punk

Hans Gruber and the Die Hards: “Trepanation”

Happy Halloween! We’re hittin’ this hallow-day with…Hans Gruber and the Die Hards?! Wait a minute, haven’t we already decreed that the iconic Bruce Willis/Alan Rickman action comedy is a Christmas staple? Well…whatever.

What we do know for sure is that this Austin five-piece has spent the past decade funneling their passions into all things punk, ska, crossover, and beyond into an all-year-round “trick and treat” creed of casual tomfoolery and unforgettable stage antics. And if you didn’t think Hans Gruber and the Die Hards were a perfect fit for Halloween, you haven’t been paying close enough attention; just look at the tracklist from their 2022 magnum opus With A Vengeance and shudder at song titles like “Blood on the Walls”, “Monster of Walgren Lake”, and “Nothing Like a Good Old Fashioned Witch Hunt”.

The latest from the quintet is their EP split with The Sensations Tokyo Two Step that dropped in early September, right around the same time HGDH celebrated their 10-year anniversary and kicked off the national tour that currently finds them on the Eastern Seaboard. Now, yes, Tokyo Two Step does contain a cover of that Halloween classic “I Put A Spell On You”. But if this election season giving you a sense of Act III freefall, almost like you’re plummeting forty stories straight into the media circus corralled around Nakatomi Plaza, you may just want to dig a hole into your brain and blast some horn-heavy hardcore. If that’s the case, then “Trepanation” is for you. Less of a headbanger and more of skull scraper, “Trepanation” is all over the goddamned place…in the best way possible. And even at just two minutes, it’s plenty enough to rile your spirits, get you wanting to don a costume (literally, emotionally, or what have you), and treat yourself to an intense Halloween in ghoulish rudeboy fashion.

Gary Lindsey & the Pleasure Tide: “Idle Hands”

When it comes to co-curating sounds for a city’s specific scene, certain artists and venues can often become inseparable. So when the band breaks up or the venue closes its doors, it’s like their counterpart loses a big piece of their identity as well. And its with reverence and empathy that we now point to a poignant example of that right here in Austin.

See, the surly, stage-filling roots-punk project Gary Lindsey & the Pleasure Tide has spent the first Saturday of each month turning it up at Eastside heavy metal hub The Lost Well for a decade straight. In that time, the seven-to-eight-piece has been perfecting their debut album, which enjoys a bittersweet release the same weekend The Lost Well has its last hurrah. This weekend, to be exact.

A loving tribute that cements The Lost Well’s legacy while providing quick access to the Pleasure Tide on digital platforms, Spirits From The Well can be heard in full during a free show 5-7PM tomorrow at The Lost Well followed by two sets from Amplified Heat’s Mötörhead tribute band Meän Machïne. With no cover charge and no remaining opportunities to enjoy one of the Live Music Capital’s heaviest HQ’s, there’s no excuse to miss this one. And because “Idle Hands”are the devil’s playthings, you’d better bless yourself with the counterculture communion tomorrow night, let your pint catch any stray tears, and spice up our local dystopia with some Celtic-inspired cynicism, courtesy of Gary Lindsey & the Pleasure Tide.

Big Bill: “Hawk” / “Trick Everybody” (Live at Mohawk)

Over the past three weeks you’ve heard plenty about our August 2024 Artist of the Month Big Bill. But be honest…have you seen them live yet? Because despite the quality of their studio recordings, the real magic happens once Big Bill sets foot onstage to a packed house.

Fortunately for those who haven’t yet witnessed the madness firsthand, KUTX Presents Big Bill next Saturday at the Mohawk alongside fellow recent Artists of the Month Grandmaster and Superfónicos plus Cloud Companion. With a bill as big and eclectic as that, you’re gonna get your money’s worth if you stick around all night. But if those other acts don’t scratch a particular itch, and you’re still on the fence about paying the price of admission just to catch Big Bill at the Mohawk, we’ll let their latest offering do the talking for us.

