Jack Anderson

Cryptolog: “Do Me a Favor”

Shedding any connotations caught in the volatile world of Bitcoin, Dogecoin, and the like, Dallas four-piece Cryptolog has recaptured the cool in “crypto”. Since 2014, the quartet’s concocted a curious but catchy take on indie rock, crafting their sonic character across 2015’s Somewhere Else and 2017’s Picture Day.

This year Cryptolog’s set to let loose on their debut full-length, which is pretty much certain to exceed our expectations given the record’s latest lighthearted single (and music video), the subtle-but-powerful “Do Me A Favor (Blind Love)”!

Boyish: “Your Best Friend”

First meeting at Berklee College of Music over a collaborative demo, singer India Shore and guitarist Claire Altendahl began exploring realms of alt-country as The Blue and released Carnation in 2018. But despite considerable acclaim over The Blue’s debut, the duo opted for a do-over after graduating the following year and rebranded themselves Boyish.

Boyish charmed us last Valentine’s Day with Garden Spider, championing the two’s inherently queer identities over an enthralling lo-fi blend of dream pop and indie. And next Friday the Brooklynites share We’re all gonna die, but here’s my contribution, a half-8-track that serves up a realistic coming-of-age aesthetic, balanced between the optimism of youth and pessimism after painful adult experiences, perhaps heard best on the EP’s lead single, “Your Best Friend”.

Travis Linville: “I Saw You”

Known mainly to many as the guitarist for Hayes Carll‘s touring band but having rounded out his resume through countless studio collaborations, live shows, and with his budding solo discography, Travis Linville‘s covered a ton of territory in his career. This frequently sought-after session guitarist released the Sun or Moon EP nearly a full decade back, and continued to spread his country-rock wings with 2014’s Out On the Wire, his 2017 full-length Up Ahead, and most recently on the 2020 record Sounds of the Street.

On Friday Travis Linville imprints his masterful presence once again with the LP I’m Still Here, cooked up with a dream team of contributors and produced by fellow Broken Arrow artist and longtime fan JD McPherson for nine intoxicating originals (and a Willie Nelson cover featuring Hayes Carll) that toe the line between indie, country, rock, and beyond, including the piano-driven Tulsa-sound-evoking “I Saw You”!

Big Bill: “Coma”

Following a full decade since their foundation in 2011, Big Bill hasn’t egressed from their early eccentricities at all. The quirky quartet’s deadpan humor and disjointed song structures give even The Minutemen a run for their money, channelling fellow Austinites The Dicks and Big Boys, and everyone from Devo to Talking Heads, The B-52’s and more, guaranteeing Big Bill a path into that pantheon of punk rock.

For a four-piece as loudmouthed (in the best way) as they are, Big Bill‘s been awfully quiet since the release of their 2017 full-length Stand By Your Bill. But according to the band, they’ve been tinkering away on their newest single in that intermittent time, hashing out some of the finer points during live shows, and ultimately cranking out a track about growth, vulnerability, fury and suffering, “Coma”!

Golden Dawn Arkestra: “Phenomenal”

Between their cosmic character, otherworldly outfits, and label-evading sound, Austin’s Golden Dawn Arkestra certifies as a spectacle to say the least. The collective got started around 2013 and since then, under the direction of singer-shaman Topaz McGarrigle, these three-time Studio 1A veterans have invited hundreds, if not thousands, to participate in their intergalactic rituals incorporating elements from afro-beat to disco, electronic to jazz, and psychedelic to funk and beyond.

Teasing their upcoming album that descends from the stratosphere to tackle what challenges our own terrestrial realm, today Golden Dawn Arkestra shares their latest single, produced by KUTX favorite Walker Lukens and paired with a music video in the near future. Golden Dawn Arkestra is best experienced live, so if you’re in Houston on the 22nd or Dallas on June 5th, be sure to make a pilgrimage to their stage and channel what it means to connect with our fellow lifeforms, as heard on “Phenomenal”!

American Dreamer: “Redwood”

If there’s one group who champions the true foundations of folk here in Austin, be it basic concepts like renewing ties to nature and always aiding your fellow human, it’s undeniably American Dreamer. After bonding over their respective graduate degrees at UT’s Butler School of Music, the four began developing their brand of acoustic indie-folk, one that bridges between twentieth-century traditional and modern elements to keep the sound fresh.

As with any real folk act, American Dreamer’s already taken their style across the country and performed throughout their home state, playing everywhere from schools and hospitals to major venues and music festivals. And today American Dreamer was kind enough to let us unfurl their newest single, “Redwood”, whose soothing vocal harmonies and gorgeous guitar/cello/violin/bass arrangement make it as timeless as the eponymous sequoia.

