Laurie Gallardo

Covering this divine Valentine with a flurry of X’s and O’s… KUTX‘s #LoveAustinMusicMonth celebrations include an Austin Music Minute highlighting Bidi Bidi Banda’s Valentine Ball, stirring up all the sexy tonight at Barracuda, 611 E. 7th St.

Austin’s first all-star Selena tribute band, Bidi Bidi Banda, features vocalist Stephanie Bergara and an impressive group of musicians from some of Austin’s premiere Latin bands. All that work behind the scenes brings Selena’s music to life in one of the most impressive homages ever to grace a stage. And, with an extra dose of love, the band has put together a spectacular Valentine’s bash featuring synth-cumbia outfit Como Las Movies (featured on today’s AMM), and gorgeous glamour rocker Caleb de Casper.

This is your ultimate Valentine – as it would be presented to you by equal parts Danny Trejo, New Order and Tim Curry channeling the ultimate Dr. Frankenfurter with a side of Dietrich. Don’t hesitate. Doors open at 9 p.m. Very recommended, and sealed with a deep-red lipstick smooch.

-Poster art for the Bidi Bidi Banda Valentine Ball by Ben Tipton.

There’s a lot of celebrating to do during #LoveAustinMusicMonth! It’s a February salute to music artists in Austin of all genres across the board, from indie to folk, hip-hop to country,  soul to a multitude of Latin musical styles. And leave it to a tremendously talented 11-piece (ELEVEN PIECE – how do they all fit on the stage?!) orchestra like La Moña Loca to cover most of the bases on that last one mentioned. They’ve got it all: Salsa, timba, cha-cha, merengue, cumbia…and beyond.

La Moña Loca keeps the dance floor hopping with some sizzling salsa sets every Wednesday night at One-2-One Bar. 1509 S. Lamar Blvd. You can see them perform tonight at 9 p.m. And, since you’ve got all your friends with you and you’re ready to go now, it would be a great idea to get there early for an extra-special happy hour performance by Austin-based folk/pop/jazz/soul-inspired artist Seela, starting at 6 p.m.

Your Wednesday evening is about to be lovely. So recommended.

-Photo courtesy of the artist.

There’s a major love fest going on here! It’s one that KUTX 98.9 prefers to keep going all year round, but February happens to be a special time of year. Alongside the City of Austin Music & Entertainment Division and the Austin Music Foundation, we’re celebrating #LoveAustinMusicMonth, championing the endless talent of Austin musicians.

Today’s Austin Music Minute pick is making waves with a February residency at Hole In the Wall, Bleached Roses. Front woman and violinist Lexi Cardenas leads the journey into the eternal uncertainty on the EP Blooms –  all the longing and bittersweet emotion tied to love’s soaring peaks and tumultuous valleys. The HITW residency continues tonight with special guests RLTVS, Tucker Jameson of Sharks In the Deep End, and Jim Hampton.

The music starts at 9 p.m. Recommended.

-Photography by Ryan Rose.

There is something extraordinary running through the mood fabric of Curtis McMurtry‘s The Hornet’s Nest. No formula, no concrete parameter, and superbly, no predictable indulgences. From the moment the album begins with only McMurtry’s vocals and a stark banjo on the brief opener, “Hard Blue Stones,” right on through to the final sweetly darkened and forlorn realization of “Silver World,” it pulsates with an irregular heartbeat, a complex nest of entrances and exits humming and vibrating with a strange life. That literal/figurative nest is a damn work of art, but dangerous if one is presumptuous enough to believe it can be contained. One is faced with more than a single sting. And the pain can be almost unmeasurable.

Your Austin Music Minute host is a fan. Could you tell? Today’s #LoveAustinMusicMonth AMM spotlight is on Curtis McMurtry, who performs tonight at Geraldine’s, 605 Davis St., inside Hotel Van Zandt. The music starts at 9:30 p.m. Recommended.

-Photography by Pavel Mezihorak for KUTX.

To be fair, the following is an issue the Austin Music Minute is commonly faced with: There are several shows happening on the same weekend, let alone the same night, but only one is selected to be featured on the AMM. A great problem to have, but not fair, dang it. So, an exception has been made for this weekend, in the spirit of #LoveAustinMusicMonth.

–Tonight, catch the phenomenal Austin-based jazz/soul/blues/funk vocalist Jai Malano, who shares a bill with Bay Area artist Quinn Deveaux at The Parish, 214 E. 6^th St. The music starts at 10 p.m.

–Tomorrow night, Star Parks is part of an outstanding bill with fellow ATX bands Batty Jr. and Dinner With Matt Gilchrest, and Chicago-based headliner FRAN at Hotel Vegas, 1501 E. 6th St. Doors at 8 p.m.

Showing lots of AMM love for these artists. Your weekend is set. Recommended.