And that’s on behalf of one hell of an accurate sneak peak: a live music video taken from a performance at the very same venue. Sure, Big Bill’s latest, Strawberry Seed, marks a new direction for the band, but there’s no denying the crowd-pleasing cacophonies of their earlier material. So the two-tune medley of “Hawk” / “Trick Everybody” (from 2022’s Public Freakout Compilation and 2017’s Stand By Your Bill, respectively) goes just as hard as the crusty, claustrophobic house shows of Big Bill’s salad days. With frequent cuts to the crowd, the audience engagement is palpable. And with stylistic choices like non-stop jump cuts (seriously, we don’t envy anyone transcribing this to a shot list), hyper grainy resolution, and extreme close-ups, these visuals feel like they came straight out of a late ’90s skate video. And see all those folks up front meshing in with the mosh? That could be you next Saturday…

Caleb Veazey: “Teleprompter”

Let’s say you get selected as a live band member for a certified star…when you’re also scoring for high profile streaming networks and constantly trying not stealing the spotlight as a session musician. Yeah. Chances are, you’re pretty good.

So let’s look at Caleb Veazey – reared here in Austin but now based out of Northeast Los Angeles. Caleb spent a couple years backing KUTX favorite Jess Williamson on vocals, guitar, bass, and synth and continues to receive praise from Jess for his strong songwriting. And on top of providing original scores for the likes of Netflix, Hulu, and Disney, early this year Veazey had the privilege of playing alongside jazz icon Bennie Maupin. As a gun-for-hire, that’s a rap sheet that speaks drastically to Veazey’s versatility and talent.

About a month and a half back, Caleb Veazey unveiled his sophomore full-length, Movie Stars & Politicians, an LP that leaps across modern jazz, indie, pop rock, and dare we say proto-punk. Yeah, aside from individual song similarities to Flaming Lips and Elliott Smith, “Teleprompter” channels the raucous, unrestrained aura of mid-late-’70s CBGB – somewhere between T. Rex, early Devo, Richard Hell, and New York Dolls. It’s unhinged. It’s awesome. And even if you don’t know the words after a few listens, you’ll definitely know your start cue to wig out when the guitar solo kicks in.

Subpar Snatch: “Juicy Booty”

In the casual hookup community, even lovers with the highest body counts (especially those outside cis-hetero norms) might agree; it’s not size, shape, presence, or lack of specific anatomical features that make the biggest impression after the act. No, the quality of your “bits” may actually come second to a sense of enthusiasm when turning what could’ve been a vapid interaction into an unforgettable encounter. You know…”the motion of the ocean” and all that.

Sorry. We’re not trying to give anyone the ick. We just needed a little foreplay before introducing you to Subpar Snatch. First off, “Supbar Snatch” ain’t a bait-and-switch…like if a middle aged man named Richard were to go by “Mid Dick”; check their labian logo lest you misinterpret the band’s handle. Secondly, this Austin ménage à trois of mania and talent has managed to standout in the turbulent world of punk and garage shows which, whether in liminal concrete spaces or on sticky dive bar stages, are usually messy encounters full of technical missteps, sloppy techniques, hair getting caught in things, and performances so short they often climax before the crowd’s hardly half-cocked.

Haven’t slid into Subpar Snatch live in concert yet? Let ’em satisfy you this Pride Month with a gig next Wednesday at Still Austin Whiskey Co. for Gay Heat: Benefit for Equality Texas and a single and music video release show 11:30PM tomorrow night at Chess Club, with openers Sunspite at 10 and Bat Lips at 10:45, plus closers Hell Fury a quarter past midnight. And that new single, “Juicy Booty” is one of the trio’s most aggressive and accessible to date. With a pristine mix that preserves that in-garage gusto, a start-and-stop instrumental riff that’ll make you pull something in the pit, a half time bridge breakdown that edges towards a big finish, and individual intensities that layer together perfectly, “Juicy Booty” is a succulent, stimulating testament to what makes this three-piece anything but subpar…and why denying naughty song titles is plain asinine.

Rival Waves: “Time’s Up”

When you’re in the high seas, you’re at the mercy of rogue waves. When you’re in Texas during the summertime, you’re at the mercy of heatwaves. But if you’d prefer to get thrashed around and work up a sweat without ever facing the sun or leaving port, here in Austin we’ve got Rival Waves.

