Jack Anderson

Indoor Creature: “American Dream” [PREMIERE]

Almost a full year after COVID-19 shut us all into quarantine, we’ve all become somewhat of adjusted to a largely-interior lifestyle. But if there’s one Austin group that’s sure to stave off cabin fever (even in the name alone), it’s Indoor Creature. What started off as a duo in 2015 has evolved into a slick six-piece, whose jazz-inspired indie-pop sound has continued to expand with each passing season.

Indoor Creature is set to share their third full-length, Living in Darkness, in May, and after a long first month of hefty politics, the band’s re-aligning their prospects for 2021 with the album’s infectiously chill lead single, “American Dream”!

The Watters: “Déjà Vu”

Partners in marriage, parenthood, and music, Daniel and Jenna Watters’ shared energy seems to keep pushing the quality of their songwriting higher and higher. With each new release, The Watters submerge themselves deeper into the soul sound, and you can definitely hear that over the two short years between their 2016 debut LP Great Unknown and their 2018 eponymous full-length. But as we all know, good things come in threes…

After adjusting to their newfound life as parents, The Watters recruited some top notch players including a four-piece horn section for their latest album, recorded back in 2019. Intuition drops this weekend and The Watters perform 8:30pm Saturday night at Far Out Lounge along with Curtis Lee. That prospect of leaving your home to go see live music might bring some memories flooding back, which is actually fairly appropriate given the title of today’s feature (on Jenna’s birthday, no less), “Déjà Vu”!

Erin Ivey: “Where Have You Been All My Life” [PREMIERE]

Longtime listeners of KUTX aren’t likely to gloss over certain Austin songwriters based on remarkable talent, perhaps most notably six-time Studio 1A veteran Erin Ivey. Whether she’s teamed up with Tosca String Quartet, The Finest Kind, David Ramirez, or just going solo acoustic, Ivey’s made countless jaws drop and eyes water with her luminous vocal presence and impressive range dating back to her 2007 debut.

But with seven years having passed since her last studio album, Whisper of the Moon, Ivey’s fans have been in dire need of an update. And they’re in luck! Next Friday Erin Ivey shares her ten-track full-length Solace in the Wild, leaning on her classic indie folk sound with sprinkles of Americana and psychedelia and other powerful nuances throughout. And though another premiere of sorts may understandably be taking up most of the spotlight today, take your mind off the news and enter Solace in the Wild with its lead single, “Where Have You Been All My Life”!

Daisy O’Connor: “Evergreen”

For those already familiar with Austin singer Daisy O’Connor, the mere mention of her name alone should be enough to put a smile on your face. And for those not in the know, that first sentence should tip you off that Daisy’s got a real knack for finding the silver lining in life, straying away from the saccharine in favor of prudent optimism.

O’Connor’s comprehensive, genre-sprawling style has captivated listeners for years, and her talents as a songwriter seem to grow with each new release. So you can probably see where this is going…Daisy O’Connor just graced us with a tune that’s old-for-her, new-for-us. Written and recorded at Public Hi-Fi well before the confines of quarantine, the pastoral tempo of “Evergreen” paints an idyllic landscape for O’Connor to reflect on solitude, caution before connection, and a shared experience of loneliness that’s all too relatable nowadays.

Jeff Dazey: “Song for Atatiana” (feat. Greyhounds, Jay Moeller, Tameca Jones & Lee Merritt)

Happy MLK Day! In the spirit of Dr. King, we’re handing the microphone over to Fort Worth’s Jeff Dazey, who, after honing his skills in Leon Bridges’ horn section, has supplied some unforgettable sax elements for Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, not to mention some standout features.

Thoroughly shaken by the October 2019 shooting of Atatiana Jefferson in his hometown, Dazey enlisted an eclectic assortment of Austin talent to help realize the tribute he had in mind, including local duo Greyhounds, one half of the Moeller Brothers on drums, and the always-incandescent vocals of Tameca Jones. “Song for Atatiana” was rounded out by Buds’ engineer/producer Sam Patlove and hits its most poignant moments when watching the music video of the same name.

Kaiti Jones: “Gettin Around to It”

As is the case with many songwriters, storytelling is core to Boston singer Kaiti Jones‘ character. And for Jones, her story began to be told back in 2009 with her first EP, Arise Child, followed by the 2013 four-track Growing Things, and eventually the Vows LP in 2017, offering a substantial amount of material to listeners who drew affectionate comparisons to the flawed, human rock of Sharon Van Etten and Julia Jacklin.

Today Jones has shared a sneak peek of her next record, Tossed, out March 5th, throwing us fans a bit of pre-weekend pep and post-workweek chill in its earnest-yet-light sophomore single (and music video), “Gettin Around to It”!

Click Music: “Surprises”

Though he’s originally from Chicago, multi-instrumentalist David Click has decidedly snapped into place here in Austin. As a publisher, producer, engineer, and of course, singer-songwriter, Click founded his recording studio The Oven not too long ago and has fittingly recorded his material as Click Music there.

