Jack Anderson

Jana Mila: “Somebody New”

In an environment as dense and competitive as Americana, a unique set of lens can really help you stand out. But if that habitat appears even remotely unnatural to others, every little bit of local color improves your odds of surviving in the long run.

Meet Jana Mila. Mila’s Amsterdam upbringing was spent in the cross-cultural intersection of her family members’ individual passions: Brazilian, Big Band, and Indian. Ultimately though it was indie folk Americana that inspired the rising multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter to take her originals to local Dutch stages at the turn of the last decade. Fast forward to Summer 2022, when Mila moseyed over to Nashville for a songwriting excursion. The connections she made there led to a strong start to Mila’s studio discography with her introductory “When Times Get Rough”, which has already raked in millions of streams.

Turns out Jana Mila blends in so well with the Nashville aesthetic that you’d never guess she wasn’t a native. And that’s absolutely reflected on her ten-tune debut Chameleon. Tracked and produced at Todd Lombardo’s studio in the heart of Music City, USA, this introductory LP carefully camouflages Mila’s unique character against backdrops of West Coast Folk, ’70s rock, and Tennessee country. The announcement of Chameleon‘s August 30th release came last Tuesday alongside the arrival of its lead single, “Somebody New” – an honest reflection on a mid-relationship self-revelation. At just short of three minutes, “Somebody New” is a no-nonsense, straightforward piece of intimate storytelling and an ideal addition to your next breakup playlist, with one hell of an earworm hook.

Mikky & The Doom: “Garbage, USA”

In most situations, if you got it, flaunt it. But in an industry that demands infinitely more from your ears than from your eyes, if the hottest person on the planet doesn’t have the pipes to match their looks, they probably don’t have a shot at succeeding as a singer.

So let’s talk newcomer Mikky Rib and her Austin outfit Mikky & The Doom. A quick stroll through the band’s Instagram instantly tips you off that sex appeal is core to their brand. But with a proven ability to parrot the timbres of Amy Winehouse, Stevie Nicks, Gwen Stefani, and Lana Del Rey (all of which influence her own unique sound) in an uncanny way, their eponymous frontwoman can’t be written off as just eye candy.

This year Mikky & The Doom have been following a roadmap to their debut studio EP Garbage, USA. Produced entirely by our April 2018 Artist of the Month Mobley, this introduction explores low-light garage rock, hook-driven indie, and sex-positive electro-pop while lyrically relishing in all kinds of societal litter. There’ll be a few stops on the way before the album’s May 17th release date, including two more lead singles, a show 8PM next Thursday at The 13th Floor Alongside Jeremiah Jackson and Scotty B and The Hive, and an appearance at Hot Luck Fest on May 24th. Given that growing population for Garbage, USA, you’re just three drum stick clicks away from the record’s title track, because it’s anything but trash. An anarchistic, pyromaniac anthem, the catchy-as-hell “Garbage, USA” sounds like The Strokes woke up with a little extra dissonance in their system, heavily-processed instrumentation, pop-informed production, radio-ready brevity and all.

Henry the Archer: “ViolinT”

If this late Spring’s got your spirits shook up and you’re looking for some renewed motivation to tend to your garden (be it literal or figurative), we’ve got a DFW act that’ll make you go hard in the yard.

And that’s on behalf of singer-guitarist-keyboardist R. Hennessy, AKA “Henry O”, who’s been hitting the mark as Henry the Archer for nearly a decade and a half now. A consecutive two-time winner of Fort Worth Magazine‘s “Artist of the Year” distinction, this Fort Worth three-piece aims at the the broad genre target of alt-rock, perfect for groupings within surrounding styles. But that’s not to say Henry the Archer’s arrangements aren’t accurate or precise, since the trio’s clearly struck something strong to earn several streaming heavyweights.

This morning, marking Henry the Archer’s first record since 2017’s Zero Is a Number, their EP The Garden is finally ready to harvest. It’s a six-song plot blooming with indie-folk (“The Garden”), pop-punk (“One or Two”), brassy ska (“Sheep Song”), reggae (“Someone Beautiful”), and even a stripped-down keyboard-and-vocal duet (“People Make a Place”) – but ultimately all rooted in alt-rock. The album release show is next Saturday out in Arlington, but Henry the Archer does have a couple of shows here in town at the turn of the next month – 7:30PM on Friday, May 31st for a SoFar Sounds session and 8PM on Saturday, June 1st at ABGB alongside Mr. Kat. So fire up The Garden‘s bullseye of a lead single and EP opener “ViolinT”, which totally reminds us of millennium mainstream indie rock era, The Hives-style howling vocals and all.

