austin music

Sarita: “Never Give Up”

Austin’s Sara Maria may only have a couple singles to her musical moniker as of now, but just those two tracks alone are plenty enough to impress us with the potential of Sarita. Sarita’s been blending a variety of genre nooks and crannies for her upcoming debut album, be it from folk, pop, R&B, or soul, and rounds out these eclectic sonics with a powerful feminine voice that falls somewhere between Janis Joplin, Norah Jones, and Sade.

So keep an ear out for Sarita’s record in the near future, and keep the tranquil Thanksgiving-weekend vibes alive with a calming cornucopia of horns, guitar, and vocals on “Never Give Up”!

Clarence James: “Freedom Comes”

Following all the cranberry sauce, stuffing, and more, the post-Thanksgiving digestion period can be plenty liberating. But even with the knowledge that everyone’s still full and high on family time (be it for better or worse), Austin singer-guitarist Clarence James has just come out of the kitchen with a double dish of socially-conscious soul, courtesy of his new two-track EP.

But despite James’ jazz-adjacent vocals and tender guitar work, this pair of self-produced originals is far from just comfort food; they instead recreate experiences of racial profiling and “driving while Black” in the opening track and champion for nourishment through unity in the George Floyd protest-inspired closer “Freedom Comes”.

Akina Adderley: “Home Before Dark”

The term “songstress” is a relatively outdated one, but if there’s anyone here in Austin that fits the description, it’s absolutely Akina Adderley. In addition to her work providing vocals for the world-jazz group NORI and as one third of retro-girl-pop project Charlie Faye & The Fayettes, Adderley’s long maintained a reputation as a must-hear powerhouse performer, be it on her own or with her eponymous trio.

Akina Adderley plays with NORI on December 11th at Central Market North Lamar and with The Akina Adderley Trio on December 29th at Geraldine’s, but the big news comes in the form of a standalone single. Touting a gospel-blues-adjacent waltz of a groove and lyrics that look at our collective path as a nation, “Home Before Dark” will keep you in bright spirits even in these wintry early nights.

Buffalo Nichols: “Lost & Lonesome” (Studio 1A Version)

For the past few weeks you’ve heard plenty from our November 2021 Artist of the Month Buffalo Nichols, the Houston-born/Milwaukee-raised singer-guitarist who just released his self-titled debut. Carl Nichols’ worldly travels and keen sense of observation have both leant themselves to the lyrical praises for Buffalo Nichols and just last week he dropped by Studio 1A to both break up the kenopsia and entertain a socially-distanced, masked-up crowd. So add Buffalo Nichols to your streaming player and check out the Studio 1A session below, one that kicks off with the heady but coherent piece of jazz-folk poetry, “Lost & Lonesome”.

Why Taméca Jones, Austin’s Queen of Soul, is leaving for LA

Austin singer and songwriter Taméca Jones is leaving Austin for LA at the end of the year. In the latest episode, you’ll hear the reasons why the Austin Music scene isn’t working for her. Plus you’ll learn more about our music ecosystem.

You’ll also hear from and Peter Schwarz about the reality of music businesses in Austin’s music ecosystem. And Nikki Rowling explains how so many businesses operating independently can lead to burnout.

Take our Season 3 Survey

Stellar: “Enemy”

Though they’ve already proven their outspokenness as an anti-racist organist/activist, Stellar‘s passion is about shine in a separate-but-adjacent setting – folk music. The Austin-based singer’s style falls somewhere between Sinead O’Connor, Indigo Girls, and Joni Mitchell, framing candid societal commentary over enthralling instrumental arrangements. Stellar releases their debut LP RAINBOW SHADOWS this Friday and shares it digitally via livestream that same day, and you can get a grasp on this record’s full spectrum of worldly reflections with a quick listen to the album’s societally-charged lead single, “Enemy”!

Ladyfang: “Narcissist”

Previously under the name A Case for Brooklyn, the quartet Ladyfang has become a fabulous force of glitter, glam, and the like within Austin’s rock scene. Between their eye-catching outfits, less-than-reverent lyrics, and unpredictable nuances within their genre’s framework, Ladyfang’s kept us plenty entertained for the past half decade. Ladyfang performs tonight at Empire Control Room and tomorrow evening at Indian Roller in celebration of their latest single, whose lush vocal harmonies and satisfying production techniques will keep you grinning to yourself in the mirror before you hit the town, “Narcissist”!

