Jack Anderson

Luna Luna: “Call Me Up” (ACL Fest Pop-Up)

We’re on Day Two of featuring our Austin City Limits pop-up performances, and given the recent shift in seasons (plus a gorgeous full moon casting joy across Zilker during Weekend One), we’d be remiss if we didn’t listen back to Luna Luna. Following up their third full-length Flower Moon (and a steadily growing brand of tantalizing visuals), the Austin-via-Dallas indie-pop project made their official ACL Fest premiere by ringing in the afternoon rays during Sunday One on the Barton Springs stage.

Shortly afterwards they managed to squeeze all five live players into KUTX’s backstage pop-up space, where they treated us to comfy rendition of one of Flower Moon‘s centerpieces, “Call Me Up“. Take a look back to the mesh sesh in the video below and celebrate democracy alongside Luna Luna via livestream on November 8th for the #iVoted virtual festival.

R&B’s Diminishing Dominance

In this episode, Confucius and Fresh break down what happened to R&B as a dominating force before debating whether or not Austin City Limits Music Festival has “gotten better” at showcasing rap in recent years.

On Hip-Hop Facts you’ll hear about Lil Jon’s double distribution of the “Yeah” instrumental, birthday boy Ginuwine’s real name, and the first of many Belly film trivia tidbits.

Fresh’s Unpopular Opinion goes meta when he defends the significance of The Breaks itself for playing local artists.

And no news from Confucius this week; Instead he talks up his headliner comedy gig this Wednesday at The Pershing, hosted by Fresh!

Dehd: “Control” (ACL Fest Pop-Up)

Oh boy, after two long weekends out at Zilker Park, we’re betting the vast majority of fest-goers are dead tired after Austin City Limits. Not us though! Our impeccable multimedia team’s been hard at work turning around an exclusive batch of intimate, backstage performances, starting today with Dehd. Six years since their eponymous debut, these Chicago indie rockers dropped their fourteen-track fourth full-length Blue Skies back in late May. Post-Blue Skies, Dehd’s been dominating a tour that extends to Scandinavia and the UK before a three-night New Year’s Eve wrap-up back in their hometown’s Empty Bottle.

That tour included a couple pit stops here in town for our humble festival, and following the first of two Sunday afternoon performances on the T-Mobile stage, Dehd was kind enough to treat us to something a little more stripped down than what the rest of the fest got. Rather than double down on their usual dose of decibels, instead Dehd took a minimalist approach for the arrangement of Blue Skies‘ short-but-sweet anxiety-inspired album opener, “Control“

Jake Lloyd: “Sweat”

Weekend Two of ACL, baby! Those gates are wide open and ready to receive fest-goers of all kinds. For those who’ll be out at Zilker early tomorrow, you shouldn’t have a lot of trouble getting close up to the T-Mobile stage for a favorite of The Breaks and beyond, R&B vocalist-songwriter-producer Jake Lloyd. Along with our August 2022 Artist of the Month Deezie Brown Jake Lloyd makes up one half of Geto Gala, and be he paired up or strictly solo, you can always tell how much pure passion is stored in his pores.

The temps don’t look terrible for this weekend, but knowing Jake’s work and performance ethic, he’s sure to work up something 12:45PM this Saturday, whatever the weather. We’ve included a couple pop-ups from the past below to get a sense of what to expect. However, if you’re the type to lock into an artist and learn all the lyrics so you can impress your festy-bestie by singing along in concert, check out the full video and animated short for Jake’s latest banger. Wonder what ’80s-era Stevie Wonder would sound like if he’d ever teamed up with Sir Mix-a-Lot in his prime? Simply press start on “Sweat”, another outstanding entry into Jake Lloyd’s already-resplendent discography.

