Jack Anderson

Redbud: “Sad On The North Side”

Over the past couple months, both on air and online, we here at KUTX have all been geeking out over this rising four-piece Redbud. I mean, they’re immaculate. Redbud’s misty indie-psych-pop swamp almost obscures how much each member dedicates to this project; on surface value they all kind of seem too cool for school (especially frontwoman Katie Claghorn), but when you listen to their recordings, you can instantly tell how disciplined and demiurgic this dual dyad is.

This year Redbud’s raring to release their debut EP, The Long Night. If you’re a crusty ex-Game of Thrones fan, don’t be discouraged by its title. Rather than a bungled, essentially-meaningless attempt that could never live up to its own hype, Redbud’s The Long Night is a concise, five-track masterpiece of unearthly arrangements, airtight structures, and a caliber of songwriting we rarely hear from relative newcomers.

The Long Night drops February 24th and Redbud plays 10:15PM tonight opening for The Stacks’ EP Release show at Hotel Vegas. So while you get ready to get rowdy on the east side, practice your howls at home with the sickly sweet “Sad On The North Side”. Expect plenty more mesmerizing percussion patterns, intriguing chord changes, and ghostly vocals to haunt your ear drums through the weekend.

Akina Adderley: “Where Does The Love Go?”

I’ve already chimed in on the use of the word “songstress” plenty before, so I might as well lend my piece to the discourse once again. For me, unless we’re talking about Ella Fitzgerald or Etta James, the term “songstress” comes off as kind of archaic. Like, it’s 2023; should we really single out artists based on sex instead of…you know…altogether ditching an engendered midcentury descriptor and letting the music speak for itself?

Short answer: Sometimes…maybe.

Exhibit A: Austin’s Akina Adderley. Full-bodied performances, unfettering feminist energy, and a direct link to jazz-and-R&B-defining greats? Yeah. That’s a songstress. As the grand-niece of Cannonball Adderley, granddaughter of Nat Adderley, and daughter of Luther Vandross Music Director/Co-Songwriter Nat Adderley, Jr., genre transcendence is literally encoded in Akina’s DNA. And between her eponymous octet, NORI and Charlie Faye & The Fayettes, plus numerous guest appearances on Austin-produced albums, Akina just doesn’t miss.

Akina has some don’t-miss shows over the next couple months, but she’s stolen today’s spotlight thanks to her latest studio single. And it’s the best kind of love song – the torch variety. Bookended by Nat Jr.’s explorative ivories, “Where Does The Love Go?” would make for an intimately welcome intermission between Frank Sinatra’s Only the Lonely and Billie Holiday’s Music for Torching. The sense of space in this arrangement is nothing short of astonishing, easily matching the calibre of your favorite orchestral tearjerkers. The only thing we’re surprised by is that “Where Does The Love Go?” isn’t a Broadway darling…at least not yet.

Hall Johnson: “OMWO”

If a classically-minded academic comes across the name “Hall Johnson”, they’ll likely think of one figure and one figure only: the highly-renowned composer, arranger, and choir conductor of African-American spirituals. And although we are rapidly approaching Black History Month, contemporary scholars of the local scene have probably already pieced together who we’re really talking about…indie-rock quartet Hall Johnson. These childhood friends have spent the past half decade perfecting their performance, four of those years right here in Austin. They’ve played alongside indie rock icons like Beach Fossils but as has sadly become standard in the last couple years, the COVID-19 pandemic put a stop to Hall Johnson’s 2022 West Coast tour plans. Hall Johnson ended up seizing that newfound time to write and record their third EP A Slow Descent, all the while keeping their debut full-length cooped up in post-production. You see, Hall Johnson tracked Haymaker back in August 2021 against the bucolic backdrop of Ashlawn Recording Company in rural Connecticut. Thanks to a month-long pastoral production period, isolated trails, pickup basketball, lakeside wakes, and skipping stones are all ingrained in Haymaker‘s eleven originals. You’ll be able to drop a needle on Haymaker once it hits vinyl in May, but given the level of wanderlust that Haymaker‘s piqued, you’ll want to unpack its lead single, “OMWO” now. An immaculately-balanced, easy-going indie-rock bop, “OMWO” ought to sate your trumpet-arrangement tastes and chase away any malaise while Hall Johnson is on their way out with more.