-Photo of Jai Malano courtesy of the artist, taken for Eberley.

Your Austin Music Minute maven became obsessed with the faceless drifter woven into the mysterious collection of singles released by Altamesa. No name to this character, but plenty of stories to tell, tales that could only come from somebody who’s restless spirit could never really be satisfied.

The singles’ releases have led up to this big moment – Altamesa’s second LP, Idol Frontier. And, while there’s an ominous feeling around the unknown troubadour in these songs, that brooding narrator speaking through songwriter Evan Charles‘ pen and guitarist Sean Fraires‘ cover art, perhaps now we’ll see how his story ends.

Maybe.

Altamesa celebrates the release of Idol Frontier with a big show tomorrow (Friday) night at Cheer Up Charlie’s, 901 Red River. And holy hell, will you look at this line-up?? Will Courtney and The Wild Bunch, Chief White Lightning, and The Ghost Wolves. Doors at 9 p.m.

Friday night won’t get here soon enough. Recommended.

-Photography by Sean Mathis.

The celebration of Austin-based artists continues with #LoveAustinMusicMonth. KUTX is front and center with extra love for local artists across the board.

The bill mentioned on today’s Austin Music Minute is something special because it brings together different generations – classic Austin with a couple of badass music veterans, and a rising star in the local scene. They all share the line up tonight at The Continental Club, 1315 S. Congress Ave. It’s a cross section of what makes our fair city pretty damn cool:

-Not for the faint of heart, or easily-wounded egos. Which is exactly how it should be, damn it. He’s been called a poet, a razor-sharp master of sociopolitical commentary, acerbic, brave, and on fire. James McMurtry tells it like it is, and shows no mercy. Again…as it should be.

-Three-time Austin Music Hall of Fame inductee, former True Believers band member alongside Alejandro Escovedo, as well as a member of Austin’s first punk band The Skunks, a survivor, and all-around fantastic songwriter, Jon Dee Graham aims straight from the heart.

-His first gig was at the age of six at the Austin Music Awards. His debut release Foreign Fields (2015), recorded with his band The Painted Redstarts, scintillates with a breathy, dream-pop/rock-out aesthetic. William Harries Graham‘s new album JAKES comes out Feb.22.

Doors open at 9 p.m., and the music kicks off at 9:45 p.m. So recommended.

-Photo of William Harries Graham courtesy of the artist.

This is one of those irresistible line-ups where your Austin Music Minute maven often selfishly proclaims, “This looks like a dream show put together by the AMM!” It’s also a perfect fit for KUTX’s #LoveAustinMusicMonth celebration, where the spotlight is on all-Austin artists throughout February.

You’ll been swooning over tonight’s bill at Cheer Up Charlie’s, 901 Red River. Keep all three on your radar: Caroline Sallee‘s hauntingly beautiful Caroline Says (featured on today’s AMM), Lindsey Verrill and Jeff Johnston‘s mystical folk duo project Little Mazarn, and songwriter Marcus Striplin’s band Margaret Chavez. Breathtaking music from one and all.

Doors open at 9 p.m. Don’t miss a single one. This one comes very recommended.

-Photo of the band Caroline Says courtesy of the artist.

A big part of KUTX‘s celebration of #LoveAustinMusicMonth is showing extra love for the extremely talented individuals who shine just as much in the musical spotlight as they do behind the scenes. Today, the Austin Music Minute honors one such multi-talented musician, Rose Sinclair. While Sinclair has played various instruments in several bands over the years, she rules with the steel guitar. If you don’t recognize the name of this 2018 Texas Steel Guitar Player of the Year (awarded by the Texas Steel Guitar Association), chances are you’ve seen her playing in Wayne Hancock‘s band.

This is gonna rule your Monday evening. See Rose Sinclair tonight at what is boasted to be the only steel guitar residency on the planet at Sam’s Town Point, 2115 Allred Dr., in South Austin. Her show starts at 7 p.m. Recommended.

-Photography by Brad Emmons.

That wall’s gonna do you no good, baby. Break it down and let love in.

The Austin Music Minute celebrates #LoveAustinMusicMonth with longtime AMM favorite, Latasha Lee & The Black Ties. Today’s featured track, “Break Down Your Wall,” features songwriter and vocalist Lee sounding better than ever, remaining true to the giants who influence her sound – Aretha, Etta, Sam Cooke – while completely owning the emotional fire that ignites her songs.

It will do you good to see Latasha Lee & The Black ties at their show tonight at The Continental Club, 1315 S. Congress Ave. Very special guest, the eternally legendary “Soulman” Sam Evans is also on the bill. The music kicks off at 10 p.m.

Word from The Continental Club is that this is Dianne‘s birthday show, put together with a lot of love. Wish her a Happy Birthday while you’re there soaking in the great music. Recommended.

-Photography courtesy of the artist.

