Jack Anderson

Samuel Miamuel: “Beach Dog”

There’s a specific league of creatives (let’s be honest, mainly rappers) who can’t help themselves but keep adopting new semi-official monikers. Then there’s the other extreme of strictly eponymous performers (e.g. the vast majority of country music). So there’s gotta be a sweet spot somewhere in between stage name, nickname, and birth name, right? Enter Long Island-raised singer-guitarist Samuel Kapust, known to his friends as “Sammy Miami” and billed onstage as Samuel Miamuel. Samuel Miamuel moved down to Austin in 2013 in pursuit of a degree at UT and quickly became immersed in the Live Music Capital’s culture. He’s racked up plenty of experience playing covers across Austin and Georgetown since then, but has only recently invested into his love of original songwriting. The complex harmonies and clever lyricism of Billy Joel, Father John Misty, and Paul Simon lend themselves to Samuel Miamuel’s recipe book of jazz-tinged folk-rock. And just in time for the summer, Samuel Miamuel’s graced us with a siesta-friendly slow burner that breezes between acoustic verses and distorted choruses, “Beach Dog”.

BETWEEN FRIENDS: “laurel”

At the risk of sounding pessimistic, it’s not that often that siblings maintain the closeness of their childhood. But there are obviously exceptions, be they Peyton and Eli Manning, Finneas O’Connell and Billie Eilish, or L.A.’s Brandon and Savannah Hudson. The Hudsons have stayed faithful to their commitment of being best buds, a pact made easier by their creative chemistry. They’ve dubbed their partnership BETWEEN FRIENDS, and have already begun conquering endeavors in fashion, set design, abstract visuals, and of course, songwriting. BETWEEN FRIENDS’ preferences are decidedly within the realm of modern pop, but the duo’s youthful curiosity has led to experimentation with psychedelia, ’90s alt-R&B, and even mid-century easy listening. Having only recently entered their early twenties, BETWEEN FRIENDS is eager to catapult their music career and present all those amalgamated styles on their debut EP, cutie. cutie delivers nine vibrant pop tracks that your headphones won’t want to stop hugging. cutie also comes alongside its own set of MTV/Nickelodeon-inspired visuals, Cutie TV, which drops on June 10th, just two days after BETWEEN FRIENDS opens for Halsey on her Love And Power tour. cutie‘s latest single ,”laurel” pays tribute to the Hudsons’ teenage home Laurel Canyon (also an iconic 1970s music hub) with hypnotic vocal effects, jazzy synth chords, and head-bobbing digital percussion.

John Inghram: “Little Mountain Mama”

Anyone who practices mindfulness and meditation will tell you that being in the moment is a big deal. The most successful goal-oriented individuals will say it’s never too late to start chasing dreams. Those two fundamentals boil down to seizing the day, something that John Inghram‘s taken to heart in recent times. The Charleston, West Virginia bassist spent almost twenty years as a four-string for-hire across the Appalachians and mid-Atlantic and funneled much of his short-term gains into frivolous partying. But Inghram’s since recognized that his talent isn’t just a commodity for other artists, that he’s got the gumption to ‘carpe diem’ and tackle a project on his own. Which brings us to Inghram’s debut self-titled full-length, nine tracks of vintage-style, Americana-aerated psych-folk-rock. It was recorded at two different studios over the past two years, which led to a creative compartmentalization of Inghram’s jazz and bluegrass influences (the latter of which culminated in a guest appearance from bluegrass legend Tim O’Brien). So when John Inghram drops tomorrow, don’t get caught up in the creepy conventions of Friday the 13th. Instead, soak up these surreal songs like the sun on a long wilderness hike, with misty, audacious arrangements like “Little Mountain Mama”.

Daniel Fears: “Keep On”

It’s been a little under a year since we named Daniel Fears as our July 2021 Artist of the Month, right around the time he shared his debut EP Canopy. Since then this multi-instrumentalist-producer has had no problem selling out shows, thanks to his velvety vocals, intimate lyrics, and surreal R&B soundscapes. And although Fears’ style has been compared most frequently to that of Frank Ocean, it’s the endearing magic of Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On that’s inspired Fears’ songwriting more recently.

That same sense of socially-conscious progressive-soul is present throughout Daniel Fears’ upcoming sophomore EP. His already-impeccable singing skills are somehow even stronger than on Canopy, giving Samm Henshaw and Daniel Caesar a genuine run for their money. Today Daniel Fears released the first single from that upcoming album, whose title, “Keep On”, immediately recalls the colloquial naming conventions of What’s Going On standout “Right On”. This poignant champion of pandemic-era perseverance is Fears’ most personal track to date, and staying true to the multi-media approach taken on Canopy, “Keep On” is accompanied by a gorgeous music video that features longtime KUT contributor Nadia Hamdan.