The Stacks: “St. Michael”

For the better half of last year, our staff made damn sure you knew the name Jake Ames. As co-founder of our May 2022 Artist of the Month Good Looks, Ames helped introduce us to “Vision Boards”, a KUTX airwave darling that’s seemingly become a generation-defining indie rock anthem. You may also remember that Ames was struck by a car on the verge of an expansive Good Looks tour..but don’t worry; he’s fine now and ready for you to feast on his latest collaborative labor of love…via The Stacks.

The Stacks got their start back in 2015, and have kept Ames’ insatiable, auteurist hunger and guitar-engulfed earworms front and center ever since. Pre-pandemic, the three-piece strictly existed in the live performance realm, only sharing their first studio single “Chicon” on April Fool’s Day 2021. “Chicon” proved far from a holiday farce and instead shook things up in the right direction for The Stacks, whose madman amp accumulation finally hits wax this weekend.

The Stacks’ debut 8-track, Lay Me Down To Rest, coincides with a record release show 9PM this Friday at Hotel Vegas alongside openers Rusty Dusty, Redbud, and Sammy G. So check out just how well this un-toppleable trio…stacks up in person and anoint yourself with one of Lay Me Down To Rest‘s most serene blessings. “St. Michael” was actually The Stacks’ sophomore studio offering (initially issued in May 2021), but its hallowed vocal harmonies, empyrean rhythms, and blissful six-string licks slap so hard, even an erratic archangel could be cajoled back to a state of calm.

Fantastic Negrito: “Highest Bidder” (Acoustic)

Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day! In commemoration of nonviolent protest, overcoming societal struggles, community engagement, and voicing our dreams, today we’re putting the focus on Fantastic Negrito. Born just 74 days before Dr. King’s assassination, Xavier Dphrepaulezz spent his teens witnessing Black oppression firsthand while selling drugs and toting guns in Oakland at the onset of the ’80s crack epidemic. It wasn’t until listening to Prince’s Dirty Mind and learning of his autodidact status that Xavier decided to zero in on artistry, skip formal enrollment, and eventually sit in on Berkeley music classes.

Three years after the release of his 1996 mononymous Interscope debut The X Factor, a car crash left Xavier in a three-week coma. Once Interscope severed their ties, Xavier, fully recovered or not, slipped back into the street mentality and opened an off-the-books club in South Central L.A.. If the story stopped here, Dr. King would’ve chided it as a cautionary tale. But in 2014, Xavier returned to the songwriting realm with “black roots music for everyone” on Fantastic Negrito.

Since then, Fantastic Negrito’s released four additional full-lengths, three of which garnered Grammys for “Best Contemporary Blues Album”. Most recently, Fantastic Negrito’s fanned enthusiasm for Grandfather Courage, an all-acoustic reimagining of last year’s White Jesus Black Problems that drops on February 3rd. In a way Grandfather Courage continues King’s legacy by retelling stories on behalf of our elders and introducing their discourses to a new generation of dreamers. Hear for yourself on the record’s lead single, a stripped-down rework of “Highest Bidder”.

Felt Out: “Closer”

Given the generation-sprawling success of industry darlings like Billie Eilish and Future, it’s safe to say that the use of auto-tune has become a near-universally-accepted aesthetic. Or at least more so than when “Believe” first broke conventions in 1998 or when the disdainful “D.O.A.” dropped in 2009. Auto-tune’s ascent into ubiquity has also aligned nicely with an advent of alt-pop over the past decade, a movement that wouldn’t be what it is without acts like Felt Out.

Cemented in ten years of friendship, Austin multi-instrumentalist/producers Sowmya Somanath and Walter Nichols first showed off their sultry smooth style on Felt Out’s 2019 debut full-length Superfluid. The pair also passed off a trio of Superfluid B-Sides back in 2021, but since then we’ve felt a bit in the dark about what’s next for Felt Out. Today, that all changes.

Felt Out announced their sophomore full-length Until I’m Light earlier this morning. The ten-track LP’s set for release on April 14th, toting some of the most innovative harmonic auto-tuning we’ve heard since Imogen Heap’s mid-2000s heyday. The record’s lead single “Closer” just touched down alongside a phantom-filled music video, whose forlorn dynamics and fleshly form will make you feel held all the way up to Until I’m Light‘s release day.

