Archives for April 2019

Recent Studio 1A guests Otis the Destroyer shifted their shredding toward a heavier direction with their new release, Cool Evil. There’s slightly less emphasis on vocals and more on the weight of the rock. And it does, indeed, rock harder.

Word on the street is that Cool Evil will be available on vinyl at Otis’ EP release show tonight at Stubb’s indoor venue, 801 Red River. Blushing performs first at 9:30 p.m.

Two AMM faves. Amps will be cranked. All of the awesome. Very recommended.

-Photography by Precious Parker for KUTX.

Your Austin Music Minute has it on very good authority that the latest to come from Austin-based songwriter Jonathan Terrell is a knockout. Keep your eyes and ears peeled for a new track with accompanying video to be released next month. Can’t reveal too much – although Terrell did describe the vibe as a “hillbilly Lana Del Ray take on a David Lynch film.” Sign. Me. Up.

Treat yourself to Terrell’s late-night performance tonight at The White Horse, 500 Comal. The evening kicks off with Aaron McDonnell at 8 p.m., followed by Candler Wilkinson at 10 p.m., then Terrell at midnight. The AMM digs all three. Recommended for the soul.

-Photography by Martin do Nascimento for KUTX.

Your Austin Music Minute maven sometimes jokingly warns you, tongue-in-check, that certain blasts of music are not for the faint of heart. But that’s the kind of cardio jolt you want and need from Austin-based electro-punk powerhouse BLXPLTN. Time to embrace it, faint heart and all. And the time is now for staying woke.

Do not miss BLXPLTN taking over the space and ruling it tonight at Cheer Up Charlie’s, 901 Red River. The line-up includes post-punk power trio Hi Gene, triple awesome psych-surf punks MAMIS, and purveyors of nervous melodies who honor the vitriolic godhead lionesse, Pataphysics.

So, yeah. Family night. The music launches like stardust at 9 p.m. Very recommended.

-Photography by Lars Wolfshield of Wolfshield Records.

It’s more than likely you’re familiar with the work of Phoebe Bridgers and Conor Oberst. Combining their song craft superpowers, they become Better Oblivion Community Center. And, while their self-titled release marks the first album they’ve made, this isn’t the first time they’ve made/played music together. Bridgers opened shows for Oberst early on in her career, while Oberst provided some vocals for a track on Bridgers’ 2017 debut Stranger in the Alps. Their recent collaborative efforts also defy any expectations of all-sad songs one might’ve expected of their musical partnership, instead offering something far more diverse.

Don’t miss out. Better Oblivion Community Center performs tonight at Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater (remember – it’s been moved from Mohawk), 801 Red River. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., with Lala Lala and Christian Lee Hutson sharing the bill. Then, step inside Stubb’s indoor venue for a set by ATX band Being Dead at 10 p.m. Recommended.

-Photo courtesy of the artist.

Please allow your Austin Music Minute maven to reminisce a bit. Back in the day, some of the really cool kids were passing along copies of Lucinda Williams‘ self titled 1988 release to your AMM host (pre-KUT/KUTX days, obviously), saying, “This one. This has your name all over it, woman.” And to summarize, “Am I Too Blue” and “The Night’s Too Long” were two tracks that got…real personal very quickly. As in, where have you been all my life, Lucinda?

But interestingly, that was not the album that leapt out on the radar, as badass as it is. It was one ten years later that led more new fans to Williams’ songwriting greatness: Car Wheels On A Gravel Road. For many, this was the launch, and eventually the touchstone, putting the idea of “Americana” into the collective consciousness before Americana even had a name.

Tonight is a special night. Lucinda Williams and her band Buick 6 perform at ACL Live at The Moody Theater, 310 Willie Nelson Blvd. It’s a celebration of Car Wheels you’ll want to be a part of. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and the music starts at 8 p.m.

Very recommended.

-Photography by David McClister.