austin music

Danny Golden: “22 Tango”

Pop music is chock full of people flexing. Sure, it goes all the way back to the days of vaudeville, but especially in the 21st century, Billboard chart-toppers can’t seem to stop talking about how hot, rich, or tough they are. Such bold boasts are appealing to emulate amidst teenage angst, but as music lovers mature, they’ll realize that lyrical brags aren’t as impactful as they may seem at first, at least compared to forming a legitimate connection between performer and listener. That’s where Austin multi-instrumentalist Danny Golden comes in. In the near-ten years since he wrapped up his Bach-meets-bluegrass college thesis, Danny’s learned that the golden ticket to truly unique impressions is overlooking the frivolity of possessions and appearance and diving straight into the universal well of emotions. In that spirit, Danny Golden’s upcoming full-length Being There isn’t just a platform to work with John Mayer/Leon Bridges/Paul Cauthen producer Electrophunck or jam with contributors from Texas Gentlemen, Sir Woman, and Jon Batiste’s band; it’s a potent nine-tune exploration of human fragility created through a shared sense of time and space. True to its title, Being There‘s reflections on staying in the moment, of not looking too far back or forwards, lends itself to the LP’s sonic eclecticism, that while rooted in indie rock, features some out-there flavors that reflect the nuances of our feelings. Shortly after Being There drops on Friday, Danny Golden is set to spend the rest of the month on a national tour alongside KUTX favorite Matthew Logan Vasquez, where he’ll no doubt forge plenty of fervent bonds with listeners across the country. So like a sonic trust fall, step into your own personal Danny Golden therapy session with a four-minute testament to the magic of inherent human relation, “22 Tango”.

Venus Loves Mars: “Is It Time?”

When soon-to-be-newlyweds exchange vows, they’re typically talking in terms of for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, or in sickness and in health. But for more creatively-charged couples it goes without saying that there’s also a dedication to high-quality collaboration, through thick and thin.

Take for instance native Austinites Mac and B McNally, who’ve been inseparable since the mid-’90s. After nearly three decades together and countless individual hours performing with other groups, these unapologetic lovebirds have recently formalized their undying bond with a new musical project, Venus Loves Mars. So far they’ve maintained that exceptional standard of quality likely unspoken during their marital exchanges; in 2021 they recorded their first-ever single “The Score” with Chris “Frenchie” Smith at The Bubble, and this year they’ve teamed up with Grammy winner Beto Martinez at Leche House.

Martinez’ idiosyncratic contributions to Grupo Fantasma and Caramelo Haze lends a subtly cinematic Latin-psych flair to the power couple’s still-evolving classic-soul-meets-garage-rock style, which we’ll hopefully hear more of on VLM’s upcoming debut seven-song EP. #VLM4EVER is set for release this July, a new music video is in the works, and ahead of a live appearance tomorrow afternoon at No Filter Fest, Venus Loves Mars begs an important question, whose implied answer is best left unsaid in lieu of repeat listens, “Is It Time?”

Donovan Keith: “Heartbreak Soliloquy”

When he founded Austin retro-R&B-soul septet Soul Track Mind in 2008, there’s no way fronting singer Donovan Keith could predict how much his favorite genre would grow over the next fifteen years. In that decade and a half, the efforts of Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Charles Bradley, Mayer Hawthorne, and these Texas trendsetters evolved into an international movement, the mainstream resurgence of classic (or, depending on who you’re talking to, “original”) ’60s-and-’70s-style R&B-soul. To suddenly have an abundance of pertinent material after accepting the inherently temporal and finite limits of digging through crates of oldies was nothing short of exhilarating.

Well in 2016, the same year that Sharon Jones passed away, Soul Track Mind’s rolled out their final release to date, the Generations EP. Reluctant to disembark from the vintage R&B-soul bandwagon as such a seasoned singer, Donovan Keith made his solo debut with the standalone “Last Chance For Love” in the summer of 2019. Marking a whole year since he unfurled his first full-length, Hot off the Wire, today Keith commemorates the occasion with a real stud of a single.

