austin music

Parker Woodland: “Get Me to the Show”

Austin’s Parker Woodland are back with potentially their rawest song yet, and certainly my favorite one to date. Standing firmly in their vintage pop-punk sound comes “Get Me to the Show,” a punchy tune packed with earwormy hooks and raw, female-led energy fueled by Erin Walters’s signature vocals pivoting between pop harmonies and Sleater-Kinney-like attitude .

Akin to the Waitresses doing the theme song to Square Pegs, this song sounds like a cool band decided to write a TV sitcom theme about a budding, cool girl music nerd. She doesn’t want to be in the band; she just always knows about them first and wants everyone to listen to them. She’s no gatekeeper!

Upcoming Parker Woodland shows:
9/19 Joan Jett’s B-Day Bash at Meanwhile Brewing Co., 7:30pm
9/21 Austin Peace & Justice Fest, 12 noon-7pm at Princeton Palace
9/23 HAAM Day showcase, The ABGB at 6pm (w/ Nakia and Nik Parr)
9/30 Continental Club (Austin, TX) tour homecoming & “Get Me to the Show” single release, 6:30pm

Alex Maas: Directions To See A Haunted House

Alex Maas of the Black Angels talks about the influence of childhood memories and raising a family during dark times.

(SPF 1000) Vampire Sunscreen is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.

You can help make this podcast happen by donating at supportthispodcast.org.

Tear Dungeon: “Kill For Health” [Live In Studio 1A] RE-RUN

It’s Weird Wednesday, and I aim to keep it that way. And what better to stay on theme than to revisit a recent favorite of mine from Studio 1A?

Tear Dungeon is truly to be seen. Between the uniform of all-white street clothes paired with leather gimp masks and the perpetual question, “what will hit me first? The music or the blood?” the magnitude and spectacle of the group speaks for itself. It’s just an added bonus that their thrash-punk sound hits just as hard.

Tear Dungeon stopped by Studio 1A to initiate our audience with a couple of old fan favorites and their new song “Kill for Health,” an unreleased track from their upcoming album on Austin’s TODO records (deets TBA).

West Texas Exiles: “Division” (ft. Kelly Willis)

All musical motifs of the Lone Star State converge in Austin’s West Texas Exiles. The quartet, made up of members hailing from El Paso, Amarillo, and Lubbock, draws inspiration from all squares of the Texas music quilt, from Willie to Buddy and everyone in between.

Their debut full-length album 8000 Days came out last Friday, and it’s already made an impression on the Americana album and singles charts. From the album is “Division,” a song that on its head is about marital woes, splitting-up your things once it’s finally over, and the raw bouquet of feelings that drove it to that point. It’s also a perfect metaphor for the members of West Texas Exiles’s own members: coming to Austin to start a new chapter and escape the “nothing for me here” burdens of home.

The dustiness around the bass and drums are given polished gimmers of hope with Colin Gilmore’s plucky mandolin and the classic country crooning of guest vocalist and Austin Americana stalwart Kelly Willis to play against the band’s own co-vocalist Marco Guitierrez.

West Texas Exiles have a Waterloo Records next Thursday, September 18th at 7PM.

Reinvention w/ Malik Baptiste

On this episode we interview with rapper/producer Malik Baptiste who talks about restarting his career and his past accomplishments. We also talk about if not writing your own songs in hip-hop can hinder your career and respect. Hip-hop facts include Jay-Z, Tia Mowry and her Texas roots, and Nas plus many more. Fresh’s Unpopular Opinion is about his thoughts that most people want to be famous.

Shakey Graves: The Necessary Counterpart To the Light

Songwriter Alejandro Rose-Garcia, better known as Shakey Graves, talks about the ways darkness and his mental health journey have shaped his music and his outlook on life. He also discusses the art of – and the anxiety behind – self-promotion, and the desire to connect with others.

(SPF 1000) Vampire Sunscreen is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.

You can help make this podcast happen by donating at supportthispodcast.org.

