Jack Anderson

Born to two heavily-music-inclined parents, Chico Mann was raised with a real understanding of production techniques, sound design, and making tiny tweaks to achieve the perfect mix and arrangement. Mann’s recondite knowledge of piano boleros (inherited from his radio DJ mother) gave him a springboard to multi-instrumentalism and Latin stylings, all of which have remained close to Mann’s musicianship. Fast forward to the past couple decades, where Mann made a memorable name for himself in New York’s bustling scene, eventually landing him a spot in Brooklyn Afrobeat connoisseurs (and KUTX favorites) Antibalas.

Never one to settle, Mann now calls L.A. his home and has just exposed the excellence on his latest LP Double Life, soaking in psychedelia and loyal to his Latin-leaning upbringing. Rest assured, Double Life will rile you up across its fourteen tracks, and you won’t need much more convincing after checking out its sophomore song, “Fighting”!

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–Photo: Anna Azarov

Austin-to-L.A.-to-Georgia four-piece Mamalarky is no foreigner to fuzz, instead a savant of psychedelia. Going back to 2017, Mamalarky has been trickling out a steady stream of organic-minded singles but just last week pulled back the curtain on their debut self-titled full-length.

Mamalarky is a ten-track trek through a diverse landscape of sounds, seemingly lackadaisical and mottled at times, but clearly calculated. And nearly a full two years ago, the quartet treated us with a Studio 1A performance of one of Mamarlarky‘s most infectious originals, “Hero”!

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–Sara Catherine

Compared to its angsty, distortion-heavy predecessor, the genre post-punk tends to be pretty introspective and often so self-examining that its legitimately therapeutic. And for Brooklyn quartet Hypoluxo, they’ve sheared off any connection to the Florida beachside with their candid yet thoughtful take on the post-punk formula.

Hypoluxo tapped deep into undertones of despondency on their just-issued self-titled third album but that doesn’t mean the sound strays far from aggressive. Hear for yourself on Hypoluxo‘s B-side opener about trying to find your footing in the Big Apple once the sun goes down, “Night Life”!

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–Photo: Henry Archer

Made up of Sweet Spirit singer-guitarist John Fichter, Black Basements bassist Anastasia Wright, and Ex Romantika dummer Adam Galvan, Austin three-piece Hong Kong Wigs truly fulfills their status as a power trio. HKW’s been around for a bit now, but have only just today released their debut LP, LOIS.

LOIS is an outstanding stepping stone for Hong Kong Wigs and a phenomenal first full-length entry into their still-growing art rock discography. They’ll be celebrating LOIS with a virtual release show 6PM tonight via Bud’s Live and Direct and even if you can’t check that out, we’re pretty sure that one of LOIS‘s late contenders “Discopop!” will keep Hong Kong Wigs close to your head throughout the weekend.

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–Jack Anderson

–Photo: Travis Lilley

KUTX supports Austin music; your support makes KUTX possible. Donate today.

Like many lyricists based out of L.A., Phabo started cutting his teeth on juvenile yet formative freestyle rap battles while still in high school. Jump to 2014 where Phabo’s four-part mixtape Ratchet & Blues proved that this singer-rapper was nothing to be overlooked, and ought to be put in a salacious pantheon that includes early Weeknd and Usher.

Following a slew of promising collaborations, today Phabo dropped an undulating trap-R&B single ahead of his upcoming LP and we can assure you, “LNF” is nothing short of sultry.

With the pandemic continuing at its current rate, working on a solo project is obviously more feasible than practicing with a full band. And for those that remember Austin psych-noir six-piece The Halfways, former frontman Daniel Fernandez has been churning out electronic music under the handle Synthemesc.

Synthemesc has a new home base in Medellin, where he’s released the latest installment into his arsenal of minimalist yet lengthy, psychosomatic house instrumentals, “Nighttrap”! Its best enjoyed on the dancefloor or behind the wheel, so remember to wear a mask, socially distance, and drive responsibly!

