unconventional covers, like their Public […]
Another all ATX line-up takes over the outside stage at the Mohawk this weekend, Saturday Aug. 27. It’s lightning striking three times, baby: Brownout already had something special with their eclectic spins of Latin funk, soul and psyched-up grooves. Yet these sonic explorations took them to another level with mind-blowingly unconventional covers, like their Public […]
So…the exposure one might get through Tami Roman‘s explosive Unfaithful series on VH1 may not be the kind some folks are looking for. (Unsolicited tip – stop trying to talk your way outta that one, fool, they caught you on camera…) But the AMM brings news of a better kind of exposure: Austin-based artist Alesia […]
So…the exposure one might get through Tami Roman‘s explosive Unfaithful series on VH1 may not be the kind some folks are looking for. (Unsolicited tip – stop trying to talk your way outta that one, fool, they caught you on camera…) But the AMM brings news of a better kind of exposure: Austin-based artist Alesia […]
JaRon Marshall has honed his skills as a musician and producer since he first got his hands on sequencers and DAWs (digital audio workstation) at the age of 14. This shaped the sophisticated composer we hear behind the infectious beats and multi-layered funk/jazz/soul/hip-hop coalescence of The Gold Tapes: Vol. 1-3 and monumental EP The Black […]
JaRon Marshall has honed his skills as a musician and producer since he first got his hands on sequencers and DAWs (digital audio workstation) at the age of 14. This shaped the sophisticated composer we hear behind the infectious beats and multi-layered funk/jazz/soul/hip-hop coalescence of The Gold Tapes: Vol. 1-3 and monumental EP The Black […]
Austin-based songwriter Bear Ryan was born in Arlington, TX, the youngest of four children. Music was a part of her life, though it wasn’t through music lessons. Instead, Ryan absorbed all the music her family listened to – old vinyl, eight-tracks, and cassette tapes of everything from The Beach Boys to John Denver, Frank Sinatra […]
Austin-based songwriter Bear Ryan was born in Arlington, TX, the youngest of four children. Music was a part of her life, though it wasn’t through music lessons. Instead, Ryan absorbed all the music her family listened to – old vinyl, eight-tracks, and cassette tapes of everything from The Beach Boys to John Denver, Frank Sinatra […]
And now, for something completely obvious: Everything is absurd. Surely you’re aware of life’s great folly. But Big Bill indulges in the artistry of turning that absurdity into exhilarating and cathartic musical experiences like Public Freakout Compilation, their second full-length LP released via Spaceflight Records. Worry not about the future, and release the mundanity of […]
Song of the Day host Jack Anderson‘s interview with KUTX August Artist of the Month, Deezie Brown, is an excellent deep dive into not only the tales behind the autobiographical 5th Wheel Fairytale, but also the timeline of Brown’s evolution as a music artist, from recording one of his first tracks with the legendary Shorty […]
Austin is gearing up for another insanely busy weekend with Austin Pride Fest 2022, and you would expect no less. Following Austin Pride’s pool party banger Drip Drop 10 (shoutout to DJ Melissa Bellz), Beyond the Rainbow continues the celebrations on Saturday with the annual parade, and the big festival at Fiesta Gardens with an […]
Austin is gearing up for another insanely busy weekend with Austin Pride Fest 2022, and you would expect no less. Following Austin Pride’s pool party banger Drip Drop 10 (shoutout to DJ Melissa Bellz), Beyond the Rainbow continues the celebrations on Saturday with the annual parade, and the big festival at Fiesta Gardens with an […]
Another awesome show brought to you by ATX promo crew Howdy Gals, this week in support of the Texas Tribal Buffalo Project, and it’s all Austin artists. South American/African-influenced power trio Nemegata is on the line-up, with vocalist/guitarist Jon French and drummer Aaron Gilligan‘s pop-punk outfit Exotic Fruits, and acoustic artist Cosmic Chaos opens the […]
Another awesome show brought to you by ATX promo crew Howdy Gals, this week in support of the Texas Tribal Buffalo Project, and it’s all Austin artists. South American/African-influenced power trio Nemegata is on the line-up, with vocalist/guitarist Jon French and drummer Aaron Gilligan‘s pop-punk outfit Exotic Fruits, and acoustic artist Cosmic Chaos opens the […]
Today’s AMM featured artist made their debut with the breathtaking “Isn’t It Enough,” an incredible voice ringing out from the mountaintop while simultaneously conveying an uncertainty of the future. “But what if this is all we’ve got? / We might not make it big, but we could have love. / And isn’t that enough?” And […]
It was the ultimate catharsis for Paige Renèe Berry, purging a lifetime of emotions from personal trauma into her songwriting. It was mostly to release and heal. But some of Berry’s writing coalesced into the debut album of Half Dream, Monster of Needing (2020), every word leading to a revelation of strength moving beyond mere […]
Perhaps there are a few noticeable stylistic differences in Father John Misty‘s fifth studio release, Chloë and The Next 20th Century, compared to previous FJM albums, but is it so removed from that magic spun by Josh Tillman? For example, “I Love You, Honeybear” (2015), is a swooning ballad with enough lush arrangements to make […]
Perhaps there are a few noticeable stylistic differences in Father John Misty‘s fifth studio release, Chloë and The Next 20th Century, compared to previous FJM albums, but is it so removed from that magic spun by Josh Tillman? For example, “I Love You, Honeybear” (2015), is a swooning ballad with enough lush arrangements to make […]
It’s sumptuous the way these grooves rock. Hedonistic, even. The dazzling extra-terrestrial ensembles of ATX outfit Golden Dawn Arkestra may amp the vibe up several notches, but let there be no doubt about the electro-funky grooves of these Sun Ra disciples. Unleash “Phenomenal” into the skate rink.“Golden Limousine” is the sexiest backseat party on the […]
By definition, borders are meant to contain and define certain areas. But Dos Santos reveals what borders actually embody. They encapsulate the struggles, the triumphs, the endless ironies, the millions of stories of individuals and families coming to terms with their everyday realities. In the throes of the pandemic, within the turmoil and heartache of […]
By definition, borders are meant to contain and define certain areas. But Dos Santos reveals what borders actually embody. They encapsulate the struggles, the triumphs, the endless ironies, the millions of stories of individuals and families coming to terms with their everyday realities. In the throes of the pandemic, within the turmoil and heartache of […]
Whether you grew up with Parliament’s music, or your favorite artist(s) served as a gateway through samples or covers, your life has undoubtedly been touched by the greatness of George Clinton. Those first parts of “Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker)” set you off and before you know it, you’re singing […]
Whether you grew up with Parliament’s music, or your favorite artist(s) served as a gateway through samples or covers, your life has undoubtedly been touched by the greatness of George Clinton. Those first parts of “Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker)” set you off and before you know it, you’re singing […]
There were many changes afoot when singer/songwriter Caelin moved to Austin in 2015 from the Bay Area. Though she didn’t immediately immerse herself in her musical career or the local scene, she took to heart the encouragement given to her by Jimmy LaFave. Though he passed away before they could work together, Caelin never forgot […]
There were many changes afoot when singer/songwriter Caelin moved to Austin in 2015 from the Bay Area. Though she didn’t immediately immerse herself in her musical career or the local scene, she took to heart the encouragement given to her by Jimmy LaFave. Though he passed away before they could work together, Caelin never forgot […]
It’s as if the Austin Music Minute booked this one! But seriously, what a great way to kick off Jester King Brewery‘s music series Summer Sessions. Welcome to a double dose of AMM faves to start out the weekend: It all began in 2018, when rap artists ZEALE and Phranchyze got together with Gary Clark, […]
It’s as if the Austin Music Minute booked this one! But seriously, what a great way to kick off Jester King Brewery‘s music series Summer Sessions. Welcome to a double dose of AMM faves to start out the weekend: It all began in 2018, when rap artists ZEALE and Phranchyze got together with Gary Clark, […]
It’s all in the family. But if you ask, Marlon Sexton will tell you he got his love of music from both parents, though most folks are inclined to remember his father. It’s cool either way. Mom had tons of CDs that Sexton listened to when he was a kid, and dad’s life is pretty […]
It’s all in the family. But if you ask, Marlon Sexton will tell you he got his love of music from both parents, though most folks are inclined to remember his father. It’s cool either way. Mom had tons of CDs that Sexton listened to when he was a kid, and dad’s life is pretty […]
You never know what’s boiling beneath the surface. On A. Sinclair‘s fifth studio LP San Padre, start with“Lean Into It,” the intense opener pairing songwriter/vocalist Aaron Sinclair with Sean Murphy that lures you in with an eerily soft build, compelling one to…well, lean into it. And lean closer. But mind the headphones. The acoustic traversing […]
You never know what’s boiling beneath the surface. On A. Sinclair‘s fifth studio LP San Padre, start with“Lean Into It,” the intense opener pairing songwriter/vocalist Aaron Sinclair with Sean Murphy that lures you in with an eerily soft build, compelling one to…well, lean into it. And lean closer. But mind the headphones. The acoustic traversing […]
Though the pandemic put most things on hold, The Belle Sounds‘ Noëlle Hampton could not take a break from music. Instead, Hampton and husband/musical partner André Moran kicked up the songwriting momentum and released several tracks, some of which became part of Stay Alive – The 2020 Singles LP compilation (2021). That was followed by […]
So, a funny thing happened this past weekend. Well, not terribly funny, but Urban Heat‘s Jonathan Horstmann lives to tell the tale on his band’s social media, and it looks as though some physical therapy may be in the not-so-distant future. Horstmann threw his back out (“…like a genius,” he says, in quiet exasperation) while […]
Run to the hills! Who knows what havoc these intergalactic fiends will wreak?! Though really, it’s pointless to resist the ruthless energy of Burger Babes…FROM OUT SPACE! as the gravitational beam draws you in. And by “ruthless,” the AMM means the beefy feast unleashed by Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol on their full length debut – […]
Whether you’re a Hole In the Wall regular or you’ve done your fair share of shows there, you’re gonna know the damn bathroom(s). It’s a living (mostly crude) monument to everybody who’s passed through, played there, drank there, partied there, all the things you may – or may not – remember. If you haven’t left […]
Today is one of those best-laid-plans scenarios, apparently. If you scroll down a bit to play today’s Austin Music Minute, you’ll hear all about Big Bill‘s release show for Public Freakout Compilation, originally set for tonight at Hotel Vegas. Calliope Musicals and BÖNDBREAKR made it the perfect line-up. Then, stupid COVID threw Big Bill a […]
KUTX’s The Breaks co-host Fresh Knight recently presented an awesome performance by ATX hip-hop MC/producer duo Magna Carda in Studio 1A, and you may have also heard KUTX morning host Taylor Wallace’s Pride Month feature on Megz Kelli. What could possibly inspire you more to catch Magna Carda’s set tonight, Thursday June 30, at Antone’s?? […]
It’s a distinctive voice, as gentle as it is powerful. Aubrey Hays wields their power with the warmest, richest tones, from dramatic sweeps taking you to climactic moments in “Statue,” to the bright and hopeful shimmer of “I Wanna See This Through,” with only a slight quiver of uncertainty as they present a question from […]
Whittle it down to the basics, and here are the facts: Rakim stands out as a transformative figure in hip-hop, essentially known for expanding MC techniques and embracing complexity within rap lyrics, phrasing, and styles. Many proclaim Rakim as an innovator of “the flow” in rap, or it’s natural rhythms/cadence. Though today’s Austin Music Minute […]
Perhaps you were one of the lucky (and most well-informed, pre-internet) individuals to experience the brilliance of Kraftwerk in real time. Or, like most of us, your first exposure to the electronic soundscapes lightyears ahead of our time came to you thanks to Afrika Bambaataa and the Soul Sonic Force (“GO LADIES”). Since starting what […]
It took about fifty years, but Leo Nocentelli‘s solo LP Another Side finally arrived in 2021, via Light In the Attic Records. Surely longtime Meters fans, and even newbees just discovering the New Orleans funk originators, must know that this is a whole different trip for the Meters’ guitarist. It’s a genuine roots rock treasure […]
The message reigns on Angélica Rahe‘s powerful 2020 debut, the regal Reina. It’s crystal clear on Rahe’s latest release, autorretrato. And, in case you missed it and needed further clarification, Rahe gently reminded listeners during her recent KUTX Studio 1A performance: She writes songs that are unabashedly, unashamedly, about femininity (in all humanity), female empowerment, […]
You get the sensation that MATTIE is not of this world. Those wondrous vocals are like nebulae, luminous, mysterious, always in motion. Though a Dallas-based artist, MATTIE’s spirit is interstellar, and a wonderful introduction to her art can be experienced on her debut EP, Jupiter’s Purse, a journey of its narrator Mhuv (pronounced “move”) exploring […]
If you know, you know, and make no mistake, Margaret Moser was onto something with her dedicated support of this Austin-based sibling trio. The artists formerly known as The Tiarra Girls are confidently moving into the next chapter of their musical journey, boldly and proudly redefining their identities as songwriters, and as a band not […]