Michael Hays: “Flashback Moonlight”

Having moved from Mississippi to Austin in the ’90s, then to L.A. in 2004, and finally back to our auspicious city limits about halfway through the last decade, singer-guitarist Michael Hays has become a trustworthy transplant in the Austin music experience. By the time Hays released his solo debut in 2014, he’d already worked in a wind chime factory, apprenticed as an accordion technician, professionally taught guitar, and become a must-have session player, not to mention performing with his fair share of rock and fusion bands. Between the birth of his daughter in 2015 and the current year, a little under a dozen song ideas evolved into Michael Hays’ sophomore LP, Red Willow, which drops next month.

Red Willow reintroduces listeners to Hays’ brand of Americana-folk-psych with sounds that bridge David Gilmour to Elliott Smith, waterfowl-centric album artwork that picks up where Christopher Cross’ 1979 debut left off, and surreal cinematic visuals that further enhance already-stimulating sonics, as seen and heard in “Flashback Moonlight”!

Kasai Allstars: “Betrayal By Gossip”

With membership landing anywhere between fifteen and two dozen, Congolese collective Kasai Allstars is nothing short of spectacular; truly a sight and sound to behold. The Allstars represent five different ethnic groups originating in their namesake DRC region, and much like the diversity of their players, Kasai’s music takes cues from a wide range of sources, be it traditional spirituals or modern electronic.

Thirteen years after their 2008 debut In the 7th Moon, the Chief Turned Into a Swimming Fish and Ate the Head of His Enemy by Magic, Kasai Allstars has unleashed another mouthful, Black Ants Always Fly Together, One Bangle Makes No Sound. The twelve-song LP dropped last Friday and you can settle back into the work week with the patio-appropriate “Betrayal By Gossip”!

Grace Pettis: “I Ain’t Your Mama”

Whether you’ve seen her perform at the front of her eponymous band or as one third of the folk-pop trio Nobody’s Girl, local Americana enthusiasts should be well acquainted with Grace Pettis. Raised both in the ‘burbs of Atlanta and rural Alabama, Pettis has brought a unique, cross-class Southern experience along to her current home base here in Austin. Pettis’ compositions have been picked as prime recording material by fellow Studio 1A veterans Ruthie Foster and Sara Hickman, further lending to Pettis’ songwriting reputation (which also includes Buddy Holly Educational Foundation grants and an NPR Mountain Stage New Song Contest win).

This morning Grace Pettis released her country-leaning LP Working Woman today, tracked in Nashville and culminating in a regional tour that kicks off in Houston this evening. Pettis performs for a livestream 7:30pm next Monday the 10th from Waterloo Records, just after Mother’s Day, so celebrate the working women in your life with the new record, but remember, in Grace’s own words, “I Ain’t Your Mama”!

TEKE::TEKE: “Barbara”

If you’re a fan of the Japanese aesthetic stirred up with psychedelia, punk, and a little bit of the supernatural, look no further than Montreal seven-piece TEKE::TEKE. Taking their name from an urban legend about juvenile bullying, subway decapitation, and the haunting that followed, TEKE::TEKE conjures an otherworldly energy with arrangements that evoke everything from Far Eastern film soundtracks to traditional Japanese ballads and surf rock.

Tomorrow TEKE::TEKE shares Shirushi, an LP that channels the band’s philosophy of acting with optimism after a cataclysmic event. You won’t have to say “Teke Teke” five times in the mirror to gain access to Shirushi, but you can certainly familiarize yourself with one of the septet’s strongest ghost stories and rock out to “Barbara”!

Combo Lulo: “Escuchen A Mama” (feat. Alba Ponce de León)

With the abundance of side projects, solo releases, and other one-off endeavors in this era of home studios and virtual collaborations, the term “supergroup” can get used a little overzealously. But considering the quantity of members from high-profile groups like Charles Bradley‘s Extraordinaires, Antibalas, the Easy Star Allstars, and the Skatalites, the phrase seems fitting for Big Apple ensemble Combo Lulo.

Between their collective talents, stage-filling arrangements, and intercontinental, Afro-Latin-Caribbean style, Combo Lulo’s set an incredibly high standard for fellow world music groups, thereby living up to the band’s namesake excellence. This Saturday the eight-to-fifteen-piece releases their surreal nine-song debut, Neotropic Dream, and today you can jointly celebrate Cinco de Mayo and Mother’s Day with a Spanish-language matriarchal message, featuring fellow New Yorker Alba Ponce de León, “Escuchen A Mama”!

Paula Cendejas: “Sabaneta”

As you well know, we’ve got Cinco de Mayo coming up this Wednesday. And our good fortune, the 2021 Latin Alternative Music Conference kicks off tomorrow and lasts all the way to this Friday, all virtually-hosted and with free registration.

Once you register, you’ll be able to enjoy programming like the Sounds From Spain showcase, happening Day Two of the LAMC and featuring budding artists like Madrid-based R&B-pop singer Paula Cendejas. Cendejas’ seductive style has been creeping up into international mainstream over the last couple years, thanks to her growing collection of bold singles, rounded out most recently with the hypnotically slick “Sabaneta”!