Emily Shirley: “Morning Light”

It’s the classic end to an encounter. You meet someone new. Sparks seemingly fly. You have fun for a night. But when you wake up ready to tell your new boo you’d like to see ’em again…they’re long gone. Hell, and in the modern era, that might all happen on just on an app alone. That’s all to say that in the dating world, whether intentions are casual or not, the one who cares the least holds the most power.

A sad truth for sure, but not exactly news to seasoned songwriters like Emily Shirley. On top of membership in both The Belle Sounds and Sister Golden Hair, Shirley’s solo discography dates back to 2010. Her vocal delivery may seem nonchalant, but between expert breath control (seriously, listen to some of those long tones), pitch perfect pipes, and learned lyricism, there’s obviously a ton of passion imbued in this Austinite. And with passion comes pursuit, right?

Well, it turns out Emily Shirley’s no stranger to the ol’ post-connection cease-and-desist in interaction either. Because you don’t need to be a paranormal investigator to have questions arise over the ghosts in our lives, be it self-doubt or just wanting a sense of closure. And that’s all reflected in Shirley’s brand new bittersweet single “Morning Light”, an amorous phantom of multi-tracked vocal harmonies, spectral electric lead guitar, and an almost-incorporeal arrangement. So before you decide to block contact with your latest fling, really get a handle on how the other side feels with “Morning Light”. And for all those who’ve been on the receiving end, this tune’s a perfect approach to taking heartbreak like a champ.

And don’t forget, Emily Shirley graces the airwaves in a solo set with our buds over at KOOP 91.7FM 3PM this Saturday on The Singer & The Song.

Grandmaster: “Castle Door”

Watch out, Golden Dawn Arkestra…there’s a new costumed collective in town, and they’re hunting for for fresh converts! But instead of frenetic Afro-inspired dance grooves, these fanatics have so far stuck to the slower side of ’70s-style jazz funk rock; think War whisked together with Steely Dan.

Not that you’d be able to tell from your first look at ’em. Yeah…between their cloaked, crowned, and ember-eyed namesake leader (ceremonial thurible and staff ever at the ready) and ten black-suited, red-hatted, and white-gloved Zealots (eyes always redacted by clever lenses), Grandmaster is an great example of “appearances can be deceiving”. Creepy cult getups aside, in the sole year since their first performance, this eleven-piece has already indoctrinated an impressive sect of followers. And based on the caliber of those live stage-filling rituals, they won’t need much proselytizing to add a digit or two to their current numbers. Probably just a bigger place of worship.

Well right after winning an American Songwriter contest that re-united The Grandmaster with Bootsy Collins during SXSW, the cosmos smile once again ahead of Grandmaster’s Nolan Potter-produced self-titled debut. By that we mean they’ll be celebrating an album release show at The Paramount’s State Theatre 7PM this Saturday for The Grandmaster’s Gala, alongside openers Nolan Potter’s Nightmare Band and Dodo. With proceeds benefitting the SIMS Foundation, and a sophomore follow-up already foretold in The Grandmaster’s prophecies, this Gala’s a good opportunity to catch the band before their concerts demand venues with larger capacities.

To any who still resist temptation, we point to Grandmaster‘s second incantation “Castle Door”. Because with a goblet-sloshing groove, a palace-spanning chord progression, and a truly regal arrangement, “Castle Door” lowers the yacht rock drawbridge and raises the prog-funk portcullis to one hell of a good time.

Trip Cigs: “Comeback Kid”

When a seasoned musician wades out of their genre comfort zone, you love to hear it. Because the technical expertise, jam stamina, and songwriting skills are already in place, but opening the gate to different inspirations and influences is always a welcome breath of fresh air.

So let’s talk Rod Gator, who – as you might’ve guessed from his stage surname – leans on his steamy Louisiana bayou upbringing for a swamp-swept sound. Gator’s kept us sated with his own stuff as recently as last September with the release of his LP Conqueror. Interestingly enough, that was also ’round about the same time Gator linked up with fellow Sagebrush door staffer Leo Lydon (lead guitarist/vocalist of Austin trio Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol) for a songwriting session. Sparks flew, heaviness ensued, and with the addition of Nico and Willie Jansen, the southern metal endeavor Trip Cigs was born.

