Taylor Wallace

Photo by Connor Beitel

In a world where it seems every band wants to be defined by a menu of genres, some acts remain pure of sound, rocking in the free world as prime examples of one specific sound while still carving out their own unique place within it. In this case, we take Austin’s the Oysters, who shell out out some of the sickest rock ‘n’ roll in the Little Big City. Sticking to the classic rock trio outfit, these dudes create a sound that democratically gives each instrument its own platform without overpowering each other. Some of their songs have a little more of a slow swoon, and others open a can of energy and let it all rock out. “I Don’t Want Anyone to Be Around Me,” sits squarely in the latter. At first listen its lyrics seem to paint a portrait of self-depreciation, but deeper pondering opens the possibility of brutally honest self-awareness and knowing when to take yourself out of the game for a bit. Glazed in lo-fi, it’s a bit like the love child between Guided By Voices and your favorite early 00’s pop-punk band. If you’ve got the lemons, they’ve got the cocktail sauce.

“I Don’t Want to Be Around Me” appears on the Oysters upcoming album, out September 5th. Catch them tonight at St. Elmo Brewing with Friday Boys, Future Museums, and comedian Dany Goodwin.

-Taylor Wallace// Host, Thursdays 8p-11p & Saturdays 2p-6p; Producer, Eklektikos with John Aielli

Preceding their deeply emotional break-up song “One Day Left,” Montreal’s Stars gifted the world something fun, upbeat, and light-hearted before their six-month North American tour. Coupled together, the songs create a sort of 500 Days of Summer story, the waxing and waning of love. Though, “Ship to Shore” doesn’t have to be read as a love song. It’s bright and shimmery as all get out. From the steel drum-esque sample in the beginning that expands into a Miami Vice vibe to lyrics about bringing water guns to the park, this song immediately lands your brain on the summer train. Sonically reflecting the synth-centered instrumentation and sound Stars has adopted for their last couple of albums, (“Trap Door” immediately comes to mind) “Ship to Shore” also lives up to the fun, lively-but-controlled energy they’ve radiated from the beginning. You know, like extroverted cool kid energy.

 

“Ship to Shore” is a single, available now via Last Gang. Catch Stars Tuesday, June 26th at the Mohawk with AJ Lambert.

-Taylor Wallace// Host, Thursdays 8p-11p & Saturdays 2p-6p; Producer, Eklektikos with John Aielli

The list of achievements already acquired by 18-year-old Austinite Christina Cavazos reads more like a bucket list of many musicians twice her age. Radio play several times over, gracing several of Austin’s most illustrious stages, and having her choice of some of the country’s most elite programs available to college-bound recording artists. Cavazos’s music and songwriting is folk elegance at its best, earning a reputation for being mature, reflective, and introspective, with each component of every song carefully conceived and placed, culminating a sound that is commanding but controlled. Proving you don’t have to have the amp juiced-up to 8 or a cache of catchy pop melodies to make compelling music, her 3rd EP confirms her place in the Austin songwriter’s spotlight, proving she’s not one of the city’s Americana artists to watch out for, but one you should already have firmly in your crosshairs. Truly, she belongs on a Spotify Essentials playlist alongside Kacey Musgraves and Margo Price.

“Forever” appears on her Mile Marker EP, out now. Catch Christina at the Continental Club Gallery on Thursday, July 5th with Jaimee Harris.

-Taylor Wallace// Host, Thursdays 8p-11p & Saturdays 2p-6p; Producer, Eklektikos with John Aielli

From the remote Washington farm life to the bustling Austin folk life; so goes the story of the personified ray of sunshine that is Daisy O’Connor. From the time her bootheels landed in Austin, she’s been one of the hardest working and hardest touring musicians on the street and one of the biggest champions of other musicians and their journey here in the Live Music Capital. Her warmth and charisma radiate from her voice and six-string, flowing what she calls Folkadelic Queer Pop out to world unapologetically. The casual-yet-calculated blending of genres ranging from country to pop to rock from her debut full-length Lightchasers continues with her latest effort, “Mixtape,” a four-song EP where each track possesses its own identity, but work together to fit into a mini-quilt befitting O’Connor’s talent as a multi-genre musician. “Cult of Two” is a fun pop-rock song that has O’Connor shaking out her mullet to the tune of lightly-fuzzed guitars and dynamic vocal tricks all laced together with a poppy melody that’ll keep your head boppin’.

“Cult of Two” appears on her Mixtape EP, out now via Tremolo. Catch Daisy TONIGHT at her album release show at the Cactus Cafe with Ty Richards opening.