This is where the fire’s at. Wednesday night’s bill at C-Boy’s Heart and Soul presents a big part of your summertime soundtrack: Born in Miami, raised in Columbia, and bringing it all to Austin, Kiko Villamizar has cumbia in his blood and psych in his soul. Soak it all up when you spin Villamizar’s third […]
There’s something about Warm Chris, the fourth full-length release by New Zealand-based artist Aldous Harding (Hannah Sian Topp), that feels as though it’s gleefully defying genre, moving in multiple directions with sound and songwriting, in a kind of free form exercise. Perhaps on some levels its construction wouldn’t make sense, but therein lies its surrealistic […]
“Confetti To The Hurricane,” the gorgeous opener of The Deer‘s 2019 LP Do No Harm, recently reached one million listens on Spotify, just on the heels of the Austin’s band annual trek to Kerrville Folk Festival earlier this month. And this week, songwriter/vocalist Grace Rowland and her badass crew dropped the new track “I Wouldn’t […]
. ..Cuidado con El Mirador… Throughout their decades-long career, Calexico founders Joey Burns and John Convertino have remained true to their Southwestern roots, and that deep reverence burns throughout their tenth full-length studio release, El Mirador. The opening title track, and killer rips like “Cumbia del Polvo,” are layered with cumbia, conjunto and mariachi influences, […]
As KUTX celebrates Pride Month with features about LGBTQIA+ artists shaping Austin’s music scene, the AMM is also keeping an ear out for Pride music shows around town, like the Far Out and Proud series. Every Wednesday throughout June, South Austin venue Far Out Lounge and Stage puts the spotlight on area artists of various […]
Welcome to another excellent round of musical exploration with the Me Mer Mo music series, happening tonight, Monday June 13, at The Volstead on E. 6th. Doors open at 7 p.m., and this evening’s show begins with a set by Evil Triplet founder Steve Marsh performing with longtime collaborator, multi-instrumentalist and Bad Livers founding member […]
Dig the wild and racy ride of The Ghost Wolves‘ “Elsa” video, one of the scorchers on the Austin duo’s latest LP Never Die. Whips, chains and lobo-esque nuptials beguile in this wicked rocker, featuring fab appearances by video creative team Lord Friday the 13th, all within the rustic setting of Tiny T Ranch and […]
Since moving to Austin in the early aughts, your Austin Music Minute host got a lesson on what is actual “church” day, which is not Sunday but Saturday. Going to church on Saturday meant starting the day marveling over fascinating clips and blips about dead celebrities on DJ Harris’ Graveside Service; soaking in the fantastical […]
If you know, you know. To simply call this one a “show” is insufficient. Perhaps…a vibe, honoring all moods, styles, fashion, artistic expression from the darkest recesses of the spectrum. Live music and guest DJs are essential to the alchemy of NITE SCHOOL, but there’s more that emerges from this 2nd Thursday electronic dance soirée […]
Initially, when Madison Baker began writing songs a few years ago, the Austin-based artist set out to create music reflecting their personal experiences from a queer, non-binary perspective. But they found they were also intrigued by the extraordinary ways music brings people closer together, as well as the myriad of emotions that, while connecting all […]
If you got to see some of the Instagram video from last Wednesday’s blowout at the Magic Rockers of Texas residency kickoff at Hole In the Wall, you won’t need much convincing to go. Crocodile Tears and The Bad Lovers started things out with a bang, and now this week’s gang of hoodlums bring more […]
It’s a lot of music. As with many artists, songwriting didn’t stop for Jack White during lockdown. It’s not a faucet. You can’t shut it off. But as each song began to take form, White realized it would be too much for just one album. The flow felt interrupted when he tried to piece it […]
Writer. Poet. Hip-hop artist. Spoken word performer. All of these things. Austin-based artist Chucky Blk tackles racism and the illusion, the fallacy, of the “American dream” with unflinching honesty on his 2020 release, A Scathing Critique of Current Affairs. Today’s AMM featured track, “Top of My List,” unfolds as an ode to seizing life by […]
The long awaited world tour of Icelandic post-rock outfit Sigur Rós is underway, their first in nearly five years, and includes stops in Mexico, Japan, and Canada as well as the U.S. And the band’s been working on their next new studio album, the first since their 2013 release, Kveikur. Though the shows will spotlight […]
More is on the way from Project Traction, the mentorship program founded by Public Hi-Fi owner Jim Eno (Spoon) to create more opportunities for women and non-binary producers and engineers. Megz Kelli (Magna Carda), Sara Houser (S.L. Houser) and Kam Franklin (The Suffers) are among the artists participating, and it’s provided an opportunity for making […]
Presenting the perfect launch to your weekend. Time for the next round of Spaceflight Records‘ badass happy hour series, this week featuring Slomo Drags. Head over to Scholz Garten on San Jacinto Blvd. for the free, family-friendly show today, Friday May 20, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. And get connected to the brilliance that is Slomo […]
When not shredding as Otis the Destroyer, songwriter and vocalist Taylor Wilkins does another kind of wicked shredding as Otis Wilkins, not necessarily the quieter of the two, but bringing a different vibe in the rock-pop realm – think ’60s and ’70s. To follow up “Charlene,” and 2019 singles “Joni Mitchell Was Punk” and “Shaker […]
This is a fantastic end-of-(school)-year wrap-up for UT student-run station KVRX. The Far Out Finale puts the spotlight on three ATX bands you need to put on your radar: We’re talking self-described nerds embracing sci-fi, anime and unlimited musical styles. As a matter of fact, they have a name for their multi-genre music tastes and […]
“Ruff-ruff goes the beagle to the terrier…“ It’s a singular line in “Eat the Wine, Drink the Bread.” It sticks to the mind. But are you one to break down a song to decipher some kind of meaning? You could, in this case, but it’ll leave you more puzzled. Destroyer songwriter and vocalist Dan Bejar […]
Time for some face-melting, and on this occasion, it’s badassery from New York City. SUSU comes from a meeting of super powers, Liza Colby (Liza Colby Sound) and Kia Warren (Revel In Dimes), at a moment in their careers when their bands joined together for a series of one-off performances. The energy was so cohesive, […]
It was a mammoth undertaking pulling together Artists For the Betterment of Kids at the Border, now in its second year. Austin oil artist Sandy Martinez worked diligently alongside Redlands, CA-based nonprofit The Artlands and East Austin creative space/recording studio The Electric Church to keep building momentum. Even in the days leading up to this […]
It’s your lucky day. No, for real. The AMM is giving you an early heads-up about a slammer this weekend in South Austin. Presenting the triple threat on one killer bill: ATX-based rap artist The Teeta, rapper/songwriter Wes Denzel (“Don’t Change” is featured on today’s AMM), and San Antonio rap artist (and YFM Records founder) […]
New Orleans-born ATX duo THEBROSFRESH (yes, that would be The Brothers Fresh) is the creation of actual brothers Torrence and Thurman Thomas. Los hermanos Thomas actually grew up in the town of Geismar, LA, located just between NOLA and Baton Rouge, bringing a rich musical history they draw much of their inspiration from. But THEBROSFRESH […]
Es la banda gigante, in every sense of the word. Recent KUTX Studio 1A guests Orquesta Akokán released 16 Rayos last year on Daptone Records, the sensational follow-up to their Grammy-nominated 2018 self-titled debut. These talented musicians from Havana and New York, numbering 12 in all (a cozy Studio 1A fit) and led by Cuban […]
It’s mystical. Your mind is transported to very specific memories that Little Mazarn summons forth with a whisper. Through minimal instrumental arrangement, songwriter Lindsey Verrill and Jeff Johnston seem to evoke emotion with sensations of the natural world; it could be a soft breeze, a babbling brook, the crunch of the path beneath one’s feet, […]
GARZA produces an overall experience that isn’t simply a music performance. The multi-media sensory exploration is the brainchild of Rob Garza, one half of electronic duo Thievery Corporation, who wanted to experiment with a collaborative approach but expand it more broadly across musical genres and artistic expression. It’s an all-encompassing design, utilizing visual artists, producers, […]
This was a difficult Austin Music Minute to produce. But here it is. Anyone who’s had the pleasure of knowing Daniel Sahad has at least one lovely memory to share, if not several. The multi-talented, charismatic front man of Nané had boundless energy, both onstage and off. His presence would instantly fill a room. And […]
If you, like your Austin Music Minute host, follow the adventures of one Garrett T. Capps, the San Antonio music man and Lonesome Rose proprietor who rolls Tex-Mex rock like no other, you’re very familiar with his genuine love of conjunto, Norteño and Tejano, and the pioneering artists who continue to inspire musicians of all […]
The AMM selected “Can’t Cool Me Down” from Carseat Headrest‘s Making A Door Less Open for today’s feature, but the band’s 2022 tour includes a limited CD release of two compilation collections, MADLO: Remixes and MADLO: Influences, available only at their shows. Car Seat Headrest brings their tour to Austin for a show tonight, Wednesday […]
A lot of folks in Austin (and beyond) recognize the frog, and its friendly greeting: “Hi, How Are You?” The benevolent, alien-like froggy face went from obscure art by the late Daniel Johnston to an iconic image after millions saw Kurt Cobain, a big Johnston fan, sporting the design on a t-shirt. (Extra nerd alert […]
Lindsay Jordan takes us through the varying stages of love – namely the maelstrom of emotions in the not-so-lucky-in-love department – on Valentine, the second LP by Snail Mail. The narrative winds through the grief, unrequited feelings, burning desire…all in bigger, broader pop strokes, and Jordan’s incredible voice revealing a soul that’s weathered the hellish […]
Finally. It took a couple of years (thanks a lot, stupid Covid), but it’s officially here. After an extended delay, KUTX April Artist of the Month Buffalo Hunt is celebrating the release of Ambitions of Ambiguity with a release show tonight, Saturday April 30, at the new location of The Parish, 501 Brushy St. […]
David Shabani is, quite literally, bringing the sound to you. If you’ve been following the journey of Shabani’s Smooth Sounds of the South West (and you should), you’ll know the Austin-based artist has taken his collaborative music series to various hot spots around town – Firehouse Lounge, Friends & Allies Brewing, Augustine in the Rainey […]
Welcome to another magical and simultaneously badass Friday night at Cheer Up Charlie’s on Red River. Check this line-up: The vibrant colors, the glorious din, the dazzling trash glam, and the euphoria! True, you might be tripping, but it could very well may be the melodic chaos of Calliope Musicals. Carrie Fussell is your unicorn […]
A lot has happened since Brian Jonestown Massacre made their 1992 debut with the single “She Made Me/Evergreen.” A total of 18 albums were recorded by the various incarnations of the San Francisco-based outfit, led through the journey of ups, downs and unexpected sideways jaunts by songwriter/producer Anton Newcombe. Now, from Newcombe’s Berlin studio – […]
The track featured on today’s AMM, “Waiting All Day” from Motenko‘s self-titled EP, encapsulates the ongoing love letter that songwriter/vocalist/musician Micah Motenko pens to the sounds of Motown, which made a huge impression upon Motenko during his formative years, and remains his number one influence to this day. The roots of this infatuation run deep […]
In the early stages of the pandemic, all creature comforts and personal connections took on a greater importance. Isolation tends to do that. Life moments taken for granted or easily brushed aside felt magnified. Intense moments became unbearable. It makes perfect sense that a beautiful, reflective EP like I Guess We Live Here Now by […]
The original line-up of Austin psych-garage rockers The Living Pins got their start in 1996, making the rounds at ATX-iconic places like the long-gone Liberty Lunch and Electric Lounge, as well as Hole In the Wall. These days, founding members Carrie Clark and Pam Peltz keep the music going with drummer Rich Malley and bassist […]
The initial buzz around Hot Flash Heat Wave began with their 2015 debut Neapolitan – especially as the garage-y/surf-y off-center gem “Gutter Girl” made the rounds. From that point, their evolution continued on its elaborate path of endless influences. On their third LP Sportswear, the San Francisco-based trio joyfully flows through a more synth-centered mesh […]
Get your hazy self out to The Far Out Lounge and Stage in South Austin for today’s epic FAR OUT 4.20 celebration. Dude – doors open at 4:20 p.m. (of course they do), and the live music kicks off with the magnificent artistry of Indrajit Banerjee at 5:30 p.m., followed by James Bookert’s solo project […]
Today’s AMM spotlights an artist previously featured on the KUTX Song of the Day, Omarr Awake. Songwriter and vocalist Omarr Escoffié had dedicated years of recording and touring worldwide with his LA-based band Slow Car Crash before making a solo debut in 2013, following his move to Austin. And the ATX is where Escoffié continues […]
Heed the AMM’s instructions: After the show with Nik Parr & The Selfless Lovers, Motenko and Beatnik Bandits at Empire Control Room this evening (doors at 8 p.m.), stick around to hang with an Academy Award-winning director – who also happens to be an incredible music artist, producer and badass DJ. This year, Ahmir Questlove […]
Heartless Bastards have two hometown shows coming up, just before heading out on the road. Catch them tonight, Friday April 15, and/or tomorrow, Saturday April 16, at Antone’s (cool if you do both, no worries!). Star Parks opens the show tonight, and Shooks starts out the evening tomorrow. Doors open at 7 p..m. both nights.