Starting with their 2018 debut full-length Transducer, this quintet’s ebbed and flowed through all kinds of rocky channels, ranging from alternative and indie to grunge and punk. Sure, the tides of mainstream music have shifted, and we’re at least a couple decades removed from most of those genres’ commercial heydays, but that hasn’t stopped Rival Waves from making a big splash in the local scene and beyond; just check out their respectable streaming numbers between last August’s A Meaningless Chaos and late April’s NAMI EP alone.

Well, ahead of a single release show 8PM next Friday, June 21st at The Courtyard ATX, Rival Waves has a foreboding message to any remaining naysayers: “Time’s Up”. Like the training montage soundtrack that escalates to a final climactic battle, Rival Waves crash against high octane punk and melodic alternative with an almost operatic song structure and chord sequence on “Time’s Up”. But in terms of Rival Waves’ still-cresting career? They’re not stopping the clock any time soon.

Big Bill: “Emotions”

If you’ve kept posted on Austin quartet Big Bill, you know they’re in somewhat of a post-pivot position. Yeah, after years of establishing their space in the oddball-deadpan-art-punk sector, Big Bill pulled off a risky switch to more of a ’90s-style indie rock sound with their Summer 2022 full-length Public Freakout Compilation. And while we’d never go so far as to call our bbs in B.B. “inoffensive”, the exploration of indie does add a sense of mass accessibility to Big Bill’s idiosyncratic, off-kilter aural antics and intoxicating melodies.

So given their ongoing path in that same direction, we’re already drooling over Big Bill’s upcoming third LP Strawberry Seed. See, in carving out a more “mature” niche in indie rock, Strawberry Seed actually seeks to emulate the childhood nostalgia of a kindergarten art project – less the acceptance of anxiety in adulthood and more the abstract incipience of early, blissfully unaware expression. In that pursuit of fuzzy warmth, Big Bill’s included backup singers, acoustic guitar, synthesizers, and piano to their traditionally straightforward punk arrangements.

We won’t be able to harvest the fruits of Strawberry Seed until it hits streaming June 14th, the same day Big Bill plays a free in-store performance 5PM at Waterloo Records. But if you want to get an early taste, Big Bill’s set to share some samples 9PM tonight at The Mohawk as part of a big bill that also includes Tied Up and Gustaf. And if you want to blow your mind with how much Big Bill’s sound has evolved, fire up “Emotions” – which is decidedly less like Suicide and more akin to The Black Keys trying to out-weird The Minutemen. It’ll leave you feeling a way for sure.

Broken Gold: “Bad Days” (feat. Alejandro Escovedo)

Punk is a young person’s game, no doubt. Because while the counterculture spirit, tattoos, and tinnitus stay ’til death, even punk rock pioneers eventually mellow out towards “refined tastes” once they get comfortable on the other side of the hill.

Case in point: Ian MacDougall of The Riverboat Gamblers fame, who first broadened his genre horizons with Broken Gold alongside fellow Gambler Patrick Lillard over a decade and a half back. The offshoot’s initial indie punk prospects shined on their 2011 debut LP Recovery Journal, and have only departed further from the signature RG sound since, most notably on last March’s Live at Paint by Numbers. Well after waiting long enough, Broken Gold’s finally giving us another full-length entry into their studio discography.

Wild Eyes (out May 3rd) strikes gold with mixing from Modest Mouse/White Stripes engineer Stuart Sikes and mastering from twenty-one-time Grammy winner Howie Weinberg, not to mention one hell of a guest appearance. We’re talking about “Bad Days“, a look back to when Riverboat Gamblers were operating full tilt on tour, almost like a generations-later continuation of Ramones’ “I Wanna Be Sedated”. It dropped last Friday and features vocals from KUTX favorite Alejandro Escovedo, who could certainly lean on his formative days with The Nuns for similar inspiration. So as Broken Gold shifts the fuzz pedal into overdrive for SXSW, catch ’em 10:15PM tomorrow night at Valhalla for the Chicken Ranch Records Party and 5:45PM on Sunday at Empire Control Room for Smartpunk House. They’ll both be good nights for sure.

