Jack Anderson

The Avocados: “Flipside”

Summer may be far behind us but surf rock music is a good fit for all seasons, hot or cold. That’s common knowledge for Austin quartet The Avocados, who, like the fruit of the same name, have taken years to fully mature from their pit status all the way back in 2013. The four seasoned veterans of The Avocados each bring their own genre-specific spices to the table and spread them out across concise, easily-digestible surf rock soundscapes, plenty of which you’ll hear on their new LP, ¡Ensalada!. ¡Ensalada!‘s just about ripe enough to dig into, and drops this Saturday alongside a release show that same afternoon at Far Out Lounge. At just shy of a dozen tracks, the strictly instrumental experience of ¡Ensalada! will keep you cool-headed as you coast across whatever life throws at you, especially with tracks like “Flipside” that sound like they’d be right at home in the background of a deleted Pulp Fiction scene.

Matt the Electrician: “Night Owls”

Back in his screwdriver and salad days, songwriter Matt The Electrician was somewhat of a local legend, coming straight off all-day shifts to open mics still in company attire. Matt’s occupational capacity as electrician is a thing of the past, but the title’s become inseparable from his musical character and internal creative circuitry.

Just last Friday Matt The Electrician shared his new LP We Imagined An Ending, highlighting the singer’s pristine vocal delivery, reflectively human lyrics, and hauntingly sparse acoustic guitar work. We Imagined An Ending also gave us a couple music videos, including the charmingly minimalist visual counterpart to “Night Owls” that make absorbing the nocturnal lyrics quite a bit easier than trying to adjust your sleep schedule into early bird-ism.

Jenny Parrott: “The Fire I Saw (Is There Anyone To Meet Me)”

Unlike the similarly-named avian companion, Jenny Parrott has never needed to mimic anyone else to express herself. After moving to Austin a decade-and-a-half back, she fronted the Western swing three-piece Shotgun Party through three LPs and international tours, then got involved with folk rockers Loves It for two albums. Since then though, Parrott and her bilingual, triple-octave singing style have migrated into a soaring solo effort. Jenny Parrott’s sophomore LP The Fire I Saw takes the cross-genre embers of her 2017 debut When I Come Down and turns the heat way up with intricate synth-work and some of her finest vocal performances to date. The Fire I Saw drops next Friday the 12th, and Jenny Parrott performs 7pm that same evening at Hole in the Wall, but especially with the rapid temperature drops in the past 24 hours, it’s not a bad idea to land a warm spot early with the record’s title track!

Kristine Mills: “Reach Out To Me”

Though she’s historically called Houston her home, after several LPs that navigate the many canals of jazz (including two in the bossa-nova-verse), singer Kristine Mills is about to actualize her international aspirations with a move to London. That pond-hopping dream becomes a reality only after the release of Mills’ aptly-titled new record, Looking Back. Moving Forward., which drops next Friday. On the cusp of Looking Back. Moving Forward. Mills performs 7PM this Thursday at Parker Jazz Club for a single and music video release show, one that you can enjoy from the comfort of your own home thanks to a livestream. But if you do plan on coming out, you’ll want to check out Kristine’s powerful pipes ahead of time with “Reach Out To Me” and the aforementioned music video for that jazziest of hues, “Blue Isn’t Blue Anymore“!

rajinee: “Catcall & Response” (feat. Ol Black Stooge)

The blight of male-propagated verbal harassment is universal but is sadly, especially common in metropolitan settings such as our fair city. Songwriter rajinee knows this all-too-well, and has transformed her experiences with unsolicited comments into an absolute banger, one that also marks a significant departure from her historically acoustic material.

But that’s not to say she’s entirely ditched the six-string aesthetic, considering that she performs solo this Friday for Backyard Film Fest at Live Oak Brewing. You’ll be treated to a myriad of music videos, including the take-no-guff visual counterpart to rajinee’s latest empowering record, featuring Ol Black Stooge, “Catcall & Response“!

Transmission Lost: “Beating Death”

When singer-guitarist Garret Ashton moved from rural Idaho down to Houston, his bucolic creativity collided with the hustle and bustle of bayou-metropolitan tastes. As soon as those internal frequencies acclimated to the new environment, Ashton’s alt-rock endeavor Transmission Lost was born, with its first lineup finalized around 2018. Unlike the cryptic numbers stations of decades past, the sonics behind Transmission Lost are relatively easy to pinpoint – somewhere between Cage the Elephant, Yellowcard, and Linkin Park – but with only two singles to the name til now, we’ve been fine tuning our dial in hopes of hearing more. Well, today Transmission Lost’s latest signal came through loud and clear – a bold drum ‘n’ bass style alt-rocker whose sound is big enough to please a full arena and whose title seems pretty appropriate for both Día de los Muertos and Halloween – “Beating Death”!