Fast forward to a couple weeks back, when the quartet opened up the stable for Trip Cigs’ debut EP Hoss. Heavy without being excessively brutal, swampy without getting bogged down in sludge, this record’s got an incredibly thick consistency to it. And since it maintains that session energy so effectively, its best recommended to set aside fifteen minutes to appreciate the EP in full. Definitely take a deep breath before saddling up and dig into whatever stirrups you may have on hand, ’cause with minimal space between songs, and a bucking start to each of its six tracks right out the gate, this thing is a steed who needs no speed. If you’ve only got time for one quick ride, get a feel for Hoss with Trip Cigs’ very first foal, “Comeback Kid”.

Nick Taylor: “Dead Land Future”

For native residents of cultural music hubs, the locale’s unique opportunities tend to be taken for granted. But for folks from comparatively podunk parts of the country, the prospect of a potentially transformative emigration is too good to pass up. Yeah, you can draw parallels to those poor Okies’ desperate westward flight from The Grapes of Wrath, but fortunately the chance of success for musicians is a lot higher than that of Depression-era protagonists.

So let’s talk Nick Taylor, whose sylvan Southeast Texas upbringing indoctrinated with country icons like Patsy Cline, Kris Kristofferson, and Willie Nelson. His tastes expanded to include classic rock and jazz, and the latter inspired a love of singing in high school. But the jazz bug bit it and quit it in some sense, since Taylor quickly ditched a formal degree in favor of the autodidact approach on guitar. And after acclimating to Austin, Nick Taylor put together a band, starting getting paid gigs, and apparently caught the right pairs of ears. We say that because Nashville producers ended up inviting Nick to “Music City, U.S.A.” to give his debut album that added Americana authenticity.

With that regional authority backing him, Nick Taylor only started sharing his stuff on streaming this year. Those singles have been coming out at roughly a monthly pace, incrementally revealing a fuller picture (seriously, check out the individual single artwork) of his introductory LP Not Alone in the process. Ahead of the record’s release on June 21st, plus a show 7-9PM tomorrow night at Austin Eastciders and again 6-8PM next Saturday at Frontyard Brewing out in Spicewood, Nick Taylor’s just gifted us the full-length’s fiddle-fueled fourth lead offering.“Dead Land Future“ was inspired by college days spent navigating a tightrope of Texas farmland master’s studies and hands-on agrarian labor, matching Nick’s rich baritone as he beckons us to find new ways to survive. Societally, it sure can feel like the buzzards are circling, but for Nick Taylor’s promising career, this is clearly only the beginning, no matter where he finds himself next.

Viben: “Pablo Picasso”

Lyrics are a fickle field. You can be wordy as hell, hoping that at least one line sticks in listener’s minds. Or, you could just loop the hell out of some barebones sentences – guaranteed to have a lot more hypnotic staying power through sheer repetition, especially in the realm of dance music.

Now let’s talk about Ben Fish, who operates here in Austin under a few different avenues: as a DJ, as frontman of his full band Viben & The Submersibles, and as the mononymous solo act Viben. Viben categorizes his stuff as “Scuba Funk”, a label that totally mirrors his liquid grooves, but doesn’t necessarily require a lot of deep diving in terms of lyrical accessibility. So while Viben’s sophisticated soundscapes have earned him a place on our local sonar since his start in 2018, his latest release proves that a more basic approach can be just as good.

Which reminds us of the great Pablo Picasso, who once said, “It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child.” And that quote really resonates with the vibrant simplicity of Viben’s latest, “Pablo Picasso”. This super trendy, Euro-friendly piece of house chic translates Picasso’s genius brushstrokes into brilliantly swung drums, synth, rhythm guitar, and bass, while Viben’s vocals pine for an artistic ascent towards the tune’s namesake legendary status.

Will Viben one day become a celebrated painter? We don’t know. But will “Pablo Picasso” be remembered as an uncomplicated piece of genuine expression in Austin’s electronic oeuvre? No doubt.

Rett Smith: “Sunsets”

In terms of musical association, at least outside the world of film soundtracks, U.S. southwestern scenery often gets associated with country. But there’s a certain psychedelic quality to our regional deserts that we just love to see artists embrace.

Folks like Rett Smith, based here in Austin, but bred out of West Texas, so you know he appreciates all kinds of sandy, desolate miscellanea. Historically, Rett’s smithing has involved all things Americana blues. And while that’s certainly still his skillset, for his upcoming album A Weighted Remorse (out September 13th), Smith finds himself trudging through the dunes of shoegaze.

