Jack Anderson

Reva DeVito & Midas Hutch: “One Shot”

You might not recognize the name Reva DeVito right away, but she should instantly get some extra credence based on the calibre of her collaborators, be it Young Franco or KUTX-favorite Kaytranada. The Portland singer absolutely slays it with a sensuous and soulful indie-R&B blend and just announced a national month-long tour alongside London’s Franc Moody, whose final leg includes a stop right here in Austin at Antone’s.

Assuming COVID conditions allow for it, DeVito’s set to hit the stage on October 26th, so here’s hoping her internationally-tantalizing tunes can safely grace the Live Music Capital of the World just before Halloween. Regardless, the tour news didn’t come empty-handed; Reva Devito just slung out her latest single, a motivational turn-of-the-millennium style R&B banger produced by Amsterdam-raised nu-funk connoisseur Midas Hutch, “One Shot”!

Sweet And Lonely: “Days Like These”

With a new post-humous Prince album out in the world, all eyes are back on Minneapolis. But it’s safe to say that there’s plenty of life in the Twin Cities aside from the dearly departed Purple One. Case in point: Nick Elstad, who produces bedroom pop under the name Sweet and Lonely. As the handle suggests, Elstad’s original compositions are sparse in all the right places but carry some seriously affectionate emotional weight while avoiding being completely saccharine.

Early last week Sweet and Lonely shared their latest single “Days Like These”, channeling the psych-pop aura of Tame Impala without any of the pretentiousness, and surefire to entrance you with its upbeat-but-ethereal groove!

Intercom Heights: “Fascinated”

During the heyday of Seattle’s grunge scene singer-guitarist Harris Thurmond was a key player in groups like Hammerbox, Orbiter, and Sanford Arms, and has called Austin his home for the past decade and a half. Following that relocation, Thurmond became a major contributor for Austin outfit New Roman Times, but even though they called it quits after three albums, Thurmond had discovered an indelible chemistry between himself and fellow New Roman Times alum, singer-bassist Josie Fluri.

8Fluri and Thurmond expressed a mutual interest in pursuing a new project, and with the recruitment of Black Books synth-keyboardist Meg Bernhard, Intercom Heights came to fruition. The trio’s psych-pop-meets-shoegaze style bridges the difference between M83 and The National, and their debut album Night Measures was mixed by Spoon’s Jim Eno. You can size up Night Measures in full when it drops on September 10th, but with a full month to go, you’d better keep your interest piqued with the record’s latest single, “Fascinated”!

School of X: “Race For Caress”

Like hundreds of other international musicians, rising Copenhagen-based producer-drummer Rasmus Littauer was eager to showcase his music during SXSW 2020…but you know what happened. So instead of putting his debut album as School of X, Armlock, on display in the Live Music Capital, the pandemic allowed Littauer to tap deep into his own psyche and begin shaping School of X’s sophomore curriculum.

Aptly-titled Dancing Through the Void, School of X’s new LP totes an even more refined sound than its predecessor and further proves Littauer’s competence as a principal of indie pop. Dancing Through the Void drops September 24th, and with classes back in session any day now (at least here in the states) it’s best to check the syllabus early with School of X’s latest single, “Race For Caress”!

PREP: “Turn The Music Up” (KUTX Pop-Up)

From weekly food assembly rituals to pre-exposure prescription drugs, the word “prep” carries a ton of different connotations. Arguably its most common use is to describe Ivy League chums, something that’s been re-appropriated by Oxford-alum Tom Havelock (and his equally talented colleagues) for the buoyant London-based project PREP. PREP first cast out from the dock in 2015 and has continued to obscure the waters separating Gaucho-era Steely Dan and contemporary chillwave for a je-ne-sais-quois sound quality, thanks in no small part to the diversity of the members’ musical backgrounds.

PREP showcased careful attention to instrumental arrangements and timeless indie-adjacent grooves on their self-titled debut last October but still haven’t had a chance to drop by Austin due to COVID conditions. That said…PREP’s given us the next best thing. Through the power of green screen, PREP’s captured all the Austin scenery you could ever want for an exclusive 45-minute video set, so drop what you’re doing and kick it off with KUTX airwave favorite “Turn The Music Up”!

