alt rock

Elegant Tiger: “Venus Nights”

Lions. Leopards. Lynx. Our ancestors rightfully had a lot to fear from those primitive predators, and as such us humans have adopted the notion that all big cats are ferocious felines. But in an era where these beautiful species are more endangered than danger, we’ve got to appreciate the intrinsic elegance of what are ostensibly overgrown kittens. So feel free to read this next short sentence in your best David Attenborough voice.

Enter…the Elegant Tiger. As their exceptional name suggests, this Austin trio (who formerly went by Shapescenes) incorporates the most refined stripes of alt-rock, new wave, shoegaze, and synthpop into their brand of aural camouflage. Though it’s not like Elegant Tiger just dragged ’em all in and let ’em out of the bag; there’s an undeniable sophistication to Elegant Tiger’s keep these combinations skulking through the jungle of genres without making them sound slapped together. I mean, rainforest-dense electronic elements rubbing up against anthemic vocal melodies and atmospheric guitar with three players cooperating harmoniously instead of trying to claw their way to the top of this intimate ambush? It’s…well…elegant to say the least.

And this weekend Elegant Tiger flips the switch on their debut album OFF/ON/ON/ON, doing so with a release show 10:30PM this Friday at Stubb’s after The Gaslight Anthem (with free admission if you’ve got a wristband for the latter). You can dig your claws into much of the LP already with its paw-ful of lead singles dating back to last New Year’s Eve. They’re all awesome, but this morning’s offering may just be our favorite. Perfect for a summer sunset drive from its first bass drop through its final ninety-second sans-percussion coast, “Venus Nights” is an ’80s-infused ode to the women of the world, that overall has us thinking Tony wasn’t so crazy about his aspirations for a catlike passenger in Scarface.

Deer Tick: “Sacrosanct”

When it comes to asking about major milestones like birthdays and anniversaries (whether it’s a piece of media, a pet, or a friend’s kid), sometimes the answer leaves you thinking, “it hasn’t been that long…has it?”. Well that’s exactly what went down when we recently realized that in 2024 Deer Tick is officially two decades old.

Yes, just like other early-mid-aught memories that feel like they just happened yesterday, we’re amazed that the passion project of these Providence rockers is nearly of legal drinking age. To clarify, we’re not saying anything like “ew these dudes are old and irrelevant now”. No. Quite the opposite. Instead, we’re pleasantly impressed with the endurance of these indie alt-Americana darlings and their ability to try out fresh formulas and latch onto new listeners while maintaining much of their signature, twang-adjacent sound – particularly if you keep major musical migrations of the past twenty years in perspective.

And there’s ample evidence beyond Deer Tick’s big list of upcoming headliner tour dates. Just look at Contractual Obligations, album number nine that rolled out a little under a month back. Collating the eight absentees from last June’s Emotional Contracts, Contractual Obligations proves that for Deer Tick, even the stuff that initially ended up on the cutting room floor is worth well more releasing to the masses, and not just as shoddy demos. If you haven’t yet heard Contractual Obligations, we won’t hold you to it (at least not in a binding way). But we do insist you spin the EP opener and lead single “Sacrosanct”. Because on top of the high probability it’ll entice you to enjoy the remainder of the record, the sheer quality of “Sacrosanct” makes us reflect on its titular descriptor in a different way; Deer Tick, seemingly determined-as-ever, is simply too vital for the state of modern music to upend anytime soon.

The Brothers Burn: “Stepped In Gum”

What happens when you possess all the technical prowess to make a modern record and a newfound abundance of time, but you’ve never tried your hand at music? Best get crackin’, right?

At least that’s the backstory behind Austin producer Scott Osborn, better known by his creative alias The Brothers Burn. Sure, Scott’s already in his sixties, but that hasn’t stopped this retiree from swinging for the fences – with a personal goal to crank out this generation’s Speaking In Tongues, Wild Planet, or even Demon Days. And those big three give you a great sense of The Brothers Burn’s style, pop and funk with a little bit of a electro and lot of party appropriateness, which we’ve heard plenty of since The Brothers Burn’s Christmas 2020 debut.

But at his age, Osborn’s also got the wisdom to know not every song needs profound lyrical inspiration; you truly can just say “life sucks sometimes” and hit record. Case in point: The Brothers Burn’s latest single that hit the proverbial pavement this morning. Channeling that electronic adjacent, mid-late-’90s/early millennium aggression in the ilk of Korn, Linkin Park, or Limp Bizkit, “Stepped In Gum” is somewhere between a spiritual successor to “Break Stuff” and a cut track from the Blade II soundtrack.

So Scott, where’s the vampire rave at?

SPRY: “All In Good Time”

It’s our Summer membership drive! And to help say thanks for all of your generous contributions, we’re giving back with some KUTX-clusive premieres for the rest of the week, starting off with a rockin’ rebrand.

If you’ve kept up with Austin outfit Mohawk Bends, you might’ve caught wind that they’ve recently called it quits…at least under the previous handle. Yep, following the departure of a longtime member after five years of firing up crowds, these indie-alt-rockers are putting the Mohawk Bends to bed…but fortunately picking up where they left off with a fresh face on bass (Kyle Russell) as SPRY.

True to their new namesake, SPRY’s already leapt into action with a promising roadmap. They will be pulling Mohawk Bends’ self-produced 2018 debut Stay a While from digital platforms soon, but plan on replacing it with an updated, re-recorded take as SPRY. And even though we might end up personally stylizing this rendition as Stay a While (SPRY’s Version) for the sake of clarity, fans of the first one definitely won’t mistake this as the original; although four of Stay a While‘s favorites are still intact (two of which have already hit streaming) a salvo of five new tracks fires off this next chapter as SPRY.

