Indie

Passiflora: “SOMS”

Next week is South By South West, which means it’s been three whole years since SXSW 2020’s abrupt cancellation marked the beginning of our ongoing COVID climate. Of course, we now recognize several silver linings, mainly the sudden abundance of free time to follow through with unrealized creative projects, some of which haven’t been heard until now.

Take for example Austin trio Passiflora. Passiflora’s first root came from a cross-pollination of genre interests between guitarist Rudy Durham, singer Lauren Harris, and drummer Raul Luevano sometime under the veil of the pandemic. What sprouted as an experiment in hybridizing indie, R&B, and jazz has since bloomed into a collective one-of-a-kind passion project. Their style reminds us of turn-of-the-millennium neo-soul innovators like Jill Scott and Erykah Badu, albeit with an extra jazzy sense of adventure, manifested as time signature changes, enthralling chord progressions, and killer polyrhythms.

For their appropriately-named debut EP eponymous, Passiflora brought The Point bassist Jack Montesinos into the mix, and dang does he fit right in the pocket. eponymous is out this Friday, Passiflora performs at Continental Club Saturday, March 25th, and today they pass along the album’s final lead single. Acronymized as “SOMS”, “Sun on my Skin” begs to be enjoyed under brighter skies by basking in dreamy keys, breezy drum brushes, and, of course, Harris’ siren singing that heralds the start of spring and’ll subconsciously make you want to put this “f***ing record on repeat”.

Light Wheel: “Sudden Changes”

Last March we tipped you off about Austin’s Light Wheel, right around the release of their sophomore LP See Through. The Shining-level chemistry between producer Evan Dunivan and vocalist Tyagaraja Welch is still going strong, and still, according to them, best enjoyed live. Rounded out with a two-man rhythm section, Light Wheel continues to put a pretty bright spin on the indie rock genre, covering a wide spectrum from R&B and pop all the way to psych and prog.

Today Light Wheel rolled out their first single of the year, which despite the exigence of its title, is a charming four-minute slow burn. Like a rocky canoe through uncertain waters, “Sudden Changes” softly paddles with acoustic oars and sparse percussion strokes, all steered by by Tyagraja’s serene siren singing. So as us weekday workers transition back into Monday, soak up “Sudden Changes”‘s sonics and save ’em for when you need to ease into the next big shift in your life.

Skateland: “Wreck”

We’re still only in the first handful of days for 2023, and in the Live Music Capital of the World…you know what that means. It’s Free Week! And if you haven’t heard yet, KUTX has a locally-curated showcase coming up in a couple days. It’ll kick off 8PM this Friday at Cheer Up Charlie’s with a bill that includes Como Las Movies, Redbud, 10pmtoclose and Skateland. Born Dorian Williams II, this multi-instrumentalist/singer/producer came to Austin from Las Vegas in pursuit of a degree at UT. But as with many other young creatives, Austin’s artistic aura helped sway Williams to also cement a musical project of his own, Skateland. Skateland’s trucks balance between moody alt-pop and tranquil indie-shoegaze, like if St. Vincent and Weyes Blood were grinding rails and transferring pipes alongside Beach House and Alvvays in the same park. Sure, Skateland’s only got a couple studio singles out as of now, but both of ’em are sensationally mellow cross-genre bops. As such, Skateland put his formula right there in the title of his upcoming debut EP: New Wave Revival. We’re looking forward to more lyrical gloom, retro instrumentation, and proven pop production methods when New Wave Revival drops on February 16th, and during Skateland’s set 9:40PM on Friday. Just don’t let his latest Weeknd-esque earworm (and music video) “Wreck” wipe out your productivity this Wednesday.

Friend in Law: “Hold Out”

Way before Elon Musk or Joe Rogan moved here, I remember seeing a ton of bumper stickers and T-shirts with slogans like these: “Don’t L.A. my A.T.X.”, “Don’t Dallas My Austin”, and yes, even “Don’t Put Your Big ‘D’ in My Little ‘A’”. Now, I can’t recall the last time I saw one of those in person, and as a native Austinite, I’m cool with that! Because y’all, we simply wouldn’t have the melting pot that is The Live Music Capital without new locals sharing their art.

