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February 2, 2022

Texas Standard: February 2, 2022

Texas Standard

By: David Brown

With a winter storm warning set for much of the state, and the memories of last February still fresh, Texans brace for what’s coming. Also, vaccinations for the very young? A Texas-based expert on vaccine trials underway and what parents and caretakers  should know. Plus, across Texas, a record number of books being banned from Public school libraries; why the push right now and who’s pushing back. These stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

January 28, 2022

Roxi Copland: “House of the Rising Sun”

Song of the Day

By: Jack Anderson

Under the Covers weekend is well underway and with only a few days left of Love Austin Music Month we’ve found a perfect intersection among those overlapping circles. Classically trained pianist-vocalist Roxi Copland has shown off her Americana-jazz-pop chops across town since 2012’s Pretty Lies and now – a full decade later – this Austinite’s announced a new five-song EP. I Come From Crazy was recorded at Austin’s King Electric Recording and is set for an April release. If you’re the jet-setting type you may very well catch Copland performing at Austin Bergstrom International Airport before then. But going back Under the Covers, today Copland’s treated us to a fresh take on a traditional folk song. Copland’s version of “House of the Rising Sun” may veer far from The Animals rendition we’re all familiar with but its tightrope walk between revision and familiarity (including lyricsmore faithful to the original) is a great reminder why this Austin artist should never be overlooked.

January 14, 2022

Texas Standard: January 14, 2022

Texas Standard

By: Laura Rice

School districts are buckling under the current pressures of the pandemic. The leader of a Texas teacher’s organization asks, where’s the state in all this? Some districts are shutting down others are asking parents to fill in. We want to hear from you about the current challenges for schools. Also, Governor Greg Abbott’s border enforcement program violates the constitution. That was the ruling yesterday. We’ll look at where it goes from here. And Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton must turn over records related to his time in Washington last January 6th. We’ll get into the exceptional details. Plus, going back in time to 1883 and the depiction of a family’s journey west across Texas. Our interview with one of TV’s rising stars. That and more on today’s Texas Standard:

November 4, 2021

Jenny Parrott: “The Fire I Saw (Is There Anyone To Meet Me)”

Song of the Day

By: Jack Anderson

Unlike the similarly-named avian companion, Jenny Parrott has never needed to mimic anyone else to express herself. After moving to Austin a decade-and-a-half back, she fronted the Western swing three-piece Shotgun Party through three LPs and international tours, then got involved with folk rockers Loves It for two albums. Since then though, Parrott and her bilingual, triple-octave singing style have migrated into a soaring solo effort. Jenny Parrott’s sophomore LP The Fire I Saw takes the cross-genre embers of her 2017 debut When I Come Down and turns the heat way up with intricate synth-work and some of her finest vocal performances to date. The Fire I Saw drops next Friday the 12th, and Jenny Parrott performs 7pm that same evening at Hole in the Wall, but especially with the rapid temperature drops in the past 24 hours, it’s not a bad idea to land a warm spot early with the record’s title track!

October 21, 2021

On the Fringe

Austin Music Minute

By: Laurie Gallardo

Ethan Azarian, Jeff Johnston & Lindsey Verrill.

Surely you’ve seen the sweet and unassuming Blue Cow. It’s a magical image, unmistakable. The Blue Cow can be spotted on artwork and murals all around Austin, a gentle cerulean creature most likely caught in mid-float as he continues his adventures in the city and across the land…

If you know the Blue Cow series creator, Ethan Azarian, all of that makes perfect sense. Singer, songwriter, painter, and icon. Azarian is a wizard of visual whimsy, a lo-fi poet who observes the quirks of our bewildering planet and its deranged inhabitants with genuine wonder. He is fearless in his vulnerability. The warmth is real.

It also makes total sense that Azarian grew up in a musical and artistic family. Born in Cabot, Vermont, and influenced by his parents’ friends performing in cafes around Boston in the early ’60s (count Judy Collins and Taj Mahal amongst those friends, by the way…), Azarian took punk rock to heart in his ‘20s and was playing in his own bands before making the trek to Austin in the late ‘80s. This paved the way for the much-loved Austin treasure The Orange Mothers, formed with friend and longtime collaborator Jeff Johnston.

