rock

Walker Lukens: “The One Who Loves You”

If you weren’t already well aware, we here at KUTX love Walker Lukens; we shined our Artist of the Month spotlight on this perfectionist performer back in January 2015, right when Walker Lukens and (his backing band) The Side Arms released their Jim Eno-produced single “Every Night”, a tune that now totes more than two million streams on Spotify. Since then Walker’s sort of mimicked the mysterious monolith from 2001: A Space Odyssey, touching down to intrigue the masses and revolutionize listener experiences, but only when the moment is just right.

That’s not to say that Walker hasn’t kept busy since 2019’s ADULT, his final pre-pandemic piece of output. On top of dropping two more full-lengths and an EP, Lukens has been helping to interpolate flirty little secrets as one of the two masterminds behind The Song Confessional podcast. Walker’s also been graciously offering up his production prowess and fine-tuned formulas as a noble service for his fellow Texas creatives.

But as seductive as Walker’s sonic sorcery is in-studio, if you’ve seen him play live, you know how whetting it is to witness the carefully-crafted studio magic replicated almost identically onstage, expertly-cut a capella loops and all. So imagine our excitement this morning when Lukens announced his fourth studio full-length Accessible Beauty for release in August alongside plans for a promotional tour.

That welcome news arrived alongside Accessible Beauty‘s lead single, “The One Who Loves You”, a re-introduction to Walker’s retro-pop tastes. Between invigorating reverse guitar, sexy synth squelches, and processed vocals that soar through a torrid chorus, “The One Who Loves You” boasts an enormous sense of space that easily towers over most of Tame Impala’s less-intense installations. Wish you could express your feelings as fiery as Walker does? Just forward this one to whomever you carry a torch for and get ready for romance.

SUSU: “Mine”

SXSW Music is the talk of town all this week, and of course we’ve got a handful of live performances for your consideration. Starting off today with another set of four all-caps letters, SUSU. Since the mid-2010’s, jiggish Gemini singers Liza Colby and Kia Warren have guided SUSU through New York City’s steamy indie rock-and-soul scene. The quintet clawed their way onto streaming platforms with 2019’s Panther City EP and follow it up this spring with a new baker’s dozen of outrageously catchy originals on Call Susie.

Sure, SUSU’s in town for SXSW, but between their camaraderie alongside KUTX favorites Sweet Spirit, they’re certainly no stranger to the Live Music Capital of the World. As of this publication, SUSU’s already about halfway through their slew of gigs, having already wrapped up two back-to-back shows on Friday, Saturday’s Hoss Sauce House Party, and a set early this afternoon at Empire Control Room. But fortunately for USUS, SUSU is still going full speed ahead.

SUSU’s spree continues 8:45PM tonight at Hole in the Wall and return to the Hotel Vegas Patio at 10:45PM. SUSU rings in 5 o’clock right for the Paste Magazine Showcase presented by Ilegal Mezcal on Wednesday before closing out their Spring Break 5:30PM Thursday at Antone’s. There are plenty of free-with-RSVP options to see SUSU, so find a day and time that works for you and claim it as “Mine” – which is also the title of Call Susie‘s latest spark-plug of a lead single.

The Runaway Grooms: “Mister Ford”

In the late ’60s and early ’70s, jam bands were all the rage. But now, in an era where song durations hinge on short attention spans or knowledge that shorter tunes simply hit bigger streaming numbers faster, jam bands are actually pretty polarizing. Even more recent innovators like Mars Volta or Godspeed You! Black Emperor have struggled to stay accessible because of lengthy runtimes. We’re so far removed from the long-form improvisation that jazz and rock normalized half a century back, that when a contemporary group can keep on jamming and pack it in on wax, they’ve got a serious leg up.

Take for instance Central Colorado quintet The Runaway Grooms. Sure, TRG’s 2020 debut Tied to the Sun simmers down with a 13-minute epic, but “Tales of Ernest” is really an outlier of their studio output. Instead The Runaway Grooms prove the power of brevity when laying down tracks. In doing so, The Runaway Grooms are able to evoke classic jam acts like The Allman Brothers or The Grateful Dead without sinking into the long song gimmick (looking at you, Phish). That ability to relegate the extended stuff to concerts is no doubt informed by seven national tours, but you don’t need to check their list of stops to experience This Road.