Money Chicha: “Fuentes” (Studio 1A Version)

On the ascent towards their latest album Chicha Summit, you’ve been hearing lots about our October 2021 Artist of the Month, Money Chicha. This exotic cumbia-psych-rock project features some of the biggest standouts from both Grupo Fantasma and Brownout as well as relative newcomer Kiko Villamizar, who helped Money Chicha achieve the peak perfection heard on Chicha Summit.

If you’re the type that loves Latin grooves and can’t resist dancing, you won’t want to miss Money Chicha’s electric energy tonight at Far Out Lounge. But even if you plan on staying home, you can drink up the long-awaited return of live music to our beloved Studio 1A with a luscious three-song video set, including a real outpouring from Villamizar on one of Chicha Summit‘s finest flows, “Fuentes”!

Como Las Movies: “La Bruja”

Bands with truly badass names rarely live up to the hype, but Austin-via-McAllen/Rio Grande Valley quartet Como Las Movies definitely delivers with their synth-laden brand of cinematic Latin-indie-pop-rock. These Studio 1A veterans formed back in 2013 before becoming a KUTX favorite with their 2018 EP Nuevo Wave, and now, at the tail end of October, Como Las Movies has charmed us once again with a witchy spell on their latest reel.

Adapted from the iconic Mexican folklore legend, Como Las Movies’ slick-but-sinister take on”La Bruja” finds the four-piece in complete control of their searing and spooky psychedelic arsenal, making this almost dystopian-sounding single a must-add for your Dia de los Muertos and Halloween playlist.

OKAMOTOS: “Band Music”

When a group’s been dubbed the Japanese analogue to golden-era Red Hot Chili Peppers, expectations are pretty high. And yet Tokyo-based four-piece OKAMOTO’s manages to live up to that hype and well beyond with a raucous, irreverent brand of punk-funk-rock that gives Freaky Styley a run for its money.

In the same vein as the Ramones, the members of this audacious quartet have adopted each other as informal family members, with a bond that’s gone above and beyond into their ninth LP, KNO WHERE. KNO WHERE is an epic, seventeen-song experience best enjoyed in its entirety, but if you can’t clock out to rock out quite yet, you can still hop aboard OKAMOTO’s locomotive energy with “Band Music”!

Golden Dawn Arkestra: “I Deserve Success”

Even if you’re only barely familiar with Golden Dawn Arkestra, you likely know that Austin’s premiere cosmic-afrobeat/nu-disco outfit is all about pushing the envelope, be it with mystical, incense-laden live show rituals, exotic costumes, or intriguingly bizarre music videos.

Well, on that last front these three-time Studio 1A veterans have further fueled the fever dream that is late night self-help TV with their newest batch of visuals. Complete with a videotape aesthetic, this music video is the perfect counterpart to the retro-pop motivational mantras of “I Deserve Success” and an excellent way to prep for Golden Dawn Arkestra’s upcoming Halloween show.

Helado Negro: “Gemini and Leo”

Raised in sunny South Florida against a backdrop of ’80s club bangers and pivotal ’90s hip-hop, multi-instrumentalist Roberto Carlos Lange’s found sturdy legs in Brooklyn for his Latin-leaning experimental electronic folk project Helado Negro. The pursuit that began with 2009’s Awe Owe has since earned Lange several awards and considerable critical acclaim, including a widely popular NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert from 2017 and most recently with Helado Negro’s highly-lauded 2019 LP This Is How You Smile.

Tomorrow Helado Negro ventures even further into his bold exploration of soundscapes with his seventh studio full-length, Far In, an eclectic collection of exotic tones and dance-friendly bops. So needless to say, Helado Negro’s horoscope is looking pretty auspicious, and you can get an early gaze into Far In with one of the record’s most impressive star-crossed genre-blender, “Gemini and Leo”!

Josie Lockhart: “Dirty Money”

For a full decade, retro-pop power trio Sphynx had an almost mythical command over their electrifying live performances and immersive studio recordings. But with Sphynx having sifted back into the figurative sand, former frontman (or at least one of them) Aaron Miller’s extended himself well beyond the sphere of Sphynx with his daring solo endeavor Josie Lockhart.

This aural outlaw breaks all the expectations you might have of Sphynx on his debut record Santa Rosa, which takes a revisionist Western approach to road anthems, emotional outpourings, and the all-too-familiar idiosyncrasies of isolation. Santa Rosa rides onto streaming services this Friday and Josie Lockhart celebrates with a release show Friday, November 5th at Captain Quackenbush’s. But before you saddle up to celebrate Santa Rosa, enjoy some of its cleanest currency courtesy of the record’s latest nu-disco earworm, “Dirty Money”!