Half Dream: “I Am My Own God”

Concerning artists who amp up the anticipation with an enticing name, Austin four-piece Half Dream is definitely a group who lives up to the expectations of their handle. The quartet walks a mesmerizing tightrope between ethereal shoegaze arrangements and grounded folk songwriting, spearheaded by fronting vocalist-guitarist Paige Renee Berry.

Half Dream shared their debut album Monster of Needing last October and cast their latest spell this morning. Get lucid with Half Dream when they perform 10pm tonight at Far Out Lounge for the single release show (along with The Hermits and Glasshealer) and even if you you plan on staying inside because of grey skies, you can still bask in the brooding nature of “I Am My Own God”!

Mamalarky: “Meadow”

After spending time in Los Angeles, Austin-born quartet Mamalarky has settled into more southern pastures, and now calls Atlanta their metropolitan headquarters. Regardless of their location, these Studio 1A veterans have continued to make their off-kilter indie rock more and more accessible to the masses, though they’ve never shed what makes them great: non-traditional lyrical matters, inventive chord structures, and psych-pop flourishes that favor the ethereal, countercultural aspects of psychedelia rather than cater to simplistic pop formulas.

Just this past Monday Mamalarky shared a new double A-side that taps into a bucolic theme with naturalistic song titles (“Meadow” and “Moss“) and pastoral music videos. Both are outstanding additions to Mamalarky’s roster of originals, guaranteed to transport you out of the office mindset, so block out the workplace hurdles this Hump Day and soak up some rays with “Meadow”!

Anastasia Hera: “Ceiling”

Regardless of which city you live in, the ubiquity of home studios and social media has made the R&B market incredibly competitive. But Austin native Anastasia Hera seems to thrive off of that energy, growing bonds in her local community while excelling at her half-rapped/half-sung style, and opening for the likes of Dead Prez, GZA and Raekwon of Wu-Tang Clan, Boosie, and Geto Boys’ Scarface. During the mononymous portion of her career, Anastasia dropped by Studio 1A to promote her women-empowering non-profit CAKE, right around the same time she released her remarkable 2016 album of the same name.

Since then, Hera’s brought even harder-hitting performances to the table, heard most recently in May on This Is Anastasia, and EP that showcases both ferocity, tenderness, and everything in between. Last weekend Anastasia Hera got a chance to celebrate that EP release (and her birthday) at Geraldine’s, and we have a feeling she’s on a fast track to become an international superstar, thanks to her charismatic confidence on tracks like “Ceiling”!

Leah Shaw: “Pretty Mama”

Like many others, North Carolina-born multi-instrumentalist Leah Shaw had her style shaped by her mother. In childhood, Shaw received plenty of maternal encouragement to learn adopt music as a language, picking up piano, bassoon, percussion, and clarinet all by age sixteen. Impressive as that was, when Shaw wasn’t playing in church, memorizing classical music, or perusing her mother’s record collection of Carole King, The Beatles, and Paul Simon, she was pining to become a singer.

Cut to last Friday, when Shaw (now based out of Brooklyn) released her debut full-length Play Beautifully, a phrase taken from her mother, who’d just succumbed to a decade-long battle with Alzheimer’s. Play Beautifully is a gorgeous document of loss and love, inspired by Shaw’s time as her mother’s caregiver during the final year of her life, composed on piano, guitar, and vocals, and backed with electronic and orchestral elements. Needless to say, Play Beautifully is best experienced in its entirety, and to give you an idea of how impactful this moving collection of originals is, just listen to the album closer, “Pretty Mama”.

The Belle Sounds: “All About Love”

Austin has its fair share of synth pop acts but arguably the belle of the ball in terms of output is…well…The Belle Sounds. The brainchild of songwriting spouses Noëlle Hampton (vocals) and André Moran (guitar) premiered in 2013 with their eponymous debut LP, and has since grown into a quintet with an impressive work ethic, especially given their 2020 one-single-per-month endeavor Stay Alive.

And though the pandemic situation is once again in flux, these Studio 1A veterans are nevertheless refreshed after some time off but are keeping well within in the retro realm of Stay Alive. Their new EP All About Love dissolves that time capsule into a modern recounting of those bold ’70s/’80s production formulas and you can skate right into it on release day, August 20th. That said, The Belle Sounds just issued the EP’s title track (with a music video on its way), recapturing the passion of golden-era synth-pop on “All About Love”!