This was it, the moment to let one’s guard down and go for something…bigger. Wolf Alice vocalist/guitarist Ellie Rowsell took that leap with her band on their third album, Blue Weekend, and came through with a phenomenal LP on every level. From its lyrical depth and swagger, to the time spent polishing and perfecting every […]
Smiling With No Teeth has been labeled everything from avant-hip-hop to alt.-funk, but Genesis Owusu is not preoccupied with genres. For the Ghanaian-born/Canberra, AU-based artist, creating the album was an overall cathartic experience, and an opportunity to be candid about depression and racism. Time to reclaim the dreaded “black dog” by hitting with the hardest […]
Geographer‘s fourth LP Down and Out In The Garden Of Earthly Delights simultaneously weaves intimate spaces while conveying an epic soundscape – introspection and lush, cinematic panorama all in one. San Francisco-based songwriter Mike Deni embraces it all in his band’s expansive 2021 release examining the human experience. Geographer is on the road in support […]
The Me Mer Mo Monday music series at The Volstead provides endless opportunities for musical discovery with their genre-defying, eclectic shows. And in tonight’s spotlight: A set featuring Justin Boyd, Joey Reyes, and Lindsey Verrill (Little Mazarn); along with Pico Farad and Spencer Dobbs, with visuals provided by Vision System. Me Mer Mo Monday is […]
Imagine the horror of being eaten alive… Rather a dramatic statement coming from today’s AMM, true, but the imagery in “Carroña” by Superfónicos goes for it full force in their unflinching condemnation of political corruption. Politicians playing with people’s lives are the vultures in power, greedily taking all they can and leaving nothing, like vultures […]
This weekend, The ABGB on W. Oltorf is the hot spot for a must-see bill with two badass ATX bands: Fame Money Death spins a brilliantly twisted merry-go-round ride – in hell. And the harmonies delivered by Juli Keller and Cody Dosier are deviously heavenly. Rolls of boundless energy from art/punk-pop duo Being Dead. Featured […]
Big shout-out to Austin-based all-womyn run booking crew Howdy Gals for the badass line-up tonight, Thursday April 7, at Hotel Vegas on E. 6th. Doors open at 9:30 p.m., and KUTX Artist of the Month alumnus San Gabriel starts out the night at 10:15 p.m., followed by Terrence Kiser’s lo-fi pop project Soul Sipper at […]
Grant Mullen, Gianni Aiello and Henry LaVallee were just out of high school when their 2018 debut SLUFF came sprawling out all over the place with all the things – a pop/punk/garage/surf/rock-out frenzy, with the kind of hooks that grab from the start. In various interviews with Naked Giants (well, a lot of interviews), everybody […]
Another winner. Your Austin Music Minute host has a deep appreciation for dialing it up past 11, and San Francisco outfit FUZZ does exactly that with III.
With guitarist Charles Moothart and bassist Chad Ubovich, drummer/vocalist Ty Segall leads the trio in a crashing return to the raw, heavy, thunderous rock that’s always been at the core of their sound. Call it psych-, proto- or prog-metal, whatever suits your mood. Some even see the album as coming back full circle, a return to the feel of the band’s first release. It’s all that, and none of the above. Just absorb the primordial rumblings and lightning bolts, and don’t overthink. It’ll rein you in as opener “Returning” (featured on today’s AMM) immediately sets the mood.
“There is no sum greater than one.” The pieces unite to make that unstoppable whole.
Catch FUZZ at their performance tomorrow night, Wednesday April 6, at the Mohawk on Red River. LA country/cosmic rock duo Color Green opens the show. Doors at 6:30 p.m.
BluMoon performs Sunday night, April 3, at Hotel Vegas. KUTX sends a big shoutout to the awesome team at UT’s student-run station KVRX 91.7 for the all-local line-up at this Sunday night’s show at Hotel Vegas on E. 6th. Doors open at 7 p.m., and the music starts at 8 p.m. with rapper and unflinching spoken word artist behind the incredible A Scathing Critique of Current Affairs, Chucky Blk; at 9 p.m., alt.-neo soul/R&B outfit BluMoon takes the stage (with Kendra Sells); and wrapping up the night is Mama Duke at 10 p.m.
Chucky Blk plays Sunday night, April 3, at Hotel Vegas.
Torre Blake performs Saturday at Central Machine Works. This is one of those automatic “YES” shows that the Austin Music Minute pounced on. It’s another stellar line-up at Central Machine Works with two heavy hitters in the local scene: Hip-hop artist David Shabani and singer-songwriter Torre Blake.
It’s all happening this Saturday night, April 2, at Central Machine Works, 4824 E. Cesar Chavez (back entrance on E. 5th St.). The music kicks off at 7 p.m., and…they’ll be joined by a special guest. But whom?!
To be announced, friends. Show up to find out.
There’s no dark side. It’s all dark – and spectacularly badass. Darkbird reminds you that love and light aren’t mutually exclusive with their latest release, Ballad of A Junebug. KUTX has featured the EP’s fiery electro-groove opener, “Heartbeat,” and today’s AMM spotlight shines on the EP’s title track that slices your heart in two. “Just tie a little string around my legs / I’ll be your kite / I’m waiting for the fall to come / And I’ll crawl out of your life…”
Darkbird celebrates the release of Ballad of A Junebug with a show tomorrow night, Friday April 1, at 3Ten at ACL Live. The killer line-up features Jane Leo and Urban Heat. Doors at 7:30 p.m., and the music starts at 8:30 p.m.
It was a decision not made lightly. However, even before taking the big step of starting a career in music, Carl “Buffalo” Nichols knew he wanted to honor the music and stories of the past by bringing them into the future. Original blues music – American music – tells the stories of the Black experience. On his self-titled LP, Nichols keeps those stories alive, and in doing so, breathes new life into them by sharing his own experiences as a Black man.
“Part of my intent, making myself more comfortable with this release, is putting more Black stories into the genres of folk and blues,” Nichols explains. “Listening to this record, I want more Black people to hear themselves in this music that is truly theirs.”
Buffalo Nichols performs tonight, Wednesday March 30, at Stateside at The Paramount. Special guest Little Mazarn, featuring Lindsey Verrill and Jeff Johnston, opens the show.
As of this writing, tonight’s show is sold out, but Paramount kindly asks that you check their website* to see if additional seats become available.
Lala Lala’s I Want The Door To Open Lala Lala (Chicago-based artist Lillie West) embraces the uproar of meaningful change on I Want The Door To Open, West’s third album as Lala Lala and very much a metamorphosis of her musical style, from a lo-fi vibe to a sharper electro-pop/rock. Within the introspective fray is the pursuit of a truer freedom, where genuine transformation occurs without second-guessing, obsessive editing (and overthinking) of one’s self-image, or any distortion through filters. It’s the transparency West desires in today’s AMM-featured track, “Color of the Pool.”
You can get the album at Lala Lala’s performance tomorrow night, Wednesday March 30, at Empire Control Room on E. 7th. Doors open at 8 p.m., and the show starts at 9 p.m.
Today’s Austin Music Minute heaps praises upon the ATX host-with-the-most, Denis O’Donnell, and rightly so. The proprietor of South Austin venue Sagebrush, O’Donnell is also a musician (East Cameron Folk Core 4-lyfe, and don’t leave out The Bread), big time music lover and music supporter, and all-around badass. And he’s continuing something of a tradition that began at his former E. 7th St. dive, Hard Luck Lounge. Annnd, in case you missed it: Shout-outs and praises are also in order for fellow musician/all-around badass who kept that swap lit and kicked it up several notches, Tate Mayeux (Mayeux and Broussard), leading those much-beloved Tater Tuesdays like a family affair.
The Hard Luck Song Swap now has a home every Tuesday night at Sagebrush, and this week, O’Donnell brings out the upright bass to host performances by Bear Ryan (featured on today’s AMM), Nick Fong (Loteria), and Lou Lewis (Rattlesnake Milk). The show starts at 10 p.m. tomorrow, Tuesday March 29, at Sagebrush.
Bear Ryan’s new single “Sugarfoot” is out now.
This is a true story about music, who makes it, what it’s always been, and where it’s headed. Only now, the visibility is growing and changing. Black Opry keeps the conversation moving forward.
The Nashville-based collective, founded by writer Holly G, was created for Black music artists, and Black fans, of country, folk, blues and Americana. It’s a supportive space focused on evolving the genres to make them – and the industry that sells and promotes them – more inclusive. The Black Opry Revue takes it a step further with songwriters’ rounds, festival performances and showcases, highlighting the often overlooked versatility of each of these genres.
The Revue is in Austin to present a showcase tonight, Saturday March 26, at 3Ten at ACL Live, with performances by Roberta Lea, Nicky Diamonds, Aaron Vance, Houston’s very own Kam Franklin (The Suffers), and Nikki Morgan. Doors open at 7:30 p.m., and the show starts at 8:30 p.m.
Damn. It’s as if Far Out Lounge and Stage asked the Austin Music Minute to put this show together. Inflated ego aside, this is your recommended line-up for tonight, Friday March 25. Warning: Infectious grooves may lead to dancing:
- The impressive photos and behind-the-scenes clips on Daniel Fears‘ Instagram are hinting at more awesomeness on the way from the Austin-based songwriter/multi-instrumentalist. Keep Canopy in your soundtrack, keep your ears and eyes peeled, and catch him at Far Out Lounge this evening.