-Taylor Wallace// host, Thursdays 8-11P & Saturdays 2-6P; Producer, Eklektikos with John Aielli

Among the many reasons to be impressed by the supremely talented Hannah Gill is her age vs. the indisputable maturity of her songwriting and vocal style. At just 20-years-old, she has a precocious understanding for the smooth, velvety sounds of songstresses from eras before, and her ability to deliver on the same caliber as many of her predecessors is uncanny. Harnessing a sound that would make Amy Winehouse and Etta James swoon, her sound carefully plucks from the bushes of blues, soul, and 70s pop and arranges them into a bouquet of sultry, buttery sounds that flow like warm molasses embracing your soul. “Lose” encompasses all of these elements, fitting them to a slow, smooth 3/4 time template that sits somewhere between doo-wop sounds of the 50s and soul vibes of the 70s. To say it’s simply lovely would be an understatement; more accurately, it’s absolutely intoxicating.

“Lose” appears on the Lost in Words EP, out now via Footnote.

-Taylor Wallace// host, Thursdays 8-11P & Saturdays 2-6P; Producer, Eklektikos with John Aielli

Born in Nicaragua in the middle of the country’s violent revolution during the 1960s and 70s, Jose Galeano and his family fled to the United States with he was just a boy, creating an identity struggle growing-up as a Spanish-speaking Nicaraguan in the middle of a white-cultured New York. He began performing at the age of six under the heavy influence of his uncle Chepito, who himself was a widely successful, world-touring percussionist and timbale player (chiefly with Santana).

Thus far, Galeano has gotten out of life and his career what he’s put into it. An integral member of the Austin-based, Latin-funk phenomenon Grupo Fantasma, Galeano has a Grammy and 2 nominations under his belt, and that’s a metric that will inarguably increase as his prolific career continues. He titles his solo project after his surname, and with this endeavor, the game is spelled R-H-Y-T-H-M. 11 members strong, rhythm is the absolute core of Galeano, pushing the momentum ever forward without ever once getting out of control.

The sound here has a smattering of colors from an array of genres, blending everything from blues to funk stamped with that trademark Latin-Afro flavor that’s become synonymous with Galeano’s musical identity. The choice to employ such a myriad of sounds stems directly from Galeano’s stalwart pushing against borders and the walls they threaten to erect. “El Gue Gue” showcases all of this excitement, brandishing a fully filled-out rhythm section infused with funky basslines, keys, and (not surprisingly) a horn section to boot. All it asks is that “Poganse de pie y bailen el gue gue!” (Everybody on your feet and dance the gue gue.) Boogie on!

Catch Galeano every Tuesday this month during their residency at Antone’s.

-Taylor Wallace// host, Thursdays 8-11P & Saturdays 2-6P; Producer, Eklektikos with John Aielli

Auckland’s The Beths have garnered an enamored following all over Australia and their native New Zealand for a hot minute, but the release of their debut EP in 2016 has yielded a breakout for the four-piece here in the states and elsewhere. Comprised of a group of people who met while studying jazz at the University of Auckland, the four ironically bonded over a mutual love for pop-punk. Harnessing a sound akin to Skating Polly, their music is heavily driven by melodic guitars punctuated by bright vocal melodies. “Future Me Hates Me,” the title track to the group’s upcoming debut full-length, epitomizes the group’s groove, with lead vocalist, guitarist, and chief songstress Elizabeth Stokes singing about diving into love head first despite cynically seeing ten steps ahead to the heartache and headaches that come with the territory.

“Future Me Hates Me” is out August 10th via Carpark.

-Taylor Wallace// host, Thursdays 8-11P & Saturdays 2-6P; Producer, Eklektikos with John Aielli

Minnesota’s Jess Abbott, known better by her moniker Tancred, has an undying jonesing for 90s-flavored indie pop. More specifically, she’s got a knack for taking inspiration from those melodies and the female vocalists who made them and fixing them to her own brand of power pop. The singles from her new album Nightstand showcase a more finely-tuned, polished sound from Abbott who historically has had some degree of a fuzzy glow around her songs. Telling the tale of a one-night-stand Abbott just can’t quite shake, “Queen of New York” features her classic cherry Smackers-flavored vibe with stripes of Sleater-Kinney influence peeking through this upbeat power-pop tune.

“Queen of New York” appears on Nightstands, out tomorrow via Polyvinyl.