Lola Tried: “Hot Shot Barbie” [PREMIERE]

After several amuse-bouches of singles, Austin’s Lola Tried are ready to let us feast. OG members Lauren Burton and Ray Garza are joined by newcomers Gianni Sarmiento and Austin Norman for the group’s third EP, out this Friday.

Perfect for your workout (or rageout) playlist is “Hot Shot Barbie.” She’s got her foot on the gas, turbo engaged, and the only thing that can stop her? Life has yet to answer that question. But she’s got that Robert Baratheon energy, and she’s yet to find her boar. Once again, Lola Tried presents a master class in what they know best: loud-as-hell rock.

Lola Tried has an EP release show Friday, September 12th at Empire Cotrol Room with Quiet Company and Subpar Snatch.

Can Drake Get Back On Top?

On this episode we discuss what artists get a pass to “genre bend” and what artists don’t. We also discuss what can Drake do to regain his number one spot in hip-hop. Hip-hop facts include Will Ferrell, Jay-Z, Allen Iverson and more. Fresh’s Unpopular Opinion is that rappers don’t have to do traditional hip-hop media platforms.

Grackles: “There Will Be Time”

Well howdy! Happy Labor Day! The weather may or may not be participating in our final romp of summertime, but Austin’s Grackles are here to make the day sunny despite Mother Nature.

What began as a side project made up of touring and studio musicians for A-list artists such as the Chicks and Paul Simon and a GRAMMY winner has now produced two albums of sawdust hall bangers to keep your dirt kickers moving. From their sophomore album Grackles Deux: The Grackling, the plague gives us “There Will Be Time,” a twangy, kinetic, fiddle-led romp to get you dancing, whether you’re spending Labor Day at the pool or at home working on that honey-do list.

Remembering Hurricane Katrina

On this episode we discuss the legacy, and impact, of Hurricane Katrina 20 years later. We also discuss if fans truly care about their favorite artist legal troubles. Hip-hop facts include facts about Nelson Mandela, The Notorious B.I.G., and Missy Elliott. Fresh’s Unpopular Opinion is the argument that Bust A Move by Young MC is the greatest rap song of all time.

Adrian Quesada: “Bravo (ft. iLe)” [Live In Studio 1A]

At this point, Adrian Quesada is a man who needs no introduction. With a musical curiosity rivaling Beck, project to project, he conjures up albums thoughtfully marrying tradition or inspiration to Quesada.

On both iterations of the Boleros Psicodélicos albums, Quesada explores the centuries-old, Cuban-rooted tradition of the Bolero, beautiful, dramatic love songs deep with passion and steeped with stories of love unrequited, forsaken, and everlasting. As part of his latest Studio 1A performance, he brought in a fellow Grammy winner: the renowned Puerto Rican bolero songstress iLe to perform “Bravo,” a beautiful piece to the ear, but a biting, award-winning telenovela take-down monologue to ignite your soul.

Boleros Psicodélicos II is out now on ATO Records. You can see the Studio 1A video at KUTX.org.

Jane Leo: “Goldmine”

Song of the Day has returned from vacation, and I can’t think of a better way to come back than with my favorite dance-pop group this city has to offer. We’ve been following the rise of Jane Leo since its origins, and since the last time we checked in with the duo, they supported indie group Cannons on what was Jane Leo’s first national tour; played a ton of music fests; and their single “Wow” landed in ads for both Google Pixel and Michael Kors.

Over the last year or so, they’ve breadcrumbed a few bangers, many leading to the release of their sophomore album Creature of Destruction, out September 19th. “Goldmine” is our last nugget before the album, and while it may be among the more subdued songs Jane Leo has released, it is still dripping with energy and that funky “Imma dance here in my own little circle, in my own little world” energy. Bouncy, sexy, and more vintage than much of what we’ve heard in the past, “Goldmine” is a cheeky reminder that even if you go to Jane Leo show to dance with one foot in the future, they’ve got plenty of tricks up their sleeve to subvert expectations without losing an ounce of their allure.

Jane Leo is hitting the road with indie duo New Constellations. That tour lands at Empire Control Room on Thursday, November 6th, and Jane Leo will return to Studio 1A on Thursday, September 11th.