Why Bonnie: “Apple Tree”

After enough time in a live music hub such as ours, one of the most satisfying things to see is when local acts join forces, hit the road together, and take the nation by storm. Want to bear witness yourself this weekend? You’re in luck! As part of our 10th Birthday Concert Series, this Sunday KUTX presents a dual tour kickoff featuring two of Austin’s finest indie-adjacent outfits. I’m talking about our March 2021 Artist of the Month Sun June alongside our September 2020 Artist of the Month (and today’s spotlight) Why Bonnie. Founded by Houstonian Blair Howerton a half decade back, Why Bonnie began evolving into the “shoegaze-icana” phenomenon we’ve grown to adore over the course of three EPs: 2018’s In Water and Nightgown followed by 2020’s Voice Box. Last August, Why Bonnie rounded out their lineup as a quintet and blew us away with their debut full-length 90 in November, a ten-track half-hour human piece of imperfect heaven. Why Bonnie and Sun June are set to be West buds as they co-headline a six-stop week-long West Coast tour, prefaced by an 18+ show along with Redbud 8PM this Sunday at Antone’s. The opportunity to catch two KUTX Artists of the Month for the price of one (post-Free Week) seems like a great value. But if you’re not ready to brave the downtown crowds, you can certainly still appreciate the autumnal trot of “Apple Tree”, the soothing seed of a 90 in November B-Side just unearthed on Tuesday.

Alex Gaw: “Something Behind”

It’s not really an industry secret that some of the very best songwriters are the most patient ones, the ones who soak up a ton of pre-existing stuff before ever playing their first note. And needless to say, if you’re close to the Live Music Capital of the World, you and your creative sponge are in pretty good shape.

It wasn’t all that long ago that Alex Gaw became a father in his mid-30s, settled down a stone’s throw away in Round Rock, and moved up from guitar and ukulele lessons to fulfilling, honest songwriting. On top of inspirational Austin mainstays like Bob Schneider and Matt the Electrician, Gaw’s biggest influences include Metric, Fleet Foxes, jazz, and Joy Division.

Gaw seems especially struck by that final act, considering the original title of his sophomore single explicitly name-dropped Joy Division’s infamously tortured frontman. But even after just one spin of “Something Behind”, its indie-folk eclecticism (which features Wilson Marks on electric guitar and loops), fine-tuned dynamics, and lyric-less refrains will leave you agog to hear more from Alex Gaw, wherever his next muse may lie.

Sugar Purr: “Other Heart”

As we hit double digit days in the new year, it’s worth mentioning that in the past week and a half alone, a bevy of superb songs have already sweetened the deal for 2023. And there’s proof in the purring! Roughly one year after premiering a triplet of live performance videos on YouTube, Austin quartet Sugar Purr just gave us a double lump with their debut pair of studio singles last Saturday. And before you hiss at their handle; you’d better believe these morsels are for more than just Meow-Meows! Spearheaded by singer-guitarist John Wilhelm, Sugar Purr crafts complex sonic cocktails; they refine and reverberate elements of Pink Floyd, Andy Schauf, and Santo & Johnny into psychedelic country-tropical concoctions, somehow ideal for both lonesome buckaroos and boozy beach bums alike. The newly-released B-Side is just as much of a treat as its predecessor but we had to unwrap Sugar Purr for newcomers with the luau-ready lap steel and siesta-friendly structure of “Other Heart”. Just don’t nod off at work.

Best Fern: “Before I Go”

I’ve talked plenty before about my affinity for ambient music. So when those healing frequencies are made more accessible through pop production techniques, it’s absolutely an attention-getter. And if there’s one pair from North of the Border you ought to keep on your ambient pop radar, it’s unmistakably Best Fern.

Built from the ground up by composer-producers Alexia Avina and Nick Schofield, Best Fern showcased subdued rhythm patterns, breathy, effects-drenched singing, and heavenly synth harmonics on their eponymous 2016 debut EP. Best Fern nurtured a fertile collection of covers the following summer and again at the top of 2018 with a-ha’s “Take on Me”. But after that April’s sole original, “I Know You Know”, Best Fern’s left us a bit bereft…until now.

With a half decade of studio silence finally behind them, Best Fern is set to return with their first-ever full-length, Earth Then Air. These dozen new originals drop on February 3rd and’ll definitely let you discern how rooted Best Fern still is in soothing, misty soundscapes. Earth Then Air‘s initial offering “Way Inside” came out last November, and today Best Fern’s tossed us another spore, “Before I Go”. Other than the trademark ambient crescendo/decrescendo bookends, the pale pulsations, reverb-and-delay-enveloped vocals, and nuanced synth-bass work make “Before I Go” one of the best ambient-pop bops you’ll hear in the 2020s.