Buzzard Company: “Ghost Town Livin’ Blues”

When you first hear of a genre called “heartland rock”…what do you think of? Well according to Austin outfit Buzzard Company, its inspirations lie in blues, garage rock, psychedelia, grunge, and of course, Americana. Buzzard Company got started as a duo in 2019, but rather than let a little global pandemic pick the meat off their project, they’ve since doubled their numbers, now performing as a quartet. That said, the uncertainty of COVID’s been a major factor in Buzzard Company’s “no fluff” approach to lyrics and arrangement.

Buzzard Company spent a good portion of 2021 recording their debut EP, due out later this year. They’ll be playing a free single release show this Friday at ABGB along with The Lewd Dudes and Rankin Fetzer, who celebrates the evening with his own album release. These rambunctious birds of prey shared that new track (“Ghost Town Livin’ Blues”) with us ahead of time, so if you’re looking for a rowdy re-frame of social distancing and quarantine conditions, look no further than Buzzard Company.

Fat Tony: “Sugar Daddy”

For people of my generation, the name “Fat Tony” immediately conjures an image of the tired-eye mafioso voiced by Joe Mantegna on The Simpsons. And although rapper Anthony Obi is something of a character himself, his passion and dedication to his craft is no joke. Raised in the historic Third Ward, Obi received the Houston Press Music Award for ‘Best Underground Hip Hop’ consecutively from 2008 to 2010, and made his studio debut as Fat Tony with the 2010 LP RABDARGAB. Fat Tony’s rapid-fire lyrical style, experimental ambitions, and disregard for genre restraints have earned Obi collaborations with the likes of Das Racist, A$AP Rocky, and fellow, legendary Houstonian Bun B. Fat Tony’s latest full-length Exotica showed off a level of maturity that’s distinctly mid-thirties, priming Obi for his own 4:44 in the next decade. But the two biggest pieces of recent news from Fat Tony is his appearance on the latest episode of Song Confessional and an opening spot this Friday at Empire Control Room for Oblivion Access Festival, headlined by Danny Brown. So get your tickets while they last, and even if you’d prefer to stay home this weekend, check out the spasmodic rock and hypnotic flow of Song Confessional‘s “Sugar Daddy”!

Branzino: “Golden Days”

What if you took the drummer for Gary Clark Jr., the bassist for David Bowie, and one of the ringleaders of Glorietta and put them together into a new band? Well it turns out you don’t have to use your imagination for this one. Introducing Branzino! For years David Bowie/Blackstar bass player Tim Lefebvre and Gary Clark Jr. percussionist JJ Johnson built a rapport within Tedeschi Trucks’ rhythm section, but the recent inclusion of Glorietta lyricist Jason Robert Blum into the mix isn’t so much adding a third wheel as it is an extra crucial ingredient in a carefully constructed cuisine. Branzino is both roasted in ’90s-style rock and marinated with modern flavors, a sound that was refined by Arlyn Studios producer-engineer Jason Kingsland for the group’s upcoming full-length. They were set to perform tomorrow night at the 04 Center along with Blackillac, but the super trio’s now pushed the show back to July. That said you can still make the most of today’s clear Austin skies and enjoy the proto-punk-meets-’90s-indie heat on Branzino’s driving debut single, “Golden Days”.

Pehuenche: “Agua Bendita”

¡Feliz Cinco de Mayo! We’re commemorating the date with Veracruz-born songwriter Rafael Mesa Zamudio, better known by his stage and studio name Pehuenche. Be it with traditional Latin American rhythms, modern Mexican flavors, or the folk-pop-rock sonics of the ’60s and ’70s, Pehuenche puts it all together into something entirely new. On top of his status as a highly sought after session musician, this classically-trained singer-guitarist has performed all over Latin America in orchestras, choral ensembles, and fusion bands.

Pehuenche’s inaugural solo EP Vendaval came out in 2018, enticing international audiences with six genre-spanning arrangements and plenty of virtuosity on vocals and guitar. In just a couple weeks Pehuenche expands on Vendaval‘s sound with even more guest features and orchestral flourishes courtesy of his debut full-length, Vida Ventura; cinematic brass and strings elevate Vida Ventura‘s latest single, “Agua Bendita” from desert dirt straight into the sunny heavens, where Zaumdio is joined by Barcelona’s Carlos Sadness. So if you’re in need of some good fortune, pick up a copy of Vida Ventura on May 20th, and anoint yourself on the anniversary of a major military victory with a song that just oozes conquest.