Impressively penned in absence of any instrumental accompaniment, Donovan Keith’s debonair vocal delivery steals the whole arrangement on “Heartbreak Soliloquy”, even paired against Emily Keeley. By tossing Americana, pop, and folk into the usual heritage mix, this soft, sunny charmer is ideal for an afternoon affair. So why not catch Donovan Keith 5:30PM this Friday at Central Market North Lamar or 2PM this Sunday and each Sunday in May at Banger’s?

Friends To The End: “Chinese Underground”

When art rock first emerged against the counterculture explosion of the late ’60s, its ability to slyly insert societal and political remarks into avant-garde arrangements and multi-sensory experiences (think Warhol’s relationship with The Velvet Underground) was a real piece of modern renaissance. As the ’70s transitioned into the ’80s, art rock’s prime offspring (punk rock and new wave) began to shed the subtle nuance of prior decades in favor of more blatant, less open-to-interpretation lyricism, albeit with a wider distribution network for the multi-media aspect, thanks to MTV. Now, thirty years post-Cold War, in an era where creative dissenters can directly confront public figures by tagging them on Twitter or re-appropriating their image on TikTok for the whole world to see, such explicit callouts have become the status quo in art rock.

And unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that COVID-19’s created a lot of discourse worth responding to. Among the many supplying contemporary commentary is Austin songwriter Thom Kurtz, who, since 2016, has contributed his fair share of off-kilter cross-genre observations with his project Friends To The End. Although Friend To The End’s averaged at about two singles per year, we haven’t heard from Kurtz since last summer’s “ROBOT ODDiTY”.

Today Friends To The End tosses us back into the satirical trenches with “Chinese Underground”. When you watch its blunt lyrics flash over the cartoonishly-hyperbolic imagery of its music video, “Chinese Underground” seems like a straightforward mockery of Mao Zedong on a surface level. But try digging into “Chinese Underground” by recognizing the subtext of its oriental orchestration (akin to the implementation of African sounds underneath David Byrne’s blight-biting lyrics on Remain in Light) as a stylistic choice rather than a reinforcement of potentially harmful sonic stereotypes. Once you do, you’ll appreciate this infectious ’80s-style oddball tune through a whole new lens – as a reflection on the invincibility of an idea.

Tearjerk: “Show You”

As of this publication, there’s a decent chance of severe thunderstorms in today’s forecast. But if you’re the type that doesn’t mind braving the elements (or at least a chance of getting rinsed in a car-to-front-door sprint) to support your local music scene, 1) you’re a trooper that deserves commendation and 2) we’ve got one hell of a recommendation.

It comes on behalf of Austin’s Tearjerk, a passion project of guitarist-vocalist-songwriter Vanessa Jollay rooted in inconsolable indie-folk-rock and distraught dream-pop. That’s not to say that Tearjerk is a practice in sadness just for sad’s sake. Instead it’s an expression of emotional weight and hard conversations alongside the turmoil and transformations that invariably follow.

This morning Tearjerk released their six-song debut EP Face to Face, recorded by David Dalton at Driftwork Sound and featuring Jeremy Brandilek on pedal steel, Carissa Giard on drums, and Jake Stuart on bass. This melancholy collage begs to be heard all the way from top to bottom, in-person, on-streaming, and definitely on-cassette. So while the sky is crying, why not enjoy one of two back-to-back Face to Face album release shows? The first is at 4PM for an in-store at End of an Ear Records, followed by Tearjerk’s final April residency appearance 10PM this evening at Hotel Vegas with openers Specific Thing and Harry & Emmy. So if you could benefit from some solidarity on top of great music in the midst of the rainy day blues, shake off the sulk and let Tearjerk “Show You” a good time.