Your Austin Music Minute maven has hearts in her fluttery eyes. But before you go, “Ewww…,” and get grossed out, remember that it’s all due to a musical celebration of the best kind.

February is Love Austin Music Month, and all month long KUTX, the City of Austin Music & Entertainment Division, the Austin Music Foundation and several other local music org’s will collectively shine the love light on Austin-based artists. True, KUTX does this all year long, but February calls for a bit extra – and that means more musical discovery for you.

The AMM kicks off this love fest with badass pop-rock monsters Go Fever, fronted by one of the best songwriters around, Acey Monaro. The track featured on today’s AMM, recent KUTX Song of the Day “Feel So Much,” an infectious melodic jolt making one weak in the knees with the simple but heart-piercing chorus “I really want you”, is on the band’s new EP, Daydream Hawker. Go Fever celebrates its release with a massive blowout of a party tomorrow (Saturday) night at Cheer Up Charlie’s, 901 Red River. They share the bill with another band celebrating a debut record release, Honk Kong Wigs, as well as Hard Proof, Being Dead, and – check this out – “jazzy avant-garde spoken word beatnik collective” Grant Cross’ Arms.

Oh hell yes. Doors at 8 p.m. Don’t miss a single bit of it. Presented by KUTX 98.9. Recommended like there’s no tomorrow.

-Photography by Salvador Castro for KUTX.

Yes, this is the kind of magic your humble Austin Music Minute host thrives on, with all Austin-based talent in one evening of outstanding musical discovery. If you don’t know these names, get to know them when you catch their performances tonight at the Cactus Cafe, 2247 Guadalupe, in the Texas Union Building. This evening’s artists:

-Every great songwriter is often a damn good storyteller. Curtis McMurtry lives up to that standard and beyond. Following his solo debut with Respectable Enemy (2014), McMurtry crafted tales of everyday existence into exceptional, imaginative mind journeys on The Hornet’s Nest (2017). Extraordinary blends of folk and chamber orchestration bring it all to life.

–Anna Roenigk is the mastermind behind the moniker Born Again Virgin. Though BAV’s music has been labeled alt.-rock, there’s far more brewing beneath the surface that completely steps outside of such a limited description. BAV’s self-titled debut EP (2017) is an excellent mix of dissonant and harmonic artistry ranging from lo-fi sounds to more complex arrangements. Expect more new tracks this year.

-Cellist and composer Diana Burgess, who frequently performs alongside McMurtry as well as Mother Falcon, is also co-founder, outreach director and cello teacher for Mother Falcon’s Music Lab. Burgess continues to collaborate with several artists in multiple music genres, but she’s currently working on her solo debut.

Doors open at 8 p.m., and the music starts at 8:30 p.m. Recommended.

Your Austin Music Minute is ready for yet another Thursday night hot spot, all Austin bands and all awesome. Here’s what in store for you tomorrow night at Beerland, 711 1/2 Red River:

-Waking up on a Sunday morning for those trippy cartoons… It’s a bit of nostalgia rock with Housewarming.

-Maximum melodic guitar on board. We have Lift Off. Soak in the alt.- and Brit pop-inspired tunes by SPIRALS.

-Of course synths reign supreme on this trip. Maggie’s the synth kween, you know. Key-powered garage psych with Space Heat.

-Poppy goodness that morphs and mutilates into a crunch-rock frenzy. Bubble-grunge dream pop by The Hermits. Aww yisss.

Doors open at 9 p.m. Thursdays are the coolest. So recommended.

-Photo of Housewarming courtesy of the artist.

It’s been almost 30 years since the formation of St. Louis roots rock band Bottle Rockets. And there’s no denying they were an integral part of the rising wave of roots and alt.-country artists in the ‘90s. This is, of course, in addition to making waves of their own with social commentary that pulled no punches. Combine damn good folk and twang with gut-punching lyrics that show no mercy, and you have one hell of a perfect mix.

These days, the guys are touring in support of their latest release, Bit Logic, and it’s an absolute pleasure to hear front man Brian Henneman be as ornery as ever. But look past those initial curmudgeon impressions you might have. These are rants with all the wit, self-deprecating humor and antihero perspective a Bottle Rockets fan could hope for.

Catch Bottle Rockets tomorrow night at 3Ten at ACL Live, 310 Willie Nelson Blvd. Nashville-based artist Ryan Culwell opens the show. Doors at 7 p.m., music at 8 p.m.

-Photography by Cary Horton.

Put the sanguine lunar activity on pause for just a moment. Lolita Lynne bids you welcome to the heart-aching wax and wane of a Fools Moon.

It didn’t take long for this understated treasure, shimmering with Lynne’s diaphanous vocal delivery, to very quickly become an Austin Music Minute favorite. The romantic pull and torrid heart string tension of this dark and lovely pop belongs in your ears now.