Yesterday Click Music commenced his 2021 with a bittersweet title, Cheated on Me, a three-song EP that expands out from the sound of Click’s typical discography to incorporate trip-hop, UK two-step, and pop-R&B. It seems like no matter what genre you throw at him, Click continues to navigate his affectionate arrangements with ease and incite ecstasy in listeners, statements that at this point shouldn’t come too much as, “Surprises”.

Julietta: “Not Today”

It feels like just yesterday that then-New Yorker Julietta was being hailed in the indie pop-ulace for her 2018 debut album Smooth Sailing. But now that she’s well acclimated to a new coast out in L.A., this singer’s spirits are ascending even further with each bold new single.

Julietta’s set to share six new tracks within the next month, forming a cube of indie-pop audacity with her upcoming EP, Levitate. Levitate reaches its optimal altitude on February 5th, and get her listeners’ heads pointed skyward, today Julietta dropped the record’s infectious first offering, “Not Today”!

King Air: “Last of a Breed”

As the city continues to change, a comparatively few amount of veterans from the old school scene have stuck around to release new stuff in 2021. But for four talented musicians that’ve performed in Austin since the ’90s, they’ve merely adopted a new handle and begun to share fresh material at this turn of a decade.

Channeling the likes of alternative pioneers Velvet Underground and R.E.M., King Air cast forth their debut EP Tracks Made in Dust on Christmas Day, staking their claim of atmospheric royalty with just as many songs as members and rounding out the record with a real trance-inducer, “Last of a Breed”!

Luke and the Lonely: “My Baby Loves Heavy Metal”

What with quarantine, cabin fever, and yesterday’s surprise amount of snow in the Lone Star State, you might’ve developed a need for company over the weekend. That’s why we’re easing you back into the workweek with Austin four-piece Luke and the Lonely. First sparked in 2017 and finalized in the summer of 2018, this indie pop rock quartet dropped their debut EP The Age of Enlightenment just under two years ago, but’ve decided to hit 2021 running with one of several Chris “Frenchie” Smith-produced singles.

Their first-of-the-year “My Baby Loves Heavy Metal” came out on Friday, giving us all the refined but aggressive strength to help us coast through to see another weekend.

The Los Sundowns: “Al Final de La Tarde” (feat. Alex Chavez)

For more than two decades, Grammy-winning guitarist and producer Beto Martinez has imprinted Austin with his Latin-leaning outputs: Grupo Fantasma, Money Chicha, and Brownout. And though psychedelia’s always been a major factor in Martinez’s formulas, with some conceptualizing on behalf of Dos Santos drummer Daniel Villarreal, the two have dawned on a new Latin psych-soul project, The Los Sundowns.

In a little over a month The Los Sundowns will release their debut self-titled EP, stacked with a roster of talented collaborators from Villarreal and Martinez’s combined rolodex and issued through Beto’s new label Lechehouse Music. And while we all anticipate auspiciousness from The Los Sundowns when drops on February 12th, the group’s tided us over with their lead single, featuring fellow Dos Santos veteran Alex Chavez, “Al Final de La Tarde”!

Lost Cat Magnet & Joshua Thomson: “Moon Man”

When you find an ideal musical partner but touring schedules keep you apart, sometimes a lockdown can be a blessing in disguise. At least that’s how it’s gone for Californian-turned-Austinite Lost Cat Magnet and former Michigander Joshua Thomson, two star-crossed collaborators who’ve finally had a chance to create something new and extraordinary between themselves.

Between LCM’s beat-making finesse, Thomson’s expansive ability to improvise and interpret melodies on sax, and a shared universe of influences and tastes dating back a half century, these two built their Low Orbit EP from the ground up, only using a computer to touch up analog recordings. Co-produced by Brazilian music aficionado Tiago da Silva and releasing tomrorow, Low Orbit is sure to keep you gravitated into its field with exotic electro-jazz and funk-house inspired grooves, even on tracks that can’t be identified under any one genre, like “Moon Man”!

The Consequentialists: “Puzzle”

When it comes to philosophy in punk music, raw always wins the luck of the draw. Take, for example, Austin outfit The Consequentialists, who knocked out the pre-production for their debut EP under the primitive restrictions of an iPhone’s built in microphone and the entry-level limits of Garage Band, over-dubbing only what they needed to pack a punch after the fact.

The resulting self-titled record is an unfettered offering of aggressive energy, putting The Consequentialists high up on our list of artists we can’t wait to see live. And with The Consequentialists finishing at a compact fifteen minutes, you definitely have the time to pilfer through its five tracks, starting with the album opener, “Puzzle”!

