austin music

Jefferson Clay: “Freaking Out Is Fine”

The gift and curse of modern artist multiplicity is so immense that it’s nearly unfathomable. For listeners, it opens a Pandora’s box of choices to the point that we almost have to rely on streaming algorithms and pre-made playlists to find new sounds. And while artists themselves can still easily find musical role models to emulate, where do you even start in terms of identifying your contemporaries and narrowing down your competition? Well, especially for a solo act here in the already-flooded Live Music Capital, it not only depends on talent, but indeed, a calculated release schedule to keep all those easily-disinterested listeners engaged. Just check out Austin singer-guitarist Jefferson Clay‘s single discography, which now totals at a dozen, including the Fall 2021 breakout/playlist darling “Sun-Glo”. Clay wisely kicked off his streaming presence within the first two weeks of the global shutdown, back when everyone was begging for any kind of variety to help stave off cabin fever. But Clay kept the momentum going with three more singles for 2020, and a pair both for 2021 and 2022, all of which maintain a well-branded minimalist aesthetic in terms of visual art. And as opposed to a fad-chaser desperate for metrics, fortunately Clay has the wisdom to recognize the artistic wholeness of a debut full-length, Elsewhere. Somehow. Somewhere., which drops…sometime soon. Continuing the journey from his salad days of underage 6th street shows to co-headlining 40 Acres Fest at his alma mater, appearing on American Idol and opening for REO Speedwagon, Elsewhere…is an indie-pop alt-rock R&B tumbler of Clay’s ever-maturing talents wrapped up in one easily-accessible package. Ahead of the “Too Damn Hot” showcase 8PM this Friday at Burleson Yard Beer Garden in San Antonio Jefferson recently unfurled a twofer that evokes Max Frost, which isn’t a huge surprise since they were produced by Max/BLK ODYSSY collaborator Victor Gaspar. So funnel the earworm that is “Freaking Out Is Fine” straight into your cranium and try not to incorporate it into your daily wakeup routine.

Natalie Price: “Done” (feat. Stephanie Lambring)

With the constant allure of streaming numbers, pop music trends, and viral opportunities clouding contemporary release strategies, the loudest, most heavily-promoted voices are often the most inauthentic as well. Not so for Fort Worth-born, Austin-based singer-songwriter Natalie Price, whose unabashed passion for captive melodies and confessional lyrics only grew throughout a taciturn religious upbringing, where songwriting was deemed blasphemous and remained verboten throughout a formative age. But by fostering that once-forbidden fruit, Natalie’s instilled a method of making music strictly for her own sense of solace and self-expression rather than as an expense for digital metrics and fleeting engagement.

I mean, the moment we finished Price’s 2019 EP Through the Fog, we instantly recognized Natalie’s knack for staying frank in a way that thrills and chills, basically embellishment-free. Down to how she describes her style as “Ameri-kinda” (as opposed to tossing her idiosyncratic sound straight into the overarching Americana armoire that suits so many), Natalie Price is real as hell, plain and simple. So it’s fitting that her upcoming debut full-length is an eponymously-titled one, whose new tunes have attracted an upper echelon of ATX collaborators like David Ramirez, Lang Freeman, and Jaimee Harris alongside Nashville notables like Mary Bragg and Stephanie Lambring.

At the conclusion of June, ahead of Natalie Price‘s arrival on September 29th, Lambring and Price twinned up for an attestable alt-rock aura on the album opener and lead single, “Done”. So before catching her 7:30PM this Saturday at Calmen Thread, hear Price recoup the opportunity cost of pursuing music professionally in four minutes flat. Because after absorbing this harmony-heavy, distortion-dabbling, love-tampered earworm, you might just wonder what’s been “Done” to you too.