Daniel Fears: “Windows” (KUTX Pop-Up)

Though his auspicious solo career’s only just begun, Austin-via-Houston producer/trombonist/vocalist Daniel Fears has already shown a real knack for wedding sound with image. As the only R&B singer we can recall who looks like they designed their wardrobe at a military surplus store, Fears (with his signature drab jumpsuit equipped) released his debut EP/visual album Canopy last October, and better late than never, earned him the distinction of our July 2021 Artist of the Month.

Defying any implications of his surname, Fears’ compositions are courageous to say the least, and yet he’s continued to shed any of the pretentiousness you might expect from an artist of his caliber. Daniel Fear plays tomorrow evening at Malverde, hosts My KUTX this Saturday, and graces us today with glimpse into his intimate performance style with one of Canopy‘s lushest originals, “Windows”!

Sunshine Boysclub: “Don’t See Why”

In recent memory, L.A. singer-producer Sam Martin’s occupied a singular role at the helm of indie pop outfit Youngblood Hawke. But just within the last couple months, Martin’s embarked on a refreshing solo venture, Sunshine Boysclub. Martin lives up to the expectations of the handle with a summer-ready youthful energy, lathering up classic disco-funk formulas with modern flairs of psych-pop, first heard on “Patience” last month.

In anticipation of Sunshine Boysclub’s debut album this fall, Martin just unleashed his sophomore single (and music video) “Don’t See Why”, a sweat-inducing booty-shaker ideal for a vacation, workout, or commute playlist!

White Denim: “Crystal Bullets”

Along with Spoon and Shakey Graves, White Denim is arguably one of Austin’s most recognizable offspring. The locally-dyed four-piece has continued to spin their refreshingly unique cuts of rock since their 2008 debut Workout Holiday, taking the finest yarns of blues, jazz, prog, punk, and dub and weaving them into extremely catchy, non-traditional songs. We named White Denim our March 2016 Artist of the Month, right around the same time they released their seventh LP Stiff, and the subsequent use of their single “Ha Ha Ha Ha Yeah” in Nintendo Switch’s reveal trailer invited these Studio 1A veterans into the international zeitgeist.

Last year’s World as a Waiting Room marked album number ten in White Denim‘s discography, and yet, the group had never issued a 12-inch…until now. This Friday White Denim drops Crystal Bullets/King Tears, issued on limited edition red & blue vinyl, something that complements the delightful polarity of White Denim’s genre influences, best heard on the record’s psych-rock-meets-rhythm-and-blues A-side, “Crystal Bullets”!

Adee Lifshitz + SaulPaul: “Just Be”

For the past thirty-two Februarys, Folk Alliance International has hosted a conference in an effort to expand the community of folk musicians across the globe. This year however, ascribing to quarantine conditions, FAI opted for the all-virtual Folk Unlocked, a five-day event that included panels, showcases, and more. They also produced a series of collaborative music videos reflecting on the pandemic, that despite their remote nature and filming of artists in the comfort of their own homes, are still inherently international.

Today FAI added another video to the roster with the help of Israel-born/Manchester-based singer Adee Lifshitz and Austin Studio 1A/My KUTX veteran SaulPaul for a lighthearted reminder to appreciate the moment, whatever it may contain, on “Just Be”!

Black Pistol Fire: “Look Alive”

Though Austin’s never quite been corralled into any singular sound in the past couple decades, you’d probably expect a fair amount of Southern rock from the Lone Star State’s capital. That’s where Black Pistol Fire comes in. Kevin McKeown and Eric Owen’s lifelong friendship began in a North Toronto kindergarten class and graduated into a musical partnership by the time they were in high school. But despite their non-native status to Texas, their name alone seems like a litmus test to detect Southern drawls, (depending on whether or not you pronounce the handle’s final word as “Fah-er” rather than “Figh-er”) and as such, the duo’s felt right at home here in Austin for the band’s now decade-long tenure.