And the result is heavy as hell, almost bordering on sludge thanks to its subterranean six-string tone and massive drums. Alongside its music video, “Sunsets” feels less like hiking the Fort Davis trails and more like watching The Holy Mountain if it was shot on Super 8, ’70s abstract psychedelia and all. We’re getting major Black Angels vibes from this one, and we have a feeling that when Rett returns from his Western European tour, he’s gonna translate his travels into something else equally arid-inspired and aurally exciting.

Ruel Thomas: “I Am Today”

Any profession requires quotas…whether that’s how many tickets you write or how many kids pass your class. And when music is your source of income, the obvious metric to measure by is quantity of shows played. But as with any creative endeavor, there’s an opportunity to move the needle in many directions, which makes “success” a complicated thing to assess.

So let’s get a quick look at Ruel Thomas. The Native Austinite developed his guitar-vocals-and-harmonica style around folk-pop-rock icons like Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, and Paul Simon while still in Australia. When he moved back to the Live Music Capital about a half decade back, everything fell into place to become a certified full-timer. And Ruel Thomas has done just that, with thousands of gigs in the bag across the Lone Star State, the Tonight and Myself full-length from 2022, and last May’s Texas Castle EP.

You might’ve noticed that time spent onstage and on the road outweighs studio offerings by a country mile. But remember what we said about moving the needle in new directions? Yeah, in 2024, Ruel Thomas has vowed to drop a new single every two months, no small feat for someone who needs to wrangle a band for every recording. And last Friday that new series continued with “I Am Today”, which sounds somewhere between a decades-old yesterday and a fast-approaching tomorrow in terms of classic influences and modern mixing – thanks to Luna drummer/NYC Producer Lee Wall. At just a hair over three minutes, the ever-rolling rhythm section behind “I Am Today” dangles tomorrow’s horizon in the distance, while Ruel’s rich vocals and Americana guitar keep you right in the moment.

Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors: “Suffering”

The very nature of Americana is rooted in traditional music. But it also lies at the crossroads between folk, country, and rock. So if an Americana act decides to veer into new lanes, the choices are limited and somewhat predictable. And yet it’s still such a joy to hear an artist explore new sonic territory, no matter how established they may be.

Having said that, we’re happy to hear that Nashville’s Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors will be joining us in our neck of the woods later this week. That’s right, on the heels of their ninth full-length Strangers No More, the Americana connoisseurs kick off a month-long national tour right here in town. The Find Your People Tour fires off 7:30PM this Thursday at the Scoot Inn, and our newfound neighbors will be stopping by Central Texas again for the Kerrville Folk Festival late next month.

And since Austin is such a hard left turn from Holcomb et. al’s Nasvhille stomping ground, the band gave us an early listen to their latest shifting of gears. On “Suffering”, the grit is real, and the rock is Southern. It captures the rudest elements of Lynyrd Skynyrd, Molly Hatchet, and Marshall Tucker band, albeit with that one-of-a-kind Holcomb character. Safe to say that if Southern rock is your bag, “Suffering” is so good it hurts.

How Important is Weed to Rap?

Over the 4/20 weekend Confucius and Fresh hash out marijuana’s impact on hip-hop, the latest shots against Drake, and why the OGs aren’t always right. Hear that along with Hip-Hop Facts and Confucius’ take on the latest headlines.

Melotheory: “Breathe”

When you have roommates, at least good ones you get along with, group activities naturally arise around the house. For most folks, it’s watching TV, recreational smoking and drinking, or maybe the occasional board game. For musicians, however, having a practice space within eyeshot of your bedroom door is too good of a scenario to pass up.

At least that’s the situation that producers Patrick Insull and Austin Pedersen find themselves in; they’ve spent the past three years patiently penning in their apartment on behalf of their Austin quintet Melotheory. And who has a better insight into both blooming and wilting romances then your roommate? Maybe that’s why the sad boi aesthetic shines so bright on their debut batch of indie-rock love songs, which are genre dalliances themselves, albeit with disco rhythms.

This morning, ahead of a FREE release show 7:30PM tonight at the Cactus Cafe, Melotheory rolled out their eponymous debut full-length. At thirty-six minutes and ten tracks melotheory is a journey best enjoyed front-to-back, no doubt. That said, we also get why Melotheory chose “Breathe” as the LP’s lead single. There’s a serious Thomas Mars quality to the vocals , which quickly draws comparisons to everyone’s favorite Versailles indie rock revolutionaries. But where Phoenix flourishes with pop radio-ready, heavily gated, conservatively contained choices, “Breathe” maximizes their mix with stereo-sprawling selections over crests and valleys of dynamic shifts. Well…we’ve said enough. Time to exhale out of the work week and let “Breathe” do its thing.