-Taylor Wallace// host, Thursdays 8-11P & Saturdays 2-6P; Producer, Eklektikos with John Aielli

Ten years ago, Jared Boulanger humbly released a 6-song EP under the moniker The Sour Notes. Today the venture has evolved into a full-on band (with Boulanger still being the chief songwriter) winning over fans from all over and building a discography 12-releases strong. In that decade, Boulanger and crew have played with a number of styles and instrumentations, sometimes using as many as 5 synths at a time or employing the use of a full string section (shoutout to Austin’s beloved Mother Falcon). Throughout these sonic explorations, some things have remained rigidly consistent. Boulanger has an uncanny knack for catchy pop melodies, blending female voices seamlessly into the landscape, and, something that’s fairly uncommon, employing the same producer and engineer for every single effort the group has put out, thus creating a solid foundation for making their sour brand so addicting. Put simply, it’s just real good pop-rock, dude.

Their latest release is a 7-inch celebrating the Sour Notes’s 10th anniversary. Everything fans have come to know and love about the group are in play here: catchy guitars supported by a driving bass and rhythm section, the deft mixing and mastering hands of Steve Christensen and Joe LaPorta respectively, and an exemplary use of gilded-female vocals threaded through the piece, lent this time by Ruby Fray’s Emily Beanblossom. Oh…and if you listen carefully, you might hear a little Pink Floyd nod in the bridge *wink, wink*.

“Welcome to the Club” appears on Finest Sour, out now via their Bandcamp. Catch the Sour Notes (for free!) tonight for the Wine Down at 3Ten at ACL Live.

-Taylor Wallace// host, Thursdays 8-11P & Saturdays 2-6P; Producer, Eklektikos with John Aielli

Back in 1983 a tenacious, young high school student named Hope Sandoval went to a Rain Parade show. Afterwards she went up to guitarist David Roback and handed him her demo tape. He produced that (still unreleased) album and when the singer of his then-project Opal departed, Sandoval stepped in, and the rest is history. At this point, it’s crazy to think that Hope Sandoval’s voice has been simultaneously haunting and gracing our dreams for nearly three decades. Alongside Roback the two have won over audiences around the world as Mazzy Star with their signature dreamy sound laced in minimal layers with Sandoval’s angelic voice permeating every corner.

Never feeling or feeding the pressure to release music on anyone else’s timeline but their own, fans have had to exercise patience through Mazzy Star’s dormant periods, the most recent of which has been since the release of 2013’s Seasons of Your Day. Now the Star has reemerged in our sonic hemisphere with the upcoming release of “Still” a 4-song EP out June 1st. Melancholy piano chords resonate under Sandoval’s smoky, delicate vocals before Roback’s trademark guitar twangs slip in to add texture, but preserve the song’s fragile constitution. The space between the layers is brilliantly used as a darkgrey canvas for the instruments to lay upon, and it’s lovely.

“Quiet, the Winter Harbor” appears on the “Still” EP, out June 1st, via Rhymes of An Hour.

-Taylor Wallace// host, Thursdays 8-11P & Saturdays 2-6P; Producer, Eklektikos with John Aielli

Photo by Andrea Garcia

Lauren Burton is a force of womanhood. In person, she is an unapologetic, razor-tongued feminist and a stalwart champion of social justice and Austin’s music scene. Her powerful aura and agenda translate seamlessly to Lola Tried, an excellent rock-and-roll outfit that sometimes waxes a little pop-punk and other times a bit more power pop. Regardless of the song’s subject matter, Burton has an uncanny ability to tell an interesting story and pen music to it that’s contagiously catchy without being at all pedestrian. Sometimes that story is about depression, sometimes it’s about being angry and exhausted (heard that), and other times it’s just a cool story. Picking one song to showcase from their debut full-length is difficult; each track has that “no wait, this is my favorite song…” quality, exemplifying the incredible talent bubbling from Austin’s underground music scene. Speaking in metaphors and exploding with momentum, “Steam” sits squarely in the power-pop category. Check your pulse; it’s about to spike.

“Steam” appears on Lola Tried, out now. Check out Lola Tried’s recent Studio 1A here.

You can catch Lola Tried today at 5PM at Waterloo Records, and at their album release show tonight at Hotel Vegas sharing a bill with Blushing, Duncan Fellows, and Ringo Deathstar.

-Taylor Wallace// host, Thursdays 8-11P & Saturdays 2-6P; Producer, Eklektikos with John Aielli

Each song Amber Mark creates is weighted. Her first EP 3:33AM  detailed Mark’s emotional state in the aftermath of her mother’s passing with each track tackling a different facet of the black diamond of grief. Her new EP Conexão is a cogent four-song effort that chronicles something almost every of us can relate to: the fire of a relationship from ignition to last fading ember. A short, but powerful glimpse into Mark’s own story of a love that went from explosive passion to burning out to ending the chapter altogether. To punctuate the emotion of the work, Mark even includes a cover of Sade’s “Love Is Stronger Than Pride.”