Silver Hour: “Star”

In 2018, when Texas native Kacey Musgraves released her landmark album Golden Hour she breathed new life into the term – one that typically describes those brief windows of sunrise and sunset that’s made for so many magic cinematic moments. But we’re willing to wager that “silver hour” is outside the bounds of most folks’ lexicon. The first meaning trails its golden counterpart – a fleeting period of post-sunset luminescence for waterfront communities. The second definition is a bit more morbid – used by healthcare workers in reference to the 30 minutes immediately before and after a patient passes away. And although there’s a common thread between those two – the sense of light at the end of a cycle – there’s also a Texas trio eager to make like Musgraves and give their namesake a glow up. Just like that reassuring glimmer on the onset of darkness, Austin three-piece Silver Hour started out early on in the pandemic between longtime friends as means of staving off the insanity of isolation and keeping the creative juices flowing. Since then, Silver Hour’s steered clear of genre constraints, instead incorporating everything from retro film soundtracks to funk, jazz, and hard rock into their vintage-meets-modern M.O. of songwriting. But now that Silver Hour’s bulked up their scene legs with their fair share of live shows, they’re finally extending their sound past the stage and onto the shores of streaming services. Ahead of their sophomore effort “Desert Doomer” that drops next Friday, “Star”is the shimmering first node for Silver Hour’s developing constellation of singles. Soon after a slide guitar intro that could segue into pretty much any genre, “Star” orbits Dark Side era Pink Floyd thanks to Jake Helpinstill’s drum fills, James LeBlanc’s bass licks, and Michael Moretta’s sweet-but-sinister vocals that hover above blues-inspired guitar chords, evoking the styles of Nick Mason, Roger Waters, and David Gilmour, respectively…albeit with a little bit of Black Angels on top due to a distorted six-string solo that soars through the bridge.

Sap: “Pickle Song”

There’s been a ton of new music trickling down the Live Music Capital’s trunk this summer, so fingers crossed that the laziness typically associated with these dog days doesn’t slow that flow down anytime soon. Because among that gradual deluge of easily-accessible inoffensive homegrown genres, there’s also some seriously thick high-octane shit oozing out of Austin as well. Say, for example, Sap a trio who extracts direct influence from the golden age of ’90s grunge for a viscous mix of pre-millennium alternative hard rock and modern sensibilities. These three crude dudes started sampling their sound with a string of studio singles back in February. Titles like “Kiss My Kitty Cat”, “Big Fat Macho Man”, and “Hairy Jerry” paired with tormented-yet-cartoonish pieces of artwork quickly clue you into the uncouth juvenility of Sap, but the Nirvana-esque sonics and concise, catchy structures assure you that these are in fact well-seasoned students of their favorite styles, with mad instrumental discipline and songwriting chops to boot. Well, tomorrow Sap’s standing solidifies with their debut studio album Lard Baby a real gooey bundle of revivalist grunge joy. The fellas celebrate with a release show next Friday at Hole in the Wall opening for Violent Vira and Max Diaz and today you can make like hungry grunge bugs on a sticky limb by lapping up the new Sap with Lard Baby‘s final lead single. Far from a sour slurp, “Pickle Song” goes down real easy thanks to a soft, xylophone-fueled buildup, but once the lid comes off out spills a sporadic, bloodthirsty sprint. Put simply? “Pickle Song” kicks ass.

Good Looks: “Broken Body”

Remember our May 2022 Artist of the Month Good Looks? Well, despite a Bummer Year tour-skewing injury for lead guitarist Jake Ames – who’s also taken some time out to foster his other project The Stacks – this jangly four-piece is still going strong. Rumor has it the Austin quartet’s got a slew of new tunes for us coming in the near future, and more concretely than that, they’ll be spending the rest of July on the road.

Yes, after a “ciao for now” appearance at The Long Center last Thursday, Good Looks will be gigging across the nation and spreading their version of the Austin sound in cities like Chicago, Baltimore, Cincinnati, New Orleans, and beyond. But you don’t have to trek up to one of their dozen-plus summer tour stops nor wait ’til their Labor Day homecoming to get a glimpse at Good Looks’ latest piece of bittersweet indie rock gloom.