Ethan Azarian: “Zebras”

Though he got his start way up in Vermont, singer/painter Ethan Azarian‘s been flourishing in Austin for the past three decades, beginning with his early-’90s project The Orange Mothers with longtime collaborator Jeff Johnston. This seasoned banjo-playing vocalist hasn’t felt the need to shy away from evergreen themes of folk songwriting, instead tapping into what makes people tick and exploring those elements in his own unique way.

This Friday Ethan Azarian shares his latest endeavor, On The Fringe, and celebrates with a release show this Saturday evening at Wyldwood House Concerts alongside his pals Lindsey Verrill, Jeff Johnston, and Little Mazarn. So while we’re still on the cusp of On The Fringe‘s arrival, we can earn some stripes early with one of the record’s previous unheard but strongest offerings, “Zebras”!

Brian Wolff: “I Love You, Goodnight”

You might have fond memories of Fair City Fire, whose embers attracted a formidable following over their seven-year tenure here in Austin, even landing their own official day on August 31st, 2019. The bad news is that Fair City Fire’s called it quits. But the good news is that FCF co-founder Brian Wolff continues to stoke those creative flames with his newfound eponymous solo project.

With the help of producer Chris “Frenchie” Smith, this singer-guitarist has recently completed work on his debut EP The Punch, due out next Spring. You can expect some truly innovative originals from Wolff, who drew inspiration from the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Jason Isbell, and Manchester Orchestra, and without beating Wolff to The Punch, check out the record’s lead single, “I Love You, Goodnight”!

Calder Allen: “Bend of the River” (ACL Fest Pop-Up)

As the grandson of Lubbock-raised creative polymath Terry Allen, singer-guitarist Calder Allen has been raised with a set of songwriting sensibilities that few have been privy to. But despite that huge leg-up heritage-wise, Allen only made his live band debut just a couple weeks ago with Charlie Sexton during the first Sunday of ACL Fest.

Calder unleashed a batch of previously-unheard Americana originals, leaving the Tito’s Handmade Vodka Stage thirsty for much more from this poet extraordinaire beyond ACL. So while we all eagerly await to hear Calder Allen again, appreciate the fact that this up-and-comer doesn’t need a backing band to give a great performance, as evidenced by a stripped-down rendition of his earliest compositions, “Bend of the River”!

David Ramirez: “Friends Forever” (ACL Fest Pop-Up)

Since the salad days of KUTX, Austin songwriter David Ramirez has been a major staple of our airwaves. And David’s growth alongside ours over the years makes us feel like we’ve got a special bond between us. So imagine our elation when this six-time Studio 1A veteran visited us backstage at ACL Fest and treated us to a preview of an unreleased track all about his preference for platonic pals, “Friends Forever”!

Mega Ran: “Live 95 (Basketball Diaries)”

Since the genre’s earliest days there’s been a fruitful relationship between hip hop music and basketball, a legacy that’s soon set to continue with Philadelphia’s Mega Ran. The rapper’s dressing out for the NBA’s 75th season with his upcoming 11th album, Live 95, a loving tribute to this unique intersectionality of sports, music, and urban life that features some of Mega Ran’s finest verbal athleticism to date.

Live 95 struts onto the court next Friday and Mega Ran celebrates with a scrimmage next Tuesday at Empire Control Room, where we’re pretty sure he’s only going to be shooting threes with no unnecessary dribbling. So score some extra hoops this hump day with the title track’s just-released music video, “Live ’95 (Basketball Diaries)”!

Brandy Zdan: “The Worst Thing”

Canada’s Brandy Zdan may have settled into her current home base of Nashville back in 2014, but the preceding three years she spent here in Austin was plenty enough to win over a following. This year Zdan’s zeroing in on Falcon, the full-length follow-up to her 2018 sophomore release Secretear that’s set to spread its wings at the end of the month.

Falcon features some of Zdan’s most personal reflections to date, and is a testament to how far this take-no-guff multi-instrumentalist-producer has soared in the rock aurora. Hear Zdan soar with Falcon on October 29th and get on the wing early with one of the record’s very best, “The Worst Thing“!

Tony Kamel: “Slow On The Gulf”

For those with their ear near to Austin’s alt-country/Americana scene, the name Tony Kamel shouldn’t sound too unfamiliar. For years Kamel’s provided the circuitry for the Grammy-nominated string group (and KUTX favorites) Wood & Wire, and alongside his newfound fatherhood, has recently issued his debut solo LP, Back Down Home.

This Kamel-Back packs all the coastal accoutrements you’d expect from a nature-loving Texan, at-times spiced with Cajun and Appalachian flavors for an authentically American listening experience. Back Down Home dropped a couple weeks ago and Tony Kamel celebrates with back-to-back release shows this weekend (right after he returns from Utopia Fest), Friday and Saturday at Continental Club, and you can enjoy a breezy preview with “Slow On The Gulf”.