Confession Response #2: Omg you drank my…

We’re back with the premiere of a new song that was submitted in response to our latest open confession call, in which a woman unknowingly drinks a container of…idk you’ll have to find out. This episode features the song “Wild at Heart” by Kelly Dugan. Walker and Zac break down the song and how it aligns so well with the confession.

Got a story you want to confess and maybe have it turned into a song? Join the Song Confessional mailing list to stay up to date on all of our latest episode, news, and the whereabouts of our confessional booth: https://songconfessional.com/connect.

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Dan Peters: “Jenny Lake”

As a native Austinite that rarely spends a week out of eyeshot of our ever-elevating skyline, I’m hardwired to be somewhat of a city slicker. So I’m always kind of surprised when a folk performer decides to settle down in our noisy, crowded, metropolitan hub. But hey, more folk music for us, right?

Among those we’ve welcomed with wide open arms is pianist-guitarist-vocalist Dan Peters, whose current urban digs are a stark contrast from his coastal Massachusetts upbringing. Dan moved down here at the turn of the decade not only to pursue a career as an environmental scientist but also to reap the benefits of residing in the Live Music Capital. As a result, when he’s not off the grid collecting empirical data, he’s playing keys with local bossa nova/tropicalia outfit Nossas Novas. But of course, with his love of North American landscapes in mind, Peters naturally gravitates towards folk in the vein of Wilco and John Prine as a solo songwriter.

Rooted in such (and in line with the wilderness-inspired titles of his existing standalone tracks “Bottom of the Sea” and “The Birds Are Louder in Texas”), Dan Peters drops his Ramble Creek-recorded debut EP Ocean and the Wind this June. Based on Ocean and the Wind‘s fiddle-infused lead single “Jenny Lake”, which takes us on a cross-country trek from toasty Texas to the snow-capped peaks and tranquil pools of Wyoming, we’re expecting a wholesome Americana-folk sonic safari in store for us this summer.

El Combo Oscuro: “Despegue”

For nearly a full century now, Cumbia’s infectious rhythms have crept out further (both North and South) from its breeding grounds in Colombia. That intercontinental dissemination has led to a plethora of subgenres, and thanks to Texas’ relatively close proximity to Central and South America, some those tendrils (most notably ’60s-style Peruvian psychedelic cumbia or “chicha“) have found new roots here in the Lone Star State. Even here, a several hour drive from the US-Mexico border, we’re blessed to have some prolific cumbia acts call Austin their home. While groups like Grupo Fantasma, Superfónicos, and Money Chicha already found their footing before the turn of 2020, there’s also an exceptional outfit that emerged out of the darkness of our pandemic era. Austin six-piece El Combo Oscuro dropped their debut single “Calavera” right around one year after COVID-19 led to the abrupt cancellation of SXSW (where we usually get an influx of awesome international cumbia acts). Since then they’ve released two EPs (2021’s Que Sonido Tan Rico and 2022’s aptly-titled Cumbia Capital), racked up two Austin Music Awards nominations for “Best Latin Act”, and brought the heat to gatherings like Utopiafest, Levitation, and Chicha Summit. But as quickly as El Combo Oscuro’s come up, like 99% of Austin artists, they could always benefit from a little extra shine. On that note, they’ve recently been inducted into the Austin Music Foundation’s Artist Development Program – Class of 2023/ADP6 alongside KUTX favorites Jake Lloyd, S.L. Houser, and Grace Sorensen. By collaborating with The Bubble recording studio and in-house producer Chris “Frenchie” Smith, ADP helps propel some of Austin’s most talented-yet-overlooked musicians closer to the stratosphere of wider awareness and higher streaming numbers. Today, ahead of live performances next Friday at Arts Mission Oak Cliff in Dallas and next Sunday for Austin psych fest at Far Out Lounge, El Combo Oscuro offers up a first-class seat on a non-stop cumbia flight piloted by ADP. So buckle up for some frenetic Latin turbulence and get ready to take off towards cumbia’s critical altitude with “Despegue”. And to appease some passengers, we’ll go ahead and leave the “no smoking” sign switched off…

Tone Royal: “Nick at Nite”

If you’ve attended your fair share of hip-hop shows, this has happened to you at least once. You discover a new rapper, fall in love with their music, and seize an opportunity to see them live. But right after they take the stage, they inexplicably start cupping the mic, distorting their once-intelligible lyrics into gobbledygook. It can really put a damper on things, even when they’re clearly giving it their all. So when you watch a seasoned emcee prove their worth as a “mic controller” in what could’ve quickly become a garbled cacophony, it’s refreshing as hell.

