Laurie Gallardo

Seriously. Just watch them play, even if only for a minute. But it can never be for a single minute. You’re with them for the duration.

After a five-year hiatus, the extraordinary rock guitar duo Rodrigo y Gabriela (Rodrigo Sánchez and Gabriela Quintero) has a new album out, Mettavolution. The pulsating energy on this new release astounds the ears, another outstanding chapter in their 20-year career together that celebrates the liberation of continued human evolution. What’s even more mind-blowing is that this is the same incredible electricity one experiences at their live shows.

Don’t miss Rodrigo y Gabriela tonight at ACL Live at the Moody Theater, 310 Willie Nelson Blvd. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and the music begins at 8:30 p.m. Very recommended, especially if this is your first time seeing them play.

-Photo courtesy of the artist.

It all boils down to a meeting of musical minds. Austin-based pop outfit The Infinites came into being not long after front man Jerod Leibowich heard some extraordinary guitar loops that bandmate Dan LeVine had been working on. LeVine hadn’t given much thought to doing anything with them, but Leibowich was struck by an intriguing emotional allure they had, something compelling enough to inspire Leibowich to add lyrics to the tracks and expand upon their distinctive pop sound.

The resulting awesomeness is what you experience on The Infinites’ new self-titled LP, which also features a cast of fictional characters dealing with their own emotional roller coasters. Who knows how their tales will end?? Hear their assorted stories at The Infinites’ album release show tonight at Hotel Vegas, 1501 E. 6th St., on a bill featuring Deep Time, Blank Hellscape, and Nevil. So good. Doors at 7 p.m. Recommended.

-Photography by Shea Carley.

Your Austin Music Minute maven has had the pleasure of experiencing a live performance of Little Mazarn‘s excellent rendition of Springsteen‘s “Dancing In the Dark.” Little Mazarn’s version thoughtfully forges its own modest pathway, stirring the heart in ways one wouldn’t think possible with a song often associated with an infamous dance scene in its music video.

Little Mazarn releases their second album this week, IO, on the Austin-based Self Sabotage Records label, which includes this lovely track and five original pieces. Vocalist, banjoist and songwriter Lindsey Verrill and multi-instrumentalist Jeff Johnston have this uncanny way of capturing what feel like specific moments in time, made even richer and more intimate through Mazarn’s poetic observation.

Little Mazarn’s album release show is tonight at the Cactus Café, featuring special guest, and one of the new album’s contributors, Will Johnson. Doors open at 8 p.m., and the music starts at 8:30 p.m. Very recommended.

-Photography by Julia Reihs for KUTX.

In the latest chapter of your Austin Music Minute‘s “WHY-AM-I-ONLY-HEARING-ABOUT-THIS-NOW?” department, we stumble upon the badassery of Rockaway Beach, NY psych-rock outfit Blac Rabbit. At the core of the band’s sound are twin brothers Amiri and Rahiem Taylor, whose genre-spanning influences they bring to the mix include all the music they grew up with in Brooklyn, including pop, funk and soul.

It turns out that honing their performance skills by doing Beatles covers was a damn good idea. The year after writing and recording their 2017 self-titled debut EP, the brothers Taylor were filmed performing Beatles tunes on a NYC train, and one of those videos went totally viral, surpassing a whopping 25 million views. The addition of drummer Patrick Jones, bassist Josh Lugo, and multi-instrumentalist Justin Jagbir was a huge help when offers for TV and radio appearances came in, and tours were booked around the world. The track featured on today’s Austin Music Minute, “Seize the Day,” is from their forthcoming debut LP Interstella, set for release this spring.

Don’t miss out on Blac Rabbit’s show tomorrow night at the Mohawk, 912 Red River. Doors open at 8 p.m., and it’s an all-ages show. Very recommended.

To summarize: This is badass.

DC-based power trio Ex Hex shook up their local scene with an awesome 2014 debut, Rips., loaded with all the post-punk/garage-rock rocket fuel your ears could feast upon. However, after some sonic experimenting and fine-tuning in the studio, it was time to unleash a little something unabashedly rocked out, even with a few nods to ’80s hair metal and then some. All those Rips, riffs and garage/post-punk power chords that drew you to Ex Hex in the beginning are as solid as ever on their second LP, It’s Real, but with added swagger, shred and maybe even a few CBGB-era vibes. Like, imagine Sleater Kinney and Quiet Riot building jams at their shared rehearsal space with Blondie.

