Jack Anderson

Fleece: “My Type (I Don’t Mind)”

One of the most appealing aspects of Montreal four-piece Fleece is that they sheer the finest fibers from a number of genres, and weave them together into an undeniably smooth final product. Fleece shared their latest line of feel-good indie music with the release of Stunning and Atrocious and the tail end of last month and are set to bring their trademark lols and wools to the stage tomorrow night at the Mohawk.

It’s understandable if you can’t join the flock at the Mohawk on Friday, but you should at least try Fleece on with one of Stunning and Atrocious‘ most comfortably-bizarre offerings, “My Type (I Don’t Mind)”!

Dayglow: “Medicine” (KUTX Pop-Up)

With the sun out and about and temperatures hitting nearly triple digits this week, it might not be a bad idea to just simmer in the sweat and embrace the Dayglow. Austin multi-instrumentalist Sloan Struble blew us away in 2019 with Dayglow‘s debut album, Fuzzybrain, and invited us to get a little more intimate with his indie pop project even more recently through his sophomore LP, Harmony House.

Dayglow plays this Friday at Stubb’s but if you’re still iffy on going out, the Studio 1A veteran was kind enough to let our multi-media team stop by for a four-song video set, featuring two tracks from Fuzzybrain and Harmony House. Either way, you’re going to want a Dayglow-prescribed dose of “Medicine”…

The Watters: “Out of the Darkness”

Though husband-and-wife songwriting team Daniel and Jenna Watters have spent the past half decade in Austin, their flow of Americana-soul dates back to the early 2010s. The Watters‘ evolving stream of retro-style rock and contemporary funk sounds has decidedly bubbled up since their time here with the addition of a five-piece backing band, complete with a horn section.

Following the release of their LP Intuition at the top of 2021, The Watters celebrate their ten-year anniversary tomorrow night at The Belmont. The music kicks off at 7:30pm and the suggested illumination of gold attire should help you crawl “Out of the Darkness” of pandemic or political unrest and glisten against The Watters’ soulful tides.

Foxtales: “Oceans of Time”

For the past few years Austin multi-instrumentalist Jonathan Fox has built up a repertoire of indie pop under the handle Foxtales. And though he already totes a robust coat of colors, Foxtales ventures even further into the realm of chillwave with a more synth-reliant sound on his upcoming fourth record, Perfect Landing.

Perfect Landing touches down on September 17th, and the next day promises a full five-piece release show performance at Swan Dive that you won’t want to miss. For today though, you can ride the tide out of the weekend and ease back into the 9-to-5 mindset with the EP’s just-released, brilliantly-mellow single (and music video), “Oceans of Time“!

Slomo Drags: “Pepsi Cola Addict”

Big news from Austin’s Slomo Drags this morning; the indie-glam-pop-rock group just announced their new EP, Twin Absorber. The record is co-produced by Danny Reisch (whose work has helped elevate the likes of fellow Studio 1A veterans Shearwater, Bright Light Social Hour, Tele Novella, and Erika Wennerstrom) and Quiet Company contributor Matt Parmenter, so you know Twin Absorber‘s gonna come out of its womb in optimal shape.

Twin Absorber drops next Spring, and today you can indulge in life’s more saccharine, caffeinated substances for an extra sparkly start to your weekend with the album’s bubbly lead single, “Pepsi Cola Addict”!

Nané: “Seventeen”

You may recall Nané from when we named them our Artist of the Month this January, or from their debut single “Always On My Mind”, which dropped late last year but quickly earned a rotation spot on our airwaves. The Austin group’s just hit their half-decade mark, and has markedly stepped up their groove-based rock-R&B style in the process.

Hear for yourself by catching these My KUTX veterans 8PM this Saturday at Scoot Inn or by rocking out to their latest single (and outlandish music video) in your own comfortable space. Whatever the case may be, the visual spectacle and driving arrangement of “Seventeen” make it a track you won’t soon forget.

Sydney Ranée: “One Night Only”

L.A. native Sydney Ranée first started putting her pipes to work when she turned double digits, got a Bachelor’s in Music from Cornish, and now has fans across the globe. On top of being a virtuoso vocalist, some of Ranée’s more recent endeavors have included exploring the endless world of music production and dipping her toes into the fashion realm with her own custom wardrobe.

Last Friday Sydney Ranée shared another new cut off her upcoming album, a mesmerizing R&B-jazz-pop accomplishment that gives the likes of Lizzo a run for their money, “One Night Only”!

Nakia: “Dream Big”

If you’re a longtime listener of KUTX, then you probably agree that Austin’s Nakia has historically been a bit of staple on our airwaves. The four–time Studio 1A veteran and two-time My KUTX host has been shaping his soulful style of blues rock for the past decade, and has recently dug up something from around his Season One appearance on The Voice.