Considering Ray Villareal’s various public-facing side hustles – as an esteemed stadium sports announcer (for NCAA, UT, and beyond), frequent Double Toasted Bites podcast contributor, or as an outspoken pal determined to buy a round of Buds for the whole bar – it makes sense that Tone Royal treats microphones with a lot of technical understanding and respect. Tomorrow night, the San Antonio-raised, Austin-based vocalist assumes the headlining throne for Empire Control Room’s all-ages “Slow Roasted” 4/20 showcase, preceded by openers MCs Unknown, Shrt_lyf, Daddy Nat, and ZC3, all alongside DJ Buck Rodgers.

This morning Tone Royal sparked up the anticipation with his first single since last August’s “I Hate You”. While the straight-laced often associate 3AM with the witching hour, lonely partakers of the herbal persuasion can relate to the red-eyed reflections and retro re-runs that reside shortly before the day’s first 4:20. Somewhere between a modern torch song and a blunt-rolling bop, “Nick at Nite“ picks up where Passion Pit and Timmy Trumpet left off with a fresh interpolation of Mary O’Hara’s “Óró Mo Bháidín” baking under hazy sax in the background. Tone Royal’s trademark laid back swagger (on both the studio and live version of “Nick at Nite”) has us begging for a full-band full-length follow-up to 2018’s Late some time in the near future, but until then, we’re just fine with putting the remote in the freezer and letting the dial collect dust.

Walker Lukens: “The One Who Loves You”

If you weren’t already well aware, we here at KUTX love Walker Lukens; we shined our Artist of the Month spotlight on this perfectionist performer back in January 2015, right when Walker Lukens and (his backing band) The Side Arms released their Jim Eno-produced single “Every Night”, a tune that now totes more than two million streams on Spotify. Since then Walker’s sort of mimicked the mysterious monolith from 2001: A Space Odyssey, touching down to intrigue the masses and revolutionize listener experiences, but only when the moment is just right.

That’s not to say that Walker hasn’t kept busy since 2019’s ADULT, his final pre-pandemic piece of output. On top of dropping two more full-lengths and an EP, Lukens has been helping to interpolate flirty little secrets as one of the two masterminds behind The Song Confessional podcast. Walker’s also been graciously offering up his production prowess and fine-tuned formulas as a noble service for his fellow Texas creatives.

But as seductive as Walker’s sonic sorcery is in-studio, if you’ve seen him play live, you know how whetting it is to witness the carefully-crafted studio magic replicated almost identically onstage, expertly-cut a capella loops and all. So imagine our excitement this morning when Lukens announced his fourth studio full-length Accessible Beauty for release in August alongside plans for a promotional tour.

That welcome news arrived alongside Accessible Beauty‘s lead single, “The One Who Loves You”, a re-introduction to Walker’s retro-pop tastes. Between invigorating reverse guitar, sexy synth squelches, and processed vocals that soar through a torrid chorus, “The One Who Loves You” boasts an enormous sense of space that easily towers over most of Tame Impala’s less-intense installations. Wish you could express your feelings as fiery as Walker does? Just forward this one to whomever you carry a torch for and get ready for romance.