“Love Me Right” is the second track in the four-chapter story, and already we’ve hit a rock, or a wall as Mark puts it. Where once there was passion, mutual satisfaction, and emotional understanding, now there’s dissonance. Mark puts her heart on the line and communicates her needs, but is continuously left feeling unheard and unfulfilled. Clinging to the good she sees is still prevalent in the relationship, she starts to blame herself for the problems, causing a mild identity crisis. Set to a minimalist bed of downtempo keys and machine-engineered beats, the overlaying of Mark’s purple-velvety voice carries not only the emotional weight of the lyrics, but the majority of the song’s musicality as well. For anyone who’s shared this experience, prepare to get hit right in the feelings.

“Love Me Right” appears on her Conexão EP, out now via PMR/Interscope.

-Taylor Wallace// host, Thursdays 8-11P & Saturdays 2-6P; Producer, Eklektikos with John Aielli

Carla Reyna, known better as Niña Dioz, has spent over a decade navigating the turbulence that comes with being a queer female emcee in an overwhelmingly male-and-hetero-dominated industry. Boasting a discography full of songs fueled by political injustice and razor-tongued feminist anthems, Dioz’s newest single epitomizes her unapologetic message and specifically notes her iron-willed resilience against communities bent on crushing her spirit and her career. (TRANSLATED: I am the drop that spilled the glass/A failure didn’t knock me down…You go and question me, point a finger/I move lightly, I do not give a damn/I do what I want, exceeding in style) Joining forces with Colombian artist Lido Pimienta and labelmate singer-songwriter Ceci Bastida, these women have created a bonafide canticle of female empowerment. The catchy cadence of the lyrics of “Tambalea” are laid over minimalist production engineered chiefly by drums both steel and machine. Even if you don’t speak Spanish, the flow alone will be stuck in your head through the weekend.

“Tambalea” appears on Reyna, out now via Nacional Records.

-Taylor Wallace// host, Thursdays 8-11P & Saturdays 2-6P; Producer, Eklektikos with John Aielli

Nottingham’s Jake Bugg exploded onto the UK music scene in 2011 after an invitation to perform on Glastonbury’s “BBC Introducing Stage” swiftly led to a contract with the illustrious Mercury Records (Elton John, the Killers, Bon Jovi). Since then, Bugg’s released four albums, toured the world, and worked with some of music’s most notable influencers including Mike D, Rick Ruben, and most recently, Dan Auerbach who Bugg had gotten to know when he opened for the Black Keys on a handful of shows during their 2014 tour. Auerbach produced Bugg’s latest album Hearts That Strain, which Bugg is currently supporting with an acoustic tour. He brought his stripped-down Britpop sound to our Studio 1A during his Austin stop, and in addition to a new tune, he treated our audience to a couple of Bugg staples. Cheers!

Check out the rest of the Studio 1A here.

-Taylor Wallace// host, Thursdays 8-11P & Saturdays 2-6P; Producer, Eklektikos with John Aielli

Camera Obscura’s Tracyanne Campbell and Crybaby’s Danny Coughlan have been friends and mutual fans for years and have talked about collaborating for over half a decade, but it was the untimely passing of Camera Obscura’s keyboardist Carey Lander in 2015 that both put off and put into motion the duo’s new project, aptly named Tracyanne & Danny. Taking a break from music after Lander’s death, Campbell and Coughlan finally came together to record their self-titled debut, a ten-song effort that sounds like a well-blended indie smoothie of the two musician’s individual sounds.

“Alabama” appears on Tracyanne & Danny, out May 25th via Merge.

-Taylor Wallace// host, Thursdays 8-11P & Saturdays 2-6P; Producer, Eklektikos with John Aielli

Photo By Joyce Lee

This time last year, Chicagoan-turned-Brooklynite Max Clarke, known professionally as Cut Worms, was gearing-up for the release of his debut EP Alien Sunset, slowly garnering fans through Bandcamp before being picked-up by indie label Jagjaguwar, a feat validating Clarke’s decision to abandon a graphic design career and fully dedicate himself to the one thing in life that’s always felt effortless: songwriting. Alien Sunset may have been more appropriately released under the name “Ear” Worms, as the handful of catchy lo-fi tunes made Clarke an instant new-favorite and set him up for wider recognition with the release of his debut full-length Hollow Ground, out tomorrow.  The new album peels off the lo-fi filter of the EP (it even includes a polished version of “Hard to Say Goodbye,”), Clarke bumps the folk-pop factor up a notch or two, but sweet melodies and Everly Bros-esque vocals still share centerstage in a sound that Clarke has made uniquely his own.