Released earlier this morning, “Broken Body” flexes Good Looks’ signature cynical and purposefully-semi-deflated sound from its very first downbeat. What starts as a spited reflection on flawed humanity and faith fizzles into a gorgeously introspective chorus, whose dreamy chord changes underline a decade-and-a-half of lost time on behalf of Tyler Jordan. Anecdotal apparitions of oak trees, dry creeks, and dragonflies provide a picturesque portrait to poignant memories of a friend’s family member before another chorus and a soft sigh of a final note, all bookended by Ames’ heavily distorted guitar and the band’s dynamic ability to perform as one. “Broken Body” definitely shares Bummer Year‘s skeletal structure and keeps Good Looks’ high caliber of tastes in good shape, which on top of our ATX love, will hopefully keep Good Looks’ path far from dark on their way back home.

Jamey Cummins: “Automatic from Downtown”

Our ability not just to create, but to contextualize our expressions in a meaningful way is one of mankind’s greatest accomplishments and because of that, collections have remained attractive to consumers, manufacturers, and artists alike. But since streaming numbers became one of the most-sought out metrics, musicians have regressed from the full-length physical record model to the sporadic attention-grabbing digital single model of releasing music, so those who share pieces within a plurality deserve praise. Now, Jamey Cummins is no stranger to LPs nor standalone singles. A student of styles ranging from avant garde to vintage jazz, this Iowa-raised, Austin-based singer-guitarist dropped his debut album Hinterland in 2020, stretched out his schedule with “Turn this Thing Around” and “Toenail Moon” in 2021, returning to long-form with last year’s Electric Spanish and this spring’s Incidentals. At that rate Cummins could’ve easily sated his fanbase for the remainder of the year, but despite entering the dog days of summer, Cummins just came through with a bit more than a sole single. Today Jamey Cummins and E.M.R.’s Austin Sisler released Stay Connected. At a trim three tunes, the bulk of Stay Connected is its two title tracks, the synth-pop inspired EP opener, and the extended Analog Version centerpiece. It’s pretty common practice to include a remix or two when releasing singles, so major kudos to Cummins for also rounding out Stay Connected with “Automatic from Downtown”. Following those first forays into contemporary pop radio bait and turn-of-the-millennium indie rock, respectively, “Automatic”‘s placement as Stay Connected‘s closer make the EP play like a gradual exploration into the past that stops right in the mid-’90s halfway between X and Wilco for some nuanced garage rock, full of modern production flourishes. All three can be enjoyed in isolation, but spinning it front to back is the best way to Stay Connected to Cummins and Sisler’s collective musical threads and get the most out of this nine-minute journey.

Velvet Rut (Austin, Texas) (prod. Karavelo)

Austin brands itself as the “Live Music Capital of the World” and for damn good reason; think about the thousands of players who fill our hundreds of event spaces over the course of any given month. But that artist multiplicity and venue ubiquity entirely within our city limits actually makes breaking out of the ATX “bubble” and gaining traction in other locations extremely difficult, even for those who’ve built reputations as tireless performers and songwriters.

Take for instance an outspoken member from one of Austin’s most fruitful family dynasties, Ben Buck. As a creatively voracious rapper/producer/beatboxer/cassette presser/event coordinator who’s been a major staple of Austin’s hip-hop scene for the past decade (who recently earned his own official day this past April), Ben’s bucked around long enough to find out that all that hard work does make him a god in the eyes and ears of locals, but unfortunately not too far beyond that. But for someone who clearly gets their biggest highs from gripping the mic on their favorite stage instead of staying at home and losing sleep over unsatisfactory streaming traction, this young Buck still excels when things are in his own hands.

Case in point: the Ben Buck Birthday Bash 7PM-2AM happening tomorrow night at The 13th Floor, featuring a hand-picked lineup of wholesome friends and heavy-hitting collaborators. The show precedes Ben’s next LP, The Back Burner ’23, a nine-song joint effort between Buck and sample-based beatmakers ranging from Austin’s Butcher Bear to New York legend Statik Selektah, plus two remixes of the album opener. Overall The Back Burner ’23 scorches with a gritty old school feel whose varied influences can be traced to all three coasts. On top of its status as one of the most poignantly honest songs written about the Austin scene we’ve ever heard, “Velvet Rut (Austin, Texas)” totes bemoaning homegrown references, a pensive vibraphone instrumental from Vancouver producer Karavelo, and a mellow-yet-aggressive verbal flow that’ll make you wanna blasts past the stanchions and blaze up the second you’re indoors.

