austin music

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”!

David Ramirez: “Friends Forever” (ACL Fest Pop-Up)

Since the salad days of KUTX, Austin songwriter David Ramirez has been a major staple of our airwaves. And David’s growth alongside ours over the years makes us feel like we’ve got a special bond between us. So imagine our elation when this six-time Studio 1A veteran visited us backstage at ACL Fest and treated us to a preview of an unreleased track all about his preference for platonic pals, “Friends Forever”!

Tony Kamel: “Slow On The Gulf”

For those with their ear near to Austin’s alt-country/Americana scene, the name Tony Kamel shouldn’t sound too unfamiliar. For years Kamel’s provided the circuitry for the Grammy-nominated string group (and KUTX favorites) Wood & Wire, and alongside his newfound fatherhood, has recently issued his debut solo LP, Back Down Home.

This Kamel-Back packs all the coastal accoutrements you’d expect from a nature-loving Texan, at-times spiced with Cajun and Appalachian flavors for an authentically American listening experience. Back Down Home dropped a couple weeks ago and Tony Kamel celebrates with back-to-back release shows this weekend (right after he returns from Utopia Fest), Friday and Saturday at Continental Club, and you can enjoy a breezy preview with “Slow On The Gulf”.

Shiela: “YO TE QUISE”

Raised in Nicaragua and inspired by the passion portrayed in 1997’s Selena, Austin indie-R&B singer Shiela began forging her own mononymous path to superstardom at a young age. Now, Shiela’s impeccable knack for crossover appeal (both genre-wise and through bilingual lyrics) has helped make her 2021 debut Chilita a treasure chest of eclecticism, one that even includes a brief feature from our very own “Fresh” Knight.

Shiela plays a quarter past two this Sunday at the Tito’s Handmade Vodka Stage for Austin City Limits Music Festival. So to get you settled into Shiela’s sentimental mindset for the weekend ahead, soak up her followup single to Chilita, “YO TE QUISE”!

The Tender Things: “You’ll Be Gone”

The forecast calls for sunny, clear skies so it’ll be a perfect weekend to appreciate The Tender Things. Frontman Jesse Ebaugh’s experiences with bluegrass and blues rock groups in Northern Kentucky laid the groundwork for this “hippie country” outfit, which was formed here in Austin only a few years ago after Ebaugh resigned from Heartless Bastards.

The Tender Things’ gritty, retro-Appalachian style first appeared on their 2017 eponymous debut and took an even darker turn with last year’s How You Make a Fool. So if you’re the type to enjoy ACL’s early afternoons, be sure to enjoy The Tender Things 1PM this Saturday at the Tito’s Handmade Vodka stage and if you won’t be there…well, “You’ll Be Gone”.

Mike Melinoe: “Vacation” (feat. JaRon Marshall)

Born in Detroit and based right here in Austin, polymath painter-producer-vocalist Mike Melinoe is a must-see for this weekend of ACL Fest. The psychedelic-minded model enjoys an enigmatic aura and incorporates the best bits of pop, rock, and R&B into his genre-inclusive hip-hop style, conquering each new venture with remarkable verbal skills and outstanding flow.

Mike Melinoe performs at Austin City Limits Music Festival a quarter past noon at the Vrbo stage and to transport you right out of that mid-work-week mindset, indulge in “Vacation” featuring co-producer JaRon Marshall!

Riders Against the Storm: “Flowers For The Living” (feat. Clarence James)

Whether you’ve attended those legendary Body Rock ATX dance parties, celebrated the official RAS Day (August 29th), or seen their name pop-up on KUTX’s playlists, chances are you’ve heard of Riders Against the Storm. Since their 2013 eponymous EP, this eclectic hip-hop duo has continued to defy any expectations of the genre by incorporating a variety of worldly sounds, most recently on this year’s feature-stacked full-length Flowers For The Living.