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Halloween may be over, but for one set of sonic specters the urge to get a little ghastly isn’t tied to any one holiday. Solo-project-turned-ten-piece Ghost Funk Orchestra has continued to float across genres, ushering in an aura of mystery and intrigue not heard in most ensembles of this size.

Last Friday GFO conjured up their sophomore full-length, An Ode To Escapism, with an astonishing seventeen tracks that incorporate a bit more jazz and fuzz than their 2019 debut A Song For Paul, while still leaning heavily into salsa, psych, soul, and of course, funk. The arrangements are more complex, the drums bang harder, and the experience (pauses and all) is unparalleled. But don’t take our word for it; instead let “Little Bird” increase your mood’s altitude.

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–Photo: Jeanette D. Moses

At the start of the past decade, songwriter Kalu James began making a name for himself with stripped down performances at intimate Austin venues like the Cactus Café. Fast forward to this time three years back, where his new psych-rock-meets-R&B outfit Kalu & The Electric Joint landed a spot as our November 2017 Artist of the Month, thanks in no small part to James’ soufully impassioned vocals and revealing lyrics.

The Studio 1A veteran and My KUTX coordinators linked up with our multi-media team this past spring to revisit James’ earlier acoustic sound, and with its calendar-centric title (written on this day last year and appearing on the next Electric Joint record), “Nov. 16th” truly is the “Song of the Day”.

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–Jack Anderson

KUTX supports Austin music; your support makes KUTX possible. Donate today.

Known for their multi-lingual lyricism and awe-inspiring acoustic arrangements, Ley Line is one of Austin’s finest folk fusion creators. These disciplined Studio 1A veterans first linked up after an auspicious meeting of duos at the 2013 Telluride Bluegrass Festival, and before long they had earned their keep as our October 2019 Artist of the Month.

This folk-fusion four-piece just announced their upcoming album We Saw Blue with the premiere of Ley Line’s debut French-language original. “Tous Que Je Vois” will fit right in on We Saw Blue‘s second stripped down side and while you’ll have to wait ’til December 4th to explore the record’s percussion-heavy opening half, this new single will keep you humming through the weekend.

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–Jack Anderson

–Photo: Letitia Smith

KUTX supports Austin music; your support makes KUTX possible. Donate today.

Given the conditions of quarantine, remote collaborations have decidedly become the “new normal”. But going back to the music days of Myspace, South African singer Khusi Seremane and Brooklyn producer Gabriel Cyr had been exchanging remote recordings under the handle Thaba (taken from the Free State town Thaba ‘Nchu), connected by a mutual love of ’80s R&B and traditional African styles.

Since 2016 Thaba had been working on their debut full-length Eyes Rest Their Feet, bending the rules of their foundational genres to create a retro-leaning yet inherently modern electronic sound. Sadly just this July though, Seremane passed away at the age of 41. That said the ten tracks were completed on Eyes Rest Their Feet, which was finally released as Thaba’s sole album last Friday. It’s a bittersweet release given the circumstances, but it’s a record you can’t afford to overlook. And with all that in mind, unwind on this work week and reflect on the fleeting things in life with “Throw It All Away”.

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Post-punk is one of those few genres that doesn’t seem to be oversaturated in the music world…at least not at the moment. And when it comes to Austin’s own post-punk outfit, few groups parallel the bold sound transmitted by Satalights.

Three years after the aptly-titled Post-Bedroom Rock, the trio has returned with Little Star, a twelve-track reflection on both loss and joy that serves as Satalight’s sophomore offering. Little Star shot out last Friday and the fuzzy passion heard on its one-third mark, “Aura Lee”, is plenty to get you through hump day.

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–Jack Anderson

KUTX supports Austin music; your support makes KUTX possible. Donate today.

Perpetually enthralled by a vintage aesthetic, Lockhart-breaker-turned-Austinite duo Tele Novella keep the kitsch close at hand. But that’s not to say that retro collectors Natalie Ribbons and Jason Chronis don’t make sincere compositions for contemporary listeners; instead their hive mind produces a timeless, stripped-down style of Western-leaning lo-fi psych-folk pop.