Ex Hex follows their recent Studio 1A performance with a show tonight at Barracuda, 611 E 7th St. LA psych-punk band FEELS and Austin garage-pop rockers Mean Jolene share the bill. Doors at 8 p.m. Very recommended.

-Photo courtesy of the artist.

See the MP3 link below? Click on it. It’s absolutely true; you hear that distinctive set of chords at the beginning, and you instantly know what it is.

Some fans regard the following fact incredulously because it doesn’t seem that long ago, but “Under the Milky Way” by UK band The Church is now 30 years old. The album you find it on, Starfish (1988) – the band’s fifth LP, is revered as a classic.

And now, The Church continues the Starfish 30^th Anniversary Tour. After last week’s sold-out night at 3Ten, the band has a second performance tonight, also at 3Ten, 310 Willie Nelson Blvd. Doors open at 7 p.m., and the show begins at 8 p.m.

No doubt you’ll be singing along. As you should. Recommended.

-Photo courtesy of the artist.

It weighs on the shoulders of the uneasy, this particular item from the wardrobe…

There are multiple voices on Adam Ostrar‘s The Worried Coat. Wait, hang on. To be clear, it’s definitely Ostrar’s vocals you hear on his fantastic second solo release, a brilliant 12-track LP redefining everything addictive about folk/rock/pop sounds. The album in its entirety, every single subtlety, radiates a classic feel without an ounce of pale imitation. And this is not a nostalgic trip, either. Ostrar has described his latest work as twelve narratives of “otherness, self-identity,” and that wretched, debilitating beast known as anxiety. “How we often betray our best intentions through willful ignorance,” he’s explained.

It’s outstanding. Get yourself a copy of the new album at Ostrar’s release performance tonight at the Museum of Human Achievement, tucked in the back of the property at Springdale and Lyons in East Austin. The show is paired perfectly with the release of poet Phillip Trussell‘s literary debut, Sentences, plus performances by Thor & Friends, and Spliff Kazoo.

The event begins at 7:30 p.m. Very recommended, indeed. With special thanks to Super Secret Records and Cuneiform Press.

Your Austin Music Minute host was first introduced to Josh Denslow through music – specifically, through the awesomeness that is Borrisokane (sign me up for those “synth-punk gloom-wonders,” baby). But consider the different layers of this multi-talented individual – music, film and literature. Today marks the release of Denslow’s debut short story collection, Not Everyone Is Special, and he’s celebrating in grand style with a party that will – naturally – include all kinds of great music.

Tonight‘s party at Cheer Up Charlie’s, 901 Red River, includes sets by Marmalakes, Thor & Friends, MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR, ANDY, Borrisokane (of course! thank you), and longtime AMM fave Bill Baird. In addition, check out DJ sets by members of The Octopus Project, and readings by authors Owen Egerton and Rachel Heng, starting out the evening at 8 p.m. The live music kicks off at 9 p.m.

Doors open at 7:30 p.m. Get there early to take it all in. ¡Y felicidades, Josh! This one comes very recommended.

-Photo of Josh Denslow in Borrisokane (2014) by Bryan Parker.

**Deepest apologies to our listeners and The Well for Laurie G’s error on the album title, Death and Consolation. Laurie misread it as “…and Communion.” That’s Laurie’s bad…!

Before hitting the road in support of Death and Consolation, KUTX April Artist of the Month The Well is taking care of the home turf with three upcoming performances:

-There’s the big release show tonight at Barracuda, 611 E. 7th St., featuring Swedish doom band Monolord, and Austin-based doom trio Communion.

-And the album release show, along with the special release of a brew crafted in their honor this Saturday at Independence Brewing Co., 3913 Todd Ln., Ste. 607. 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Featuring performances by Ninth Circle and Ringo Deathstarr.

-And, don’t forget the instore performance Sunday at 5 p.m. at Waterloo Records, 600 N. Lamar Blvd.

Send The Well off proper by rockin’ out. Very recommended.

-Photography by Julia Reihs for KUTX.