Noni Culotta: “Gimme Sunshine”

Happy Fourth of July! As with basically any other autonomous country who celebrates their independence, the United States of America’s origin story came amidst some turmoil to say the least. But today we’re looking at another set of cross-national new beginnings courtesy of Noni Culotta.

Like countless non-native New Yorkers, Culotta’s escapades in the Big Apple only came after she was bit by the acting bug. Once up there though, Culotta recalled the traditional Irish American songs that filled her youth, embraced the spirit of busking, and went to work, eventually leveling up from subway platforms to the many bars and theatres abound in Brooklyn and Manhattan. This is when the turmoil turned up. The crushing weight of sudden COVID conditions, complicated further by a divorce, led Culotta to the tough choice of leaving the scene in which she’d seeded herself for a decade and relocating from one metropolitan area to another; from NYC to ATX.

It didn’t take all that long for Noni to acclimate back to her home state and click with fellow contributors to our “Live Music Capital”, thanks in no small part to her ever-growing repertoire of folk-pop originals in the ilk of Iris DeMent or late Austin City Limits veteran Nanci Griffith. With a reported hundred songs under her belt and an incandescent voice to match, Noni Culotta cut down her colossal collection of originals down to fourteen of some of her most heartfelt tunes and began arranging with her dream team of collaborators. The result is Noni’s debut full-length Gimme Sunshine, which came out towards the tail end of June. Looking at the forecast, that request for rays has been obliged just in time for July 4th, and the LP’s title track enters the pantheon of great “Gimme” songs, but where More, Danger, Shelter, and All Your Lovin’ tote somewhat of a “rockstar” edge, “Gimme Sunshine” instead radiates with wholesome Pet Sounds-meets-Tapestry energy whose luminous licks will have you photosynthesizing for months to come.

Night Drive: “Summerwaves”

Although Houston and Dallas are indisputably the hubs of such, car cruising culture is alive and thriving all over the Lone Star State. And while swangin’ looks best before dusk, these triple digit temps tormenting Texas have been making it tough to tempt daylight, even with top down. And especially if you’re less about “Tops Drop” and “Diamonds & Wood” and more into the Miami Vice or Kung Fury soundtracks…this is where the prospect of a good ol’ Night Drive shines. Back when we named Night Drive as our May 2017 Artist of the Month, we knew right away that these Austinite-Houstonians’ retro-bred blend of post-punk and synth-pop wasn’t just moonlighting for a sole getaway score. No, by the time their eponymous LP hit our airwaves, the pair had already spent the past half decade shaping their sound and shifting up their skills from Night Drive’s 2013 debut EP Position I. Now that 2017’s Night Drive marks an approximate midpoint between Position I and the present…there were only so many lanes for Night Drive to explore next. With the addition of a third member, Night Drive drops their sequentially titled sophomore EP Position II this Fall. Produced by Rick Rubin protege Phillip Broussard, these six new songs step away from Night Drive’s remix routines and instead embrace a less-formulaic middle ground between their strongest sounds. Position II drops August 4th ahead of a release show the following evening at The Parish with openers Haunt Me and Holy Wire and the record’s lead single just cut the engine on this stagnant Texas heatwave. Alongside its VHS-on-LSD music video, the record’s lead single “Summerwaves” veers past the saturated vaporwave aesthetic in favor of something timeless and authentic. Like if Joy Division hopped across the pond with a mouthful of MDMA, rented a Testarossa, and started plowing past rows of palm trees, “Summerwaves” is an ideal track both for piston-pushing under the sweltering sun and gentle swerving under the stars.