Rhythm&Truth and Sakari: “Bring It All Back”

We won’t say that successful collaborations should mandate a solo artist’s trajectory. But if something built together leaves people wanting more, it’s not a bad idea to get back together and sate those desires, right? Because what’s unachievable on the individual level often just needs to get catalyzed by some good collabo chemistry.

So let’s talk about two creators who we both like independently, but especially love to hear join forces. That’s Rhythm&Truth, the soul-pop-jazz-funk foray from Austin producer-songwriter-percussionist Daniel Anstandig and fellow up-and-comer Sakari, who specializes in stunning neo-soul vocals. Since both projects were born out of the early pandemic era, it naturally took a couple of years into each’s career to break out of their bubbles, find one another, and let the sparks fly. But boy did they ever on last November’s Midnight Vinyl, a passionate pastiche of after-hour radio atmosphere showcasing R&T’s robust arrangements and and Sakari’s sensational pipes.

Now, in between the final installment of Rhythm&Truth’s Time Travlr trilogy this July and Sakari’s last release a little over a month ago, the two buddied up once again to dial in yet another late night dedication. In the pair’s own words, “Bring It All Back” champions the importance of showing up in person and rekindling a sense of community post-COVID. And given how enormous the sense of space is on this song, we can’t help but heed that invitation; it’s like the soundscapers behind Cherelle, Chaka Khan, and Sade got together to reminisce over that mid-late ’80s heyday of women-driven R&B in a more modern spirit. Between all that and a truly hypnotic hook, “Bring It All Back” just earned a top spot on the playlist for any top down joyride in the coming summer months and beyond. Time to reunite with your ride-or-die and let ‘er rip…

Myia Thornton: “Never Good 4 Me”

Unlike the legendary machines of Stax and Motown who relied on a ton of well oiled cogs to make any R&B singer into a star, these days the new blood has to do everything themselves, talent agent or not. And while not everyone can be Prince or D’Angelo in terms of multi-instrumental discipline, bringing something extra behind the mic, whatever it may be, really makes a rising singer stand out in the endless milky way of could-be R&B stars.

That puts us into orbit around Myia Thornton, songwriter-bassist-producer with Los Angeles ties but a current home base here in Austin. Beginning with her 2018 start date on streaming, she’s shown herself to be a spiritual pupil of Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, and Missy Elliott. Thornton’s clearly learned that everyone’s voice has its own unique character, even if the difference in timbre is more of a gradient than a completely different shade, and has accordingly made the most of her proficiency on bass guitar to attain that extra “it” factor.

But as with any R&B songstress, romantic turmoil can have a huge impact on lyrical inspiration and overall motivation. And once that comfort from a significant other’s gone, you just gotta get back to work and not take for granted what makes you intrinsically (and us as listeners) happy. So with her fourth release in just 2024 alone, Myia Thornton continues to break past the hiatus that’d been in place since her 2022 collaboration “Lexus”. Less of a tearjerker and more of a “how’d you get so ugly” piece of post-relationship clarity, Thornton’s self-produced “Never Good 4 Me” is about as bad as it gets. Arrangement-wise the sparseness of its verses is nothing short of genius, especially compared to the stereo-spanning lushness of its hooks, classy key chords, sexy MIDI strings, onion-layered vocals and all. Get it, Myia.

Felt Out: “Crash Inside It”

When we last geeked out over Austin’s Felt Out, we broke down their foundation as that of auto-tune innovators on the cutting edge of alt-pop. And following the first anniversary of their second full-length Until I’m Light, that’s clearly still the case for these multi-instrumentalist-producers. They still sound like a next generation Imogen Heap. Their style still scratches that itch within the hyper-processed, accessible-yet-oddball alt-pop niche. And they’re still going strong in 2024.

Yep, after a year of silence for studio releases, Felt Out touched down from their natural habitat way up in the electro-aether last week, almost as if ushered in by the solar eclipse. On Friday they fired off “Know You (closer3.0)” – a Frankenstein re-assembly of leftover samples from their current streaming star – and “Crash Inside It” – which came alongside a minimalist music video. Unlike the polished, narrative-driven visual companion to “Closer”, “Crash Inside It”‘s counterpart lets a flickering frame rate and negative polarization do the storytelling, a return to their earlier aesthetic of amateur footage, analog grain, openness to interpretation, and all.