- Never mind the apocalyptic collapse of the burning landscape surrounding you, your love song is here! Dark-electronic mayhem, with punk pumping through its veins, Urban Heat arrives to ignite the stage and release the demons.
- Your AMM’s got “I Like It” on repeat. For real. And set aside your standard definitions of R&B or soul. Torre Blake is here to push beyond all that. Incredible voice, extraordinary presence.
Doors open at 7 p.m., and the music starts at 8 p.m. (No worries, you have plenty time to catch this one after Rock the Park.)
It’s Rio Grande Valley representin’ big time at C-Boy’s Heart and Soul. If you’ve been missing out on Nuevo‘s badass weekly residency, pencil it in now before you forget. Dynamic duo Dante Schwebel and David Jimenez take over the room with their powerhouse performance tonight, Thursday March 24, at C-Boy’s, 2008 S. Congress Ave. And once again, it burns even harder with The Los Sundowns on board. The music starts at 10 p.m. Get there early.
Daphne Tunes Another line-up to check out at the Far Out Lounge and Stage. Check it:
- Get your smooth pop/freak folk on. And while you’re at it, check out COVERED, an awesome collection of covers quite lovingly recorded and produced by Austin-based pop trio Daphne Tunes.
- You should totally be hooked on Santa Rosa by now, Addictive dream-pop/rock from songwriter Aaron Miller’s solo project Josie Lockhart (“If There’s A Heaven” is featured on today’s AMM). Josie Lockhart
- Listen closely. This may be “desert twang sonic smoothness from the third dimension” crossing your sound waves. Enter Lost Palace.
See them all tonight, Wednesday March 23, at Far Out Lounge, 8504 S. Congress Ave. Doors at 6 p.m., and the music starts at 7 p.m.
Photography by Jesus Garcia. Kiko Villamizar‘s new album Todo El Mundo was already getting rave reviews before its official February 18 release date, and Villamizar and his band were ready for their Feb. 3 release show at Antone’s.
A winter freeze derailed those show plans (thanks, weather), but no worries – the rescheduled performance is coming up tomorrow night, Wednesday March 23, at Antone’s. Doors at 7 p.m., and the show kicks off at 8 p.m. with PELIGROSO, followed by Easy Compadre.
SXSW may be over, but the music goes on in the ATX. And the AMM is giving you a heads-up about this upcoming show:
New Orelans-based Hurray For the Riff Raff, formed by songwriter Alynda Segarra in 2007, is currently on tour in support of their eighth LP, Life on Earth, something Segarra has described as “nature punk” exploring themes of survival. The subject matter is intense, sometimes bleak, but Segarra has constructed a powerful, beautiful space of transformative sound.
Hurray For the Riff Raff will be in Austin for a show tomorrow night, Tuesday March 22, at Antone’s. Boston-based artist Anjimile starts out the night. Doors at 7 p.m., and the music starts at 8 p.m.
Think No Think plays the Spaceflight Records showcase at Easy Tiger East. One more round, before we pass out. Here are a few more AMM SXSW selections for Saturday, March 19:
- The second day of Arlyn Studio’s showcase extravaganza continues, featuring Mrs. Glass, Blackillac, Black Pistol Fire, Calder Allen, Sue Foley and many others.
- The huge Smokeout ATX showcase at Revival Coffee featuring Quin NFN and J Soulja. J Soulja
- Tomar and The FCs and Honey Made at Parker Jazz Club.
- San Antonio electro-industrial artist MVTANT performs at Chess Club.
- Showcases at Creek and The Cave and Creek and The Cave Backyard, including Nuevo, The Deer, Sir Woman, Star Parks and Buffalo Hunt.
- Spaceflight Records showcase at Easy Tiger East with Wil Cope, Sideshow Tragedy, Otis Wilkins, Dossey, Think No Think (featured on today’s AMM), Urban Heat and more.
- Lord Friday the 13th and The Well are part of the massive Hotel Vegas & Surfbort Showcase at Hotel Vegas, including Big Joanie, The Spits, Pussy Gillette, Holy Wave, Black Mercy and many others.
- Catch Lolita Lynn and The Tiarras performing at Cooper’s BBQ.
- Chili Dog Fest continues at Saddle Up, benefitting Austin Humane Society, with Croy and The Boys, Liz Burrito, Nick Allison and The Player’s Lounge, Loteria, The Tender Things, Transgressors and more. Day three continues tomorrow, Sunday March 20, at Empire Control Room with a HUGE line up. List provided on the Chili Dog Fest Facebook event page.
Fake Fruit performs tonight at Swan Dive. Photography: Corayma Gaytan. It’s not over yet. Not by a long shot. Welcome to the next round. These are the AMM SXSW picks for tonight, Friday March 18:
- Harry Edohoukwa and Primo the Alien are part of a showcase at Sheraton Backyard with Guy Forsyth and Jeska Forsyth. Harry Edohoukwa. Photography: Amarachi Ngwakwe for KUTX.
- Vaquero Taquero is the location for a showcase that includes Austin artists TeddyTheLegacy, Mike Melinoe and The Teeta.
- Thelma and The Sleaze play a showcase at Lamberts with fellow Nashville artists DeeOhGee and Nordista Freeze, and New Zealand songwriter Tami Neilson.
- Oakland band Fake Fruit (featured on today’s AMM) plays a showcase at Swan Dive that includes Toronto band PACKS, Louisville, KY band Wombo and Austin-based band Mamalarky.
- ATX bands TC Superstar, Go Fever and Big Bill play at Easy Tiger East with Philadelphia post-punk outfit Blood and Brooklyn electro-pop band Psymon Spine.
- There’s a showcase at Stephen F’s Bar that includes Netherlands artist Robin Kester and Richmond, VA songwriter Deau Eyes.
- Austin songwriter Clarence James plays at House Party, 84 Rainey St., along with Madrid duo MAVICA and LA-based rap artist SPEAK.
- Portland, OR rock outfit The Shivas are in tonight’s line-up at The Green Jay, with London artists Hotel Lux and Meatraffle.
- Suzanne Vega performs at Central Presbyterian Church in a showcase that includes Kathy McCarty and Annika Bennett.
Remember to drink some water, okay?
Letting Up Despite Great Faults perform at The Drafting Room. Photography: Elysia Perkins. Someone recently referred to these posts as “the Austin Music Minute SXSW laundry list overload.” That’s fine. Presenting the AMM’s picks for tonight, Thursday March 17:
- AMM fave Big Joanie plays a showcase at the Mohawk, with Tallies, PASTEL GHOST, Fears, and Roller Derby.
- ATX band Letting Up Despite Great Faults (featured on today’s AMM) plays at The Drafting Room, along with Italian artists Qlowski and Her Skin, Seattle artist MØAA, and San Francisco band Lofi Legs.
- A Spaceflight Records official showcase at the SXSW Outdoor Stage at Ladybird Lake, with Golden Dawn Arkestra, Heartless Bastards, …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, Kalu and The Electric Joint, and Croy and the Boys.
- LA songwriter, vocalist and violinist Sudan Archives is part of a great line-up at Empire Garage.
- Alexalone plays at Cheer Up Charlie’s, with Plato III (Plato the Third), IAN SWEET, Katy Kirby, Lunar Vacation, Sun June and Good Looks.
- The Hotel Vegas patio is the spot to catch The Dream Syndicate, The Lemonheads’ Evan Dando, and Nolan Potter’s Nightmare Band.
- Excellent showcase at House Nazdorovye with Madison,WI psych artist Kainalu, Bogota psych trio BALTHVS, and New Orleans-based Bulgarian prog-folk outfit Blato Zlato.
- Have you heard? Tobe Nwigwe and BunB at Mala Vida. Damn.
- The ultra-fabulous Caleb De Casper performs at the Chicken Ranch Records showcase at Valhalla. Featuring JM Stevens, Thee Idylls, Delhi-based electronic duo Komorebi, and Peelander Z.
- Blues artist Sugaray Rayford at Augustine in a showcase featuring Jackie Venson, The Suffers, and Bright Light Social Hour.
David Shabani performs tonight at SXSBreaks. Yes. It’s a lot. But how can one pick just a couple of showcases when there’s so much to see? These are the Austin Music Minute‘s SXSW picks for tonight, Wednesday March 16:
- SXSBreaks at Pour Choices, 401 E. 6th St., hosted by Fresh Knight and Confucious Jones and featuring Mike Melinoe, David Shabani (pictured above), EC Mayne, Chakeeta B and more.
- Some awesome sets at Cedar Street Courtyard with Glasgow artist Joesef, Manchester band Calva Louise, and London dynamic duo Nova Twins.
- A big show at Central Presbyterian Church with Perfume Genius, Kimbra, Fly Anakin, Sarah Kinsley and Jenny Owen Youngs (yes, there’s an “s” at the end of that).
- A showcase at Cheer Up Charlie’s featuring J Soulja, Chicago-based band Horsegirl and and Copenhagen-based composer Astrid Sonne.
- An incredible electronic showcase at Iron Bear, with Miami band Donzii, Los Angeles duo Polyplastic, and Berlin artist Ava Vegas.
- San Gabriel plays a showcase at Las Perlas that includes San Francisco songwriter Mae Powell.
- The Living Pins play at Low Down, 1412 E. 6th, with Memphis band Blvck Hippie, and Columbus, OH avant-garage band DANA.
- Spaceflight Records showcase at Easy Tiger East, with S.L. Houser, The Tender Things, Slomo Drags, Hong Kong Wigs (featured on today’s AMM), and Sailor Poon. Hong Kong Wigs
- Trucha Soul DJ’s at Hotel Vegas, line-up with En Orbito, El Combo Oscuro, Superfónicos, Volcán, Bombasta, El Tule, Nohe & Sus Santos, and Chorizo Funk.
- An all-Austin showcase at The Venue ATX, 516 E. 6th. features Quentin and The Past Lives, Eimaral Sol, Lesly Reynaga, Kiko Villamizar, Betty Soo, Shiela and Nagavalli.
And a few more badass shout-outs of note: DJ Shani is spinning at Coconut Club; Curtis McMurtry performs at a showcase at Lamberts; Pleasure Venom will melt your face off at Lustre Pearl; and a showcase at The Continental Club, featuring Jake Lloyd, Lisa Morales, KUTX March Artist of the Month Sir Woman, Je Texas, and The Texas Gentlemen.
Pick whatever fits your vibe. Enjoy!
We Don’t Rid Llamas play tonight at Stubb’s. It’s another crazy-full list of the Austin Music Minute‘s SXSW showcase selections tonight, Tuesday, March 15. Go for it:
- Another winner with the British Music Embassy showcase at Cedar Street Courtyard including Yard Act, Los Bitchos, and Pillow Queens.
- Buffalo Nichols and SASAMI are on tonight’s line-up at 3Ten at ACL Live. SASAMI. Photo by Angela Riccardi.
- A lot to check out Cheer Up Charlie’s, including Glove, Night Moves, Seratones, and Sunflower Bean on the outside stage, and MEMES and Anna B. Savage on the inside stage.
- LA band Egg Drop Soup and ATX band Being Dead are on the line-up tonight at Chess Club, 617 Red River.
- DJ Kay Cali spins tonight at Stubb’s for the DAWA benefit, with We Don’t Ride Llamas (featured on today’s AMM), Magna Carda, Mélat, and Cha’keeta B.
- Austin-based artists Curse Mackey and Ringo Deathstarr play tonight’s showcase at Elysium, with Athens, GA duo Vision Video, London band Phobophobes, and Brownsville, TX post-punk duo Twin Tribes.