The Future of Vinyl

Caren Kelleher, founder and CEO of Gold Rush Vinyl and co-owner of Waterloo Records, shares why she launched a vinyl pressing plant, how her company brings records to life, and what’s next for her growing businesses.

Pause/Play is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.

You can support our work by donating at supportthispodcast.org.

To Create Content Or Not?

On this episode we talk about how important being a content creator and musician in this new industry. We also discuss who is to blame for the perceived “negative” music being released and promoted. Hip-hop facts includes facts about Ghostface Killah of Wu-Tang, Mariah Carey, 2pac and more. Fresh’s Unpopular Opinion is that being able to sing and rap well doesn’t matter anymore.

Spite Club w/ Jedi512 and Boots

On this episode we talk with former KUTX Artist of the Month Jedi512 about his newest project “Spite Club” with producer Boots. Hip-hop facts include facts about LL Cool J, Migos, and TLC. Unpopular Opinion with Fresh is about Frank Ocean being underrated.

Team Trust: “Wuggis”

Team Trust call themselves art rock, which is somewhat fitting, but if we want to be specific, I’d call them quirk-punk. The Austin trio sounds a bit like Being Dead and your cool, Gen-X brother’s punk demos he recorded at home the summer before they wound-up on tour with Black Flag, opting for a rotisserie of raucous harmony, melting breakdowns, and swaths of minimal instrumentation with syncopated lyrics that sound like they were recorded in a tin can. It’s excellence in weird.

Team Trust releases “Wuggis” today ahead of their debut album Treat Box out later this year. You can see Team Trust at Mohawk tonight with Fifi Knifefight, Modernform, and Skratz.

Project Pat Interview

On this episode we interview legendary artist Project Pat (brother of Juicy J from Three 6 Mafia) ahead of his show in Austin this weekend. Hip-hop facts this week include Eddie Murphy and Whitney Houston, a Jay-Z inspired Hulu series, and the film Paid In Full. Unpopular Opinion with Fresh this week is about underground rapper Dom Kennedy needing to put his more known album on streaming services.

Russell Taine, Jr.: “Sidewinder”

Austin’s Russell Taine, Jr. blends indie rock with an Austin and Texas twist. It’s indie music powered by chords and melodies that you imagine being played at dusk in your cool friend’s backyard with a chain link fence and an oak tree in the background. It sounds like Hole In the Wall.

Their latest single “Sidewinder” is both a perfect metaphor for that illustration and a perfect lead-in to their upcoming Ghosts EP. Like the album, “Sidewinder” is about disconnect and things slipping away…or side-slithering away. Lamenting the loss of the “Piscies Queen,” we’re right alongside Taine as he grapples with what went wrong, his current state, and the leaden question of what to do with those feelings and where to go next.

“Sidewinder” is out now. The Ghosts EP is out in November. You can see Russell Taine, Jr. Thursday, September 4th at Hole In the Wall with Small Engine Fire.

Tear Dungeon: “Kill For Health” [Live In Studio 1A]

Andrew Chasen. With the Disciples of Creation, he takes you to church. With A Giant Dog, he takes you church. Sweet Spirit makes you want to dance the night away, and Tear Dungeon drags you to the basement, ties you to the St. Andrew’s Cross, and says flogging and bastinado are for the faint of heart. But that’s what you paid for, isn’ it? You even pre-selected “emerald green silk” on the rope menu.

Jack Greenwood: “Four Walls”

Jack Greenwood’s new single is dance music for sad lads. On “Four Walls,” a song about feeling trapped, the Austin-by-way-of-Wisconsin singer and producer presents a fantastical escape, evoking the moodier side of the 80s synth. The opposing dichotomy works well here; what begins with sunny textures and a fun, melodic bass spirals into a manic descent right alongside Greenwood’s lyrics. But the spiraling is still a groove machine, taking the mania to its brink before its dizzying, synthy fizzling out. Yes, it will have you dancing with tears in your eyes.

Jack Greenwood performs with Clarence James at Stubb’s Indoors this Saturday and Antone’s Sunday, August 17th, with Clarence James and Chief Cleopatra.

The Who Told You EP is out in October.