Tele Novella’s surreal meets rustic style returns after the static of 2020 with the upcoming Merlynn Belle LP, due out next February. And for all those medieval lovers out there, you definitely won’t want to miss the sophomore record’s new single and corresponding music video, “Words That Stay”!

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–Jack Anderson

–Photo: Julian Neel

KUTX supports Austin music; your support makes KUTX possible. Donate today.

As founder of Texas’ first reggae band The Lotions and frontman of Austin’s premiere reggae outfit Mau-Mau Chaplains, it’s safe to say that  Alan Moe Monsarrat‘s lead a pretty IRIE life. And in light of all the heavy lifting Monsarrat’s been doing over the course of several decades and half a thousand shows, this Caribbean-style creator has just released his first solo album in a half century.

Last Friday Monsarrat graced us with Agriculture, an introspective ten-track paired with a delayed-out dub doppelgänger, perfect for the more psychedelic-inclined listeners. And with the excitement of election finally coming to a close you can just kick back and enjoy the growth with Agriculture, planting the seed now with “Turn The Tide”!

–Jack Anderson

KUTX supports Austin music; your support makes KUTX possible. Donate today.

When you take a break from something for a long time, sometimes you just gotta come back in full force. Such is it for quarantine opportunists The Channel, who after ten years of conspicuous absence, have returned with their second full-length album of the past twelve months. Rest assured, The Channel has shaken off any static racked up in their decade away.

The behemoth that is Electronic Luck was released today, eschewing The Channel’s strain of sooth lo-fi western psych-folk across its twenty tracks. And if you were ever in need of some personal regulation against the backdrop of election coverage, treat your ticker to “Circadian Rhymes”!

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–Jack Anderson

KUTX supports Austin music; your support makes KUTX possible. Donate today.

As one half of Austin production/recording duo Ballteam, beat-maker/vocalist Swish Fifty is always on the grind. His voluminous output of instrumentals speaks for itself, and aside from his retro video game-inspired arrangements and anime-adjacent visuals, Swish Fifty’s got a great set of chops and a real sense of soul.

Today Swish Fifty’s shared a sultry trap R&B single featuring fellow Austinites Southside Hippie and Sam Jet, for a track that’ll make you feel like you’re in a brooding futuristic space lounge and whose sensuousness will take your mind off the news at least for a couple minutes, “Late Night”!

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–Jack Anderson

–Photo: Philander Edward Moore Jr.

KUTX supports Austin music; your support makes KUTX possible. Donate today.

Hopefully it’s not news to you that today is Election Day here in the United States, and while the lines may be long, trust me, you still have time to vote. And if you’re looking for a perfect playlist addition to tide you over, either while waiting to cast your ballot or just to pass the time until a decision is made, look no further than Shungudzo.

Born Alexandra Shungudzo Govere in rural Zimbabwe and now calling California her home, the songwriter-producer began releasing her variety of folk and pop back in 2017,  quickly attracting features from well-known artists outside of the US, primarily from the UK and Europe. Last Friday Shungudzo dropped a concise but conceptually brilliant and empowering EP, I (motsi), and the album opener, “It’s a good day (to fight the system)”, will do its best to keep your head bobbin’ through the foreseeable future.

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Aside from the obvious connection of well, their marriage, Seattle’s Tekla Waterfield & Jeff Fielder have had their musical collaborations in the books since Waterfield’s 2018 LP The Curtain Falls. Multi-instrumentalist/producer Fielder’s spent years cutting his teeth across the globe as touring guitarist for acts like Indigo Girls and Mark Lanegan, while Waterfield’s established a legacy of pro-feminist activism that pairs perfectly with the songwriter’s take on the Americana genre.

Waterfield & Fielder’s upcoming debut as a duo, Trouble In Time, finds the couple coalescing elements of soft rock, indie folk, and soul into a seamless sound. Trouble In Time is out next January and its lead single “Let There Be” will help you appreciate being in the moment, no matter how tough it may be.

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