- David Shabani ignites the stage at Empire Control Room tonight at a showcase that includes Deante Hitchcock and hip-hop/pop duo They Hate Change.
- Making Movies and The Tiarras are part of a great showcase at Speakeasy, with Luna Luna, Salt Cathedral, and REYNA.
- This one happens to be over-the-top sick. A Giant Dog and Sixteen Deluxe play a showcase at Valhalla that includes Rosegarden Funeral Party and Aertex.
Mattiel Stay hydrated and get some rest. SXSW 2022 is underway, and the overwhelming selection of SXSW live and online events this year can be a daunting thing. But, as is typically the case this time of year, the AMM will offer a few recommendations that include official showcases and shows off the beaten path.
For today/tonight, Monday March 14:
- Light the House, presented by Lightstream, continues this afternoon at 2 p.m. at Scholz Garten, with Star Parks, Slomo Drags, KVN, Magic Rockers of Texas, comedian Avery Moore and special guests.
- Belfast-based pop duo Beauty Sleep has a performance at The Green Jay, 711 Red River.
- Songwriter (and backing vocalist for Eryka Badu) Durand Bernarr is performing at a showcase at Cheer Up Charlie’s. Durand Bernarr
- Canadian artists are in the spotlight at Swan Dive, 615 Red River, including rapper Naya Ali, songwriter Mauvey, synth-pop duo Paupiére, and Toronto punk outfit Bad Waitress.
- The Spring Break Boogie 11 Kickoff at Hotel Vegas continues through the night with Surfbort, A Giant Dog, Sailor Poon, Nolan Potter’s Nightmare Band, Annabelle Chairlegs, Deezie Brown, Tele Novella and many more.
- Dude. Post-punk pioneers Gang of Four happens to be playing tonight at the Mohawk. (DAMN.)
And giving you a head start for a show starting at 2 p.m. tomorrow, March 15: Stoned Roses Fest at The Far Out Lounge and Stage, 8504 S. Congress Ave., featuring Daiistar, Mattiel, Blvck Hippie, Ezra Furman and more.
Photo of Sweet Spirit by Dave Creaney. If you’ve been following the AMM for awhile now, you know the drill: Every SXSW time, the Austin Music Minute offers a few show picks for your perusal, both official showcases and shows off the beaten path. And we’ve only just begun:
- Lightstream free show with Sweet Spirit, A. Sinclair, Brother Thunder, and the Texas String Assembly. 5 p.m., Scholz Garten, 1607 San Jacinto Blvd.
- SX Soundcheck Saturday at Hotel Vegas, with Golden Dawn Arkestra, Sweet Spirit (double duty today!), Calliope Musicals, Chief Cleopatra, Van Mary, Colt Wayne Keeney, Loteria, and Honky Tonk Machine.
- The Gravitoyd Heavy Music Festival at Independence Brewing Company, 3913 Todd Ln., featuring Atomic Bitchwax, Valley of the Sun, The Well (featured on today’s AMM), Tia Carrera and more. Full line-up at the Independence Brewing Co. website.
- Ray Prim and groove outfit 80H Project play at Radio Coffee and Beer, 4204 Menchaca Rd.
- The Bluebonnets take over the room at C-Boys Heart and Soul, 2008 S. Congress Ave.
Plus, a very special shout-out for a show Sunday March 13: A badass bill at the Long Play Lounge East, 1910 E. Cesar Chavez, with Drakulas, Big Bill, and BÖNDBREAKR, starting at 9 p.m.
The AMM offers you yet another excellent way to jumpstart your SXSW adventures: This incredible unofficial showcase presented by the Black Austin Musicians’ Collective and Austin music blog Ovrld at Central Machine Works, 4284 E. Cesar Chavez, today from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. This is ridiculously good: Jackie Venson (featured on today’s AMM); Geto Gala, with Jake Lloyd and Deezie Brown; Alesia Lani; Urban Heat; and starting out this early showcase, Jonny Jukebox at 2 p.m. Don’t miss a single performance. Layer up and go for it.
It’s been 11 years since Hotel Vegas and The Volstead started hosting shows on E. 6th in what was, at the time, the polar opposite vibe of Dirty Sixth. The small East Austin venues soon earned their rep for being the go-to spots for cool shows/DJ sets by local and touring artists, from the coziest indoor performances to unbelievably huge crowds clamoring at the patio stage.
Vegas and Volstead mark their 11-year anniversary with – what else? – a mondo party tonight, Thursday March 10, with 11 bands, 11 DJ’s, 11 comedians (there’s a theme here…), a fabulous drag show, loads of vendors and more. Doors open at 4 p.m., and live music continues throughout the night with A Giant Dog, Ringo Deathstarr, Annabelle Chairlegs, Sailor Poon, The Stacks, Sheverb, Flyer Club (with all the flyers), Borzoi, Pleasure Venom, Lord Friday the 13th, and Billy Glitter.
The summer of 2015 was a breaking point for Jolie Cota Flink. Worn down by health issues and crumbling relationships, Flink turned to writing the songs that led to the debut of Mean Jolene, and their first album, Salty. Putting that roller coaster trip into music was the ultimate release – grit, open wounds, unmasked bitterness and all, but never extinguishing the light on the horizon. Follow-up Try Harder (2019) raises the power pop levels to shredder mode, digging further beneath the badass veneer into the affairs of the heart with a clearer mind.
Flink happens to be celebrating a birthday this week with an awesome show at Hotel Vegas. The line-up includes Mean Jolene, TV’s Daniel, Berkshire Hounds, and Nick Allison and the Players Lounge. Catch the birthday shindig tonight, Wednesday March 9. Doors at 8:30 p.m., and the music starts at 9:30 p.m.
Pearl Z puts in the work. As any full-time musician will tell you, it’s a lot. Endless. Many pivotal moments and personal changes led to the path she’s on today, which includes recording and touring with Kalu and The Electric Joint and as a lead vocalist for Sly and The Family Stone/Curtis Mayfield cover band Sly Curtis. But the Austin-born songwriter and multi-instrumentalist is built for the journey, constantly inspired by her favorite artists – Aretha Franklin, Dolly Parton, Beyonce, Madonna, Lizzo – who shook up an industry that still requires shaking-up to this day.
“I say this because I want to shine a light on women in the industry in hopes of inspiring other women and young girls to believe in the power within themselves to accomplish whatever it is they desire,” Pearl Z told Shoutout DFW in an August 2020 interview. “Learning about the actual lives of these people (and many more) has inspired me greatly to continue pushing forward with my career goals.”
More is on the horizon from the PearlZWorld solo project, and you can see a performance by Pearl Z tomorrow night, Wednesday March 9, at the Far Out Lounge and Stage. She shares the bill with ATX psych trio Dayeater. Doors open at 7 p.m., and the music starts at 8 p.m.
Hearing music by an Austin artist or band on a nationwide TV show never gets old. Ever. Earlier this year, KUTX Artist of the Month alumnus Flora and Fawna had “Slow Burn,” the mega-chill/ultra-cool opener from their 2019 self-titled debut, on a recent episode of The CW series Batwoman.
Catch official SXSW artists Flora and Fawna at their show tomorrow night, Tuesday March 8, at Hotel Vegas on E. 6th. NOLA-based artist LeTrainiump and San Marcos synth artist Tombus are on the bill, with the music kicking off at 9 p.m. All of the YES. And a behind-the-scenes detail: Flora and Fawna played on a bill with LeTrainiump just before the pandemic started. Full circle, baby.
You know that distinctive howl in the night, only this time, The Ghost Wolves bring their badass blues-rock into a darker realm. Two new singles from the ATX duo’s forthcoming LP Never Die, “Devil’s Vine” and recent KUTX Song of the Day “End of It All,” are both awesomely unsettling, creepily stalking at a decidedly different pace from their typically fiery shreds, but certainly not lacking in fangs. Gloom and grit go hand in hand on this spectral plane. (Or, claw in claw?)
Hear the new tunes at The Ghost Wolves’ show tonight, Saturday March 5, at The ABGB, 1305 W. Oltorf. Rowdy rockers Veronica Peach and The Thigh Highs ask that you unleash your inner slut when they kick off the night. Get there by 9 p.m., fiends.
Swan Dive is your Friday night Red River hot spot with three must-see sets: The night starts out with KUTX’s January Artist of the Month, San Gabriel, at 10 p.m.; songwriter Alex’s musical creations as Cosmic Chaos take over the stage at 11 p.m.; and it’s a single release show by Scott and Balin’s fuzzed-up absurdist post-punk project Friday Boys, celebrating their new track “I’m Skinny.”
It’s all tonight, Friday March 4, at Swan Dive, 615 Red River. Doors open at 9 p.m., and make sure to stick around after the show for a late-night DJ set by Secret Levels.
Seemed fun at first, but…nah, don’t wanna be paired with a death wish. “I ain’t hangin’ out the window / Good luck, good run,” says Abhi the Nomad in his sendoff to insanity, “Good Luck” from Abhi vs. The Universe. And this, his fourth studio album, conquers the universe head-on. Each track flows magnificently into the other in an epic roller coaster journey right up to the finale, “Circle,” as the dark humor dissipates into a vulnerable declaration that pulls the damn rug from beneath your feet.
You have got to see this show. Abhi the Nomad performs tomorrow night, Friday March 4, at the Historic Scoot Inn, 1308 E. 4th St., on a gargantuan bill featuring Rhode Island artist Khary, and ATX artists Magna Carda and Deezie Brown. Doors open at 7 p.m. Seriously, do not miss any part of this show. This is all of the winning.
Time for the final installation of the Lloyder Lockdown, brought to you by multi-talented songwriter extraordinaire Jake Lloyd. And on this occasion, Lloyd says new music will be on this evening’s agenda – as well as a few cuts you may not hear performed live ever again. What?! (cue dramatic music)
To get the vibe pumping, joining Lloyd on the bill is ATX electro-pop warrior Dossey. Helluva way to wrap up this residency! It’s all going down at the Lloyder Lockdown tonight, Wednesday March 2, at the Far Out Lounge and Stage, 8504 S. Congress Ave. Doors open at 7 p.m.
*Today’s AMM featured tracks:
- The wicked beats of Dossey’s otherwordly “Black Magic.”
- Badass swagger “Crossroading” by Jake Lloyd. Hell yes.
Gary Numan is a pioneer, the maestro, in the realm of dark electronic sagas, the synth master inspiring generations of industrially-inclined artists of many genres. Perhaps fans are prone to relive the badassery of earlier releases from Numan’s 45-year catalogue (The Pleasure Principle, Telekon, Berserker, Dance), but it’s time to direct the ear toward Numan’s recent epiccinematic soundscape, Intruder, a menacingly apocalyptic vision of climatic and technological forces turning on humankind. Be afraid. Be very afraid.
Numan’s current tour in support of Intruder includes a stop in Austin for a show tomorrow night, Wednesday March 2, at Emo’s, 2015 E. Riverside Drive. Electronic experimental outfit I Speak Machine opens the show. Doors at 7 p.m.
The poster for Flyer Club‘s Monday night residency reads “THURSDAY NIGHT LIVE.” Of course it does. Adventure time.
Flyer Club Network founders Aaron Chavez and Connor McCampbell explained that the project was made to, quite simply, “increase flyer awareness”. What you’ll also discover is a DIY celebration of the art and commitment going into the design for all occasions, including show posters and ‘zines. This week, Flyer Club wraps up their art and music residency tonight, Monday Feb. 28, at Hotel Vegas, featuring performances by Jane Leo and TC Superstar. Everything kicks off at 9 p.m.
Apparently, Leatherface never really left. And he’s got an impressive soundtrack behind him.