Tomorrow, on the heels of a statewide CO tour, The Runaway Grooms release their third album, This Road. This Road winds over eclectic retro blends in the ilk of Steely Dan and Yes across five originals. And with no genre stoplights in earshot, The Runaway Grooms navigate This Road by opening up the throttle, hitting hard left turns, and at times, coming to an abrupt stop, all while charting a cohesive musical pilgrimage. So if This Road is already giving you wanderlust jitters, rip into the record early with a single that that sounds like Jethro Tull and War had a funky-prog love child in the year between Aqualung and The World Is a Ghetto: “Mister Ford”.

Sam Pace and the Gilded Grit: “The Light”

Happy New Year! I spent the last bit of December collecting some truly outstanding new music that I’m eager to introduce to y’all…starting today with Austin’s Sam Pace and the Gilded Grit. One glance at Pace’s striking eyes, vicious visage, and black wide-brimmed hat is all it takes to imagine him as a rugged 19th-century, mixed-morality dime novel protagonist, but really he’s more of a contemporary Southern soul-rock scarecrow.

But don’t be intimidated by appearances! Anchored by his bewitching baritone and stinging six-string techniques, Sam Pace and the Gilded Grit have stayed strong across Austin and beyond for just over a decade now. They’ve got four phenomenal full-lengths out and on streaming for you to peruse through, though the big news for the Gilded Grit in the New Year is a single release show, 10PM this Friday at Saxon Pub.

However, Friday’s all the way at the end of the week, and I know folks are trying to hit the ground running in 2023 (myself included). That’s why, in keeping pace with the passing of a year, Sam and the Gilded Grit have gifted us an early piece of inspiration. Its message essentially champions resilience and courage when faced by darkness, and between production by Chris “Frenchie” Smith, a guitar solo that’d make Jack White’s jaw drop, and an airtight arrangement, “The Light” extends well past “carpe diem”, and instead begs you to “carpe annum” over the next twelve months.

Grrrl Toy: “Bite!”

The way some people talk about solo singer-songwriters…seems like there’s a lot of complicated discourse around the whole “one-person act” aspect. We sometimes idolize (and frankly fetishize) unescorted performances by the likes of Norah Jones or Billie Eilish, but honestly, even with those examples I respect the hell out of a songwriter who recognizes the potential of a full-group.

Among those? San Antonio singer-guitarist Rhyma Castillo. Following lineages of Led Zeppelin, Janis Joplin, Joan Jett, PJ Harvey, and even Tina Turner, Castillo launched her classic-rock-meets-grunge project Grrrl Toy as a solo endeavor back in July. But despite the caliber of Castillo’s standalone talents, the potential to expand was just too good to pass up. Now, mere months later, Grrrl Toy records and performs as a fizzing feminist five-piece, and dang do those additional four players make a difference for the final product.

Following their first two singles, the quintet’s been working on their debut EP Merry Lane for release next Summer. And today Grrrl Toy’s graciously given us an early listen to what’s sure to be one of Merry Lane‘s finest incisors. At just over four minutes, “Bite!” is a slow burn that starts off real sweet, real soft. But between crunching guitar, sharp percussion fills, and a half-time bridge just before a big Blackhearts-style vocal-driven finish, you won’t want “Bite!” to release its grip, even after breaking the skin.

July Talk: “Human Side”

You’ve heard of Christmas in July…but July Talk in December? No, your calendar’s not having an existential crisis. But if you want new music at home and live in person, today we’ve got a recommendation and premiere all packed into one.

Chances are, you’ve never experienced anything quite like July Talk. For the past decade this spectacle of a Toronto sextet has electrified crowds with a relatively unconventional lineup in the indie rock realm; two fronting vocalists, bewitchingly balanced bass and guitar, and most recently the addition of a second drummer. Their 2012 eponymous debut proved right away that July Talk’s raucous chemistry isn’t constricted to the stage, and their full-length formulas have only become more and more refined at a pace of about one record every four years.