Futon Blonde: “Sisyphus Strut”

With an initial frame assembled from the demos of Janson Sommer in 2014, Futon Blonde has since reclined and extended for maximum listener comfort. Since finalizing the lineup heard on the 2016 EP Solid State, this Austin quartet’s proven time and time again that blondes do indeed have more fun, thanks to eclectic grooves that stand out against the otherwise predictable realm of indie rock sonics. Futon Blonde’s trickled out a couple singles since their 2019 LP Uppercut, but they all pack a similar punch in their own right. Case in point: “Sisyphus Strut”, which taps into ’90s-era hip-hop production techniques to roll a boulder of indie-adjacent funk psychedelia, guaranteed to help you break out of any workplace monotony and push through to the weekend.

The Avocados: “Flipside”

Summer may be far behind us but surf rock music is a good fit for all seasons, hot or cold. That’s common knowledge for Austin quartet The Avocados, who, like the fruit of the same name, have taken years to fully mature from their pit status all the way back in 2013. The four seasoned veterans of The Avocados each bring their own genre-specific spices to the table and spread them out across concise, easily-digestible surf rock soundscapes, plenty of which you’ll hear on their new LP, ¡Ensalada!. ¡Ensalada!‘s just about ripe enough to dig into, and drops this Saturday alongside a release show that same afternoon at Far Out Lounge. At just shy of a dozen tracks, the strictly instrumental experience of ¡Ensalada! will keep you cool-headed as you coast across whatever life throws at you, especially with tracks like “Flipside” that sound like they’d be right at home in the background of a deleted Pulp Fiction scene.

Matt the Electrician: “Night Owls”

Back in his screwdriver and salad days, songwriter Matt The Electrician was somewhat of a local legend, coming straight off all-day shifts to open mics still in company attire. Matt’s occupational capacity as electrician is a thing of the past, but the title’s become inseparable from his musical character and internal creative circuitry.

Just last Friday Matt The Electrician shared his new LP We Imagined An Ending, highlighting the singer’s pristine vocal delivery, reflectively human lyrics, and hauntingly sparse acoustic guitar work. We Imagined An Ending also gave us a couple music videos, including the charmingly minimalist visual counterpart to “Night Owls” that make absorbing the nocturnal lyrics quite a bit easier than trying to adjust your sleep schedule into early bird-ism.

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

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!

We’re Not New York, LA or Nashville. So What Kind of Music City is Austin? Part 1: Dayglow

We’ve said the words Austin music ecosystem so many times on this podcast. But what do we actually mean when we say that? And how is our ecosystem different from other music cities like LA, Nashville or New York?

In this episode we’ll try to start to answer those questions. First you’ll hear from Austin artist Sloan Struble aka Dayglow, who moved to Austin in part because of the music scene and who has no plans to leave. You’ll also hear from three experts Michael Seman, Nikki Rowling and Peter Schwarz, who will shed some light on what Austin’s music ecosystem is actually like and how it compares to other music cities like New York, LA or Nashville.

Take our Season 3 Survey

rajinee: “Catcall & Response” (feat. Ol Black Stooge)

The blight of male-propagated verbal harassment is universal but is sadly, especially common in metropolitan settings such as our fair city. Songwriter rajinee knows this all-too-well, and has transformed her experiences with unsolicited comments into an absolute banger, one that also marks a significant departure from her historically acoustic material.

But that’s not to say she’s entirely ditched the six-string aesthetic, considering that she performs solo this Friday for Backyard Film Fest at Live Oak Brewing. You’ll be treated to a myriad of music videos, including the take-no-guff visual counterpart to rajinee’s latest empowering record, featuring Ol Black Stooge, “Catcall & Response“!

Money Chicha: “Fuentes” (Studio 1A Version)

On the ascent towards their latest album Chicha Summit, you’ve been hearing lots about our October 2021 Artist of the Month, Money Chicha. This exotic cumbia-psych-rock project features some of the biggest standouts from both Grupo Fantasma and Brownout as well as relative newcomer Kiko Villamizar, who helped Money Chicha achieve the peak perfection heard on Chicha Summit.