Doppel: “Silencio”

When two star-crossed collaborators finally get together and start a new project in-person, you can pretty much guarantee how good it’s it’s gonna be. And there’s no exception when it comes to Austin-based duo Doppel, made up of Cologne, Germany multi-instrumentalist Jan Flemming and McAllen, Texas percussionist Michael Longoria, both devoted creators in their own right.

Doppel’s collective confidence and undeniable interpersonal chemistry became publicly known last year with the release of their debut album Ensō, highlighting the group’s defiance of any single genre with their fluid use of live loops and exploratory formulas. Doppel drops their seven-song EP Intermission this Friday, performs next Wednesday at East Austin Piano Shop, and today premieres Intermission‘s lead single that’ll leave you in awe, “Silencio”.

Aaron Myers: “If It Only Took Love”

Ever since its official UNESCO designation in 2011, International Jazz Day has invited a bit of extra joy into April 30th. And doing his share is D.C. pianist-vocalist (not to mention published author, radio host, and more) Aaron Myers, who does a stellar job of recreating mid-century styles with a vocal delivery reminiscent of Nat King Cole.

Today Myers released his fourth studio project, The Pride Album, featuring a dozen tracks (both standards and originals) that, along with its stunning visual counterpart, tackle the facets of life as a BIPOC artist amidst the oppression prevalent in the US. The subject matter, though, tends to teeter towards a lighter side, which when coupled with Myers’ incandescent singing on tracks like “If It Only Took Love”, is guaranteed to make your mind smile through the weekend.

Omarr Awake: “Háblame”

After a solid stint behind the wheel of Slow Car Crash, Chicago-L.A.-Austin transplant Omarr Escoffié shifted gears and took a hard left with his half-eponymous quartet Omarr Awake. Since premiering the project last year, Omarr Awake’s defied any detractors and pushed their genre-fluid sound further and further with each new single.

Last Tuesday Omarr Awake told off anyone who thought this music could be confined to any sole style, relishing in the density of sample-heavy, cumbia-tinged, latin-psych with “Háblame”!

Carsie Blanton: “Be Good”

Fueled both by her adoration and disgust over the world she inhabits, Philadelphia singer Carsie Blanton strikes a balance between the seduction of jazz and the outspokenness of pop punk with her arsenal of societal anthems. Blanton’s upbeat brand of folk-rock defies any of the gloomy outlook you might take on given certain, pertinent subject matters, owing to the songwriter’s natural sense of humor and joy.

This Friday Carsie Blanton releases her LP Love & Rage, just under a dozen new tracks that tackle the facets of our current society and do so in a way that’ll keep your feet tapping with instant earworms like “Be Good”!

Dawn Richard: “Bussifame”

Most amateur armchair psychologists can recognize a Type-A personality out in the wild, and even when she isn’t directly in the spotlight, it’s still hard to miss New Orleans native Dawn Richard. Her impressive list of extracurriculars have included being a martial arts instructor, owner of a vegan food truck, animator for Adult Swim, and cheerleader for the New Orleans Hornets, all of which have co-existed with Richard’s ascension to pop superstardom.

Dawn Richard’s upcoming LP Second Line picks up where Beyonce’s Lemonade left off, with her own message of empowerment for Black women in the South and beyond, placing considerably more emphasis on women producers than previous endeavors. The narrative-heavy, character driven concept album drops on Friday but you can get a head start on learning your new favorite dance moves today with “Bussifame”!

Django Django: “Asking For More” (KUTX Live at Home)

Quentin Tarantino wasn’t the only artist igniting delight with a silent D in 2012; just ask London four-piece Django Django, whose eponymous debut full-length launched the same year. Since sharing that baker’s dozen back at the beginning of the past decade, these Brits have brought more and more joy with each new exploration of prog rock, psych, electronic, and indie, further weaving their undefinable sound.

Following the release of their fourth LP Glowing in the Dark in February, Django Django’s just announced a month-long European tour kicking off in October. And though we’re still quite a ways from the prospect of the group performing in Austin pandemic-wise, these Studio 1A veterans have offered us a socially-distanced set that you can enjoy in the comfort of your office, living room or on-the-go. Be sure to watch the full thing starting off with the retro-inspired Hall & Oates/Joe Jackson-style groove on “Asking For More”!

Nick Garza’s Get Along: “Another Bloody Morning”

It’s been a bit since singer-guitarist Nick Garza’s primary focus was at the front of Austin’s premiere stomp-folk project, Hello Wheels. Last year he began charting some new Tex-Mex territory with the launch of his eponymous side project Nick Garza’s Get Along, a sunny, solo-steered endeavor that celebrates Garza’s status as a thirteenth generation Texan with southern flavors best enjoyed in the Lone Star State.

After conquering an impressive string of collaborations, Nick Garza’s corralled the Get Along together for a thoroughly chipper double single, whose B-side “Family” begs for repeat listens, and whose upbeat A-side “Another Bloody Morning” receives a visual counterpart in the coming weeks!