Seratones: “High” (Luck Reunion Pop-Up)

A lot of anniversaries follow somewhat of a sequence along a rule of fives; after the first one’s done, you make sure the fifth year’s a big blowout…and by ten it’s typically amplified even more. For Willie Nelson’s Luck Reunion, their ten-year anniversary this past March was an absolute blast, thanks in no small part to an expansive, diverse lineup that included Shreveport soul-rock outfit Seratones. Founded in 2013, this ferocious five-piece celebrates their first decade together next year, but with an abundance of inspiration and material, avoided a purely commemorative release in favor of their third full-length Love & Algorhythms. Love & Algorhythms dropped last Friday and includes the full-band studio rendition of the track below. But in a reversal of that one-to-five escalation, the acoustic pop-up version of “High” focuses solely on the quintet’s frontwoman A.J. Haynes, who’s accompanied only by a super slick Fort Lonesome suit. Its earnestness and intimacy will no doubt lift your spirits, and have you looking forward to another decade of great Seratones.

Urban Heat: “Have You Ever”

Upton Sinclair shocked the world with the harsh, humid realities of city life in his 1906 The Jungle. More than a century later, we understand there was a bit of muckraking embellishment in the novel, but you won’t find any unnecessary exaggeration with Urban Heat. Since 2019 this Austin trio’s captivated metropolitan crowds with their energetic-yet-eerie brand of industrial post-punk and synthwave, a timeless sound perfect for a modern-day version of The Jungle.

Urban Heat’s ability to keep things dark without being overly morose is a testament to their artistry, which has landed the three-piece spots at Levitation Fest, SXSW, and perhaps most appropriately, Seattle’s Freakout Fest. But since the ongoing pandemic’s drawn extra attention to self-care, Urban Heat’s had to confront their grim preferences and take on the duty of leaving listeners with an extra sense of comfort. The result is their upcoming EP Wellness, out July 26th. With their pulsating synths, weighty vocals, and retro-soundscapes these six new songs (including “Have You Ever”) will help in that continuous healing process as best they can. So when Urban Heat comes around for their Wellness check in late July (and even earlier on May 18th at Far Out Lounge), make sure you answer the call.

KONZI: “Free Your Mind”

Indie, alt-rock, amplifiers and…apples? Yes, it’s all there for Austin quintet KONZI, who began harnessing their creative juices in early 2020 as COVID-19 triggered a global lockdown. And like countless other songwriters, the overwhelming precariousness that came with COVID convinced KONZI to pursue positivity through rock at all costs. That endearing energy is plenty evident on their upcoming self-titled debut and has already helped in the healing process following the loss of revered KONZI co-producer Daniel Sahad.

On top of the immeasurable talent and love that Sahad brought, this compelling record also received treatments from Charles Godfrey (who’s worked with Portugal. the Man and Yeah Yeah Yeahs) and The Bubble’s Chris “Frenchie” Smith. The ten daring tracks touch down in August, and today the band shares KONZI‘s second single, whose title evokes one of The Matrix‘s most beloved Morpheus-isms as well as Funkadelic’s 1970 sophomore LP. For lack of better terms, “Free Your Mind” is heavy as hell and quick to kick away any cynicism, so take it with your coffee and liberate yourself as best you can as we enter May and another work week.

waverly: “every little thing”

Wil Brookhart’s neo-classical background has given him a leg-up on his contemporaries, but it certainly hasn’t defined his sound. Now based in Austin, this Cambodian-born multi-instrumentalist first popped on the radar with his eponymously-released 2019 debut “Warden”, then dove head-first into synth-and-guitar-driven-R&B as producer for Denton’s Carley Bearden, and co-founded the national collaboration Fruit Collective last summer. This year Brookhart’s production and songwriting talents collide once again and emerge under a new handle, waverly. With waverly, Brookhart maintains a indie-pop-R&B sensibility but has complete control over melody, lyrics, and arrangement. His keen ear and masterful mixing have both in the three brief years since “Warden”, allowing his already-subdued sonics to sink in in an even more understated way. The first sultry entry into waverly’s budding, all-lowercase discography dropped today, so back off the passionate voicemails and instead soak up “every little thing”!