And although the thought of another in-law just days after Thanksgiving might make your heart skip a beat, I can assure you that there’ll always be a seat at Austin’s table for Ben Murray and his solo affair Friend In Law. See, Murray’s move down here nearly eight years ago was a critical first step in rekindling his teenage love of penning and performing guitar-driven tunes. Once COVID hit, Murray doubled down on his once-juvenile dreams of becoming a self-produced musician, an auteur in the vein of Kevin Parker or Mac DeMarco.

Rooted in Murray’s ongoing DAW immersion, Friend In Law’s sonics follow a family tree of ’60s/’70s classics with contemporary limbs like pop punk knotted along the way. As of now, Friend In Law’s studio output is still fledgling. But when you hear how calculated each tone, note, and inflection is, you sure as heck won’t want to rush Murray’s progressing greatness. These things take time! And as heard on Friend In Law’s latest single, time can define people and places. As such, “Hold Out” is a triumph of triplet rhythms, a sanguine psych-shoegaze soundscape, and above all, an arresting piece of nostalgia.

Big Bill: “Humanoids”

Longtime fans of Austin four-piece Big Bill no doubt still feel the effects of their unexpectedly refreshing hard left turn earlier this year. For those out of the loop, midway through 2022 Big Bill released Public Freakout Compilation, chronicling the group’s shift from their once-signature ’80s-esque angular post-punk into lackadaisical ’90s-style indie rock. But the band’s collective larger-than-life, uncouth, and off-kilter personality still shines through the arrangements, lyrics, and now…visuals.

Like a star-crossed bastard child of Charles Schultz and Charles Bukowski, today Big Bill released the music video for PFC‘s third act-opener, “Humanoids”. Animated and illustrated by Pelvis Wrestley visionary Benjamin Violet, you’d have to be a real blockhead to not love the bleakness of this heartfelt Peanuts homage. Bonus points for an end-of-year reminder of how damn good this record is front to back.

Frozen Orange: “Stream Of”

As we finally (fingers crossed) bid farewell to winter and invite some sunny spring weather into the Lone Star State, a bit of Frozen Orange sounds pretty satisfying right about now. Originally an offshoot of the Austin group Maryann, Matt Hudson and Evan Kaspar recruited AMA’s Blair Robbins and Poly Action’s Zane Frisch to record Frozen Orange’s debut EP travels in November 2018. With the addition of bassist extraordinaire Andrew Stevens, this five-piece isjust ripe enough to reap a new batch of their collective songwriting efforts.Frozen Orange’s sophomore record Sunshine marks a maturation of their indie-alt sound and understated, all-lowercase aesthetic while exploring themes of nostalgia, nature, and personal bonds. You’ll be able to bask in the rays of Sunshine soon, and today you can get a slice of that sonic citrus by dipping your toes into “stream of”.

Good Looks: “Vision Boards”

With South By South West 2022 just a month away, the “must-see” previews are beginning to pop out. And if you’re the type that prefers to soak up as much Austin music as possible during SX, you’ll want to check out the Keeled Scales official showcase on March 17th at Cheer Up Charlie’s. Among the roster of great talent on the bill that includes Sun June, Katy Kirby, and Lunar Vacation is indie four-piece Good Looks, founded by South Texas singer-guitarist Tyler Jordan after a bold stint of 6th Street busking.

These poltically-minded Replacements-esque rockers enlisted producer Dan Duszynski (who’s worked with KUTX favorites Cross Record, Jess Williamson, and Loma) to help realize Good Looks’ debut album, Bummer Year, out April 8th. Good Looks is currently taking the record on the road for the Midwest leg of a two-part national tour. So if you like arid indie rock atmospheres and a healthy amount of tongue-in-cheek lyrics, make some room in your collection for Bummer Year and its head-bobbin’, “yeah”-inducing sophomore single, “Vision Boards“!