So catch SPRY 11PM this Friday at Coral Snake alongside Knetx at midnight and our April 2015 Artist of the Month Abram Shook at 10PM. You may accidentally deadname SPRY a couple of times between now and the show, but as with any new transition, adjustments come “All In Good Time”. And boy oh boy is this first installation a behemoth. Walking that tricky alt-rock tightrope of heavy and mellow and anchored by an exceptional mix, “All In Good Time” is like the arrival of a long awaited sonic sequel, and an awesome way for the boys of Mohawk Bends to resume their much-missed, enthusiastic work in the live scene. Go get ’em, SPRY.

Holy Roller Baby: “Speaking In Tongues”

Since its advent at the turn of the millennium, the term “swag” has lent itself to plenty of manufactured personalities. We don’t hear “swag” much anymore, which is fine by us, since swagger ought to come naturally; it shouldn’t be too sophisticated.

You take one look at multi-instrumentalist Jared Mullins, who (in the best way possible) looks like a mix between Robert Plant and Big Lebowski‘s “The Dude”, and you know right away he’s a shining specimen of swagger. And appearances aside, Mullins’ project Holy Roller Baby – now half a decade strong – even refers to their spectrum-spelunking style of rock (heavy more often than not) as “primitive swagger”. HRB’s debut LP Frenzy was a ferocious feast that kept us pretty full for the pandemic’s first couple of years, but we sure were pleased to get a second round of standalone singles starting last March.

Well it turns out the Austin quartet’s already got another one in the can and ready to let loose in the coming months. They announced their next full-length Smile In Heaven (set for release August 23rd) last Friday with the record’s lead single “Speaking In Tongues”. We won’t recommend making out in the middle of train tracks for obvious safety concerns, but we will urge you to check out the Super 8 music video for “Speaking In Tongues”, since it’s such a powerful emotional accompaniment to what sounds like Holy Roller Baby’s Central Texas twist on Radiohead’s “Creep”, high contrast dynamics, unhurried grunge arrangement, impassioned vocal performance, and all. Rock on, Rollers. Rock on.

Henry the Archer: “ViolinT”

If this late Spring’s got your spirits shook up and you’re looking for some renewed motivation to tend to your garden (be it literal or figurative), we’ve got a DFW act that’ll make you go hard in the yard.

And that’s on behalf of singer-guitarist-keyboardist R. Hennessy, AKA “Henry O”, who’s been hitting the mark as Henry the Archer for nearly a decade and a half now. A consecutive two-time winner of Fort Worth Magazine‘s “Artist of the Year” distinction, this Fort Worth three-piece aims at the the broad genre target of alt-rock, perfect for groupings within surrounding styles. But that’s not to say Henry the Archer’s arrangements aren’t accurate or precise, since the trio’s clearly struck something strong to earn several streaming heavyweights.

This morning, marking Henry the Archer’s first record since 2017’s Zero Is a Number, their EP The Garden is finally ready to harvest. It’s a six-song plot blooming with indie-folk (“The Garden”), pop-punk (“One or Two”), brassy ska (“Sheep Song”), reggae (“Someone Beautiful”), and even a stripped-down keyboard-and-vocal duet (“People Make a Place”) – but ultimately all rooted in alt-rock. The album release show is next Saturday out in Arlington, but Henry the Archer does have a couple of shows here in town at the turn of the next month – 7:30PM on Friday, May 31st for a SoFar Sounds session and 8PM on Saturday, June 1st at ABGB alongside Mr. Kat. So fire up The Garden‘s bullseye of a lead single and EP opener “ViolinT”, which totally reminds us of millennium mainstream indie rock era, The Hives-style howling vocals and all.

KONZI: “Red Velvet Room”

Swapping out lead singers can be risky for established listener-ships, but shaking up your sound can also reap some serious rewards and keep fans on their toes in the best way possible. So while not every band can boast a membership as eclectically talented as that of Fleetwood Mac, Pink Floyd, or The Beatles, a little vocal variety does go a long way. And that’s where Austin quintet KONZI finds themselves today.

KONZI’s been kickin’ it since the start of the pandemic – always with the co-lead vocalists in mind – but only implemented that dream on streaming this morning. Rest assured, the ’90s alternative/turn-of-the-millennium indie style that we heard on KONZI’s eponymous debut last year is well preserved. But there’s no denying the newfound fire from singer Carly Jo Jackson on this new one off KONZI’s upcoming sophomore album.

For a truly proper introduction, face the full-band effect with the music video for “Red Velvet Room”. To say “Red Velvet Room” absolutely rips is a criminal understatement, thanks in no small part to Jackson’s firecracker performance. So if you need a quick rock caffeine pick-me-up, step into “Red Velvet Room” with the volume up to eleven.

nolo: “Appetite”

If you’re looking to get out of the house this evening and support some local music without just padding the band’s drink tab, we’ve got just the thing for you.

Consider this our official nod to nolo, an Austin alt-rock quartet whose four members first met up in rehab a half decade back. Don’t worry; the boys are all still sober. And as a matter of fact they’ve teamed up with Recovery Unplugged to create and host the Sober Sessions open mic series. So even though nolo’s put the hard stuff down, their energetic brand of rock is an intoxicating upper all on its own.

Lately nolo’s been working up their debut full-length, set for release next Spring. And this morning nolo served up the LP’s second lead single “Appetite” alongside a manic music video, silly string, strobe lights, white psych patient scrubs, and all. If you’re tired of shit stressing you out from this past work week, dance it all out with nolo 10:45PM tonight at our station’s neighbor Hole in the Wall. If you’d rather stay cooped up in your own resident looney bin, at least pump the fine-polished pop rock of “Appetite” again through your favorite pair of headphones or speakers.