Solid Lines: “Solid Lines”

When first branding a new band, a little repetition can go a long way. And throughout the past half century there’s plenty proof of now-iconic acts who made the most out of a name by extending it to both album and song titles; think about Bad Company, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Motörhead, or more recently, Run the Jewels and Wilco. Well, last weekend the world was treated to yet another artist-album-song triple threat, this one coming straight out of Austin. After a three-year recording break filled with professional and familial obligations, Oh No Oh My frontman Greg Barkley recently rediscovered solace from those stresses through songwriting. Following several hushed solo home studio sessions, and a full decade since Oh No Oh My performed their last live show essentially at the height of international fame, Barkley re-enlisted ONOM drummer Joel Calvin and keyboardist Tim Regan plus Shivery Shakes bassist Wil Glosup to turn these stripped-down tunes into a reality. As a result, we’ve just been introduced to Solid Lines. The indie elements that earned Oh No Oh My so much acclaim still shines throughout Solid Lines, albeit underneath a coat of passionate electro-pop paint. Solid Lines’ eponymous debut induces nostalgia for care-free youth alongside reflections over the choices Barkley’s made that’ve led him to a life full of love. In line with Barkley’s “full steam ahead” approach to this new batch, the nine tracks on Solid Lines are best enjoyed front to back, but if you want to jump straight to one of Solid Lines‘ midpoints and find out what the group is all about, set aside five minutes and settle into the vocal unity and six-string-and-synth-driven serenity of “Solid Lines”.

Chrissy Symone: “March 14”

These days, participating in a youth choir – in school, at church, or wherever – is like a gateway drug for future singing sensations. Based on the abundance of success stories in recent history, it’s pretty clear that placing some discipline on your pipes at an early age gives you a huge leg up later on.

See: Chrissy Symone. Born in Georgia and now based in Austin, Chrissy was first bit by the songwriting bug back in her school’s choir about a dozen years ago. Since settling into the pandemic mentality, Symone’s been padding out an impressive SoundCloud presence with original acoustic tunes that arrange piano, guitar, and vocals into consistently pleasant jazz-and-blues-adjacent soft indie pop. But of course, Symone’s voice is the prime attraction. Her delicate delivery, poignant lyricism, and effortless ability to navigate intervals and registers make Chrissy one of the most slept on artists in the Live Music Capital.

Well, today Chrissy Symone gave the world a much-welcomed wake up call. Despite its initial appearance on SoundCloud nearly a year ago, Symone just released her flagship Spotify single “March 14”. Huge kudos to Chrissy for including an instrumental rendition as well – one that truly illustrates the weight and impact her vocals can bring to a track like this. Chrissy Symone has a don’t-miss SoFar Sounds session coming up on May 7th, and while you’ve got calendar dates in mind, take a tranquil trip back exactly one month with “March 14”.

Feeling Small: “One-Eyed Paradise”

The first time I met Chase Weinacht was back in high school. Let’s call it 2008. He and fellow Marmalakes co-founder/frontman Josh Halpern dropped by band practice. Despite their infinitely superior songwriting and performance skills (and assumedly awareness of such), I’ll never forget how humble and supportive they both were. And still are. Fast forward to 2019. Chase, Casie Luong, and I were Artist Instructors for Mother Falcon Music Lab. As Casie and I essentially lectured on how to create a podcast, Chase just sat back there behind the campers and soaked it in. Like the biggest, most curious kid in the classroom, for another charming moment of humility. And if you’ve ever seen Chase perform, you know that he’s not only one of Austin’s most talented songwriters, but also one of the most graciously unassertive. Which is why you might not have heard about his new project, Feeling Small. Based on the band’s debut single, Feeling Small seems to be a reflection on our overall insignificance in the grand scheme of things, a blissful sense of nihilism. Even though Weinacht could tackle such subject matter in a solo setting, he’s surrounded himself with some of his best friends, who also happen to be a few of Austin’s most prolific: Why Bonnie’s Sam Houdek on bass, The Stacks/Good Looks frontman Jake Ames on lead electric, Frozen Orange/Lomelda/Daphne Tunes contributor Andrew Stevens on bari guitar and percussion, and Estuary expert ear John Michael Landon handling sampler, synth, and production duties. That first tune, “One-Eyed Paradise”, is a series of little snapshots, like smash cuts that exemplify the beauty of moments that may seem minuscule at first. A soft shaker crescendo starts off this short-and-sweet stoner confessional (complete with lyrics about breakfast edibles and expensive pens) that ends up sounding like Mac DeMarco took a chill pill on top of his natural lackadaisical character. Huge bonus points for that one-of-a-kind Estuary sense of acoustic space, tight instrumental interplay, and a shift of focus away from the weight of life’s abundant anxieties.