“Dream Big” is a wonderfully inspiring document from the earlier annals of Nakia’s career, fully fleshed out from its demo condition and now sealed with reverb-laden polish for our enjoyment in 2021. “Dream Big” dropped last Friday, so go ahead invite some lofty aspirations into your mindset with Nakia’s new single and music video.

Yes Sir, No Sir: “Bright White Light”

This is far from their crowning achievement but if there’s one band here in Austin that makes you sound like Marcie from Peanuts when saying their name, it’s Yes Sir, No Sir. These four Live Music Capital veterans have been palling around town for a long time but only inaugurated Yes Sir, No Sir within the past year.

Engineered by Spoon collaborator Matt Gerhard, Yes Sir, No Sir’s debut album Bright White Light illuminates a sound somewhere between modern-indie, pre-millennium alt-rock, and mid-century-rock-and-roll, all in an easily digestible package. But the record’s title track is perhaps best experienced through its night drive-friendly music video, “Bright White Light“!

BLK ODYSSY: “Hang Low” (KUTX Live)

The name BLK ODYSSY might seem a bit grandiose on first glance, but a quick listen to their recent material justifies the epic magnificence of their sound. While D’Angelo & The Vanguard maintains a naming convention that touts their frontman’s saga, singer Sam Houston has graciously allowed his own name to go by the wayside as the “feature” of BLK ODYSSY and allowed his breathtaking vocals (almost reminiscent of post-Impressions Curtis Mayfield) to mesh effortlessly within a more traditional “band” framework.

Nonetheless, our August 2021 Artist of the Month‘s new record BLK Vintage could definitely make for a good pairing with Black Messiah, offering up a slick mix of modern jazz-psych-soul and seductive funk-R&B. You can catch BLK ODYSSY’s My KUTX session tomorrow night at 6PM and enjoy the grainy visuals of a three-song set below, taped just for KUTX at 512 Studios. The intimate performance (complete with a scarf-wrapped mic stand and plenty of stank face) opens with a previously unheard demo (“Gangster of Love” – that already packs a ton of potential) and KUTX rotation favorite “Funkentology”, but with Texas summer keeping the sun high and the heat in close company, the belle of the ball may just be “Hang Low”.

Suzanne Santo: “Mercy”

If you know L.A. roots duo HoneyHoney or have watched shows like Medium and Without a Trace then you’re already acquainted with the talent bestowed in singer Suzanne Santo. But even the pre-existing fans might’ve missed the fact that Santo recently moved here to Austin to double down on her Americana-meets-Gothic-soul solo project.

The follow-up to Santo’s 2017 debut Ruby Red is Yard Sale, a record that welcomes the transplant into Austin’s atmosphere and exudes the energy of the Live Music Capital with contributions from Gary Clark Jr. and Shakey Graves. Yard Sale (and its idiosyncratic gems, like steady rocker “Mercy”) is out tomorrow, but you can get your hands on the goods early at 8PM tonight when Suzanne Santo plays at Antone’s!

Maston: “Swiss Franc” (feat. L’éclair)

When you discover a group whose style and vibe matches up perfectly with your own, sometimes you just gotta recruit ’em. At least that’s what happened with L.A.-born psych-pop producer Frank Maston (better known as one half of PAINT and mononymously as Maston), who experienced love at first listen when he laid ears on Geneva band L’éclair.

The enlistment of L’éclair and addition of full-band arrangements to Maston’s solo sound has proved a plenty auspicious pairing, as heard in their upcoming LP Souvenir. The eight genre-bending tracks on Souvenir are more than just paltry trinkets, and you can get your own copy of the memento when the record drops on September 10th, but today you can unwrap some of the multi-national magic early with the sparse and spacey jazz of “Swiss Franc”!

Rett Smith: “Pick Up The Pieces”

West Texas native Rett Smith may have spent some time in Nashville and New York, but its only after settling down in our lovely southern metropolis that he’s returned to his full Americana potential. Smith shared his grizzled and grim southern-folk-rock sound last year with the nine-track debut record Giving Up On Quitting, and has recently announced his upcoming sophomore LP, What The Walls Cannot See.

Produced by Jason Burt (who’s worked with Paul Cauthen, Leon Bridges, and Khruangbin) and mixed by Erykah Badu engineer Tom Soares, What The Walls Cannot See is set to be Smith’s most refined offering yet. What The Walls Cannot See drops October 15th and today Rett Smith has shared its latest single and music video (shot in a single take at Arlyn Studios), both of which’ll captivate you right off the bat with its brooding, sweet-but-sinister style, “Pick Up The Pieces”!

Brown Bones: “I Become Light”

Raised in the Live Music Capital and now based out of Beantown, producer Andrew Moon Bain’s rap sheet of recording credits includes industry giants like Diplo and Snoop Dogg. Which is plenty impressive, but it’s only been within the past couple years that Bain’s unfurled his new solo project, Brown Bones.