Como Las Movies: “La Tiendita” (feat. Finessa)

As is tradition here at KUTX, ACL tends to dominate our airwaves the first half of October. But overlapping across both fest coverage and Hispanic Heritage Month is our October 2022 Artist of the Month, Como Las Movies. With the exception of a two-year hiatus, the Spotify-curated, AMA-nominated Austin-based cumbia-indie-pop quartet has been spearheaded by asombroso songwriter Nelson Valente Aguilar for nearly a decade now.

You’ve heard the Studio 1A veterans‘ latest cut “Café” (co-produced and recorded by Beto Martinez) on our airwaves as a heavy rotator these past couple weeks. So ahead of CLM’s ACL appearance 12:45PM this Saturday on the Honda Stage, we’ve got a little something in store for ya courtesy of a collaboration with Finessa, “La Tiendita”.

Urban Heat: “City Lights” (Live in Studio 1A)

It’s been really cool to see folks we’ve featured as our Artists of the Month advance up into official ACL acts. Yesterday we gave a shoutout to our May 2022 AotM Good Looks and today we move onto Urban Heat. This post-punk three-piece first stopped into Studio 1A back in February to swelter listeners with their latest set of sinister, cinematic, synth-driven originals. And by July, when their EP Wellness began making its rounds, we’d named Urban Heat as our Artist of the Month.

Temps may have cooled off a bit since mid-Summer, but Urban Heat has continued to crank things up as they perfect their live performances. If you want to test your fest thermostat in the early afternoon, Urban Heat’ll be playing ACL 3PM this Sunday on the BMI Stage. If you’d prefer to avoid the “City Limits” for Weekend Two and instead enjoy the “City Lights” from the comfort of your home, heat up your Hump Day with the live rendition listed below.

Good Looks: “Walker Lake”

As promised, we’re perusing a whole new batch of Austin ACL acts for you to enjoy during Weekend Two, continuing today with indie four-piece Good Looks. We named Good Looks as our May 2022 Artist of the Month right around the release of their landmark debut LP Bummer Year. But despite the seven-song’s title, and an accident that could’ve gone much worse, Good Looks has spent 2022 proving they’re an airtight, need-to-see live act. As such, best pressed to catch Good Looks at Austin City Limits 1PM this Saturday at the Tito’s Handmade Vodka Stage. Expect to hear Bummer Year in its entirety, and relish in the Barton Springs-adjacent atmosphere with infectious indie inlets like “Walker Lake”.

Being Blackballed in 2022

In this week’s edition of The Breaks, Fresh and Confucius kick off the conversation with a reflection on what it means to be “blackballed” and if it truly continues to exist in the current industry climate.

The fellas move on to a debate about whether or not Cardi B is overrated compared to Nicki Minaj, especially in terms of collaborating with fellow female artists.

On Hip-Hop Facts you’ll learn about some unexpected writing credits, the anniversaries of Loud Records, Def Jam South, and beef at the 2012 BET Hip-Hop Awards.

Fresh’s Unpopular Opinion puts a spin on the discourse between DJ Akademiks, LL Cool J, and others about how much credit hip-hop pioneers deserve in light of not warning new generations about the perils of the industry.

Finally on Confucius Reads the News, get a recap of the latest headlines on Kanye West, Harry Styles, N.O.R.E., and Donald Trump.

J Soulja: “BUTTA” (prod. Cush With A C)

The dust may still be settling from Weekend One of ACL, but if the past three days of festin’ just weren’t enough for you, we’ve got a whole new batch of recommendations. Big fans of The Breaks ought to recognize the name J Soulja as one of the specialty show’s longest heavy rotation mainstays, and this Saturday you can catch the official Swisher Sweet endorser 12pm on the Tito’s Handmade Vodka Stage.

With a creative appetite that’s as voracious as his verses, J Soulja’s creamy blend of hip-hop and R&B makes for a great appetizer to start your Saturday at ACL. We’re a little bummed his performance is scheduled at the same time as fellow Breaks favorite Jake Lloyd, but given the close proximity between the Tito’s and T-Mobile Stages, you can probably squeeze in both locals with just a quick jaunt. Regardless, we’ll keep our fingers crossed that J Soulja cuts into his latest Cush With A C-produced blunt-ready bop, “BUTTA”.