Today’s AMM featured track, Moving Panoramas‘ “Whiskey Fight,” from the dreamiest of LPs In Two, has a spot in Netflix’s 2022 sequel to the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Nothing like having some slasher bragging rights. You have the opportunity to catch Moving Panoramas at their show tonight, Saturday Feb. 26, at The ABGB, 1305 W. Oltorf, with special guest Dancer In the Sun. The music starts at 9 p.m. And do leave the saw at home, thank you.
Today’s AMM featured track is by ATX-based electronic world-beat trio Easy Compadre!. “Bailongo Disco” made its debut earlier this month, taking its name from a famous ‘90s dance club in Monterrey, Mexico, and inspired by the myriad of ways music helps us escape.
The chilly air won’t stop this heat. See a late-night set by Easy Compadre! tonight, Friday Feb. 25, at the Sahara Lounge, 1413 Webberville Rd. They play at midnight, preceded by Huerta Culture, Antonio Dionisio, and Bossa Nova with Paula Maya starting out the night at 7:30 p.m. Y no pares de bailar…
All defining moments of pop usually have that catchy, infectious, addictive something – whether bubble-gummy, shimmery, or even explosive. It can also knock you on your ass. Enter Spaceflight Records artist Slomo Drags.
And it’s not just the catchiness, or their incredible musicianship, for that matter. Something just rips with this in-your-face irreverence that makes you wanna be in on the humor. Cheers to Jackson Albracht for the twists and turns. Treat yourself to the Slomo Drags episode on Johnny Goudie‘s podcast How Did I Get Here? for behind-the-scenes goodies and a damn great convo.
Slomo Drags is ready to unleash their new EP Twin Absorber into the world. They’re celebrating with a show tomorrow night, Friday Feb. 25, at Hotel Vegas, with PR Newman and Van Mary. Doors open at 9 p.m.
Photography by Ichiro. Today’s featured AMM track honors the teammates, the friends, the loved ones, remaining through thick and thin: The anthemic “Homies” can be found on the album 2:54 by ATX hip-hop artist Vontay Galaxy. Catch his performance tomorrow night, Thursday Feb. 24, at Meanwhile Brewing Company, 3901 Promontory Point Dr. He’s on the bill with songwriter Nikolas Olson. The music starts at 7 p.m.
Photography by Catherine Davis. You’ve seen him play Sagebrush, maybe even The White Horse – and, oh hell yes. On national television, perhaps? This time, Austin-based songwriter Jordan Matthew Young has the role of host to a handful of live acoustic sets this week at The Pershing Presents: Songwriter Round. It’s an evening of intimate, low-key performances with Young and special guests Kathryn Legendre, Ben Ballinger, Otis Wilkins (Taylor Wilkins), Kelly Green and Kelley Mickwee.
Join the crew for the Songwriter Round, happening tomorrow night, Wednesday Feb. 23 at Pershing Hall, 2415 E. 5th. Doors open at 7 p.m., and the show starts at 8 p.m.
Amid a few frustrations, the search for a permanent guitarist in their line-up has not slowed down San Antonio Chicana punk band Fea.
If you need an intro, plug into the raw energy of their second release, No Novelties, yet another gem of bilingual badassery recorded at Sonic Ranch. Classic punk sounds merge with complex arrangements to take it to the next level. And No Novelties is the band’s collective response to all the eyeroll-inducing times they’ve been undervalued, trivialized, glossed over…reduced to a damned stereotype. All the nonbelievers are kicked to the curb.
Fea returns to the ATX for a show tomorrow night, Tuesday Feb. 22, at Hotel Vegas. They share a bill with Austin band Prom Threat, and DJ sets by Jenny Hoyston (Hey Jellie). Doors open at 8 p.m.
S.L. Houser Tonight’s the night. Three great performances coming up this evening at Longplay Lounge East, 1910 E. Cesar Chavez. Here’s the magic:
- You can throw all the alt.-country/modern folk/Americana references their way as you see fit. Doesn’t change the fact that their live shows get pretty damn rock ‘n’ roll, pushing into punk. It’s good fer ya. ATX outfit Harvest Thieves ignites the night.
- From fronting Löwin to contributing to music by Spoon, Walker Lukens, Golden Dawn Arkestra, A Giant Dog and countless others, it’s been a hell of a journey. Now, it’s her turn. S.L. Houser is here to remind you “It’s Just What You Do.”
- Sending your heart a-flutter, it’s country-western duo Harry & Emmy delivering that sweet, sweet twang. Emily Whetstone (Van Mary) and Harrison Anderson (SMiiLE) bring all the swoon-worthy harmonies on their latest track, “Starseeds.”
Honey, it’s on tonight, Saturday Feb. 19, at Long Play Lounge East. The show kicks off at 9 p.m.
Before heading out to the Savannah Stopover Music Festival next month, KUTX Nov. 2021 Artist of the Month Buffalo Nichols has a few Texas tour dates supporting New Albany-based alt.-blues outfit Houndmouth. Austin is the next tour stop tomorrow night, Saturday Feb. 19, at the Historic Scoot Inn, 1308 E. 4th St. Doors open at 7 p.m. (And friendly AMM rec – if you haven’t already, get Nichols’ album, which includes KUTX-featured track “Back On Top.”)
“BAND IN VANS EATING PLANTS.” That’s what drew your AMM host to the video. What the hell?
Leave it to Austin Chronicle trippy troubadour Kevin Curtin to find an angle that piques the curiosity via Instagram. Curtin treats a musical guest to tasty sweets at Zucchini Kill Bakery on E. 53rd. And behold! Andrew Cashen slides into Curtin’s van, sporting a white ensemble and dark aviators that would’ve given Jim Jones a run for his money, accompanied by Sunflower (a “strange servant-y friend,” Curtin described him, though the guy’s name may be Peter). Ripe for drinkin’ the Kool Aid – or, perhaps in this case, kombucha?
This gloriously odd jaunt is in celebration of Cashen’s album Cosmic Silence, his second solo release on Brooklyn-based Rebel Rouser Records. Hear the new music at Cashen’s show tonight, Thursday Feb. 17, at Hotel Vegas on E. 6th. Joining Cashen for the party, but not necessarily signing over their life savings or first born, are Magic Rockers of Texas and gothic Americana artist Katacombs. Doors open at 9 p.m. White robes are optional.
This talent definitely runs in the family. Grammy-nominated artist Emily King happens to be the daughter of singers Marion Cowings and Kim Kalesti. King’s NYC childhood was one filled with jazz and classical music, inspiration paving the way to a multitude of influences, from R&B to hip hop. By age 16, she was writing her own songs, some of which became part of the Greenwich Village saga on her official debut, East Side Story (2007).
Amongst King’s outstanding recordings is longtime fan favorite, The Seven (2011). King continues a celebration of the EP’s ten-year anniversary with the Ever After Tour, which includes a stop in Austin tomorrow night, Thursday Feb. 17, at 3Ten at ACL Live. Doors open at 7:30 p.m., and the show begins at 8:30 p.m.
Check out King’s Studio 1A performances from 2019*.
‘Tis a lovely night, indeed! Get thine ears to Hole In the Wall for an evening of inspiring music with three very special guests:
- It’s punk, folk, and trans and queer art reshaping the trad.-folk legacy. Self-proclaimed trans raconteur Creekbed Carter Hogan is slangin’ queergrass and bendin’ genres with great alacrity. Creekbed Carter’s Tiny Desk Contest performance was a featured Desk of the Day via NPR.
- Lindsey Verrill and Jeff Johnston (pictured above) are magic. Listen, and you’ll know. Their songs have captured the whispers of the breeze, the crickets chirping…the way the moonlight feels. You’ve been enchanted by Little Mazarn. Start out with 2019’s Io in their library, but make sure you revisit their self-titled release, and the magnificent live and unrehearsed recordings with Ralph White.
- If you’ve followed the Austin Music Minute for awhile, you may know that Some Say Leland is not only a longtime AMM fave, but the songs are collectively part of a unique experience in the local scene. Dan Grissom makes stunningly beautiful music, reducing entire rooms of people to a mesmerized hush as he weaves this imagery that will break your heart. Brought Low and Wake are must-haves, but the AMM still carries a torch for Fifty Miles Into the Main. While you’re at it, explore the artwork of the multi-talented Grissom at Biscuit Press.
See Grissom, Little Mazarn and Creekbed Carter Hogan tonight, Tuesday Feb. 15, at Hole In the Wall, 2538 Guadalupe. The music starts at 8 p.m.
Sarah and The Sundays This is the ultimate love language right here. Mix an abundance of harmonies, anthemic choruses and equally anthemic guitar solos, and the perfect amount of glorious angst, and you have The Living End, the second album from Sarah and The Sundays. The Austin-based band, by way of Connecticut, has also created something quite cathartic, an entire range of emotions unleashed after being cooped up together in the same house within the past couple of years. From the lockdown came the ultimate release – and some deep reflection.
Before heading out on the road, Sarah and The Sundays has a show tonight, Monday Feb. 14, at Empire Control Room on E. 7th. Nineties-inspired sibling duo Olive Vox opens the show. Doors at 7 p.m., and the music starts at 8 p.m.
Today’s featured AMM track snagged a well-deserved spot on a recent KUTX Song of the Day. Our February Artist of the Month Chief Cleopatra reaches interstellar heights with “Fortuity,” featuring a backing band that includes Curtis Roush and Jack O’Brien (Bright Light Social Hour). All of this starry brilliance and more can be found on the Chief’s upcoming release Luna, out March 4.
Check out the fab Frank Weysos-directed “Fortuity” video, then see Chief Cleopatra on an incredible line-up supporting Houston-based rapper and musician KenTheMan tonight, Saturday Feb. 12, at Antone’s. The bill features Mama Duke, DJ Mahealani, and ultimate hostess-with-the-mostess Miss Jaywalk. Doors open at 8 p.m., and the music starts at 9 p.m.
Another example of two great sounds sounding great together: Today’s AMM featured track “ILikeIt.” The must-see double-header this weekend at Radio Coffee and Beer features a set by the powerhouse artists behind the music,singer/songwriter Torre Blake, and rapper/producer dynamic duo Magna Carda. All are on the bill tomorrow night, Saturday Feb. 12, at Radio, 4202 Manchaca Rd. Doors open at 8 p.m., and the music starts at 9 p.m.
It’s WINNING times three tomorrow night, Friday Feb. 11 at The Ballroom,2906 Fruth St. For Spite delivers an all-ATX , all-badass line-up:
- Put aside any definitions or expectations reserved for hip-hop. David Shabani is here to blow it up and reshape it for the collective fearlessness. “Doin’ Better,” today’s featured AMM track, is from Shabani’s Smooth Sounds of the Summer.
- Nineties funk-rock and contemporary hip-hop meet at the crossroads. The Dragon Berries are there when those worlds collide and collaborate. As KUTX’s Jack Anderson observes, “…the mashup genre of rap-rock can be a treacherous territory to navigate. That said, [this] Austin four-piece seems to have hit a stride in the hip-hop-meets-alt-rock field…”
- Genre-bending, crushing, mutilating and annihilating is the fuel that ignites Austin trio Blynd Birds. Get a hold of the LP Find Your Conscience, Baby and feel your jaw drop in awe over the list of producers on that white-hot striking iron – from Adrian Quesada to Jim Eno to Mobley, and many more. Cuts through the bone and the B.S.
Doors at The Ballroom open at 8 p.m. Get there early to catch all three.
Welcome to a not-so-ordinary listening experience… The AMM will not bog you down with blatherings-on about the magnificent musical complexities of Olson St. Clair. Take the journey and see where it leads you.
The Austin-based free jazz combo is a project hatched from the minds of Pocket Sounds’ Michael St. Clair and composer Jeffrey Olson, both inspired by a specific curiosity in terms of their first release, Western Free, on NYC experimental jazz label Chant Records. What exactly defines a Western sound – whether it’s a music style tagged with that label, or the western that calls to mind cattle-filled plains, endless skies and cowboys? St. Clair and Olson approached it all on their debut EP as an exploration of genre and anti-genre, an intentional departure from the expected, but simultaneously honoring the precedents set by the ground-breaking artists before them.