If you’re the type that loves Latin grooves and can’t resist dancing, you won’t want to miss Money Chicha’s electric energy tonight at Far Out Lounge. But even if you plan on staying home, you can drink up the long-awaited return of live music to our beloved Studio 1A with a luscious three-song video set, including a real outpouring from Villamizar on one of Chicha Summit‘s finest flows, “Fuentes”!

Como Las Movies: “La Bruja”

Bands with truly badass names rarely live up to the hype, but Austin-via-McAllen/Rio Grande Valley quartet Como Las Movies definitely delivers with their synth-laden brand of cinematic Latin-indie-pop-rock. These Studio 1A veterans formed back in 2013 before becoming a KUTX favorite with their 2018 EP Nuevo Wave, and now, at the tail end of October, Como Las Movies has charmed us once again with a witchy spell on their latest reel.

Adapted from the iconic Mexican folklore legend, Como Las Movies’ slick-but-sinister take on”La Bruja” finds the four-piece in complete control of their searing and spooky psychedelic arsenal, making this almost dystopian-sounding single a must-add for your Dia de los Muertos and Halloween playlist.

Golden Dawn Arkestra: “I Deserve Success”

Even if you’re only barely familiar with Golden Dawn Arkestra, you likely know that Austin’s premiere cosmic-afrobeat/nu-disco outfit is all about pushing the envelope, be it with mystical, incense-laden live show rituals, exotic costumes, or intriguingly bizarre music videos.

Well, on that last front these three-time Studio 1A veterans have further fueled the fever dream that is late night self-help TV with their newest batch of visuals. Complete with a videotape aesthetic, this music video is the perfect counterpart to the retro-pop motivational mantras of “I Deserve Success” and an excellent way to prep for Golden Dawn Arkestra’s upcoming Halloween show.

Josie Lockhart: “Dirty Money”

For a full decade, retro-pop power trio Sphynx had an almost mythical command over their electrifying live performances and immersive studio recordings. But with Sphynx having sifted back into the figurative sand, former frontman (or at least one of them) Aaron Miller’s extended himself well beyond the sphere of Sphynx with his daring solo endeavor Josie Lockhart.

This aural outlaw breaks all the expectations you might have of Sphynx on his debut record Santa Rosa, which takes a revisionist Western approach to road anthems, emotional outpourings, and the all-too-familiar idiosyncrasies of isolation. Santa Rosa rides onto streaming services this Friday and Josie Lockhart celebrates with a release show Friday, November 5th at Captain Quackenbush’s. But before you saddle up to celebrate Santa Rosa, enjoy some of its cleanest currency courtesy of the record’s latest nu-disco earworm, “Dirty Money”!

Ethan Azarian: “Zebras”

Though he got his start way up in Vermont, singer/painter Ethan Azarian‘s been flourishing in Austin for the past three decades, beginning with his early-’90s project The Orange Mothers with longtime collaborator Jeff Johnston. This seasoned banjo-playing vocalist hasn’t felt the need to shy away from evergreen themes of folk songwriting, instead tapping into what makes people tick and exploring those elements in his own unique way.

This Friday Ethan Azarian shares his latest endeavor, On The Fringe, and celebrates with a release show this Saturday evening at Wyldwood House Concerts alongside his pals Lindsey Verrill, Jeff Johnston, and Little Mazarn. So while we’re still on the cusp of On The Fringe‘s arrival, we can earn some stripes early with one of the record’s previous unheard but strongest offerings, “Zebras”!

Brian Wolff: “I Love You, Goodnight”

You might have fond memories of Fair City Fire, whose embers attracted a formidable following over their seven-year tenure here in Austin, even landing their own official day on August 31st, 2019. The bad news is that Fair City Fire’s called it quits. But the good news is that FCF co-founder Brian Wolff continues to stoke those creative flames with his newfound eponymous solo project.

With the help of producer Chris “Frenchie” Smith, this singer-guitarist has recently completed work on his debut EP The Punch, due out next Spring. You can expect some truly innovative originals from Wolff, who drew inspiration from the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Jason Isbell, and Manchester Orchestra, and without beating Wolff to The Punch, check out the record’s lead single, “I Love You, Goodnight”!