Las Añez: “Como Si Fuera Yo” (feat. Lido Pimienta)

The gate’s are open and Austin City Limits Music Festival 2022 is a go! And here just in time for Hispanic Heritage Month will be Latin-American music-melter Lido Pimienta. Born in Barranquilla, Colombia and raised in Ontario, this Toronto-based singer-songwriter has spent the past twelve years infusing flavors like Bullerengue and Cumbia with synth-driven art-pop. Pimienta’s 2016 Polaris-winning LP La Papessa catapulted her into international awareness, but just as she was heating up for the Miss Colombia tour in 2020, COVID crushed her plans.

Fortunately for us fest-goers, Lido Pimienta is slated to play ACL 1:30PM tomorrow afternoon on the Barton Springs stage. As a visual artist and curator that just launched her variety web show Lido TV, extravagant outfits are the norm when Pimienta performs, so gorgeous music aside it’s sure to be a festival-defining spectacle. Want a preview? Pimienta’s latest finds her teaming up with Bogota twins Las Añez for a cruise-ready cross-cultural composition, “Como Si Fuera Yo“.

Nation of Language: “From The Hill”

Just before noon tomorrow, the gate’s’ll open up and Austin City Limits Music Festival 2022 will officially be underway. So if you plan on being out there bright and early, you might want to taste the Big Apple flavors of Brooklyn three-piece Nation of Language. Bassist Michael Sue-Poi and multi-instrumentalist Ian Richard Devaney founded Nation of Language as an offshoot of their New Jersey rock quintet The Static Jacks about a half decade back, and have since formalized a pidgin tongue of post-punk, indie, and synth-pop. Nation of Language plays at ACL Fest 1:45PM tomorrow afternoon on the Miller Lite stage before shutting down Stubb’s this Saturday ’round midnight. No doubt they’ll both be sanguine, synth-heavy sets, whose serene soundscapes, ruminating arrangements, and magnetic melodies (like those of NoL’s latest single “From The Hill”) will keep you cool-headed whatever the weather.

Adrian Quesada’s Boleros Psicodélicos: “Ídolo” (feat. Angélica Garcia) (Live in Studio 1A)

Grupo Fantasma. Brownout. Black Pumas. Glorietta. Ocote Soul Sounds. No matter what outfit you know him from the best, it’s adequately clear that Adrian Quesada has a near-unquenchable artistic appetite. And on the verge of his upcoming instrumental LP Jaguar Sound – the visionary’s second full-length for 2022 – Quesada and his Boleros Psicodélicos crew are eager to put their passions on display 2:15PM this Saturday on the Honda stage at Austin City Limits Music Festival and 8PM this Sunday for an official ACL taping.

Quesada’s promised a “nasty-ass backing band” and “lush orchestration” plus his international roster of vocalists for these two performances, none of which have been heard in-person since their live debut in Studio 1A this past June. And with just a week and a half left, Boleros Psicodélicos is an ideal countercultural companion piece to Hispanic Heritage Month. So toss on the record and find your personal favorite among the features, like the Angélica Garcia-graced “Ídolo”.

THEBROSFRESH: “Consequence Remains”

Well folks, it’s finally that time of year; Austin City Limits Music Festival is upon us, so for the next couple weeks we’ll be highlighting acts you ought not miss. And today we start off strong with a six-string sibling escapade. Since their 2018 EP Hereditary, Baton Rouge brothers Thurman and Torrence Thomas have balanced their instrumental, vocal, and production talents as THEBROSFRESH. Lately the Austin duo’s been describing their Shea butter-smooth sound as “GuitaR&B” (like a truncated two-man version of D’Angelo and the Vanguard), but a quick listen to their evolving discography reveals earlier elements of upbeat ’80s-esque synth-pop and unhurried, ’90s-style melody-driven hip-hop.