Sol Chase: “Moonwalker”

It’s fascinating how many wholesome qualities folk and bluegrass fulfill: the importance of a tight-knit family, a primal connection to nature, and earning keep strictly through musical means. And to be completely honest, if those genres weren’t so overwhelmingly positive, they’d almost seem more like an antiquated cult. But instead of indoctrination and manipulative reprogramming of the meek-minded, some of the best bluegrass and folk hedonists were simply bred right into that bucolic lifestyle.

Just look at the upbringing behind mandolinist Sol Chase, who was raised by a hippie tribe that practiced their craft in European forests and festivals alike. Trips to civilization were often reserved for street side busking, a habit Chase continued after retreating to the campfires and cordillera of rural Colorado. Sol Chase essentially only appeared “on the grid” once he relocated down to Austin close to a decade back. In that time Chase recorded with Third Eye Blind, opened for the likes of Shinyribs, and basically immersed himself in Texas’ sprawling jamgrass scene as a must-hear master mandolinist.

Now, Sol Chase did decide to split town last year in favor of more wanderlust with his sweetheart Evergreen, but not before recording his solo debut with some of Austin’s finest players. The Eclectic Life of an Only Child was engineered by Yeah Yeah Yeahs/Sublime contributor Charles Godfrey, who helped instill a heightened sense of clarity for this four-song collection of personal memories, semi-fabricated fables, and emotionally-piercing parables. The Eclectic Life of an Only Child drops this Friday ahead of a 7:30PM release show at The Cactus Cafe and a late night set 1AM next Thursday at Old Settler’s Music Festival.

But Sol Chase isn’t exactly constrained by time and place, so why should you be? Like a bark-built acoustic rocket sparking up, clearing a tree line, and ascending into orbit, the Eclectic Life‘s latest single, “Moonwalker” builds up from a droning long tone into a zero-gravity instrumental gallop. “Moonwalker” wows with moody motifs, Appalachian-inspired intervals, and extensive solo sections that feature fiddle, flute, and of course, mandolin. So if you’re not ready to soak up the summer rays shining today, let Sol Chase help you flip the celestial switch into a lively lunar stroll.

Mobley: “lord”

When we last brought up our April 2018 Artist of the Month, we relented that the AOTM feature might’ve been a hair premature. Because on this side of the 2020 turnstile, the beast that is Mobley has spread his tendrils into even more disciplines. Seemingly no longer challenged by the traditional songwriters’ plight of recording, producing, and touring cohesive material, Mobley’s moved on to crafting album-long concepts, directing and editing visual counterparts, and more recently…coding? That may sound odd at first, but of course, as with all things Mobley, there’s a big creative payoff.

In this case, it boils down to isolating singular instrumental tracks – more commonly known as “stems” – from a fleshed-out song. Any producer worth their salt will relate the joy of pinpointing a specific sound in a vast arrangement – “soloing” it – before bringing the full mix back in. Instantly unlocking the way remixes work, stems can lend themselves to some fascinating tonal pairings, almost like conducting a chamber quartet with the click of a button. Now, releasing stems for free use is no new affair, but that’s not exactly what Mobley’s been working on.