Cosmic Convoy: “Up For Grabs”

You’re no doubt looking for some new music to complement the new year, but without trying to get nostalgic over 2020 (how could you?) we’re actually going to spend the next couple days looking back at some stuff you might’ve missed. Enter Cosmic Convoy, an Austin-based quartet founded over a mutual love of vintage genres, whether it be it outlaw country, ’60s R&B-soul, or classic rock. The four began playing covers back in 2017 but have finally passed the limen and progressed into writing and performing their own tunes.

In November of last year Cosmic Convoy saddled up with their debut EP, Together Again for the First Time, channeling the likes of Townes Van Zandt, Son Volt, and Gram Parsons across six songs. We’re hoping that this is just the first entry into these fellas’ discography, so climb aboard the Cosmic Convoy with one of Together Again‘s boldest, “Up For Grabs”!

Dox Black: “In The Groove”

Happy New Year! Pat yourself on the back for making it through 2020! Big Apple-based rapper Dox Black has wasted no time expelling last year’s energy with his bold refresher Enigma. With its sprawling seventeen tracks and sporadic features, (Para)Dox’s Big Pun-esque flow endures across Enigma, from modern trap beats to old school homages, like the sample-driven “In The Groove”!

Brian Lambert: “All I Want For Christmas (Is A Brand New Start)”

Before 2020, Austinite-turned-Dentonite Brian Lambert had become pretty accustomed to playing around three live shows a week. But with quarantine conditions, Lambert’s taken a step back to reshape at his own style, leading him to cozy up more to the likes of Grimes and Spoon than to the classic country folk acts he’s historically been compared to.

That’s not to say that Lambert doesn’t still carry the standing of songwriters like Ol’ Hank and Dylan, but this new undertaking of indie rock is undeniably refreshing to hear, especially in this year of surprises and hard left turns. So what better way to send off Song of the Day than with this single that might just give Mariah a run for her money, “All I Want For Christmas (Is A Brand New Start)”! Happy Holidays! Song of the Day will return Monday, January 4th, 2021.

Half Dream: “Christmas All Alone”

Love it or hate it, Christmas music is in season. So before Song of the Day takes a two-week vacay (from Tuesday, December 22nd to Monday January 4th), we’re holding the mistletoe over some yuletide tunes you might’ve overlooked.

Since their 2018 origins, Austin folk outfit Half Dream has typically operated as a four-piece, but it’s no secret that the group’s musical direction has always been under the command of lead vocalist Paige Berry. A self-admitted Christmas song connoisseur (particularly the melancholy sort sung by Joni Mitchell, Nat King Cole, and The Carpenters), Berry wrote her first sad Christmas composition in 2019, tiding her over for what would prove to be a most rancorous year. And not too long after releasing Half Dream’s debut LP Monster of Needing around Halloween, Berry’s gone solo and acoustic for another entry into the festive genre with her pertinent take on Winter isolation amplified by quarantine conditions, “Christmas All Alone”!

James Steinle: “Three Dark Kings”

There’s a rich history of Germans in Texas going well back to the pre-state days of the land, and though the hotspots lay in places like Gruene, New Braunfels, and Fredericksburg, singer-guitarist James Steinle hopes to put Austin auf der Karte. With a personal upbringing in Saudi Arabia and Deutschland itself, Steinle’s embraced those multi-national idiosyncrasies into his “county country” acoustic style, something that’s definitely set him apart from contenders here in the Live Music Capital.

Following his 2018 debut, 2019’s Live at Hole in the Wall, and two Bruce Robison-produced singles in the past year, James Steinle wraps up 2020 with the bilingual Cold German Mornings. These dozen new songs celebrate Weinachten in such a subdued, wintery way that you’ll need to save them for next years playlist, particularly on tracks like “Three Dark Kings”.

Cory Henry: “1st Noel”

Christmas and jazz go together like Donner and Blitzen. And for former Snarky Puppy member Cory Henry, there’s no reason not to share his gifts during the holiday season. Having been introduced to keyboard and piano at the tender age of two, Henry’s exponentially growing talent made for a great addition to Snarky Puppy before leaving the group to pursue a solo career in 2018.

After dropping his sophomore solo album Something to Say on Halloween, Henry was clearly hankering for another holiday-oriented release and shared his seven-track Christmas With You last Friday. It’s a jazzy and soulful take on the genre delivered in a way only possible by Henry, and rest assured, these new singles will make a great addition to your digital stocking, especially “1st Noel”!

Kelly Finnigan: “To Be Young At Christmas”

When it comes to the Christmas genre, ’60s soul is a clear standout. But you can’t make new ’60s soul…right? L.A.’s Kelly Finnigan begs to differ and given his track record for vintage production with his group Monophonics, we’re inclined to keep listening.

Just for the holidays Finnigan stretched out in front of that proverbial open fire to roast eleven songs on A Joyful Sound, shared universally last Friday. It’s got all the flavors of classic R&B-soul you’d expect from Finnigan’s twinkling keys, seductive vocals, and captivating production, not to mention a rejuvenating take on the Christmas style with slow burners like “To Be Young At Christmas”!