Blakchyl: “White Tee Shirt”

Among the many lessons we’ve learned from classic rock history, something that stands out against to current trends is the polarity of solo offshoots. Ozzy’s exit created flak within Black Sabbath’s massive fandom, David Lee Roth’s departure from Van Halen led to the havoc of Van Hagar, and Sting’s egress from The Police still hurts for some. But aside from the occasional social media beef, most hip-hop heads will turn their heads with eager ears to hear a contributor to a beloved collective break out on their own – even if it’s just to assess their intrinsic talent. On top of that, Austin’s rap scene plays less of a cutthroat competition and more of a supportive cohort. So imagine the excitement that was spurred at the start of 2019 – two years after Austin outfit Mindz of a Different Kind shared their last LP BORDERLINEZ – when MDK heavy-hitter BLakchyl dropped her debut EP On Paper. BLakchyl followed it up that same fall with the Tåsi collaboration East 10th before graduating up to her feature-laden full-length H02d in the pandemic’s early days. Last October BLakchyl introduced us to yet another collabo – this one with Nez Tha Villain – entitled G.E.N.I.U.S.. Throughout it all, MDK’s been close by and more than willing to hop in-studio with BLakchyl, no matter that it’s technically outside the ensemble’s umbrella. Today, as she continues to navigate the intersectionality of Queer Black womanhood in Central Texas, BLakchyl boldly steps into the world of singing with her sophomore solo EP Call me sometimes. This ambitious album precedes a live appearance 5PM next Wednesday at Waterloo Records for THE DROP and what we hope is the next big springboard in BLakchyl’s still-burgeoning career. The brief, R&B-beveled brilliance of “White Tee Shirt”, whose fabric seamlessly stretches between autotuned hooks and breathy verses, at least earns BLakchyl some extra respectable stripes in this promising solo ascent.

Primo the Alien: “Move”

With only one week left in LGBTQ+ Pride Month, we gotta get in as much queer representation as possible. So on the verge of Pride in Local Music tomorrow afternoon and evening, today we’re highlighting one of Austin’s most eccentric musical personalities, Primo the Alien. Aside from recent strides like making their ACL Fest debut last October and descending down to KUTX’s Rock the Park concert series a couple weeks later, this intergalactic master-of-MIDI and celestial synth-wizard has an incredibly prolific studio output – a Milky Way of singles often complemented by vibrant music videos. Style-wise, the synthesizer and MIDI sampler are always close at hand, so it makes sense that this singer-producer orbits around all things pop – synth-pop, electro-pop, dance-pop, you name it. Ahead of their slot 7PM tomorrow on Pride in Local Music’s main stage for the festival’s fourth celebration, this morning Primo dropped their fifth single of the year. Far from lost time at just shy of three-and-a-half minutes, “Move” will abduct your headspace with Tropical House chords, tasteful retro synth tones, perfectly-saturated beats that beg for the dance floor, and of course Primo’s indestructible, superstar-nearing-supernova singing.

Stone Wheels: “High in the 90’s”

While “Old Austin” is best embodied by Willie Nelson, Townes Van Zandt, and Armadillo World Headquarters, thankfully there are plenty of other old souls still permeating that “country hippie” aesthetic of decades past. Take for instance singer-guitarist Andrew Gerfers and his homegrown quintet Stone Wheels, who shared their first studio single back in 2015 and dropped their eponymous debut full-length in 2018. Listening to Stone Wheels is like cracking open a time capsule from an alternate 1960s where the Lone Star State was lacquered over with LSD and polishing it with the clarity of modern production. Complete with beatnik principles, “flower child” connections to nature, and far out counterculture ruminations, Stone Wheels has stayed true to their hedonistic country spokes straight through the COVID-19 pandemic. And just yesterday, following up their 2021 EP From the Forest to the Sea, Stone Wheels ushered in the official start of summer with a new standalone single. Less of a heatwave warning and more of an Orange Sunshine-tanned flashback to cooler days (especially with the recent passing of Austin icon Teresa Taylor), “High in the 90’s” blows off the forecast and takes you on a rolling four-and-a-half-minute piece of musical meteorology, a lackadaisical Cosmic Americana masterpiece that’ll will lift your spirits, whatever the weather.