Even in light of an oft-coordinated wardrobe, THEBROSFRESH manage to breathe freely across a variety of subgenres both in-person and in-studio. And hot off a recent appearance out at El Cosmico in Marfa, they’ll be taking the Tito’s Handmade Vodka stage 1:30PM this Friday at ACL Fest. So prepare yourself for a forty-five minute set of handsome harmonies, pristine pipes, perfectly polished arrangements, and heart-rattling beats with old and new bangers like the nuanced, chillingly-catchy “Consequence Remains”.

Megan v. YoungBoy: Who Commands a Bigger Crowd?

Megan Thee Stallion and NBA YoungBoy both have plenty of pull in their own right, but what about head-to-head? Confucius and Fresh kick off the show with a debate on crowd density, taste demographics, and more.

As part of their ongoing discussion on once-important vehicles in the digital age, Fresh and Confucius compare viewpoints on the seemingly diminished power of music videos nowadays.

On Hip-Hop Facts you’ll learn about producer Teddy Riley, some behind-the-scenes anniversary facts for Aquemni, KRS-One’s lack of control over Criminal Minded, early Screw tape appearances, and more.

Fresh’s Unpopular Opinion puts a pessimistic spin on the voice of Native Black Austinites while Confucius Reads the News about Coolio’s passing, a recent Biden rally, A$AP Rocky’s mosh pit despair, and the latest legal updates for Gunna.

Alex Williams: “Old Before My Time”

Here in the U.S., we’ve enjoyed nearly a century of transcontinental and interstate routes, thanks to our highway system. Because of its introduction amidst advents in recording technology and decades-long development alongside advances in songwriting, tunes about cruising have taken American artists pretty far. And everyone’s got their favorite so no need to list ’em all out here. That said, the point of a good road playlist is to pack too many tracks in so you don’t have repeats, right? With that in mind, today we introduce you to a must-have piece of musical migration, courtesy of Indianapolis singer-guitarist Alex Williams.

With the release of his 2017 Nashville-produced debut Better Than Myself, Williams seemed like a shoe-in successor to the Outlaw Country throne. But the following five years of touring and temptation eventually influenced Williams to shy away from a bandana-bound sense of recklessness and write a new batch of horizon-affixed, road-weary personal reflections. The result, Waging Peace, is set for release on October 21st in the thick of a national tour. This dozen-track trek evokes everyone from Jerry Reed, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and The Allman Brothers all the way to Texas treasures like Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark, boldly opening up a throttle of cross-genre twang. So buckle up for Waging Peace‘s release Friday after next, and rev up for a practice run right now with the LP’s latest Haggard-esque trailblazer, “Old Before My Time”!

John Wesley Coleman III: “Talk About the Good Times”

Songwriters can often canter by on their high horse, claiming to be a contemporary Virgil or Homer with stanzas in hand. So it’s a breath of fresh air when you come across truly talented self-deprecators like Austin-via-Irving singer-guitarist John Wesley Coleman III. Coleman calls himself a “trash poet”, eschewing hubris in favor of fun, accessible material, be it through standup comedy, movie scripts, books or music. Since his rowdy 2009 debut Steal My Mind, Coleman’s incorporated the most raucous bits of garage, indie rock, lo-fi punk, and even a bit of ’60s skiffle into his earworm formulas. And while he’s fine tuned some of his techniques to appear at least adjacent to what’s considered “professional”, his idiosyncratic style’s remained intact.