Instead Mobley’s picked up where Zaireeka and the Stem Player left off. Where the implementation of those notable predecessors was restrictive, either due to technical limitations (honestly who has time to sync up four stereos?) or simply a matter of supply and demand, Mobley’s coded an interactive multimedia experience that’s accessible to anyone with internet access. In doing so he’s peeled Cry Havoc!‘s centerpiece apart into four solo feeds – each of which can be toggled on or off at any time in the song’s two-minute duration – but here’s the kicker: those selections affect the visuals as well. That’s right; as you discover all these sonic combinations (maybe even a John Cage-esque take with all four instruments muted just for the heck of it), each respective member of the Cry Havoc! band – TV Man, Jacob Creedmoor and all – vanishes and re-appears accordingly.

On top of all that, two-different camera options, plus an absurdist Gilliam-style AI lip-synced Queen Elizabeth II providing the third, “lord” doesn’t just add a ton of re-play value to an already addictive track. It also puts a brilliant twist on the solo-artist-as-each-player music video concept that reemerges now and then. The only question now is what channel Mobley will transport us to next.

Britny Lobas: “Marina”

When a key contributor breaks out of an early musical vehicle to focus on solo momentum, it can be really empowering. Whether it’s Brian Eno’s ascendance into experimentalism after leaving Roxy Music, Danny Elfman’s evolution into a Hollywood soundtrack darling following Oingo Boingo, One Direction’s Harry Styles dominating mainstream attention in the late 2010s, or Gwen Stefani’s post-No Doubt success, going solo can lead to great things.

With 20/20 hindsight in mind, one look at Austin pop-rock quartet Corbella’s eponymous EP artwork was all we needed to figure out that frontwoman Britny Lobas was the bella that ball. Now, a few years before Corbella’s 2019 heyday, Lobas did drop a collaboration under her own name but it wasn’t until the turn of the decade that she re-emerged as the beast we revere today. Atop fashion statements that give PJ Harvey a run for her money, Britny Lobas continues to flock towards the radio-proven formulas of Celine Dion or Shania Twain and belt her way into the pop-rock pantheon, leaving thirst and admiration in her wake after each enthralling live performance.

Maintaining Lobas’ quality-over-quantity pace of one studio single per year, her latest auspicious offering precedes a single release blowout this Saturday at The Pershing along with The Reverent Few. Mooring buoyant guitar licks (both acoustic and electric), a call-and-response chorus that’s beggin’ for audience engagement, and a vocal dyad-dominated bridge, “Marina” harbors a Summer boat-party-ready pop-rock powerhouse, whether or not it refer to a woman’s name instead of a yacht dock.

Ragabash: “Daydream”

There’s a ton of iconic music adjacent to the 1977 punk explosion, intuitively categorized as “proto-punk” and “post-punk”. And while you could argue discrepancies outweigh similarities between The Stooges’ Raw Power, Television’s Marquee Moon, Gang of Four’s Entertainment!, and XTC’s Black Sea, one word seems to encapsulate the shared aesthetic among protos and posties: “angular”. Of course, since the start of the ’80s, that crusty concrete-encased counterculture has helped inform new wave, grunge, and eventually the trebly indie rock riffs that turned acts like The Strokes into household names. It’s intriguing because nowadays some refer to The Stooges’ style as “garage rock”, and yet – despite punk’s many offspring (hardcore, riot grrrl, anti-folk, etc.) – the term “post-punk” is alive, well, and readily-applicable. Austin has its fair share of contemporary post-punk purveyors, including a quartet who got together in 2019 – a full four decades after Gang of Four’s daring debut – Ragabash. Ragabash released their first-ever studio single, “Heartache” earlier this spring, showcasing a stabbing and distorted offkilter style. For their debut album (due out this Fall), the group’s entrusted production duties with Grammy-winner Stuart Sikes (Loretta Lynn, The White Stripes, Modest Mouse, etc.), which’ll likely lend an extra sense of accessibility to Ragabash’s crowd-pleasing organized chaos and all-hands-on-deck approach to vocal harmonies. Ragabash’s sophomore installment arrives with a single release show 11pm tomorrow night at The 13th Floor alongside openers Sweet Slacks, Mr. Kat, and DJ Dead Flowers. So before you ascend to the 13th Floor, immerse yourself in Ragabash’s appreciation for that short sweet space after staccato sequences, with “Daydream”. Its trumpet solo, bold dynamics, and instrumental interplay are sure to keep you lucid well past hump day and right into the weekend.