Azarian has been performing with Johnston ever since, from cozy residencies at Hole In the Wall to house shows, and the Longplay East, as well as contributing to Azarian’s solo works. Speaking of which, it’s time to rally around Azarian’s newest release, On the Fringe, an incredible set of recordings produced by Will Courtney, showing the artist at his beautifully offbeat best, winding with wordplay, marveling at all that unfolds in the journey.

To celebrate the new music, Azarian is having a release show this Saturday, October 23, at Wyldwood Shows, 4204 Wyldwood Rd. Opening the show is special guest Little Mazarn, featuring Lindsey Verrill and Jeff Johnston. It’s a socially-distanced event, for your safety.

Ethan Azarian kindly asks that you write to inhousegallery@hotmail.com for ticket reservations, or find him on Venmo.

-Special thanks to designer and songwriter June Higgins for inspiration on today’s AMM.

October 21, 2021

Helado Negro: “Gemini and Leo”

Song of the Day

By: Jack Anderson

Raised in sunny South Florida against a backdrop of ’80s club bangers and pivotal ’90s hip-hop, multi-instrumentalist Roberto Carlos Lange’s found sturdy legs in Brooklyn for his Latin-leaning experimental electronic folk project Helado Negro. The pursuit that began with 2009’s Awe Owe has since earned Lange several awards and considerable critical acclaim, including a widely popular NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert from 2017 and most recently with Helado Negro’s highly-lauded 2019 LP This Is How You Smile.

Tomorrow Helado Negro ventures even further into his bold exploration of soundscapes with his seventh studio full-length, Far In, an eclectic collection of exotic tones and dance-friendly bops. So needless to say, Helado Negro’s horoscope is looking pretty auspicious, and you can get an early gaze into Far In with one of the record’s most impressive star-crossed genre-blender, “Gemini and Leo”!

September 14, 2021

The Dragon Berries: “Island”

Song of the Day

By: Jack Anderson

With the exception of iconic industry shifters who made it look easy like Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rage Against the Machine, or dare I say, even Limp Bizkit, the mashup genre of rap-rock can be a treacherous territory to navigate. That said, Austin four-piece The Dragon Berries seems to have hit a stride in the hip-hop-meets-alt-rock field, beginning with 2019’s “We Got the Funk”.

The Dragon Berries have spent the pandemic writing a new batch of tracks, including a real winner recorded at The Bubble with Chris “Frenchie” Smith that just premiered this morning. Far from an isolated example of The Dragon Berries’ talent, “Island” encompasses the group’s cross-genre escapism all under four minutes, and is officially available to provide respite whenever you need!

July 22, 2021

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

Song of the Day

By: Jack Anderson

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!

July 8, 2021

Cochemea: “Black Pearl”

Song of the Day

By: Jack Anderson

During the heyday of Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, people pretty much said the same thing. “She sure can belt it out but that horn section doesn’t hurt either.” And though Sharon Jones has since passed, The Dap-Kings have continued a collective legacy of excellence. Take for example, Dap-Kings sax virtuoso/multi-instrumentalist Cochemea Gastelum, who’s rounded up the very best of Daptone’s rhythm sections to fill out his mononymous seven-piece Cochemea.

Next Friday Cochemea continues the cultural exploration that began with 2019’s All My Relations with Vol. II – Baca Sewa. You can expect an expertly-packaged deep dive into Gastelum’s Yacqui/Yoeme heritage across Baca Sewa‘s ten spiritual jazz originals, all of which are guaranteed to have an entrancing effect, as heard on Vol. II’s latest single, “Black Pearl”!