These three-time Studio 1A performers and previous My KUTX hosts take the Tito’s Handmade Vodka Stage 1:30pm this Friday at Austin City Limits Music Festival, so in this proverbial calm before the storm, you can bloom alongside the boom on Flowers For The Living‘s title track!

Heartless Bastards: “Revolution” (KUTX Pop-Up)

One weekend of Austin City Limits Music Festival is already in the bag but those famous flags are still flying high, so we’ve got another week of Austin artist coverage, continuing today with Heartless Bastards. Founded in Cincinnati nearly two full decades ago, this trio has transcended the expectations of traditional rock with flairs of folk, blue, country, and indie, beginning with their 2005 debut Stairs and Elevators and heard most recently on 2021’s A Beautiful Life.

We just revisited frontwoman Erika Wennerstrom’s 2018 My KUTX session ahead of these Studio 1A veterans’ upcoming ACL performance 2:30pm this Friday at the Lady Bird Stage. So we might as well return to a pop-up performance from Wennerstrom recorded right around this same time last year, “Revolution”!

Aaron Stephens: “Ready”

The gates are waiting for you and ACL Fest is officially underway! So get your fill on festival fun this Friday but if you’re an ACL early bird, a must-see for Saturday is Austin’s Aaron Stephens. The Chicago-born, South Texas-raised producer/multi-instrumentalist shines best on funk-rock guitar and grizzled vocals, as heard on Stephens’ 2014 debut LP Hard Times Straight Lines and again on his sophomore Focus from 2018.

Aaron Stephens clearly has his sights set high with the release of his EP Head 2 the Sky earlier this year, and his transcendent style takes the Vrbo stage at noon tomorrow, but if you don’t feel prepared for Stephens’ set yet, you will after his latest single, “Ready”!

Asleep at the Wheel: “Take Me Back to Tulsa” (feat. George Strait and Willie Nelson)

In less than 24 hours ACL Fest 2021 will officially begin and who better to help put things in gear than western swing icons Asleep At The Wheel? Three years after their inception in Paw Paw, West Virginia, Ray Benson steered The Wheel down here to Austin where they went on to give the final performance at the Armadillo World Headquarters and have been rolling strong ever since.

Commemorating their colossal milestone of 50 years together, Asleep At The Wheel’s LP Half a Hundred Years comes out tomorrow, proving that it’ll take way more than five decades for The Wheel to even consider careening off course. And mere hours after the record drops, Asleep At The Wheel takes the Honda stage, 1PM at ACL Fest, so get acquainted with AATW early with one of two new collaborative singles off Half a Hundred Years, featuring ACL 2021 headliner George Strait (who plays the same evening) and previous headliner Willie Nelson, “Take Me Back to Tulsa”!

Sir Woman: “Blame It On The Water”

If you know Wild Child or Glorietta, then you’ve already got a good idea of how talented vocalist Kelsey Wilson is. But Kelsey’s latest crowning achievement is her jazz-soul-R&B project, Sir Woman, which finds the powerhouse singer blending the best bits of Amy Winehouse, Lauryn Hill, and Norah Jones together into her own idiosyncratic style.

Sir Woman commands the Tito’s Handmade Vodka stage 1PM this Saturday at ACL Fest, and is guaranteed to keep you hydrated with her outstanding catalogue of originals, hopefully including her newest single that dropped last Friday, “Blame It On The Water”!

Deezie Brown: “Amplifiers”

Though the bulk of his studio output has been relatively recent, Bastrop-born/Austin-based producer/vocalist Deezie Brown‘s already proven plenty of potential. Following up 2018’s Judith, Brown was a contributor on ATX Gen Next: Adventures in Lockdown and makes up one half of the R&B/hip-hop collaboration Geto Gala.

Deezie Brown’s got some new material in the works, and hopefully he pulls some of that stuff out when he performs 12:15pm on the Miller Lite Stage this Sunday at ACL Fest. Until then, you can tide yourself over with a real measure of Deezie Brown’s multifaceted power on “Amplifiers”!