Seth Walker: “Remember Me”

Moving to a new city is hard enough as it is, but to do it in the middle of both a break up and a global pandemic? That’s some serous character building. On the other hand, relocation hasn’t been the biggest challenge for singer-songwriter Seth Walker, who recently left Nashville for Asheville but had spent time in NOLA and Austin as well. Those iconic Southern towns that Walker’s called home have all lent themselves in one way or another to the sense of wanderlust in his passionate, gospel-evocative Americana, even with each new move. But as mentioned before, a combination of heartbreak and isolation deserves just as much credit as the power of movement for Walker’s eleventh studio album, I Hope I Know. The seven originals and three covers (courtesy of Bobby Charles, Bob Dylan, and Van Morrison no less) will lead you on a reverent, rural, and emotional journey when I Hope I Know releases May 20th, the same evening Walker performs at the 04 Center along with Bonnie Bishop. So with hump day behind us and the weekend beckoning, go ahead and take that first step today with Seth Walker’s latest single, “Remember Me”.

Comma K: “Dreams” (feat. Soulbyak)

When you think of the new generation of electronic-based producers, you probably don’t think of high school and college rock bands…but alas, that’s where many cut their teeth. That’s the path Keaton Peters took shortly after picking up the guitar at age 12, all the way until he discovered his love of production once he downloaded Ableton in 2014. Peters’ newfound influences were just as much Dilla and Kanye West as they were Fleetwood Mac and Radiohead, and his 2018 solo debut Tide of the Heart toted an alt-rock sound with teases of hip-hop elements.

Peters moved from California to Austin in 2019 where he hit the ground running with his sophomore album Bloom, but like countless other creatives, the pandemic allowed him to reevaluate his course. Over those two short years Keaton Peters has catapulted himself away from his acoustic guitar and into a world of synthesizers, only re-emerging now under the new handle Comma K. In that same vein Comma K pulls a reverse Uno card on Tide of the Heart claiming pop, electronic, and hip-hop as the primary genres while incorporating mere brushes of folk and rock. Comma K promises more material for 2022, and starts off strong with his debut single, “Dreams” featuring vocals from Oakland’s SoulByak (Soul By AK). With multi-layered synths, plenty of vocal effects, and some solid inter-artist chemistry, “Dreams” has us anticipating more gold from Comma K at the end of the ellipsis.

Donovan Keith: “Cruel Fools Eye”

The mainstream success of Black Pumas has made Austin a destination for lovers of retro R&B-soul. But of course, that style’s not strictly property of the Pumas, and certainly not the only act in town to flaunt the sound. Take for example, Donovan Keith, who moved down here from the midwest in 2009 and began unleashing some serious dance skills and killer pipes. Choreography aside, Keith and his project Soul Track Mind couldn’t stop captivating local dive bar crowds and eventually graduated to opening spots for Erykah Badu, Fastball, Tower of Power, Snarky Puppy, Enrique Iglesias and even the late, legendary Charles Bradley.

More recently though, Donovan Keith has doubled down on an eponymous solo adventure, which received a Black Fret nomination in 2018 and has continued to capture the vintage magic of mid-to-third-quarter-century funk-soul-R&B. In the next couple days, Donovan Keith drops his debut solo album Hot Off The Wire and celebrates with a release show 8PM Thursday night at Antone’s alongside Aaron Stephens and Emily Keeley. So for this cloudy week, invite Keith’s sunny vocals, call-and-response chorus singers, and warm horn riffs into your home with Hot Off The Wire‘s final lead single “Cruel Fools Eye”.

Big Bill: “Almost Everybody”

When artists take a hard left turn from their established sound it can be pretty polarizing. But if they can pull it off without losing too many of their defining characteristics…no harm, no foul, right? We’ve got high hopes for Big Bill, an Austin quartet who’s built a repertoire of quirky, ’80s-style art-punk since 2016. But much like their inspirations and predecessors, Big Bill’s moving forward with the times, entering these early 2020s by jumping on ’90s indie tones that are a little less like Minutemen and a little more like Weezer.

This pivot towards classic indie comes alongside Big Bill’s sophomore full-length Public Freakout Compilation, out June 10th. At ten tracks, Public Freakout Compilation still carries the oddball post-punk energy that made us fall in love with Big Bill in the first place, as well as some softer, slower arrangements that for some, may indicate a badge of maturity. Following last year’s bilingual single “Coma” and this February’s “Forget About Monday”, Big Bill has just released Public Freakout Compilation‘s third offering, “Almost Everybody”. It’ll be joined by a music video companion piece at the end of this week. But even without the visuals, you can get an alluring first listen to Big Bill’s new duds on the masterfully-crafted indie-rock shuffle of “Almost Everybody” below.

Otis Wilkins: “Kamakura”

There are a lot of ways to pay tribute to one’s pedigree, but few are quite as charming as keeping a family nickname alive. And in an odd sort of role reversal of Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade, Austin singer-guitarist Taylor Wilkins re-appropriated his father’s college moniker “Otis” for a pet dog before adopting the handle himself. Wilkins’ has since enjoyed success as the eponymous frontman of indie-shoegaze four-piece Otis the Destroyer, and more recently with his alt-rock endeavor Otis Wilkins.