“Cash for Gold,” appears in Hollow Ground, out tomorrow via Jagjaguwar.

-Taylor Wallace// host, Thursdays 8-11P & Saturdays 2-6P; Producer, Eklektikos with John Aielli

Photo by Angel Ceballos

“Stagnant” is not a word you’d associate with the pop-punk/riot grrrl trio Skating Polly, who since 2009 have taken their self-proclaimed “ugly pop” from unassuming venues in OKC to full-on Western hemisphere notoriety. X’s Exene Cervenka produced the group’s sophomore album Lost Wonderfuls, and their third album had the frontwomen of Veruca Salt reaching out to then-members Kelli Mayo and Peyton Bighorse, resulting in a trio of pro-fem anthems last year called New Trick. Since the release, Skating Polly added Kelli’s brother Kurtis to the group and the trio has kept a dense itinerary, playing over 100 shows including major festivals, a stint in Europe, and joining X for a couple legs of their 40th-anniversary tour. The band’s busy touring schedule took a short rest stop long enough for the band to record their 5th album, The Make It All Show, out this Friday. Now they’re out on the road again and stopping at Austin’s Stubb’s Indoors next Tuesday.

“Hollywood Factory” shows a bit of a sonically softer side of Skating Polly. No growls or abrasive riffs here, just catchy skater-punk-meets-indie-pop hooks, a lo-fi gel placed over the guitar, and Mayo’s sour-sweet, loose-jawed vocals. Skate on with your ugly pop!

-Taylor Wallace// Host, Thursdays 8p-11p & Saturdays 2p-6p; Producer, Eklektikos with John Aielli

 

Photo By Gabriel Perez

Reverently descending from the spirit of the cosmos and budding off the warm, influential beams of the almighty Sun Ra are Golden Dawn Arkestra, warming the Earth with their message one audience at a time and choosing humble Austin as their Earthly base. A brilliant gumbo of Afrobeat, jazz, and psychedelia draped in the bold, heavily textured robe and gilded mask of the avant-garde, this collective of musicians and souls have been treating music lovers to their larger than life performances for nearly half a decade. Amazingly, their spirit and energy are not lost in translation from the stage to the stereo, and today we proudly deliver to you the latest single from this band of cosmic journeymen ahead of their Levitation Fest show tomorrow night at Cheer-Up Charlies.

-Taylor Wallace // Host, Thursdays 8p-11p & Saturdays 2p-6p; Producer, Eklektikos with John Aielli

Calexico‘s ninth studio album The Thread That Keeps Us is Joey Burns and John Convertino’s efficacy at capturing “the room sound…what’s living and breathing in the room.” Each song is a story in one way or another about displacement, specifically concerning immigration. Not historically known for being so explicitly political, it seems even Burns and Convertino seem to have their limits, but instead of making the TTTKU an album’s worth of soapbox lectures, the two have painted their stories of border issues, etc. organically into their indie-folk soundscape, adding a new, more pensive texture to their storytelling canvas. Even their songs that don’t have any political implication are laced in a dark tone. “The Town and Miss Lorraine” is one of the more sonically upbeat tunes on the album, but within its brief lyrics lies a story of tragedy. This live version strips away many of the album version’s instrumentation, allowing the lyrics to take center stage. Check out the entire Studio 1A session here.

“The Town and Miss Lorraine” appears on The Thread That Keeps Us, out now via Anti Records.

-Taylor Wallace // Host, Thursdays 8p-11p & Saturdays 2p-6p; Producer, Eklektikos with John Aielli

Jess Williamson‘s upcoming third release Cosmic Wink follows suit of the last two like a seamless saga ready to unfold the next part of the greater story. Following her 2016 move from Austin to L.A., the album was written during a period of great transition for Williamson with several unrelated events, good and bad (specifically love and loss, as it usually seems to go) coming to a head simultaneously and putting her through an emotional challenge that she works through the only way musicians know how. True to her smokey-folk aura, there’s heavy emphasis on the lyrics of this introspective meditation that beautifully float on top of a bed of catchy, understated hooks and haunting echoes.

“I See the White” appears on Cosmic Wink out May 11th via Mexican Summer. Jess hits the road with Austin supergroup LOMA this month, but not before playing the North Door this Saturday.

-Taylor Wallace // Host, Thursdays 8p-11p & Saturdays 2p-6p; Producer, Eklektikos with John Aielli