June 8, 2021

Sven Wunder: “Panorama”

Song of the Day

By: Jack Anderson

Dating back to the heyday of film noir, jazz has always lent itself to an element of mystery. And for Swedish studio hermit Sven Wunder, jazz has allowed him to explore several eclectic satellite genres without relying on any concrete songwriting formulas, be it with the Anatolian rock and European jazz on 2019’s Eastern Flowers or the Pan-Asian elements heard on last year’s Wabi Sabi.

Regardless of where Wunder lands on the jazz spectrum, he’s set to continue the saga this Friday with Natura Morta, a cross-cultural full-length that examines humanity’s ties to nature and chips away at the walls dividing classical chamber orchestras and modern jazz bands at just under a dozen tracks. Natura Morta‘s sprawling sound isn’t the easiest to define on the whole, but there’s a timeless, nationless quality to the record’s latest single that recalls the oddities and fluidities of the Mahavishnu Orchestra, “Panorama”!

May 20, 2021

Cryptolog: “Do Me a Favor”

Song of the Day

By: Jack Anderson

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)”!

May 7, 2021

Life Goes On

Austin Music Minute

By: Laurie Gallardo

To clarify, Buffalo Nichols is the solo moniker of songwriter Carl Nichols, one half of renown folk duo Nickel & Rose. (Today’s featured AMM track is a live pop-up session, busker style, of Nichols performing “Life Goes On.”) No matter what genre Nichols has ever played, he always finds his heart returning to the acoustic blues he grew up with – the genuine, the real deal.

Nichols crosses racial and generational divides playing the music he loves. His heartfelt tribute to the great blues artists before him is writing and singing about his own life experiences – growing up in poverty, experiencing racism – the very stories he would hear in the early blues records he fell in love with.

This is one hell of an opener. Do not miss Buffalo Nichols, on the bill with recent KUTX Artist of the Month Sun June, happening Saturday May 8, at 3Ten ACL Live, 310 Willie Nelson Blvd. Doors open at 8 p.m., and the music starts at 9.

May 7, 2021

Grace Pettis: “I Ain’t Your Mama”

Song of the Day

By: Jack Anderson

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”!

April 14, 2021

Lady Dan: “Better Off Alone”

Song of the Day

By: Jack Anderson

Like countless composers before her, Austin singer-guitarist Tyler Dozier uses her craft to shed light on her true identity. Raised in Alabama amidst parental pressures,  relationship strains, and religious restrictions, Dozier’s move to the Live Music Capital roughly aligned with the release of her 2019 debut EP, Songs for the Soulless, which also introduced us officially to her musical moniker, Lady Dan.

Everything’s coming up purple for Dozier in 2021, who’s set to expand on her indie-crossed country sound next Friday with Lady Dan’s first-ever full-length, I Am the Prophet. We’ve got a feeling that I Am the Prophet‘s gonna presage another chapter of growth for Dozier, at least judging by the record’s latest single, “Better Off Alone”, that despite only sharing surface-level similarities, gives Alice Deejay’s 1999 hit a sincere run for its money.

 

April 13, 2021

William Maxwell: “Dead Plants”

Song of the Day

By: Jack Anderson

When it comes to standing out as a solo artist in an oversaturated scene, nobody does quirky quite like Austin’s William Maxwell. Sure the singer-guitarist is pretty reserved in person, but on the record he’s a full blown musical maniac. With his fearless performance methods and candidly off-kilter lyrics, The Oysters‘ co-founder has shown a real knack for songwriting both across his rap sheet of collaborations and with his 2019 baker’s dozen, Calm a Painter and Subject.

Friday after next William Maxwell releases his sophomore LP, It’s Been Here Changing For a Long Time, ten tracks that are perfect for a post-pandemic mindset (whenever that may come) along with a twenty-four-page art booklet. And since we’re officially into spring and past the trauma of the big freeze here in Texas, now seems like a good time to appreciate the newfound greenery with It’s Been Here‘s fifth and final single, “Dead Plants”!

April 8, 2021

Scott Ballew: “Talking to Mountains”

Song of the Day

By: Jack Anderson

As is the case with many creatives, sometimes you just wanna cross the wires and try something out of your comfort zone. That’s how things went for native Austinite Scott Ballew, who, after directing a documentary on Texas legend Terry Allen amidst a lengthy SoCal-based filmmaking stint, hunkered down in a house in Lockhart to record his debut LP of acoustic originals.