Jade Bird: “Honeymoon”

Austin City Limits Music Festival is officially upon us, so for the next couple weeks we’ll be shining the spotlight on Austin acts that might not be as well known as some of the major headliners, but deserve just as much attention and praise. First up is Jade Bird, who after growing up in the UK has successfully flocked over to Austin without shedding any of her rebellious rock in the process.

It’s an exciting time for Jade Bird, who appears tonight The Late Late Show with James Corden and has her Austin City Limits episode airing next Saturday on PBS. That same Saturday Jade Bird opens up ACL Fest at 12:05pm at the T-Mobile Stage and today you can toss feathers with “Honeymoon”!

Jade Bird on My KUTX (2021)

Jade Bird on My KUTX (2018)

Jade Bird in Studio 1A (2017)

Go Fever: “FYI” (KUTX Pop-Up)

As temperatures dramatically drop here in Texas, it seems fitting to give Go Fever the “all clear” to heat things up again. After charismatic mastermind Acey Monaro spent a year in the respite of her Australian motherland, these two-time Studio 1A veterans seem right at home back here in Austin as our September 2021 Artist of the Month.

And true to their name (minus any rushed negligence), Go Fever’s always got a sense of anticipation for their next rock project, in this case the upcoming Velvet Fist. The catchy, sarcastic beast that is Velvet Fist is set to drop hard on October 8th, and Go Fever guest hosts My KUTX this weekend, but the big news today is a close-knit two-song at-home pop-up session, which includes “Long Run” and “FYI”!

Fertility House: “Mockingbird”

One of the hottest topics in Texas right now surrounds birth, but this isn’t really the appropriate forum to talk politics so instead let’s focus on Fertility House. The four Austin transplants of Fertility House made their debut in 2018 with their eponymous LP, showcasing the band’s knack for upbeat-yet-smooth and at times politically-charged indie garage pop.

Fertility House kept that momentum rolling into 2020 with last year’s Extra Light EP and is now entering the final trimesters of a brand new record. We’ve only got a couple singles so far, but each packs the purity of turn-of-the-millennium indie and gives acts like Vampire Weekend a run for their money. And even though Austin’s the land of grackles, there’s a certain je-ne-sais-quois of Fertility House’s latest, “Mockingbird”, that captures the charm of our city and you can catch the single release show on Saturday, October 2nd at Swan Dive.

Flyjack: “Can’t Catch Me”

Even with the mass proliferation of digital production trends in the past three decades, there’s something inherently retro about the funk-soul sound. Austin group Flyjack knows this all-too-well, having just released a record named after an airline that bit the dust right when computers were becoming commonplace in the music world.

Pan Am gives you a first class ticket to a full spectrum of soul and funk and presents Flyjack soaring higher than they’ve ever been. Pan Am is out now without any of the restrictions you’d experience on a present-day flight, and today Flyjack’s given us another complementary carry-on, the heist-oriented music video for “Can’t Catch Me”!

Frederico7 “Missing My Children”

We might’ve just kicked off Hispanic Heritage Month, but that doesn’t mean we should overlook Spanish’s distant cousin, Portuguese, and subsequently the music of Brazil. Enter Frederico7, the Austin-based Brazilian soul-rocker who first captivated the Live Music Capital with a Latin-leaning vatapá of South American sounds on his 2019 debut LP Exótico Americano.

Frederico7 brings o calor to the stage tomorrow night at Far Out Lounge for South Americano Fest, celebrating two new singles that dropped this morning, which are both produced and engineered by the legendary Beto Martinez and tease an upcoming all-English album for 2022. If you’re feeling more of an ’80s-pop vibe, you might want to check out “Truth is Power” first, but if you’re like me and enjoy combating the sun with some sweltering dub reggae, you’re gonna want to blast “Missing My Children”!