Scott H. Biram: “No Man’s Land”

Once you hit your third or fourth full-length, you’re established. By album seven or eight you’re a heavyweight. But when your discography reaches its teens, the list of contemporaries to compare to starts running thin…and that’s the position Scott H. Biram is about to enter.

With a catalogue reaching back to the turn of the millennium, this Austin singer-guitarist has officially been in the game for a quarter century, and two decades removed from a pivotal brush with death. Biram’s is the type of music that could really only stem from Texas, with a gratuitous amount of southern grit ingrained in his exploration of blues, punk rock, and beyond. And his streaming numbers are certainly nothing to scoff at.

Recently, rockin’ the Fu Manchu mustache, gold tooth, and all, Scott’s gotten caught up in recapturing the lo-fi charm of his earlier installations, a wager he’ll make good on with his thirteenth full-length The One & Only Scott H. Biram, out March 29th. Based on the record’s first three singles (including this morning’s “No Man’s Land“) we definitely feel greeted back to that grizzled territory like a musty junkyard mutt crawling back inside a rusty jalopy frame. The shitkickers will love it, but that doesn’t neglect the uncouth sophistication of these new, idiosyncratic compositions. Rock on, Scott. Rock on.

Coral samples in Galveston could be key to keeping the species alive

On the eve of early voting, Alexandra Samuels of Texas Monthly and Mark Jones of the Baker Institute at Rice University share a closer look at some of the big contests Texas voters will see on their primary ballots.

We’ll hear about what happened when reporters for the Houston Chronicle began mapping where tickets are being issued to people experiencing homelessness there.

Amid mounting threats from climate change, scientists at Moody Gardens in Galveston are caring for 150 coral fragments from five species to keep them alive.

Anyone up for barbecue – for breakfast? BBQ journalist Daniel Vaughn has some prime tips.

Frogmouth: “Not Listening”

Especially in their respective genre’s salad days, too many garage rockers and punks alike have inadvertently honored the unofficial “live fast die young” creed. But in recent times, some of the elder statesmen seem to only be having more fun as they’ve matured. And we’re not just talking about Iggy Pop. No, for the sake of this argument, and without trying to come off as ageist, let’s look at those who were young punks themselves back in the ’80s.

Folks like the four veteran rockers behind Frogmouth. They may be well-seasoned players of the local scene and beyond, but Frogmouth itself as an institution is hardly out of the tadpole phase. That hasn’t stopped these rowdy polliwogs from padding out a middle ground between classic acts like Velvet Underground and The Replacements and fresher threads to Rancid and The Strokes, all for an amphibious ecosystem of grungy, power-alt-garage-indie-punk rock that never takes itself too seriously.

Frogmouth’s spent much of 2023 ribbiting singles out onto streaming, all ahead of their debut EP Humor Me, which finally drops this weekend. The quartet headlines an all-ages release show Saturday night at The Mohawk starting 8PM with openers Space Cushion, Dropped Out, and Ne’er-Do-Well. So if you’re feelin’ froggy, hop on out there. If you’re more of a home toad, you can at least defy titles by cranking “Not Listening” up to 11, because this near-four-minute dynamic leap across retro power temperaments will activate your inner angsty teen in the best, catchiest way possible.

Nuclear Tourism: “Dad Brains”

So hot right now! …poolside music videos that is. But also, yeah…patrolling the U.S. south this time of year almost makes you wish for a nuclear winter. So with mutually assured destruction still a bit too close for comfort, nuclear tourism seems like the next best thing. Yet we’re not predicting a windfall of Trinity testsite visitors post-Oppenheimer. No, we’re actually talking about Athens, Georgia garage punk rock quartet Nuclear Tourism. These dastardly slackers got started a half decade back with their debut album Scraping By and ever since, when they’re not getting stoned as a bone, bombing hills, or slurping up greasy slices, the four-piece is going full-power in their practice space, shredding through raw reflections of dissent and affection. And as Nuclear Tourism basks in the fallout of their eponymous sophomore record that dropped in February, they also cool off in a newly-issued music video for “Dad Brains”. Bridging timeless embodiments of angst and contextualizing The Graduate for the next generation of unmotivated miscreants, Nuclear Tourism channels Dustin Hoffman’s iconic despondency in the only way they know how; by slappin’ the “plastics” out of those patronizing paternal synapses and instead bonding over Marlboros, beers, and cannonballs. Making apathy look as flashy as it does nasty, “Dad Brains” begs for a drink-a-long lobotomy…just wait ’til you get home from work before diving in and putting ’em down.