Polock: “Amargo”

Beginning with their 2010 debut LP Getting Down from the Trees, Valencia quintet Polock (pronounced like the pop art painter) has historically penned all their songs in English, referred to by the group as the “language of rock”. That tradition was only broken last year with Polock’s bilingual full-length Romance, which also marked a further refinement of their unapologetic indie-pop-rock arrangements and irreverent lyrical themes.

It’s been a whole year since Polock’s last single – the Phoenix-evoking, Spanish-language “Mar Dorado” that ended up being the opening track on Romance. But now at the tail end of 2021, despite its bitter title, Polock’s got another super sweet one fresh off the presses – “Amargo” – that keeps in tune with their Phoenix-adjacent aesthetic but punches it up with trap-style 808 drums and bass.

Anand Wilder: “I Don’t Want Our Love to Become Routine”

Some of you may still be distraught over the 2019 disbanding of Yeasayer post-Erotic Reruns, but former core member Anand Wilder has come with a bit of good news. Wilder’s recently announced his upcoming solo debut I Don’t Know My Words for release early next year, in which Wilder reignited the self-imposed creative challenges of his childhood by performing and recording each and every featured instrument.

The announcement comes along two new tunes and a music video, both of which recall some elements of Yeasayer’s songwriting formulas, albeit in a slower, more retro-acoustic manner. This carefully crafted pair presents a ton of potential for Wilder’s solo endeavor, as he clearly knows what he’s doing on I Don’t Know My Words, especially with the psych-folk finishes on “I Don’t Want Our Love to Become Routine”!

Benjamin Lazar Davis: “Medicine”

New York’s Benjamin Lazar Davis already showed off his multi-instrumental indie pop chops on his 2018 debut Nothing Matters but in the three short years since then he’s leveled up even further. A proven mastermind of sonic choices and vivid, varied arrangements, Benjamin Lazar Davis released his eponymous sophomore full-length today, blurring the lines between the delicacy of Sufjan Stevens and the psychedelic boundlessness of Flaming Lips. Benjamin Lazar Davis is a carefully crafted ten-track testament to Davis’ inert songwriting intuition and faith in the collaborative process, with an extensive dynamic range that creates a one-of-a-kind listener experience. This LP is guaranteed to expose you to some of the most unique sounds of 2021, heard most compactly in “Medicine”.

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.

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.

Ruel Thomas: “Waited to Say”

Like many who hadn’t quite yet tapped into their full potential, Austin native Ruel Thomas didn’t flesh out his inner musician until he spent some time away from home. While living in Australia, Thomas soaked up the folky formulas of Paul Simon, Bob Dylan, and Paul McCartney while shaping his own indie-adjacent sound on guitar (both electric and acoustic), vocals, and harmonica.

Now that Thomas is back in the Live Music Capital and playing gigs when he can (including one on the 28th at Fitzhugh Brewing), he’s been masterminding his debut album, due out this winter. But you don’t even hold off til the first day of fall to check out Ruel Thomas’ haunting vocals and accessible-yet-unique rock on with his most confident composition (and music video) yet, “Waited to Say”!

Doppel: “Silencio”

When two star-crossed collaborators finally get together and start a new project in-person, you can pretty much guarantee how good it’s it’s gonna be. And there’s no exception when it comes to Austin-based duo Doppel, made up of Cologne, Germany multi-instrumentalist Jan Flemming and McAllen, Texas percussionist Michael Longoria, both devoted creators in their own right.

Doppel’s collective confidence and undeniable interpersonal chemistry became publicly known last year with the release of their debut album Ensō, highlighting the group’s defiance of any single genre with their fluid use of live loops and exploratory formulas. Doppel drops their seven-song EP Intermission this Friday, performs next Wednesday at East Austin Piano Shop, and today premieres Intermission‘s lead single that’ll leave you in awe, “Silencio”.

William Maxwell: “Dead Plants”

When it comes to standing out as a solo artist in an oversaturated scene, nobody does quirky quite like Austin’s William Maxwell. Sure the singer-guitarist is pretty reserved in person, but on the record he’s a full blown musical maniac. With his fearless performance methods and candidly off-kilter lyrics, The Oysters‘ co-founder has shown a real knack for songwriting both across his rap sheet of collaborations and with his 2019 baker’s dozen, Calm a Painter and Subject.