It’s certainly on brand for Felt Out, that’s for sure. And it’s got us eager to see and hear what they’ll come up with next. You feel us?

Tone Royal: “Alone” (feat. Daddy NAT)

When rappers claim to be “the best on the mic”, they’re talking about verbal skills, not their technical prowess with any specific equipment. Clearly that’s the case, since you’ll see those same people spend a whole set cupping the SM58 ’cause it turns out their mic technique actually sucks.

But in terms of intimate familiarity with spoken vocal performance, be it in the studio tracking voice overs, in the stadium making announcements, or onstage ripping up a show, few Central Texas figures rack up to the orator that is Ray Villarreal, better known as Tone Royal. Because between his home recording, sports work, and hip-hop side hustle there’s no such thing as an off-season for Tone. A slayer of sibilance and preventer of plosives, the San Antonio native also happens to have wealth in the ways of lyrical wordplay, as we’ve heard intermittently over the past decade.

On last Friday’s “Alone”, Tone Royal finds himself in good company with forlorn ’80s synths and a ’90s boom bap shuffle, not to mention Austin’s Daddy NAT gracing the hook with some sultry refrains. All in all, “Alone” would sound right at home in between Notorious B.I.G.’s “Juicy” and 2Pac’s “Only God Can Judge Me” thanks to those retro qualities, and yeah…Tone’s undying affinity for putting himself in front of the mic and unleashing the rhymes.

J. Cole’s Apology / Kendrick vs. Drake

It’s a two-parter of Kendrick Lamar clashes: J. Cole’s public apology and Drake’s ongoing affronts. Hear how Confucius and Fresh feel about the beef, Hip-Hop Facts, the latest headlines, and an Unpopular Opinion on hip-hop’s “health”.

Tagua Tagua: “4AM (Acústico)”

Feliz sexta! Today we’re talking about Tagua Tagua, the passion project of São Paulo songwriter-producer Felipe Puperi. Now, Brazil is an enormous country, full of fervent creators; it takes a ton of traction to get towards the top. But in the seven years since Puperi launched off, Tagua Tagua’s become one of the nation’s most promising acts – heck I even Shazam’d one of their songs in the wild last September during my two-week stint in Recife.

So if you’re like me and want Brazilian music all the time, be it bossa nova, tropicalia, or samba, Puperi’s got some ótimo news. Following up an appearance here in Austin during SXSW, Tagua Tagua is set to share their next EP Todo Tempo on May 24th. Stepping away from the full-band rock arrangements of 2020’s Inteiro Metade and last year’s Tanto, the standouts of those albums have been translated into stripped down acoustic forms – neo-soul essence still intact.

The effect is reminiscent of classic midcentury icons like Jobim, Gilberto, and Bonfa, albeit with some 21st century polish, as heard on Todo Tempo‘s intimate lead reimagining “4AM (Acústico)”. Now that the weekend’s here, Tagua Tagua’s putting any late night insomnia to bed, and we’ve got todo o tempo do mundo…caipirinhas anyone?

Street Peach: “Heavy”

If we’ve learned one thing from Destiny’s Child, it’s that vocal groups aren’t always limited to one breakout singer. Even if fate favors one over another in the long run. And that’s kind of lining up with how we see some of the expats from former Austin R&B trio Keeper.

See, while Keeper’s Yadira Brown has kept busy with longtime collaborator BoomBaptist through The Vapor Caves, her fellow Keeper co-founder Lani Thomison only started picking up speed with her solo project Street Peach in the past few months. As we already heard in Tomison’s work with Keeper, Street Peach’s techniques blend R&B, soul, and choral, plus (as you might’ve guessed from her handle) some extra urban sex appeal as well. Sure, Street Peach’s introductory standalone, “Qiller”, has kept us as sated as possible since May 2020. But truthfully, we’re already licking our lips over news of a full batch this fall.

That basket arrives this October in the form of Street Peach’s debut EP, Monarch, a seven-song spreading of wings created alongside producer Willie Green. And following Monarch‘s first offering that’s already enjoyed consistent spins on recent episodes of The Breaks (mid-February’s “Caroline”), another nubile installation just landed in our lap. “Heavy” lays the seduction on thick, thanks to delineated drums, drizzling synths, and a Sylvia Striplin-style chord progression channeled through a killer chorus guitar groove – one that makes the bed for Street Peach’s featherlight vocals. And those steamy conditions forecast for next week? They could get you sweatin’ juuust right for when Street Peach heats up the stage 7:15PM next Thursday at Hotel Vegas ahead of Daphne Tunes.