Lady Chops & The Goddamn Jam: “Funeral Clown”

This whole week is shaping up to be a trying triple-digit scorcher, a bold barge-in of that iconic Lone Star sun. But if you’re the type who prefers to keep their sights locked onto their sneakers rather than ever glance up at the horizon, we’ve got something that’ll stick your soles straight to the pavement. We’re talking about Lady Chops & The Goddamn Jam, fronted by Lady Chops herself, singer Bethony Harnden. Backed by a tight three-piece with diverse musical tastes and backgrounds, Lady Chops & The Goddamn Jam served up their stealthy lo-fi debut single “Up To You” in the summer of 2020, stepping up the production value with the sparsely arranged “End All Be All” that October. This year, ahead of their first studio full-length, Time, the quartet’s given us sneak peeks at an impressive pace, with lead tracks trickling out in February, March, and April. Just like its title, the release date for Time is still uncertain. But thanks to tastefully restrained sonics that erupt like Pagliacci, a chord progression up to par with Broadway and opera, and disciplined vocal and instrumental performances that almost sound effortless, the record’s fourth single “Funeral Clown” will for sure keep your spirits cool enough for the foreseeable heatwave.

ROXY ROCA: “The Nomad”

Here in the Live Music Capital of the World, we’re blessed to have an abundance of different genres, but truth be told, at the end of the day, rock is God in Austin, Texas. And while Austin does attract a vast rolodex of rockers, the city limits can also surprisingly shape previously non-rock sounds. Like, look at ROXY ROCA. When ROXY ROCA first got started a little over a decade back, they placed themselves predominantly in the funk-soul-R&B box. But by the time they teamed up with Chris “Frenchie” Smith to produce their sophomore LP A Better Way, the quartet not only acquiesced but fully embraced a harder-rocking repertoire. In any event, these rough riffers have continued to put on one hell of a show, even in the thralls of COVID. Well, this Fall, ROXY ROCA returns with their third full-length Greasy. On this record ROXY ROCA’s steady wheels of change are slicked with both the straight-up rock of 2018’s A Better Way and the retro-soul of 2015’s Ain’t Nothin’ Fancy. By blending classic rock with roots R&B, ROXY ROCA creates an oily middle ground that oozes over generations of different styles. Today, following up this April’s “Yazoo Queen”, the four-piece unfurls Greasy‘s sophomore lead single, “The Nomad”. Lathered up in blues rock testosterone with guttural vocals, rugged guitar, piercing percussion and bottom-dwelling bass work that keeps the whole thing together, “The Nomad” will keep meanderin’ around your mind well after your first listen.

Good Field: “Full Pool”

Back in 2018, we started the year off strong with our January Artist of the Month Good Field. The Austin quartet, their enthralling third full-length Surface Tension, and their easy-going brand of slacker indie-Americana perfectly embodied the worry-free character of the “before times”. But since the start of COVID, Good Field’s been noticeably quiet. Maybe that’s because Good Field’s been in the weeds of their fourth LP, Coyote. This seven-song collection follows up their seemingly-standalone October 2020 studio single “Coyote (Living Free)”, which now serves as the album closer and title track. Toting tunes like “Passengers”, “Airliner”, and “Lost in Morelos”, Coyote comes across as less of a yipping menace and more of a slinky, crepuscular traveler, fitting for a four-piece originally from rural West Texas. Coyote crests the horizon on November 3rd and Good Field takes the stage 10PM tomorrow night at C-Boy’s Heart & Soul, followed by Star Parks at 11:15PM and The Point just after midnight. And today Good Field’s graciously given us an early glimpse at Coyote from afar. Although its title instantly reminds us of Surface Tension, “Full Pool”‘s character doesn’t exactly reflect that last record’s shimmering indie rock liquidity. Instead, in a wooded trot or a sandy gallop, “Full Pool” takes its time and stalks listeners with cosmic Americana, like an infectious vector between Deer Tick and 2009-era Grizzly Bear.