Artist Interview: Matthew Logan Vasquez – “Untouchable”

Matthew Logan Vasquez creates a song about a rich boy in west Texas who seems to get away with everything…including homicide. In Part 1, you heard the confession and the song. In this episode, Walker chats with Matthew about his work, the confession, and how it inspired his song “Untouchable”.

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Mamahawk: “Walk in the Fire”

About halfway through KUTX’s now-ten-year tenure, we made a real airwave heavyweight out of our August 2018 Artist of the Month Mamahawk. Back in that fledgling phase, the then-three-piece only had a talon-full of tunes to their name, most notably the title track and lead single of their 2019 sophomore LP Brain Invaderz!. However, with all that’s happened between the beginning of the pandemic and now, and with the lack of studio releases post-Brain Invaderz!, some folks honestly may have forgotten all about Mamahawk.

Which is unfair, because if you’ve observed the group’s steady progression from the duo that pre-dated their 2015 eponymous debut to what’s now a four-man V formation, Mamahawk clearly isn’t one to make haste. And unlike fellow local maternal raptors Mother Falcon, Mamahawk is on the wing once again and out of the studio with a whole new set of feathers.

Mamahawk just announced their upcoming as-of-yet-untitled third full-length, with the quartet flocking fans old and new to a single release show this Thursday at Hotel Vegas. Doors open at 9PM, Half Dream starts things off at 10PM, Mamahawk takes the stage at 11PM, and Lady Dan wraps things up at midnight. And as with “Brain Invaderz!”, this lead single channels the cerebral psych-prog-pop-yacht sensuality of the late ’70s with butt-wigglin’ pitch-wheel squiggles, an eclectic synth selection (including both brilliantly high pads and crunchy low swells), vocals that ethereally evolve from unison to harmony over verse and chorus, and a dramatic half-time breakdown in the bridge, complete with a retro-style sax solo. Between all that – and the bookending hawk screeches from lead vocalist James Reed – “Walk in the Fire” will have you saying “here we go again” every time you restart this soulful scorcher.

Glasshealer: “Ever Love, Ever Have”

As a genre modifier, the term “experimental” can be pretty controversial. For purists, unless an artist is redefining sound by employing production, recording, and performance techniques typically unfit for “traditional” music, they’re not gonna consider it “experimental”. But when you take a more lenient approach and avoid strict gatekeeping, you’re bound to discover acts that’ll undoubtedly challenge your tastes and pre-conceptions. For an example right here in Central Texas we can point straight to Austin four-piece Glasshealer. Once deemed “Best Experimental Artist” by The Austin Chronicle, this unconventional quartet combines the most out-there elements of punk, electronica, and rock into a beautifully bizarre blend. The Austin Chronicle also gave Glasshealer the recognition they deserved for both their 2020 debut Cranberry Stream and 2021’s But the Weight of Comfort Pulled Me Back Down, merits that’ve helped pack venues once Glasshealer name appears on the marquee. But as with any groundbreaking experiment, you can’t rush the scientific process, which is why we haven’t had any studio releases from Glasshealer since But the Weight… Coming hot off a 2022 East Coast tour, Glasshealer returned to the lab to elevate their sound further by penning some impressively eclectic tunes. So while we patiently wait for a third EP from Glasshealer, the band’s blessed us with a six-and-a-half-minute psychotropic delight. Alongside the mind-melting visuals of its music video “Ever Love, Ever Have” is structured like a cinematic DMT trip, complete with uncanny nuances, expansive dynamic shifts, and revelation-ready hard left turns.