Lynne will give a solo performance tonight at Hotel Vegas, 1501 E. 6th St., along with Mars Wright’s solo project Honey Son, and Austin-based songwriter Dottie. Doors open at 9 p.m., and the music starts at 10 p.m.  Don’t miss any of it.Recommended.

-Photography by Mike Manewitz.

No doubt it was an added surge of energy, that extra bit of inspiration, having Jody Stephens working with The Reputations on their latest release in the very same space his own band, Big Star, made their albums.

It totally makes sense. Ardent Studios in Memphis is the birthplace of Electric Power, an LP surging with these classic ‘60s garage and ‘70s AM rock/pop sounds executed to perfection. Producer Stephens tapped into some excitingly brilliant moments with the Austin-based band, especially the outstanding vocals led by the phenomenal Rockyanne Bullwinkel.

Treat yourself to what will undoubtedly be an incredible live performance when you see The Reputations tonight at The Continental Club, 1315 S. Congress. The line-up features sets by The Joe Jacksons, and Sweet Spirit‘s Josh Merry’s musical project, Glass Grapes.

Holy hell. This is no exaggeration. Very recommended.

-Photography by Jackson Montgomery Schwartz.

Music knows no boundaries, both literally and figuratively. To fill you in on the basic details, Austin quartet Ley Line will start out with their own band name – a reference to a pattern laid throughout the planet connecting important points of civilization. From that alone, questions arise: How was the world formed? What exactly inspires people to travel and experience cultures other than their own? Is this what’s made music the great connector?

This is the fuel that feeds Ley Line’s fire. And it’s the collective talents and experiences of bandmates Kate Robberson, Emilie Basez, and sisters Madeleine and Lydia Froncek that cultivate this deep appreciation of a universal connection. Their multilingual, harmony-rich songs merge traditional American sounds with a global experience, ranging from Latin American, to West African, to Brazilian influences.

Catch the phenomenal Ley Line tonight at the perfect spot to do so – the Cactus Cafe, 2247 Guadalupe, in the Texas Union Building. Doors open at 8 p.m., and special guest opener Little Mazarn starts the music at 8:30 p.m. This one comes very recommended.

-Photo courtesy of the artist.

What’s one of the best ways of rallying the local community to a great cause? Music, of course. It’s how we roll. ATX booking outfit Howdy Gals appreciates this uniquely Austin way of taking care of business, so they were more than happy to assemble a fantastic line-up for a special event in support of Safe Place.

SURVIVORS: A Night Benefitting Safe Place will raise funds and awareness for the Austin nonprofit, which provides aid and resources for survivors of abuse. And this is a bill chock full of Austin Music Minute favorites –  Zettajoule, Van Mary, Pleasure Venom, TC Superstar, and Whit. The music kicks off at 9 p.m. tonight at Hotel Vegas, 1501 E. 6th St. Very recommended.

-Artwork courtesy of Howdy Gals for the Safe Place benefit.

After officially becoming a band in 2017, The Naked Tungs recorded and produced their debut EP, Hear It Calls. Your Austin Music Minute maven was hooked from the get-go.

Last summer the band released their follow-up, the equally addictive Distract Myself (killer opening track “Shut It Off” was featured on today’s AMM). And chances are pretty good you’ll hear these badass tunes at their show tonight at Beerland, 711 1/2 Red River. It’s an excellent line-up that includes a fabulous double-video premiere with garage pop outfit Sure (any band that has a sign in their video that says “MUSIC VIDEOS ARE STUPID” is doing all kinds of winning in my book, thank you very much) and lo-fi punk hoodlums Unpopular; plus, making their grand and chaotic debut this evening, Texas Don and the Toxic City Psychos.

Unleash the fury. Doors at 9:30 p.m. Awesome bands, one and all. Recommended.

-Photo of The Naked Tungs courtesy of the artist.

Somewhere along the music-sphere, your Austin Music Minute host read that expectations for St. Paul-based artist deM atlaS‘ first full-length release were high. Josh Turner, the mind behind the moniker, has been making waves in the Twin Cities’ scene for some time now, so the anticipation for Bad Actress was way up there. Little did his fan base (and reviewers) know it would be an epic upheaval, mixing multiple genres and unnerving the senses with the emotions of a survivor following what he’s described as “…the hell that’s inside of you.”

Released last year, the hip-hop/rock/acoustic/gospel-tinged poetic construction of Bad Actress reflects the tumultuous ebb and flow of manic depression, as well as the healing that follows toxic relationships.

deM atlaS will be in Austin for a show tomorrow (Wednesday) night at Emo’s, 2015 E. Riverside Dr., opening for Minneapolis hip-hop duo Atmosphere, along with fellow Minneapolis hip-hop artists The Lioness and DJ Keezy. An excellent bill all around. Doors open at 7 p.m. Recommended.

-Image courtesy of the artist.