Lauren Lakis: “Terror Tears”

When an actor gets their first big break out in L.A., most folks can quickly differentiate between the pretty faces and those with a burning creative core underneath. A dead giveaway for the latter? Other than a luminous performance that transcends the screen and leaves a lasting impact on the audience…maybe the most obvious tell is passionately and outwardly pursuing a separate discipline.

Just take a look at Lauren Lakis. The Baltimore native’s ever-growing feature-length filmography began in 2011, and while taking the whole singer-songwriter thing seriously probably did cross her mind several times, it really wasn’t until Lakis relocated from Los Angeles to Austin about ten years back that she doubled down on her musicianship. Lakis stayed busy at the turn of the last decade with her 2018 debut LP Ferocious, 2019’s Sad Girl Breakfast EP, and Daughter Language from 2021, not to mention recent live appearances at SXSW and Levitation alongside the likes of KUTX airwave alumni Holy Wave and Ringo Deathstarr.

Seemingly unable to take an extended siesta at this stage in her career, Lauren Lakis has been building hype around her third full-length A Fiesta and a Hell, out later this fall. This album perfectly preserves Lauren’s legacy as a rockstar stuck in a hard place with an authentically-emotional, infectiously-magnetic take on the shoegaze genre, as heard already on its delectably droning, reptilian crawl of a first glimpse, “Take My Hand“. Today, A Fiesta and a Hell‘s sophomore offering lobs Lakis’ already-leering mystique straight back to the late-’70s/early-mid-’80s golden age of post-punk goth rock with a stern ultimatum surrounding the divisive tactics of mainstream media and the capitalism that backs it. “Terror Tears” fearlessly lets the mascara flow freely and floods the ducts with deft retro dynamics, sweet-yet-sinister verses that strike a contrast from its animosity-anchored choruses, and a fuzzy-beyond-belief bridge section chock-full of vocal delay, that, altogether, expands Lakis’ purview to an almost satirical sense of sick dystopian schadenfreude.

Fort Never: “Take A Look At Us Now”

You might’ve seen recent headlines about Fort Hood changing their name to Fort Cavazos. Which, apolitically speaking, is fascinating because there was also an outfit right here in town under the same name who pulled pretty much the same move almost a decade back. But even before the Austin trio formerly known as Fort Hood adopted a new handle, the idea of rebranding amidst disappointment was already ripe in their minds. You see, before vocalist Chantell Moody moved to Austin, she felt emotionally destitute in Des Moines. Although she traveled light when relocating to the Live Music Capital, a set of pipes just as immense as her heart helped her achieve frontwoman status with The Digital Wild. After linking up with producer Timmie Rook, the pair began collaborating as Fort Hood and relaunched themselves as Fort Never with the recruitment of drummer Deano Cote in the mid-2010s. In the Fall of 2017, The three-piece dropped their debut 8-track Home, a garrison of Portishead-esque trip-hop, electronic dub, lo-fi folk and experimental arrangements in the vein of tUnEyArds. At the turn of the 2020s, Fort Never unfurled a pair of singles, the second of which enjoyed a Mobley remix in 2021. Well last weekend, Fort Never came strutting out of the portcullis with an absolute beauty. Sounding like Citizen Cope on a double dose of dopamine, “Take A Look At Us Now” (alongside its music video) wows with a languid boom bap beat, calm yet confident piano chords, pensive guitar, strings that give “Bitter Sweet Symphony” a run for its money, and a masterful vocal performance rivaling that of Roses Gabor all in just under five minutes.

Henry Invisible: “Dance Music Saves” (feat. Bernard Purdie)