Otis Wilkins reaches into a retro-stratosphere of soundscapes relatively untouched by the Destroyer, with an emphasis on ’60s-’70s pop and rock. The project launched in 2018 with the Strangest Place EP and caught national attention with two singles the following year (“Shaker #42” and KUTX/NPR Music favorite “Joni Mitchell Was Punk”). Otis’ last offering was 2020’s “Charlene”, but after two years of pensive pandemic patience, Wilkins is finally back with more. Jack White/Widespread Panic producer Brett Orrison helped shape a new slew of singles for 2022, a sequence that starts today with “Kamakura”. Inspired by the burial place of legendary filmmaker Akira Kurosawa as well as the tone and narrative pacing of his iconic films, the marching band-style snare drum cadence, ethereal vocal reverb, cutting guitar solo, and heavenly synth pads of “Kamakura” all add up to a ghostly but reverent experience that transcends into immortality.

Barton Stanley David: “How We Live In Love”

“You can take the boy out of Texas but you can’t take Texas out of the boy”; it’s an old adage consistently weighted in truth. Fifth generation Texan Barton Stanley David is a prime piece of evidence, considering he moved back to Dallas in 2019 following a decade in New York City. After that, it didn’t take long for David to cross paths with producer Jeff Saenz, who’d already worked with Leon Bridges and Paul Cauthen and established a reputation through Modern Electric Sound Recorders. They got cracking on David’s new record Crest in 2021, but hit a huge valley six months in with Saenz lost both arms to a downed power line outside his family’s home. With the help of Grammy Winner Dave Schiffman (who’s lent his talents to Audioslave, Tom Petty, Adele, and The Killers), The Eagles’ violinist-engineer Scarlett Deering, Jeff Buckley/Nirvana mastering engineer Howie Weinberg and others, Crest was finally completed. The result is a ’90s-style seven-song alt-rock-meets-chamber-pop masterpiece of Americana, tethered together by David’s one-of-a-kind voice. Crest is out tomorrow, and we’ve been given an extra push over the edge today courtesy of the record’s final single that features White Denim drummer Matt Young and was inspired by pandemic-era domestic violence and the role technology plays in connecting communities, “How We Live In Love”.

Traetwothree: “Stuck In My Ways” (feat. Blueface)

Everyone’s referencing “four twenty” on this Wednesday, but if you’re sick of all the pot talk, you may want to shift your focus to another set of symbolic numbers: 323. That’s the area code for South Central, Los Angeles, which is the handle inspiration and home base for rising R&B star Traetwothree. And as opposed to the 40 oz-guzzling, blunt-passing braggadocio of ’90s West Coast hip-hop, Traetwothree tries to recreate the nighttime aesthetic of South Central – somewhere between sensual, introspective, and vulnerable. His half-rapped/half-sung style is plenty confident without being egregiously arrogant, and his use of auto-tune is more of a stylistic choice rather than a pitch-correcting necessity.

So far we’ve only had singles from Traetwothree, going back to 2019’s “Natural” but next Friday he’ll be releasing his debut mixtape, Out The District. At just shy of a dozen tracks, Out The District ushers in a new era of urban R&B for the 2020s, with crystal clear production, jazz-inspired chord progressions, and Traetwothree’s liquid vocals. Each track packs an infectious groove and relatable imagery, most notably on “Stuck In My Ways”, where Traetwothree’s in-the-pocket singing is balanced out by bars from fellow Los Angeleno Blueface.

Moon Medallion: “New age let-down”

When you listen to the vast majority of bands, you tend to hear the same things: drums, bass, guitar, and of course…vocals. But considering that vocals are often just the icing on the cake, an extra level of garnish for a balanced dish, does making accessible music really require the use of a vocalist? Short answer: no. Just look towards the Austin trio Moon Medallion, who got started in 2020 in search of a lead singer. When they couldn’t find a perfect fit, Moon Medallion nixed the idea and revamped their song structures into strictly instrumentals. Since then they’ve flaunted a nocturnal talisman of punk, shoegaze, surf, post-hardcore, and the more experimental aspects of psychedelia. Last year they enchanted listeners with a string of standalone singles and a Southwestern US tour, and more recently Moon Medallion captured the waxing lunar cycle with a Beck-inspired garage-punk masterpiece, “New age let-down”. Moon Medallion’s far from waning, with more material on the way, a live performance May 21st at Indian Roller, and a West Coast tour in June.