Olson St. Clair is presenting their debut live performance tonight, Wednesday Feb. 9, at Long Play Lounge East, 1910 E. Cesar Chavez. The show starts at 9 p.m.
Here are pages of an open book that’s still being written. The story emerged when 20-year-old Austin-based songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist and filmmaker Ginger Rodriguez made her musical debut at age 17 with I’m Crying In A Cool Way. The fearlessness in Rodriguez’s vulnerability leaves you anticipating the next chapter.
Last April, she released the follow-up, Melancholy, continuing her personal examination of identity, trauma and healing. “I need to find a better way to cope than cut my brain,” Rodriguez sings on the LP’s title track. “No one could love me if they know who I’ve been…when they don’t call me ginger they call me melancholy…”
Rodriguez has a show tonight, Tuesday Feb. 8, at Meanwhile Brewing Company, sharing a bill with Sneaky Peaches and The Fuzz. The music starts at 7 p.m.
Photography by Jacqueline Badeaux. There aren’t any ghosts in this godforsaken, murky old Gulf Coast motel you’re at, sunken in a bed that may not have been changed since the early ’80s. You’re just staring at the ceiling. An occasional side glance out the dirty window, or at that weird palm tree painting, but…no ghosts here. Only the ones in that cheap-ass bottle of whiskey you’re guzzling from like it was the antidote to your poison.
It’s supposed to make it go away. Instead, it’s morphed from crushing memories to a waking nightmare…
The haunted imagery, like faded photos or echoes of distant conversations, comes organically to songwriter and Spaceflight Records artist Wil Cope. Last year’s Kool Breez is the most recent chapter of resurrected shadows and wanderings from Dirty Baby Wil, but a bunch of new songs kick off a musical residency tonight, Monday Feb. 7, at Hole In the Wall. The music starts at 10 p.m.
Kiko Villamizar. Photography by Jesus Garcia. Following critical praises for three new singles, including the title track featured on today’s AMM, Kiko Villamizar is set to release Todo El Mundo on Feb. 18. Merging the tradition of cumbia and tropical futurism, the album’s overall narrative explores immigration, and the entirety of the earth itself. There’s also a constant internal dialogue examining the necessities of change, personal responsibility, and the struggles of not giving up during the most difficult, tumultuous times. Todo El Mundo translates into “everyone” – the whole world. These emotions are universal, as is the need for hope.
Villamizar’s album release party, originally scheduled for tonight at Antone’s, has been rescheduled to Wednesday March 23, with the line-up including Easy Compadre and PELIGROSA.
It’s looking like another lockdown – but not what you think. Behold the Lloyder Lockdown, brought to you by ATX multi-faceted maestro Jake Lloyd, bemoaning the miseries of lost love on the icy tundra of a “Cold Summer.” Though this time, the chill is definitely coming from the winter weather. Keeping that in mind, the Lockdown – as of this writing – is on for tonight, Wednesday Feb. 2, at the Far Out Lounge and Stage in South Austin. Doors open at 7 p.m., special guest Walker Lukens is DJ for the evening, and tonight’s show is in the Far Out Lounge’s heated tent space – extra toasty to keep you warm.
Photography by Ismael Quintanilla III. Today’s Austin Music Minute was inspired by Ray Prim‘s soulful “Only Thing To Do.” Prim recently shared some of the lyrics on Instagram – and they pierce straight through the heart as the song leans into the struggle of these particularly trying times. “Yesterday is blurry / Tomorrow feels the same / The future is uncertain / Lord something’s gotta change…” Perhaps the sentiments are timeless, but they’re especially prescient as 2022 unfolds, and, as Prim sings, “the only thing to do is hold on.”
The Austin-based songwriter is kicking off a musical residency at Geraldine’s, and joining Prim and his band this week are violinists Christina Steele and Kimberly Zielnicki, adding even more incredible layers to the depth of Prim’s thought-provoking work. The first show is tomorrow night, Wednesday Feb. 2, with the music starting at 8 p.m.
Geannie Friedman of Semihelix. Photography by Angela Betancourt. Today’s featured AMM track “Only to Go On” is the opener on Recoil by dream/psych pop trio Semihelix, originally the solo project of guitarist/vocalist Geannie Friedman. The current line-up includes drummer Valdemar Barrera and bassist Kevin Martin, both of whom are on the latest LP, a fuzzed-out, melodic blast heralding resilience and living in the moment.
Semihelix has a show coming up tomorrow night, Tuesday, Feb. 1, at Hotel Vegas on E. 6th, on a bill with Hersh Cohen’s garage rock project Shared Walls. Doors open at 8 p.m. Please remember to bring your mask.
We’re sliding into the last few days of Love Austin Music Month, a friendly reminder to support your favorite Austin music artists. And it doesn’t end after January. Keep the love going all year round by getting the music, the merch and (safely) seeing the shows! And on today’s Austin Music Minute, you have two badass band picks: A show happening tomorrow night, Saturday Jan. 29, at Meanwhile Brewing Company, featuring electro funk/R&B duo The Vapor Caves, and dark synth pop duo Night Drive. The music starts at 9 p.m. And please remember to bring your mask.
Today’s Love Austin Music Month love letter from the Austin Music Minute gushes with praises over new music. AMM featured track “Somewhere” is the second single from A. Sinclair‘s forthcoming album South Padre, a collaborative collection of more laid-back tracks featuring Michael Kingcaid contributing vocals and Mike St. Claire (Pocket Sounds) on horns.
A. Sinclair was originally scheduled to play a show tomorrow night, Friday Jan. 28, at Long Play Lounge East, 1910 E. Cesar Chavez. Unfortunately, they had to pull out of the show due to COVID concerns, but you can still catch awesome sets by fuzzed-out post-rockers Hong Kong Wigs, experimental artiste extraordinaire Liz Burrito and improvisational psych trio Dead Animal. The music kicks off at 9 p.m. And please remember to bring your mask.
Brace yourself for an enthusiastic onslaught of adjectives. Today’s Love Austin Music Month feature on the AMM brings you a lightning rod of dark electro/proto-punk/new wave/synth wave/part goth/part industrial sound that is all the things but…simultaneously transcending them into something fresher. It’s the portal that leads your ears to Urban Heat. Jonathan Horstmann, Kevin Naquin and Paxel Foley started releasing Urban Heat tracks in 2019. Mad love for these pulsating analog adventure times, and more are on the horizon.
Urban Heat is part of yet another fantastic line-up in a residency show starring electro-pop trio KVN tomorrow night, Thursday Jan. 27, at the Mohawk. They’re joined by Belgrade-born Austin-based pop artist Arya. Doors open at 7 p.m. And please remember to bring your mask.
It’s the final week of Love Austin Music Month 2022, our celebration of great music and the Austin-based artists who make it. Presented by KUTX, the City of Austin Music and Entertainment Division, and the Austin Music Foundation, LAMM is a city-wide reminder to support your favorite local artists.
Today’s AMM includes this show pick courtesy of Hole In the Wall: An excellent double bill with bedroom folk/pop outfit Large Brush Collection, and songwriter Maddy Hatchet. Check out LBC’s Odds, Ends 3-track EP, with a special nod to today’s featured track “Up In the Air,” and the gorgeous cover of Adrianne Lenker‘s “Kerina,” and see Hatchett’s video for the track “Lately” on YouTube. Then see them both tomorrow night, Wednesday Jan. 26, with doors open at 8 p.m. Please remember to bring your mask.
Mrs. Glass: Jordan Webster. We’re sliding into the final week of Love Austin Music Month, in celebration of our local music artists, though keep in mind KUTX feels the Austin artist love all year round! Case in point: Today’s feature includes two songwriters that the AMM has been singing the praises of for some time now. Starting the week out right at South Austin hotspot Sagebrush are ATX blues troubadour by way of New Orleans Mrs. Glass and former Austinite/now Nashville-based country artist Leo Rondeau. It’s the gentleman in the dark suit, and that feller down at the end of the bar. The music starts at 8 p.m. tonight, Monday Jan. 24. And don’t forget to bring your mask.
Leo Rondeau
Thank you for celebrating Love Austin Music Month with KUTX 98.9! While this month is designated as a reminder to support Austin music artists, KUTX celebrates the endless wealth of Austin-based talent year round with features like the Artist of the Month. This January, the spotlight shines on San Gabriel, the solo project of songwriter/multi-instrumentalist James Bookert.
Check out the pop-up performance video featuring Bookert at J&J Liquor, where he works – and, when not at home or in a practice space, where Bookert also fleshes out song ideas with guitar, synth and laptop in tow.
And check out San Gabriel’s show tomorrow night, Sunday Jan. 23, at The Far Out Lounge and Stage, 8504 S. Congress Ave. Half Dream and Dena Hope are on the line-up, and doors open at 6 p.m. And please remember to bring your mask.
First, a big thank you for celebrating Love Austin Music Month with KUTX, the City of Austin Music and Entertainment Division, and the Austin Music Foundation! As you know, KUTX is all about the local artists, but Love Austin Music Month serves as an important reminder to support your favorite ATX songwriters, bands, vocalists and musicians all year round. That includes buying the music and the merch (time for a new band tee, maybe?), and going to shows.
That last one has been kinda tricky to navigate during these pandemic times. A recent Faster Than Sound column by Austin Chronicle writer Rachel Rascoe examines the effects the Omicron surge has had on live shows in town, everything from postponements to cancellations, and very last-minute line-up changes that may significantly alter an entire show.
Following two show cancellations in the interest of “protecting the health and safety of my band, my crew and y’all,” Jackie Venson opted instead to bring the show to fans online. Venson’s livestream performance will feature a full production with the entire band, and tickets available via Venson’s Bandcamp, which include a digital download of Love Transcends.
The show kicks off at 9 p.m. (Central) tomorrow night, Saturday Jan. 22. Tune in for the shreds, stay for the virtual party.
We’re steppin’ up to represent with Love Austin Music Month, a friendly reminder to show love for your favorite Austin music artists. Today’s Austin Music Minute presents a new favorite making their debut on Keeled Scales, Good Looks. Led by vocalist Tyler Jordan (Tyler Jordan and the Negative Space) and longtime collaborator Jake Ames, the band worked on their new LP Bummer Year with producer Dan Duszynski (Loma, Cross Record), set for release April 8.
Featured on today’s AMM is album opener “Almost Automatic,” officially out with a single release show tomorrow night, Friday Jan. 21, at Hotel Vegas. The line-up includes Pelvis Wrestley and The Juniper Berries. Check the venue for COVID safety protocol, and remember to bring your mask.
Photography by Vanessa Pla. The celebration of Love Austin Music Month continues on the Austin Music Minute with some crazy cool trash-glam punk by a band your AMM host has been raving about – so much so that some of those raves are on a t-shirt – Lord Friday the 13th. The sibs Lenz, Felix on vocals and Sloan shredding guitar, let loose with the freaky, fantastical and fabulous on their musical adventures in all their garage-glam, red platform shoe glory. And a side of bat wings, thank you.
Lord Friday’s next dollar-store-punk-chic soirée is coming up tomorrow night, Thursday Jan. 20, at Hotel Vegas on E. 6th, on a bill with Spotter and LA dreamy grunge trio Moonily. Doors open at 9 p.m. Check with the venue for COVID safety protocol, and remember to bring your mask.
Photography by Helaine Bach. Love Austin Music Month continues through January, reminding you to support your favorite Austin music artists. And today’s Austin Music Minute presents a show pick featuring three ATX favorites taking over the room every Wednesday night at The Continental Club: William Harries Graham, Jon Dee Graham and Calliope Musicals‘ songwriter/vocalist Carrie Fussell.