CIVIC: “Born in the Heat”

We’ve gotten drenched by several “South By Soaking Wet”s in the past, but rest assured, despite gloomy weather, there’s a lot going on. And any precipitation aside, CIVIC sure as hell is in that mix. Founded in 2017, this Melbourne quintet has continued to follow old school punk rock’s first rules: 1) Don’t overthink it, 2) just have fun, and 3) play what gets the people going. And while we suspect CIVIC’s circle pits are a prime place to get bloody and bruised, the band’s pandemic-era full-lengths have found the five-piece broadening their scope to more inclusive, higher-fidelity, and controllable elements of rock, albeit all high-octane.

That said CIVIC‘s already begun bringing the low-light grit of the “Aussie music experience” to our city limits. They wrapped up the first quarter of a dozen shows yesterday afternoon at Hole in the Wall and just hopped off stage at Mohawk for Flood-Fest a few minutes ago. They’ll be back at Hotel Vegas today at 2PM for Levitation Party before a 5PM set at South By San Jose. Tomorrow’s options are 12:15PM at Chess Club, 2:15PM at Australia House/Lucille Patio, and 5PM in the Waterloo Records parking lot. CIVIC’s final Hotel Vegas appearance is Saturday at 2PM, before Do512’s “The Big One” 6PM at Far Out Lounge and 11PM at Valhalla.

With that many gigs (both official and unofficial) at that many venues, you won’t need to be Taken By Force to see CIVIC in person. So why not brave the elements to throw elbows with some of Australia’s finest? Because as much as us Texans like to poke fun at those who complain about the sun, these Melbourne badasses were “Born in the Heat”. Catch the fire while it’s close by…

Trunk: “Chili’s 45th and Lamar”

Depending on the general reception of a sitting administration, President’s Day often presents the creative community with opportunities to shed some sociopolitical discourse. Today, that’s not quite the case. Instead we’re yielding the podium to a group whose last two albums were Trunk’s America and north american practice space. Yes, we’re talking about Trunk.

Look at their song titles or listen to their lyrics and you can tell right away that these five fellas are mainly just goofin’ around. But following Austin’s rich history of sarcastic hardcore punk acts like The Dicks, Big Boys and MDC, Trunk is actually really fun to listen to and honesty incredible live. Given, they only made their first public live performance last Fall at Infinite Hellscape Fest, but that set showed how much Trunk’s sound has matured since their 2017 debut GONE AREA. And although the lyrics and subject matter are about the same level of juvenility (unsurprising considering how old some of these songs are), we’re certainly not complaining about Trunk’s laissez-faire approach to songwriting, which channels the care-free eclecticism of Meat Puppets or The Minutemen.

On that note, today Trunk unfurled their latest studio offering, Buzzkill. Buzzkill is easily Trunk’s best record yet, both in terms of content and sonic fidelity. This cabinet of crazies is best enjoyed uninterrupted front-to-back, so we’ll get you started with Buzzkill‘s album opener that pays tribute to the Commander in Chief of chain restaurants, “Chili’s 45th and Lamar”.

The Blowies: “Bye Bye Polar Bears”

Longtime morning listeners can attest that the late great John Aielli was incredibly keen on his almanac commemorations, especially Halloween and Valentine’s Day. But the class act John was, he always kept it kosher on the actual calendar day, saving the delightful disdain of his Anti-Valentine’s playlist for February 15th. So in the time since he left us, it’s not surprising that former producers of John’s (including myself and my colleague Taylor) and other “Aeillians” like to jump the gun and get a little smarmy on Hallmark’s favorite holiday.

In that scornful spirit, For Spite presents “Singles Only” 6PM tonight at The Far Out Lounge, hosted by KUTX’s own Taylor Wallace. For just $10 you’ll get a lot more than a bouquet or a box of chocolate – four sets of hand-picked Austin acts back-to-back, each packed with a brand new offering. The evening kicks off with a Kiki Machine music video premiere and continues with three kick-ass single releases from Die Mart, Exotic Fruits, and today’s feature, The Blowies.