For die-hard Steely Dan fans such as myself, the name Bernard Purdie is instantly recognizable; he invented the Purdie shuffle! So for someone that so casually blew the perfectionist minds of Becker and Fagen with his rhythmic genius back in the late ’70s, Bernie’s bar for collaborating is obvious purdy high. Which brings us to Henry Roland. Historically billing himself as Henry + The Invisibles, Roland semi-recently dropped the “backing band” portion of his handle in favor of something that better represents his one-man multi-instrumentalist endeavor, Henry Invisible. On top of his repertoire as a master singer, bassist, guitarist, and Native Instruments extraordinaire, one of Henry Invisible’s biggest assets is his ability to make seamless loops on the fly, a testament to his talents in keeping time and inherent understanding of groove building. Henry’s virtual weekly “Lovestream” kept us affable company at the start of the pandemic, and fortunately for us, those dozens of original jams have been taking shape as fine-polished studio singles. These days, with the mainstream resurgence of house music, we take the “four-to-the-floor” bass drum on the downbeat/hi-hat on the upbeat disco drum beat for granted. But when someone who essentially invented that style enters the studio with a young blood like Roland, all the life and nuance comes bounding back. With Purdie’s presence, “Dance Music Saves” is just that: pure disco-funk music in its fittest form, complete with the classic accouterments like gliding falsetto strings, simplistic lyrics that become hypnotic chants, stank face-inducing slap bass, sexy electric piano chords, and of course, those driving drums. Catch all that and more in person at Henry Invisible’s Friday residency at Meridian, kicking off this weekend.

Black Sheep Optimists: “Questions and Lies”

Our Saturday night specialty show The Breaks does a great job of highlighting Austin hip-hop. But naturally, stuff is bound to slip through the cracks, especially when it comes to events before broadcast. That brings us to Austin three-piece Black Sheep Optimists, who’ve been bending genre norms since the start of the pandemic. The trio dropped their debut EP Book One in that uncertain summer of 2020, a four-track tour de force of trunk-rattling ’90s-style beats, rapid-fire rhymes that seamlessly tie braggadocio and introspection together, and two top-tier collaborations from right here in our local community – with KUTX favorites Kalu James and Jackie Venson.

Subsequent BSO singles have veered into more modern sonic territory, with a higher level of production to match their earnest ugly-duckling-turned-alpha-underdog aesthetic. But the spirit of collaboration is still alive and well, as heard on last September’s joint with Kaylin Karr “Lost Boys” and a new single that just came out today. For the latter, the fellas have teamed up with certified Austin shredder Matt Muehling for a four-and-a-half-minute mad dash ahead of BSO’s upcoming sophomore record Book 2.

So shear into the weekend with “Questions and Lies” and take part in the Black Sheep Optimists’ flock this evening at The Hive off Menchaca if you can. “Q&L”‘s live instrumentation gives its looping drum break a ton of extra weight, deft flirtations with vocal effects pump up the already-lurid lyrics, the chorus is nothing short of epic, and Muehling’s nimble guitar work will have you making some serious stank face throughout. Just don’t flatline til the tune’s over.

Sidney Scott: “Maybe You Were Right”

Historically, a native Austinite status set you on an accessible, auspicious trajectory towards making music. But of course, as tech culture eclipses the “weird” Live Music Capital character that Austin’s clung on to since the ’70s, it just doesn’t happen as much any more. So while simply being born within the city limits isn’t enough to guarantee the songwriter’s lifestyle, having musical parents sure as heck helps. See: Sidney Scott. Raised by a professional singer and a professional woodwind player, Sidney’s childhood in the Scott household was always chock full of good tunes. So when Sidney started discovering her own pipes, her folks weren’t necessarily looking to maintain a family legacy in music…but they certainly weren’t hypocrites either; they encouraged Sidney to follow her own passion, and we’re awfully glad they did. In 2021 Sidney Scott shared a pair of standalone studio singles, showing off her proclivity for soul, jazz, folk, and blues, not to mention an incredible grasp on vocal performance. Today, as part of her patient plans to drop her debut EP tentatively in 2024, Sidney Scott gives us a sneak peek at her unique hybridizing process. What began as an iPhone voice memo attempting to capture the best of both Brandi Carlile and Lake Street Dive was fully fleshed out by seasoned Austin producer Ray Prim and a form-fitting four-piece backing band. This latest original is a sensuous piece of gospel-soul that from its first organ-vocal unison through its sparkling firecracker choruses, billowed arrangement nuances, and Shirley Bassey-meets-Amy Winehouse final falsetto vibrato, years from now, when looking back at those of us who recognized Scott’s promising potential, might just make you say “Maybe You Were Right”