Catch the next show tomorrow, Wednesday Jan. 19, with sets by William Harries Graham at 9:45 p.m., Jon Dee Graham at 10:15 p.m., and Fussell at midnight. Well worth staying up late for on a school night. Check with the venue for COVID safety protocol, and remember to bring your mask.
Love Austin Music Month, presented by KUTX, the City of Austin Music and Entertainment Division, and the Austin Music Foundation, is a month-long celebration of the many ways you can support your favorite Austin music artists. On today’s AMM, the spotlight is on a Memphis-born blues artist who’s made Austin his home since 2011, and the ATX is all the better for it. You’ve most likely seen him bring the house down at The Continental Club, Skylark Lounge, C-Boy’s and Antone’s, among many other hot spots. He’s revered for his performances of the best blues and soul standards.
Make way for the legendary Soul Man Sam (Sam Evans). Catch Soul Man Sam at his weekly Blue Monday show tonight, Monday Jan. 17, at Antone’s. Check with the venue for COVID safety protocol, and remember to bring your mask.
Photography by Drew Longworth.
Though they’re making music in LA these days, CAPYAC did get their start in Austin. So, in celebration of Love Austin Music Month, the AMM recommends the CAPYAC Bug Prom, happening tonight, Saturday Jan. 15 at The Belmont, 305 W. 6th St.
Yes, it’s a Bug Prom, or bug-themed winter formal dance party with a very specific dress code: Formal and/or insect attire. Get out your finest tuxes, evening gowns…wings, pincers, stingers, maybe antennae? Just make it your finest insect ensemble, exotic or creepy-crawly. Remember to check with the venue for COVID safety protocol, and bring your mask.
Plus, making a special guest appearance all the way from LA is MC Slim Jeff, ready to jump in and perform “Sanctuary.” Shake that beetle booty – or technically, abdomen. Mind your mandibles.
The struggle is real, music lover. Decisions! In celebration of Love Austin Music Month, today’s AMM offers three show selections for tomorrow, Saturday Jan. 15:
-
Paige Renée Berry-led dream folk outfit Half Dream shares a bill with Jolie Cota Flink‘s crew of badasses Mean Jolene at Radio Coffee and Beer.
-
Unfortunately, today’s AMM-featured funk/soul warriors Honey Made had to drop out of the line-up with the Nick Swift Band at Meanwhile Brewing Company, but Swift and company will go on with the show, 8:30 p.m.
-
The mighty El Tule leads the way at Cumbia Night at Hotel Vegas, welcoming back Monterrey band Los Parranderos De La Kumbia to the ATX. DJ OG Guatemala will unleash the obscure tropicalia that will send most music nerds into a happy delirium.
Check with each venue for COVID safety protocol, and remember to bring your mask.
One of the ways the Austin Music Minute celebrates Love Austin Music Month is by putting the spotlight on shows with all local artists – happening on any given night, which makes it so hard to choose, but what a great problem to have! Today’s AMM pick is a show tonight, Thursday Jan. 13, at the Mohawk, a residency with electro-pop trio KVN, featuring special guests Jake Lloyd, and KUTX January Artist of the Month San Gabriel (the track on today’s AMM is San Gabriel’s “Cruel”). Check with the venue for COVID safety protocol, and remember to bring your mask.
The Austin Music Minute is celebrating Love Austin Music Month with this badass gem, brandishing a magnetic hook that gets you right at the start, then keeps you charged with an animated Sparks-esque quirk/Roxy Music flair. Leave it to Berkshire Hounds‘ songwriter and vocalist Spencer Garland (PR Newman) to work up the pop-rock magic with AMM-featured track “Isn’t It Great?”, released on the first day of this year.
Happy New Year, indeed. By the way, you have the chance to see Berkshire Hounds play at 9 p.m. tonight, Wednesday Jan. 12, at Long Play Lounge East, 1910 E. Cesar Chavez. Check with the venue for COVID safety protocol, and don’t forget to bring your mask.
It’s usually in February, but we just couldn’t wait! KUTX, the City of Austin Music and Entertainment Division and the Austin Music Foundation proudly present Love Austin Music Month, a month-long celebration of Austin-based music artists. It’s overwhelming to hear how much phenomenal musical talent is coming out of this city.
Speaking of which, C-Boy’s Heart and Soul is one of the hot spots to check out a lot of fantastic artists. Taking over the stage tonight, powerhouse three-piece horn ensemble Grooveline Horns, featuring Fernando Castillo on trumpet, Carlos Sosa on sax, and Reggie Watkins on trombone. These guys are known internationally for a damn good reason. Catch Grooveline Horns at 10 p.m. tonight, Tuesday Jan. 11, at C-Boy’s on South Congress. The Basil Trio plays an early set starting at 6:30 p.m. Please check with the venue for COVID safety protocol, and remember to bring your mask.
Photography by David Brendan Hall. Of course you love Austin music! You listen to KUTX, after all. But here’s your invitation to celebrate Love Austin Music Month. Created by KUTX, in partnership with the City of Austin Music and Entertainment Division and the Austin Music Foundation, LAMM is a friendly month-long reminder to support your favorite Austin music artists.
That includes opportunities to check out local artists at a variety of musical residencies, including the Monday-night residency this month at Hole In the Wall featuring Harry & Emmy. Songwriters Emily Whetstone (Van Mary), and Harrison Anderson combine their superpowers to make this dynamic country-western duo, and you can see them tonight, Monday Jan. 10, at Hole In the Wall. Jim Campo (Magic Rockers of Texas) and Jonny Capri are also on the bill. Check with the venue for COVID safety protocol, and please remember to bring your mask.
KUTX, along with the City of Austin Music and Entertainment Division and the Austin Music Foundation, continue the celebration of Love Austin Music Month with a few more Free Week 2022 show picks for this weekend. Magna Carda and Mike Melinoe are on the line-up tonight, Saturday Jan. 8, at Cheer Up Charlie’s; also tonight, Urban Heat at Elysium; The Teeta, J Soulja and David Shabani at Empire Control Room; and Billy King and the Bad Bad Bad at Valhalla.
Tomorrow, Sunday Jan. 9, Superfónicos (featured on today’s AMM) plays at Empire Control Room, and Buffalo Hunt performs at Hotel Vegas.
Line-ups are subject to change. Please check with venues for COVID safety protocol, and remember to bring your mask.
Though the flurry of line-up changes has proven to be challenging to navigate, your Austin Music Minute will keep you posted on upcoming Red River Cultural District‘s Free Week 2022 shows as best as humanly possible! And it’s been awesome to pair Free Week picks with Love Austin Music Month, KUTX’s monthlong celebration of Austin music artists, curated with the City of Austin Music and Entertainment Division and the Austin Music Foundation. Now, more than ever, our local artists need your support. Get that music and merch, and represent!
The AMM’s picks for tonight, Friday Jan. 7, include The Bright Light Social Hour, Calliope Musicals, Megafauna, Go Fever and Trouble In the Streets at Empire Control Room; Blackillac, Deezie Brown, and Chucky Blk at Mohawk; Annabelle Chairlegs (featured on today’s AMM) at Hotel Vegas; Curse Makey and SINE on the bill at Elysium; Los Skarnales and Tiarra Girls at Flamingo Cantina, and more. Line-ups are subject to change. Please check with venues for COVID safety protocol, and don’t forget to bring your mask.
KUTX kicks off 2022 by partnering with The City of Austin Music and Entertainment Division and the Austin Music Foundation to present Love Austin Music Month – one month earlier this year, and coinciding with Red River Cultural District’s Free Week. And, though KUTX shows love for local artists all year round, Love Austin Music Month serves as an important reminder to support your favorite Austin musicians. Buy the music! Purchase their merch! See shows! (Safely, please.)
Free Week shows scheduled tonight, Thursday Jan. 6, include Darkbird at Empire Control Room; Retr0grade (featured on today’s AMM) at Flamingo Cantina; KVN, Jane Leo and Mélat at the Mohawk; Magic Rockers of Texas at Valhalla; Quentin and the Past Lives and Being Dead at Hotel Vegas, and more. Line-ups are subject to change. Please check with venues for COVID safety protocol.
It is nothing short of stunning.
The Wind, the breathtaking new release by Balmorhea, marks a return to the band’s original line-up featuring founders Rob Lowe and Michael A. Muller, and debuts a collaboration with German classical music label Deutsche Grammophon, enlisting the talents of horn player Morris Kliphuis (Stargaze), cellist Clarice Jensen and singer Lisa Morgenstern. Inspired by the natural terrain near the River Llano just outside of Austin, the music reflects upon the earth’s beauty and its fragile state – as gorgeous as it is unsettling. Around the time the songwriting was finished, Lowe discovered an extraordinary 13th century compendium titled Otia imperialia, containing vivid descriptions of various miracles, one of which being the story of St. Caesarius capturing a sea breeze to bring to the land to make it fruitful again. “I felt it was a resonant metaphor for the music we created,” Lowe explains. “The wind stands here for renewal.”
Balmorhea’s album release performance is tomorrow night, Friday Dec. 17, at the Paramount Theater. Marisa Anderson and William Tyler open the show. Doors open at 7 p.m.
Photography by Ismael Quintanilla III. Step up. It’s another excellent double bill of Austin artists bringing the music to Meanwhile Brewing Company tomorrow, Thursday Dec. 16.
- Singer/songwriter Nayome admits R&B is her first love, but the fuel for her recent recordings came from her desire to move into more experimental territory. A bevy of beats from Deezie Brown came at just the right time. Following her debut EP Personal and the release of today’s AMM featured track “Universal Lover,” Nayome also unleashed the improvised collab “Keep It Moving Freestyle.”
- Recently featured on the AMM, avant-garde soul/jazz pop artist Kendra Sells (of Austin alt.-neo soul band BluMoon) made a fantastic solo debut with their EP All In Your Head, an impressive multi-level DIY production heavy on the beat switches and vocal/lyrical badassery.
Catch the show tomorrow night at Meanwhile, 3901 Promontory Point Dr. The music starts at 7 p.m.
Before the intricate finger picking of Longriver, songwriter David Longoria was striking chords on a different plane with artists such as longtime AMM fave Bill Baird, and shredders like …And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead. The journey’s been diverse, to say the least. But with that kind of talent, it was clear a solo project was on the horizon. Longriver’s 2019 debut Of Seasons dwells within a distinctive beauty and lyrical magic all its own, and a fingerstyle channeling early blues. Longoria gingerly brings these vulnerable spots and insecurities creeping to the surface. Time is merely a concept, only there to help us make sense out of life and death.
Your AMM host has it on good authority that tonight’s Longriver show at Sagebrush will feature Longoria on electric guitar instead of acoustic. He says it’s been awhile, but…this is Longriver we’re talking about. It’s gonna rule. Longriver shares tonight’s bill with Kathy and The Kilowatts, and California-based artist Tony Hannah. The music kicks off at 8 p.m.
The Peterson Brothers‘ very first show was opening for Pinetop Perkins at his birthday show at Antone’s in 2009 – at ages 13 and 11. Talk about pivotal life moments. But something special was brewing. More was on the way for these budding musicians who were already making a huge impression.
Speaking of pivotal moments, for The Peterson Brothers, it was the inspiration they found in their mom’s and grandma’s album collection that changed their lives. In a way, you could say it was artists like BB King, the Brothers Johnson, and Earth Wind & Fire who taught siblings Glenn Jr. and Alex how to play guitar and bass, respectively. These days, with hundreds more shows, festival gigs and rave reviews under their collective belt, they continue their evolution as outstanding musicians.
Catch The Peterson Brothers at their residency show tonight, Monday Dec. 13, at The Continental Club, 1315 S. Congress Ave, at 6:30 p.m. The line-up includes an early set by The Last Jimenez, and later, Dale Watson at 10:30 p.m.