Bain’s first pair of singles dropped in the Fall of 2019 and a live EP came out just last summer, yet Brown Bones’ self-titled, self-produced debut full-length has been in the works for a full decade. The emotional weight of Brown Bones will cut all the way down to your core, and its roster of session players is nothing short of remarkable. Hear the full thing this Friday and treat yourself to a folk-rock freebie with its powerful lead single (and music video), “I Become Light”!

Petticoat: “Get Loose!”

At a junction of ’80s-style synth-work, millennium-era R&B, and modern electronic experimentation, L.A. producer David Halsey, better known to the world as Petticoat, is inching closer and closer to a truly timeless sound. Which is impressive to say the least, considering he’s only in his mid-20s, but that youth has allowed Halsey to overlook some of the restraining factors of retro new wave formulas and instead extrapolate the genre’s finest nuances and appropriate them into poppy, dance floor-ready club bangers.

This morning Petticoat revealed the roadmap for his new EP, Tumbleweed, an announcement that coincided with the record’s jaw-dropping lead single and flamingo-friendly music video, “Get Loose!“, which both feature that all-too-classic Led Zeppelin “When The Levee Breaks” drum sample and are sure to help you unwind into the weekend.

Mike Fuller: “Ms. Wrong”

Aside from the unique influences you’d only get from having a church organist and a cover band’s lead singer as parents, Mike Fuller‘s been finalizing his own folk-rock style more-or-less all on his own. Fuller only dropped his debut EP The Human Condition last September, but he’s spent the past decade perfecting what’s become his sophomore record, The Missed Connection.

The Missed Connection‘s three originals were born all the way back in 2010 and after undergoing a few different iterations and a ton of tender loving care, they were tracked in Brooklyn at the top of 2021 and are finally ready to be shared with the world. The Missed Connection is out this fall and its driving lead single “Ms. Wrong”, which came out last week, is just right for someone who needs an extra bit of kick to keep ’em rolling through the rest of the work week.

Alexa Rose: “Big Sky”

Raised in a Virginia-West Virginia border town and now based out of Black Mountain, North Carolina, Alexa Rose has always had a rugged sense of country living and love of travel imbued in her music. Rose won over plenty of listeners with her intimate breed of Americana folk rock on her 2019 debut Medicine for Living, and with impressive maturation over a mere two years, is set to conquer a more cinematic sound with the upcoming Headwaters.

The nine tracks on Headwaters submerges you into Rose’s thorny examination of human nature through petals of poignant lyrics, bucolic arrangements, and of course, Alexa’s mesmerizing vocals. Headwaters streams in full on September 17th, and Alexa Rose has given a promising forecast to the record’s rockier side with its latest road-trip-inspired single, “Big Sky“!

Ruel Thomas: “Waited to Say”

Like many who hadn’t quite yet tapped into their full potential, Austin native Ruel Thomas didn’t flesh out his inner musician until he spent some time away from home. While living in Australia, Thomas soaked up the folky formulas of Paul Simon, Bob Dylan, and Paul McCartney while shaping his own indie-adjacent sound on guitar (both electric and acoustic), vocals, and harmonica.

Now that Thomas is back in the Live Music Capital and playing gigs when he can (including one on the 28th at Fitzhugh Brewing), he’s been masterminding his debut album, due out this winter. But you don’t even hold off til the first day of fall to check out Ruel Thomas’ haunting vocals and accessible-yet-unique rock on with his most confident composition (and music video) yet, “Waited to Say”!

Luna Luna: “Feel it Now”

As we all know, musical trends come and go in cycles, and with the 50th anniversary of disco’s mid-late-’70s heyday approaching, guess what’s back in fashion? That’s not to say that anyone participating in the revival is doing it for a cash grab; just look at Dallas Latinx four-piece Luna Luna, whose retro-friendly style takes the best bits of indie, psych, and bedroom pop, puts a vintage finish on them, and sends the end product flying onto the dance floor.

Luna Luna just released their debut LP Flower Moon last Friday, blossoming with disco-adjacent grooves that give Tame Impala’s The Slow Rush and Poolside’s Pacific Standard Time a run for their money. Luna Luna’s set to roll into town at the Parish on December 12th as part of their upcoming tour but don’t let Flower Moon wane between now and then; instead keep the weekend party vibes going with the group’s brand new video for one of the records very finest, “Feel it Now“!

Thomas Csorba: “Goodbye To Goodbye”

Houston’s Thomas Csorba may have released his debut full-length From the Foxhole in 2017 but it wasn’t until last year’s eponymous LP that his mastery over the Americana genre became common knowledge. And riding off that well-deserved high praise for Thomas Csorba, much to the delight of us fans, the Bayou City singer’s set to sling out a new batch of refined folk-rock originals in just a couple months.

This morning Csorba announced a new five-track EP, From The Jordan, produced by The Texas Gentlemen’s Beau Bedford, featuring a co-write from KUTX favorite David Ramirez, and centered around the timeless theme of romance. From The Jordan streams in full on October 8th and you can dip your toes in right now with the record’s melancholy lead single, “Goodbye To Goodbye”!