If you embrace the realm of nerd-dom as your Austin Music Minute maven openly and unhesitatingly does, you may get a chuckle out of Telekinesis‘ reference to the single-word title of their fifth studio release, Effluxion. “You need to say the word out loud…” is the message on the Telekinesis website. “It comes from the Latin term meaning ‘to flow,’ and pronouncing it is the closest you will ever come to feeling like you’re in an episode of Star Trek…”

Michael Benjamin Lerner, songwriter/vocalist/drummer/buzzing mind behind Telekinesis, absolutely felt a connection to the flow of shimmering, lush, infectious power-pop on Effluxion as he worked through the album. The term is not often spotted in today’s vernacular, but Lerner found it’s delightful oddness captured the mood of the creation, the composition, the natural flow of making the back-to-basics LP.

You can see Telekinesis perform tonight at 3Ten, 310 Willie Nelson Blvd. Doors open at 7:30 p.m., and songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Joseph LeMay‘s musical project SONTALK opens the show.

-Photography by Rachel Demy.

And the adventure continues. Although that’s an understatement.

Parquet Courts unleashes brilliant absurdity, revelry, and simultaneously, a kind of…aloofness on their Danger Mouse-produced release, Wide Awake. So, there’s no denying the passion for the music they play, but you get that intertwined with – no eff’s given. You’ve got garage-rocky punk-ass obnoxiousness and you’ve got dreamy. And it all works.

Parquet Courts are back in Austin for a show tonight at The Parish, 214 E. 6th St., sharing the bill with Denton, TX rainbow fuzz-rock warriors Pearl Earl, and ATX rock ‘n’ roll hoodlums Otis the Destroyer. Doors open at 7:30 p.m., and Otis starts the music at 8 p.m.

-Look at these geniuses. Parquet Courts, photographed by Eddie Gaspar for KUTX.

-You might wanna click on the MP3 below and listen ’til the end.

Full disclosure: Your humble Austin Music Minute host has been well aware of songwriter Anna Larson‘s skills as a classically-trained pianist (and instructor). But this multi-talented creative mind is fueled by all the gospel, rock ‘n’ roll and many other musical genres she grew up with. And quite frankly, it was invigorating to see many ideas come to fruition through her band, Americana/roots trio The Wheelwrights.

Earlier this year, Larson made her solo debut with the wondrous and introspective Shifting Sand. This is Larson at her most powerful – embracing and inspired by beauty in all its forms, but most especially in dreams, all the magic behind the stories we share…surreal, unsettling, inspiring, wonderful.

You can see Anna Larson at an early show happening tonight at One-2-One Bar, 1509 S. Lamar Blvd. Doors open at 6 p.m. Stay a bit later to catch Cari Hutson and Good Company. Recommended.

It was loud. And far – out. Wurve killed it in KUTX’s Studio 1A Thursday night, giving an excellent preview of what’s to come tonight.

The band just released their debut album, the electrifying Memory Bleach, and you get to hear the new tracks live. Check out their album release performance at The Electric Church Presents: The Green Gospel Revelation, happening at Getaway Motor Club, 3700 Thompson St. in East Austin.

It’s an all-around SICK line-up, including Holy Wave, Sailor Poon, Hidden Ritual and Cosmic Chaos. Damn. So many Austin Music Minute faves in one setting. Ether Wave Light Show and ACID Light Show will provide just the right atmosphere for your 4/20 vibes, with loads of cool pop-up shops to peruse on site. Doors at 6 p.m.

Lit like a Christmas tree. So recommended.

-Photography by Scott Free.

Everyone needs a great opening line. Wil Cope has his.

“I wanna fall outta love/so I can fall again,” muses the gatekeeper of that decrepit, rusted-over Tropicana Motel of the mind at the very start of his latest release, Denial River. Your Austin Music Minute maven has followed the tales of this Austin-based dystopian folk balladeer through his most haunted ramshackle corners since the days of Sunset Craves (2010) and Drunk Are the Stars (2012). Those revealing dark recesses and tragic comedies are what make Cope’s ruminations so damned evocative. There’s no turning away. Where the hell are these memories oozing in from? And forget the ride-off-into-the-sunset happy endings. ‘Cause after all, “if it ain’t tragic/how can it be true?”

It’s a big night for Cope. There’s no denying that this is his best work to date. Don’t miss his album release show tonight at the Hard Luck Lounge, 3526 E. 7th St. Rounding out the bill to perfection are Rattlesnake Milk and Altamesa. This one comes very recommended.

-Photography by Jacqueline Badeaux.

-Featured track on today’s AMM, “Drag the Moon,” by Wil Cope from Denial River.