Friday after next William Maxwell releases his sophomore LP, It’s Been Here Changing For a Long Time, ten tracks that are perfect for a post-pandemic mindset (whenever that may come) along with a twenty-four-page art booklet. And since we’re officially into spring and past the trauma of the big freeze here in Texas, now seems like a good time to appreciate the newfound greenery with It’s Been Here‘s fifth and final single, “Dead Plants”!

Maple Glider: “Good Thing”

Throughout this whole pandemic thing, Australia’s been on their game pretty much the whole time…and not just in terms of quarantine conditions. No, we’ve heard some pretty incredible music come from Down Under in the past year, including the ascending songwriter Maple Glider.

Glider began establishing herself in Melbourne at the start of her twenties, eventually co-founding the duo Seavera before relocating to Brighton, U.K., where she cemented some of her most personal compositions under her own name. Now back in Melbourne, Maple Glider seems to be in full swing with her budding career, and having only released her sophomore single (and music video) in the past month, her music has proved be an especially “Good Thing” to keep on your music radar.

Aubrey Hays: “I Wanna See This Through”

It’s only Day Two of February but we’re already knee deep into our collaboration with Austin Music Foundation for Love Austin Music Month, continuing today with multi-instrumentalist Aubrey Hays. You might not be able to find much from Hays online right now, but you can still gather how gifted this singer-guitarist is just from the skills heard on her sole Spotify single, “Isn’t It Enough”.

Toting a dynamic that’s both delicate and assertive, Aubrey Hays is set to release a new standalone single this Friday but you can hear it a couple days early on the first half of AMF’s ATX Gen Next: Adventures in Lockdown with the incandescent indie rocker, “I Wanna See This Through”!

Sunroom Sounds: “The Drive”

After a long, cloudy weekend, we could all stand to photosynthesize. And who better to help us soak up those rays than Austin multi-instrumentalist Ryan Black and his six-piece Sunroom Sounds?

Between Black’s lyrics that analyze the way people interact with one another and the group’s atmospheric instrumentation, Sunroom Sounds is set to be a luminous staple on the horizon. Keep an ear out for Sunroom Sounds’ first full-length, and let yourself drift in neutral before locking into gear for the work week with the band’s debut single (and music video), “The Drive”!

Erin Ivey: “Where Have You Been All My Life” [PREMIERE]

Longtime listeners of KUTX aren’t likely to gloss over certain Austin songwriters based on remarkable talent, perhaps most notably six-time Studio 1A veteran Erin Ivey. Whether she’s teamed up with Tosca String Quartet, The Finest Kind, David Ramirez, or just going solo acoustic, Ivey’s made countless jaws drop and eyes water with her luminous vocal presence and impressive range dating back to her 2007 debut.

But with seven years having passed since her last studio album, Whisper of the Moon, Ivey’s fans have been in dire need of an update. And they’re in luck! Next Friday Erin Ivey shares her ten-track full-length Solace in the Wild, leaning on her classic indie folk sound with sprinkles of Americana and psychedelia and other powerful nuances throughout. And though another premiere of sorts may understandably be taking up most of the spotlight today, take your mind off the news and enter Solace in the Wild with its lead single, “Where Have You Been All My Life”!

Daisy O’Connor: “Evergreen”

For those already familiar with Austin singer Daisy O’Connor, the mere mention of her name alone should be enough to put a smile on your face. And for those not in the know, that first sentence should tip you off that Daisy’s got a real knack for finding the silver lining in life, straying away from the saccharine in favor of prudent optimism.

O’Connor’s comprehensive, genre-sprawling style has captivated listeners for years, and her talents as a songwriter seem to grow with each new release. So you can probably see where this is going…Daisy O’Connor just graced us with a tune that’s old-for-her, new-for-us. Written and recorded at Public Hi-Fi well before the confines of quarantine, the pastoral tempo of “Evergreen” paints an idyllic landscape for O’Connor to reflect on solitude, caution before connection, and a shared experience of loneliness that’s all too relatable nowadays.