Comprised of Sharks in the Deep End ex-pats Tucker Jameson and Samuel Thompson, this hardcore duo dropped their uncouth debut The Blowies back in 2020. Their already-cynical take on societal commentary has flourished from their of-kilter confidence at start of the pandemic era into the breakneck tongue-in-cheek typhoon we now know as The Blowies. A new gale of high-octane punk touches down later this year on an as-of-yet-untitled sophomore full-length, one that brought The Blowies back to Public Hi-Fi Studio, this time with producer-engineer-extraordinaire Max Lorenzen. And when The Blowies hit the stage at 8PM tonight, join them in chanting an irreverent anthem that almost seems to celebrate the pessimism surrounding climate change by bidding farewell to our arctic ursine neighbors, “Bye Bye Polar Bears”!

Rad Gnar: “Buddha”

When you name your band after two monosyllabic slang words, you know it’s gonna be good. Case in point: Rad Gnar, whose members overlap with those of Basketball Shorts, Big Bill, and Breaklights with more than a decade of live show experience. Rad Gnar reels in the space between indie and punk and keeps their brand of rock as high octane as possible with every given opportunity. Rad Gnar’s style of music is best enjoyed in a live setting, where electricity reciprocates onstage and into the crowd. Fortunately for us, Rad Gnar’s got a couple of non-South By South West gigs over the coming days. You won’t need a badge or wristband to see them this Sunday at Volstead Lounge nor next Thursday at Hole in the Wall, where they’ll be tearing into their new EP Dead Strings. At three tracks totaling just over ten minutes, Dead Strings is a well-packaged quick listen, perfect for your lunch break, commute, or just whenever you need to spaz out to some lively rock. So find your own personal favorite from this concise collection, but Song of the Day recommends the shortest, sweetest, and arguably most salivating song, “Buddha”!

Pleasure Venom: “Severed Ties”

As the nation marks one year since a high-profile socio-political event,Love Austin Music Month continues with theAustin Music Foundation’s Artist Development Program and one of our city’s most politically outspoken punk bands Pleasure Venom. Fronted by fierce vocalist and unapologetic lyricist Audrey Campbell, Pleasure Venom’s been seeping its way into all the sub-genres of punk rock since their 2016 debut EP Hunt, and landed the group a supporting spot on tour with ’90s rock icons Garbage.

Unfortunately Pleasure Venom’s had to pull their free week shows due to COVID-19, but with an abundance of societal fodder at her disposal, Campbell sure as hell hasn’t stopped writing. ATX Gen Next: Adventures in Person features two new singles from Pleasure Venom(including the pace-shifting”Severed Ties”) that’ll assure you of their dynamic durability and take-no-guff discourse more than a half decade since their start.

OKAMOTOS: “Band Music”

When a group’s been dubbed the Japanese analogue to golden-era Red Hot Chili Peppers, expectations are pretty high. And yet Tokyo-based four-piece OKAMOTO’s manages to live up to that hype and well beyond with a raucous, irreverent brand of punk-funk-rock that gives Freaky Styley a run for its money.

In the same vein as the Ramones, the members of this audacious quartet have adopted each other as informal family members, with a bond that’s gone above and beyond into their ninth LP, KNO WHERE. KNO WHERE is an epic, seventeen-song experience best enjoyed in its entirety, but if you can’t clock out to rock out quite yet, you can still hop aboard OKAMOTO’s locomotive energy with “Band Music”!

The Consequentialists: “Puzzle”

When it comes to philosophy in punk music, raw always wins the luck of the draw. Take, for example, Austin outfit The Consequentialists, who knocked out the pre-production for their debut EP under the primitive restrictions of an iPhone’s built in microphone and the entry-level limits of Garage Band, over-dubbing only what they needed to pack a punch after the fact.

The resulting self-titled record is an unfettered offering of aggressive energy, putting The Consequentialists high up on our list of artists we can’t wait to see live. And with The Consequentialists finishing at a compact fifteen minutes, you definitely have the time to pilfer through its five tracks, starting with the album opener, “Puzzle”!