These five–time Studio 1A veterans (and three-time My KUTX guest DJs) and their raucous Southern-punk concoction have been a KUTX favorite from the get-go, so much that we named them our May 2016 Artist of the Month. Black Pistol Fire was conspicuously quiet after the release of their 2017 record Deadbeat Graffiti, only returning to stoke their eponymous flames with a string of singles beginning in 2019, ultimately culminating in this year’s Look Alive. You’ll want to Look Alive this evening for Black Pistol Fire’s headliner spot at Emo’s along with Emily Wolfe and Shooks, but even if you can’t make it in person, you can tear into the weekend with the album’s fierce title track!

Marcus Machado: “Shape Shift” (feat. JSWISS & Ahrel Lumzy)

Let’s get straight to the meat and potatoes of Marcus Machado; as a guitarist for D’Angelo’s Vanguard and session player for the likes of Robert Glasper and Anderson .Paak Machado’s got a gorgeous, highly-sought-after kind of talent. Machado’s also an accomplished songwriter in his own right, having incrementally expanded his solo discography since his 2015 EP 29.

And though R&B’s decidedly Machado’s strong suit, he’s clearly comfortable within the rock genre as well, heard most recently across his eclectic debut LP Aquarius Purple. Regardless of your sign, or even if you don’t go in for the whole zodiac thing, Aquarius Purple‘s pretty easy to mesh with across its one dozen tracks. The solo joints are nothing to scoff at, and the guest appearances, though sparse in comparison, inspire just as much awe as the rest of the record. Hear (and see) for yourself on “Shape Shift“, featuring New York rapper JSWISS and fellow Vanguard member Ahrel Lumzy!

Dan Croll: “On Top”

After years of living in England, singer-guitarist Dan Croll somewhat recently hopped across the pond and resettled in the states. And without presuming too much, it seems like he picked up some of our nation’s more charming characteristics in the process, chiefly yacht rock.

Dan Croll‘s intertwined that idiosyncratic soft ’70s sound with his own mellow indie pop rock formulas for his latest EP On Top, out this Friday. You’re gonna wanna have your captain’s hat ready by the day after tomorrow for On Top, whose buoyant title track seductively sets sail to promising waters!

Nobody’s Girl: “What’ll I Do”

Power trios, or “three-o’s” if your prefer; there just aren’t as many as there used to be. So when a three-piece of self-made songwriters join forces, hit the stage, and achieve a higher creative sum, you’ve gotta take note. And true to their moniker, the talented women of Nobody’s Girl (Rebecca Loebe, BettySoo, and Grace Pettis) have given birth to a collective creature that no single artist could possess on their own.

Specializing in Pop and Americana, these Studio 1A veterans have been around for a few years, but have patiently carved away at their outstanding eponymous debut LP ever since. Now, Nobody’s Girl is finally ready to come out of the oven and you can get it while it’s hot on release day next Friday, but not before an appetizer of the audio with “What’ll I Do”!

TC Superstar: “Nothing to Believe in”

As music technology marches on, the world of synthetic sounds continues to grow. But despite the digital wealth of wacky tones available in this home studio era of ours, for some folks, you just can’t improve on classic hardware. Case in point, Austin synth pop enthusiasts TC Superstar, who first gave us their teleporter to the ’80s with the 2017 LP Masc.

These Studio 1A veterans give the likes of Pet Shop Boys and Depeche Mode a run for their money, and make it look easy too, a legacy that continues with their new album. TC Superstar’s been sifting through the post-pandemic static for their upcoming concept record, As Seen On TV (out September 17th), and its most recent channel came through last Friday, “Nothing to Believe in”!

Von Louis: “She’s Home”

You might’ve heard the work of singer-guitarist Kyle Vonderau with Austin’s Walker Lukens and Old Coyote. And you might’ve noticed fellow songwriter Evan Lecker at the front of Ethan Durelle and Holy Fiction. So what better thing to do than mash up two astronomical talents into a super duo?

Enter Von Louis, Lecker and Vonderau’s collaborative project that began at Jim Eno’s Public Hi-Fi Studios back in 2019 and has continued through countless remote tweaks. The matured substance of these rock compositions definitely merit the confidence that Von Louis exudes performing them, and today you can tap into the visual component of the group’s latest single “She’s Home”!