It’s not fair to even attempt to describe something like Fusebox in a neatly-packaged summary. This is something that encompasses a gloriously overwhelming amount of intriguing, breathtaking, mind-blowing audio and visual stimuli too vast to encapsulate with a few mere words. It truly is art as a live experience.

The annual five-day performing arts festival highlights the talents of outstanding local, national and international interdisciplinary artists in oftentimes jaw-dropping live performance. It’s Fusebox’s 15th year of electrifying imaginations, and tonight, it convenes at the Hub.

The first night of the Fusebox Festival Hub, starting at 9 p.m., includes a swirling, mesmerizing DJ set with live accompaniment by Golden Dawn Arkestra. Immerse yourself in all the magic at the Hub, 1300 E. 5th St. You won’t need a Fusebox ticket for admission. Go for it. So recommended.

-Photo courtesy of the artist and Fusebox.

Austin-based rock-pop outfit King Warbler is headed back on the road to resume a busy spring tour schedule, but of course, this calls for a grand send-off. Don’t miss their tour kickoff show tonight at Barracuda, 611 E. 7th St., with one hell of a must-see bill of Austin Music Minute faves – the heart-fluttery badass magic and whimsy of Batty Jr.; the magnificent Benjamin Violet‘s renegade country brigade Pelvis Wrestley; and the exquisite vocal stylings of Van Mary.

Doors open at 8 p.m. Excellent all around. Recommended.

-Photo courtesy of the artist.

Your Monday doesn’t have to be lame, music lover. Make it considerably better when you swing by Stay Gold, 1910 E. Cescar Chavez, for a huge dose of grooves tonight by the D-Madness Project.

The band’s led by one-man fusion powerhouse D-Madness, a.k.a. Dwayne Jackson, who works a live loop of drums, bass, keys and harmonies with a whole lot of funk. Essential listening for the funkamentalist.

The music kicks off this evening at 9:30 p.m. All the grooves for your moves. Check ’em out.

-Image courtesy of the artist.

You may have been around when this transformation was taking place. It was when the very meaning of “Austin music” was mutating. The Electric Lounge first made the local music scene in 1993 – the essential venue of artists (music, visual, and all others) boldly and loudly creating the next wave of Austin weird. Forget “wave,” it was more of a tsunami.

Its doors may have closed in ’99, but the legends live on. Now, twenty years later, it’s time for an encore.

The Electric Lounge 20 Year Reunion show will feature performances by some of the movers and shakers that put that venue on the Austin map, including Sixteen Deluxe (featured on today’s AMM), Graham Reynolds, Kevin Russell, Ethan Azarian and Jeff Johnston of Orange Mothers, PONG, Hamell On Trial, Gay Sportscasters and many more. Poets Hilary Thomas, Genevieve Van Cleve, and Phil West will be on hand for readings at this event, and Wammo will serve as your badass irreverent host.

The Electric Lounge 20 Year Reunion show happens today at 3Ten at ACL Live, 310 Willie Nelson Blvd. The music starts at 4 p.m. This is also an event that benefits the SIMS Foundation, Mosaic Sound Collective, and local artist Jason Austin. Recommended.

-Photo of Sixteen Deluxe by Danny Clinch, taken at the Austin Motel in 1997.

Recent Studio 1A guests Otis the Destroyer shifted their shredding toward a heavier direction with their new release, Cool Evil. There’s slightly less emphasis on vocals and more on the weight of the rock. And it does, indeed, rock harder.

Word on the street is that Cool Evil will be available on vinyl at Otis’ EP release show tonight at Stubb’s indoor venue, 801 Red River. Blushing performs first at 9:30 p.m.

Two AMM faves. Amps will be cranked. All of the awesome. Very recommended.

-Photography by Precious Parker for KUTX.

Your Austin Music Minute has it on very good authority that the latest to come from Austin-based songwriter Jonathan Terrell is a knockout. Keep your eyes and ears peeled for a new track with accompanying video to be released next month. Can’t reveal too much – although Terrell did describe the vibe as a “hillbilly Lana Del Ray take on a David Lynch film.” Sign. Me. Up.

Treat yourself to Terrell’s late-night performance tonight at The White Horse, 500 Comal. The evening kicks off with Aaron McDonnell at 8 p.m., followed by Candler Wilkinson at 10 p.m., then Terrell at midnight. The AMM digs all three. Recommended for the soul.

-Photography by Martin do Nascimento for KUTX.