Barb: “Liar”

We hint quite a bit about the significance of risky pivots. Of course, as casual listener-observers, we usually only see the success stories, not the hurdles to get there. But when someone does pull it off, it’s incredibly satisfying to see (and hear). Which brings us to Barb.

Born Barbara Klavin, this Austinite spent her first two and a half decades engrossed in athletics, most notably as an active, excelling participant in Texas Rowing. However in the midst of some emotional turmoil, Klavin recently hung up the oars, picked up the pen and six-string, and made way for Barb.

Last year Klavin introduced us to her candidly queer identity and soulful brand of indie-surf-rock with Barb’s debut single, “Small Talk”. And today she’s followed it up with what’s easily my favorite tune of 2023 so far. Encased in coquettish guitar riffs, poignant lyrics, and bittersweet chord changes, (not to mention Barb’s heart-melting vocals and some exceptional percussion fills) “Liar” is a truly beautiful track, (even if you’re kinda f****d up right now). Listen all you like in the player below and catch Barb live at Swan Dive next Friday and on Friday the 20th.

Lost Weekend: “Soft, Summer Rain”

For much of the English-speaking world, the genre we call “New Wave” can be pretty easily categorized. However it’s worth noting that this late ’70s/early ’80s post-punk pop movement wasn’t actually the original “new wave”. That title goes to the little ’60s Brazilian post-samba sensation known as “Bossa nova“. Of course, the very best Bossa came out a half century back. But that hasn’t kept contemporary innovators out of Bossa nova’s seductive currents; take for example Brooklyn’s Erik Laroi, who uses the classic, sandy sound as a transcontinental bridge between modern indie and the golden age of baroque pop. Under the handle Lost Weekend, this David Gilmour-reminiscent singer-guitarist is soon set to share a dozen such indie-bossa-pop bops on his debut LP Memorias. Like an audio-only lucid dream, Memorias transports you to different times and places throughout these incredibly-calculated arrangements, which were fastidiously pieced together over a two-year bicoastal recording period. And today Lost Weekend’s given us an early forecast for Memorias ahead of the record release next Friday, one that features Mascott frontwoman Kendall Jane Meade on vocal harmonies. In a four-and-a-half minute trickle of tranquility, “Soft, Summer Rain” swells with flailing flutes, lightning-tight trumpets, and elegiac electric piano, from which you won’t want to dry off.

Skateland: “Wreck”

We’re still only in the first handful of days for 2023, and in the Live Music Capital of the World…you know what that means. It’s Free Week! And if you haven’t heard yet, KUTX has a locally-curated showcase coming up in a couple days. It’ll kick off 8PM this Friday at Cheer Up Charlie’s with a bill that includes Como Las Movies, Redbud, 10pmtoclose and Skateland. Born Dorian Williams II, this multi-instrumentalist/singer/producer came to Austin from Las Vegas in pursuit of a degree at UT. But as with many other young creatives, Austin’s artistic aura helped sway Williams to also cement a musical project of his own, Skateland. Skateland’s trucks balance between moody alt-pop and tranquil indie-shoegaze, like if St. Vincent and Weyes Blood were grinding rails and transferring pipes alongside Beach House and Alvvays in the same park. Sure, Skateland’s only got a couple studio singles out as of now, but both of ’em are sensationally mellow cross-genre bops. As such, Skateland put his formula right there in the title of his upcoming debut EP: New Wave Revival. We’re looking forward to more lyrical gloom, retro instrumentation, and proven pop production methods when New Wave Revival drops on February 16th, and during Skateland’s set 9:40PM on Friday. Just don’t let his latest Weeknd-esque earworm (and music video) “Wreck” wipe out your productivity this Wednesday.

Ladyfang: “D C L”

Back in Summer of 2016 a quartet calling themselves A Case For Brooklyn treated the Austin area to an ear-catching original; entitled, “All Your Money”, it was a killer tryst of styles that recalled RHCP, Björk and No Doubt, which is a pretty strong start to say the least. Yet soon after these longtime friends shed the ACFB handle in favor of something a little more ferocious…Ladyfang.