Talking to Mountains captures the charm of solitude with its cinematic lo-fi and emphasis on conversation with Texas nature, best seen in the album opener’s music video and heard most-explicitly on the record’s title track, “Talking to Mountains”!

March 9, 2021

One Year Later

Pause/Play

By: Miles Bloxson and Elizabeth McQueen

We talked to people from across the spectrum of the Austin music ecosystem around the 1-year anniversary of the cancellation of SXSW. In this episode, you’ll hear how they’ve coped, pivoted, evolved, gained new perspectives and dealt with trauma during the last 12 months.

You’ll hear from singer, songwriter and guitar player Jackie Venson, songwriter, producer and activist Mobley, Stephanie Bergara who fronts the band Bidi Bidi Banda, Maggie Lea co-owner of Cheer-Up Charlies, musician and founder of Austin Texas Musicians Nakia, singer, songwriter and podcaster Walker Lukens,  live-event coordinator, screenwriter and co-founder of The Amplified Sound Coalition, Jeannette Gregor, executive director of the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians, Reenie Collins, and executive director of Austin Texas Musicians, Pat Buchta.

We have a survey and we’d love to hear what you think! Go ahead! Take the survey here! 

Pause/Play Season 2 Episode 1

Links:

Listen to Jackie Venson’s music

Check out Mobley’s new record “Young and Dying in the Occident Supreme”

Listen to Nakia’s new single “It’s Never Too Late.”

The Amplified Sound Coalition

Austin Texas Musicians

The Health Alliance for Austin Musicians

 

 

 

 

March 9, 2021

IKOQWE: “Bulubulu”

Song of the Day

By: Jack Anderson

In the realms of both hip-hop and electronic, there’s always strength in numbers, even when that number is a mere two. Enter Angola new wave producer Batida and Angola rapper/activist Ikonoklasta, whose shared offbeat, on-tempo energy has made their duo IKOQWE a powerhouse.

Inspired equally by Angolan traditional music as by golden age hip-hop, IKOQWE dropped their debut LP, The Beginning, The Medium, The End and The Infinite, last Friday, combining retro drum programming with striking new sounds, all meshed together across a handful of languages and daring messages. This record is weird as heck but a lot of fun and frankly, just really good; hear for yourself on The Beginning‘s sophomore song, “Bulubulu”!

February 16, 2021

Texas Standard: February 16, 2021

Texas Standard

By: David Brown

Emergency efforts at restoring power continue across Texas as millions try to make do without electricity during an historic winter storm. The whole state of Texas affected by power outages, but not equally. Questions mount over the state’s electricity grid management, as much of Texas hunkers down for a second round of frozen precipitation and low digit temperatures. We’ll have the latest. Also, understanding the latest controversy over the national anthem at sports events. And voices of hope, faith and endurance in danger of being lost to history, an effort to rescue priceless Black gospel recordings. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

January 7, 2021

Lost Cat Magnet & Joshua Thomson: “Moon Man”

Song of the Day

By: Jack Anderson

When you find an ideal musical partner but touring schedules keep you apart, sometimes a lockdown can be a blessing in disguise. At least that’s how it’s gone for Californian-turned-Austinite Lost Cat Magnet and former Michigander Joshua Thomson, two star-crossed collaborators who’ve finally had a chance to create something new and extraordinary between themselves.

Between LCM’s beat-making finesse, Thomson’s expansive ability to improvise and interpret melodies on sax, and a shared universe of influences and tastes dating back a half century, these two built their Low Orbit EP from the ground up, only using a computer to touch up analog recordings. Co-produced by Brazilian music aficionado Tiago da Silva and releasing tomrorow, Low Orbit is sure to keep you gravitated into its field with exotic electro-jazz and funk-house inspired grooves, even on tracks that can’t be identified under any one genre, like “Moon Man”!

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