Coleman’s saga continues on October 14th with Kiss Apocalypse, produced by White Denim’s Steve Terebecki and mixed by Cat Power engineer Stuart Sikes. Kiss Apocalypse features familiar Austin favorites like Moving Panorama’s Leslie Sisson, Trail of Dead’s Jason Reece, and more, for a full-length fireball of beautifully-flawed local artistry. The record release show is October 16th at Saddle Up and John Wesley Coleman III plays tonight at Chess Club along with openers Narrow Haunts and Blair Brown & The Western Hearts starting at 9PM. Between those two easy opportunities to witness Coleman’s uncouth commentary, there’s no excuse not to make some new memories that’ll let you “Talk About the Good Times” later on.

Sammy Rae & The Friends: “If It All Goes South”

It’s that rare sliver of the year where the weather is great the whole day through. And for me personally, that’s all the motivation I need to get out and enjoy live music, indoors or out. Even if the venue’s little more than a concrete box, as long as there’s airflow, I’m out there dancing. With that in mind, we’ve got an official recommendation for this weekend.

In just a couple days, some of slickest genres seep together across a seven-piece, courtesy of Sammy Rae & The Friends. Since their 2018 debut EP The Good Life, this septet’s soared under the direction of their eponymous frontwoman, whose daring pipes are impressive as hell to say the least. Sammy Rae & The Friends bring their brand of jazzy-funk-soul to Empire Control Room 10PM this Saturday alongside NC indie pop outfit The Collection as part of a month-and-a-half-long national junket. It’s only the fourth of twenty-plus tour dates, so be sure to show Sammy Rae & The Friends some of that trademark Texas hospitality. Who knows? You may even flip the script on the meridional connotations of The Friends’ latest single (and music video) “If It All Goes South”. One thing’s for sure, you won’t have any trouble memorizing the acapella-and-horn-heavy chorus.

Nolina: “Tourist”

Decades after acts like Les Paul & Mary Ford, Captain & Tenille, and Ike & Tina had their heyday, seeing the phrase “husband-and-wife duo” can personally make me wince. Like we get it; you love each other, you’ve got great chemistry together, and you have a lot of emotions you need to dispense, but often, quality output gets masked by the consummation of that creative process. So it’s refreshing as hell when you hear a married pair who removes their relationship from the sonic center stage. Folks like vocalist Stef Atkinson and multi-instrumentalist Nick Atkinson with their Austin-based project Nolina.

Since 2018 Nolina’s been blending synth-pop, new wave, indie rock, and even Italo Disco into their guitar-and-vocal-driven electronic sound. After dropping their Danny Reisch-produced debut EP The Otherside last November and a Mariclaire Glaeser-co-produced contribution to Jim Eno’s Project Traction, Nolina has just shared their latest standalone single, “Tourist”. And while “Tourist” does lean on themes of romance, its genre-inclusive arrangement and nuanced performances easily overshadow any matrimonial gimmicks.

Scone Cash Players: “Cold 40s”

Contemporary curators for some of the best instrumental genres (namely jazz) seem to be fearless when it comes to digital hi-fi production. But thankfully, some of the finest facilitators of the funk-soul sound still prefer the “authentic” old school character of analogue techniques. Amongst them is Hammond organ extraordinaire Adam Scone. Scone and his magic hands made a pretty big name for themselves up in Brooklyn as part of the Daptone Family and The Dap-Kings, which eventually led to his locally-sourced collective Scone Cash Players. Although there was a near-full decade gap between their debut The Mind Blower and 2018’s Blast Furnace!, Scone Cash Players have maintained a retro personality across their discography, like well-preserved remnants of a bygone cocktail party recently unearthed from a time capsule. For their latest LP, Scone’s trek from Brooklyn, NYC to Brooklin, Brazil inspired a jet-setting piece of South American magic – Brooklyn to Brooklin. Brooklyn to Brooklin evokes the likes of Sergio Mendes & Brasil ’66 for a ten-track instrumental masterpiece that goes down smoother than a caipirinha. But if cachaça’s a little too exotic for your tastes, Scone made the atmosphere-setting album opener plenty accessible for us relatively-uncultured Olde English-guzzling Americans, “Cold 40s”.