Since that switch, Ladyfang’s flourished atop unfettered feminine flamboyance and chaotic pop rock combos, sinking one infectious incisor after another into listeners old and new. This year, however, we’ll finally be getting a filled-out row from Ladyfang, courtesy of the four-piece’s upcoming self-titled full-length.

Produced by Chris “Frenchie” Smith and Brett Marcom at The Bubble, Ladyfang is guaranteed to be the group’s most coherent experience to date outside of live performances. And the proof is in the premolars! Today Ladyfang unfurled their first foray for 2023 and the eponymous LP’s second lead single. Don’t be deceived by the mellow guitar intro of “D C L”; by the 40-second mark all hell breaks loose in this masterclass of pop rock dynamics.

Sam Pace and the Gilded Grit: “The Light”

Happy New Year! I spent the last bit of December collecting some truly outstanding new music that I’m eager to introduce to y’all…starting today with Austin’s Sam Pace and the Gilded Grit. One glance at Pace’s striking eyes, vicious visage, and black wide-brimmed hat is all it takes to imagine him as a rugged 19th-century, mixed-morality dime novel protagonist, but really he’s more of a contemporary Southern soul-rock scarecrow.

But don’t be intimidated by appearances! Anchored by his bewitching baritone and stinging six-string techniques, Sam Pace and the Gilded Grit have stayed strong across Austin and beyond for just over a decade now. They’ve got four phenomenal full-lengths out and on streaming for you to peruse through, though the big news for the Gilded Grit in the New Year is a single release show, 10PM this Friday at Saxon Pub.

However, Friday’s all the way at the end of the week, and I know folks are trying to hit the ground running in 2023 (myself included). That’s why, in keeping pace with the passing of a year, Sam and the Gilded Grit have gifted us an early piece of inspiration. Its message essentially champions resilience and courage when faced by darkness, and between production by Chris “Frenchie” Smith, a guitar solo that’d make Jack White’s jaw drop, and an airtight arrangement, “The Light” extends well past “carpe diem”, and instead begs you to “carpe annum” over the next twelve months.

Samara Joy: “Warm in December”

Well…it’s the very last Song of the Day for 2022. As mentioned before, we’ll be off for a couple weeks and returning with an exciting batch of premieres on Monday, January 2nd. But with Christmas just over a week away now, we’d be remiss if we didn’t save the very best 2022 yuletide tune for last. If you don’t know Bronx-born vocalist Samara Joy, hop aboard the hype train (whose existing passengers include LaKeith Stanfield and Regina King) now. At just 23, Joy’s already begun to lead a new generation of jazz royalty, thanks to a pair of incredible post-lockdown LPs. Joy’s latest, Linger Awhile, picks up where her 2021 eponymous debut left off, and marks an indoctrination into the ranks of fellow Verve virtuosos – Anita O’Day, Ella Fitzgerald, and Billie Holiday. Both albums make great evergreen gifts for the vocal jazz fanatic in your family, but Samara’s not shy about her love of Christmas either. In fact she was just here in Austin last Wednesday for Big Band Holidays w/J@LC Orchestra. Joy just dropped an intimate, gospel collaboration “O Holy Night” with The McLendon Family, but considering the all-too-real risks of blackouts this coming Winter, we’re tossing “Warm in December” straight into your stocking. By nixing the clichéd cheese of sleigh bell percussion and leaving plenty of space for improv piano and sensitive dynamic shifts, “Warm in December” transcends your run-of-the-mill Christmas playlist as a contemporary jazz instant classic.

Logan Mize and Jill Martin: “Wrapped”

In the small riverside town of Clearwater, Kansas, claims to fame are few and far between. Now that’s not a slight on Clearwater; I’m well aware that we can’t all reside someplace with a prestigious nickname like “The Live Music Capital of the World”. But aside from adjacency to the historic Chisholm Trail and producing a couple title-winning supermodels (plus a radiation roboticist), chances are you’d only know Clearwater through rising country star Logan Mize.

Since sharing his eponymous debut in 2009, Mize has spent the past dozen-plus years rounding out an incredibly-accessible style with a rich, ever-growing discography. That also means Mize has stepped up his live game quite a bit as well; he’s not only toured alongside industry heavyweights like Eric Church, Leeann Rimes, and Blake Shelton, but just made his second stage appearance at the iconic Grand Ole Opry two weeks back as well.

But the holidays are all about hugging your loved ones around the hearth, right? Well, hot off the success of their 2021 concept collaboration Welcome to Prairieville, Jill Martin joined her husband in-studio once again for Merry Christmas from Logan Mize‘s centerpiece. Like a big box from Santa that everyone wants to tear open, “Wrapped” and its accompanying music video are far from the white elephant of Merry Christmas. Instead “Wrapped” is the perfect excuse to fill your glass with something warm, unwind, and make the most of mistletoe with your respective Mr. or Mrs. Claus.

SUSS: “The First Thaw”

Back on Monday we mentioned that we’d be plying the final Songs of the Day with nothing but Holiday tunes. But honestly, today’s spotlight is a bit looser of an interpretation…and it comes on behalf of New York City ambient country outfit SUSS. See, SUSS has endured several dramatic changes of season in the past couple years, least of which concern the weather.

Coming off the success of their 2020 LP Promise, SUSS rode the momentum right back into the studio for their next record, Night Suite. But just as they’d wrapped, SUSS co-founder Gary Leib tragically passed away. With Night Suite already completed and drenched in a sense of loss, SUSS soldiered on as a three-piece with a master plan: create a series of EPs that contextualize Leib’s final contributions within SUSS’s evolving formulas.

Night Suite was followed by Heat Haze this past June and Winter Was Hard just last month. Concluding with Across the Horizon, this comprehensive four-parter was compiled into an eponymous, double-disc chronicle just a couple weeks back. Of course, SUSS‘s consumption has to be done in one sitting for the full effect. But in lieu of still-busy schedules, and perhaps even some end-of-year anxiety, you can also jump straight to Winter Was Hard. Like a sans-dialogue Gary Paulsen novel, this six-song suite will transport you to a bleak and trying tundra of arctic arrangements, warmed only by fond memories and our primal need to survive. Within that blizzard, the near-meter-less-ness and barren instrumental pairings of “The First Thaw” make for an especially magnificent piece of meditation.

grentperez: “When Christmas Comes Again”

If there are two genres that are grossly misunderstood by masses (and frankly abused) through pop culture soundtracks…they’re Christmas music and Bossa Nova. For the former, we’ve been conditioned to expect schmaltzy exchanges or comic Griswold-esque catastrophe. For the latter, it’s typically a toss-up between elevator music and sexy-yet-playful moods. But of course, both can offer much more heart and soul than we’re exposed to.

However that requires a certain caliber of creativity…like that of grentperez. In the short year since sharing his debut original, this Sydney singer-producer’s assortment of DIY pop has soared to the top of Spotify and YouTube, turning grentperez into a household name internationally. Back in February grentperez cemented his delicate vocal delivery and propensity for softer, expansive arrangements on his debut EP Conversations with The Moon, a trend that’s continued with a subsequent string of singles.

grentperez’s final gift of the year is classy atmosphere, Bossa seduction, and seasonal excitement all wrapped into a neat three-and-a-half minute package. Amid swirling strings, Hallmark-moment harmonies, and dynamic pop percussion, “When Christmas Comes Again” is a snowglobe you’ll want to keep out year-round.

David Shabani: “Holiday Blues”

It’s the final five features for Song of the Day‘s 2022 season. We’re taking a vacation for a couple weeks, but don’t fret; we’ll be back bright and early next year. Until then we’re hanging some of the very best musical mistletoe of the past months, starting off with Austin’s own David Shabani. Born in Paris and raised in Canada, Shabani’s blessed the Live Music Capital with gripping alternative hip-hop in the vein of Lupe Fiasco, Childish Gambino, Kaytranada, and Kid Cudi. Shabani’s outstanding verbal skills, butter-smooth singing, and brilliant taste in beats have earned him supporting spots for international icons like Ashanti and Trinidad James, local legends Black Joe Lewis and Blackillac, and consistent placement as an airwave heavyweight on our Hip-Hop/R&B specialty show The Breaks. After nearly thirty live appearances since January, Shabani, along with his backing group The Nu Leopards, have had a pretty good year for themselves. Considering Shabani’s motto (“I feel good right now”), being in the moment is a gift available to anyone, anywhere. So even if you’ve got a stocking full of “Holiday Blues”, the sleigh bells, slick instrumentation, and modern Dickensian storytelling of Shabani’s latest single ought to keep your heart warm for the winter.