But true to their name, July Talk’s identity is an ongoing conversation. While the band’s back-and-forth fury is certainly still there, themes of rebirth, renewed strength, and voicing dissent dominate their fourth LP, Remember Never Before. This masterfully-inventive eleven-track drops January 20th, and July Talk wraps up a week-long U.S. tomorrow night in Dallas. Tonight at 9PM July Talk takes the stage at Antone’s along with Austinites Darkbird for an 18+ show. So if you want to rock out with these ACL Fest veterans, you can squad up to Antone’s OR let it all out on Remember Never Before‘s latest! Buckle up, ’cause from its sparse first downbeat all the way to its cacophonic final chord, “Human Side” is a helluva sendoff to 2022.

Surf Curse: “Self Portrait”

Reno, Nevada…not typically a place thought of as a hub for water-sports. And maybe that’s the point; between the desert flora and the arid atmosphere, it’s almost as if someone laid a pox on “The Biggest Little City in the World” for aquatic fanatics. A Surf Curse, if you will. For nearly a full decade, Surf Curse has been tearing up waves of indie rock, pop, punk, and psych. Developmentally, the once-duo has recently doubled into a quartet, expanding their coast of cross-genre grains and performance capabilities. Those new additions have culminated in Surf Curse’s fourth full-length Magic Hour, recorded at the one-and-only Electric Lady Studios. Surf Curse has already caught a steady current of streams for Magic Hour and now, after wrapping up the European leg of their latest tour, they’re bringing the sorcery down to Austin. Surf Curse performs both tonight and tomorrow night (sold out) at The Mohawk, but if it’s just not in the cards for you, fire up the surreal nightmare-fuel within “Self Portrait“‘s music video.

Max Fite: “Night Owl”

Beginning with his 2016 debut LP Shake It on Down, Los Angeles singer-guitarist Max Fite has been magnifying in on a mighty fine line of hard rock. This magnum force has already toured alongside legends likes of Puddle of Mudd, Johnny Thunders, Social Distortion’s Mike Ness, Blondie’s Clem Burke, and oh yeah, even Sex Pistols’ Glen Matlock. Fite’s singles just seem to keep getting meatier and meatier, fitting for an artist whose upcoming LP is entitled Night Owl. This nocturnal beast features Queens of the Stone Age drummer Joe Castillo and Eagles of Death Metal bassist Dave Catching, making for the meanest parliament of owls you’ve ever heard. So keep your ears peeled for Night Owl in the near future, and open up the throttle like a blazing red ’65 Skylark tearing ass across the desert on the record’s title track, whose magnifique music video just touched down below.

Freedy Johnston: “The Power of Love”

Connoisseurs of Americana (or “Americonnoisseurs” as I like to call them) can probably recognize the music of Freedy Johnston within a few notes. Back in the early ’90s Johnston became somewhat of a legend thanks to an unfettered dedication to his craft and a consistent, high quality output of tunes. As a matter of fact, Rolling Stone named Johnston “Songwriter of the Year” in 1994 and within the next couple years he was a staple of film soundtracks (both major and indie). Right around SXSW 2009 Freedy Johnston linked up with KUTX favorite Jon Dee Graham and Susan Cowsill to record At Least We Have Each Other as The Hobart Brothers and Lil’ Sis Hobart. But although he’s found a footing here in Austin, Freedy Johnston’s been noticeably absent since his last solo release, 2015’s self-produced Neon Repairman.

This morning, after seven long years in the shadows, Freedy Johnston is finally back with his latest LP, Back on the Road to You. Cowsill returns as a collaborator on BotRtY along with The Bangles’ Susanna Hoffs, Aimee Mann, and one of the tightest backing bands you can imagine. It paves a path parallel to folk greats like Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Jackson Browne, and The Byrds all while keeping course on the great Americana highway. Needless to say, after three decades of doing his thing, Freedy Johnston’s still got it, as heard on the road trip-ready folk-country-rocker “The Power of Love”.

Otis Wilkins: “Kamakura”

There are a lot of ways to pay tribute to one’s pedigree, but few are quite as charming as keeping a family nickname alive. And in an odd sort of role reversal of Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade, Austin singer-guitarist Taylor Wilkins re-appropriated his father’s college moniker “Otis” for a pet dog before adopting the handle himself. Wilkins’ has since enjoyed success as the eponymous frontman of indie-shoegaze four-piece Otis the Destroyer, and more recently with his alt-rock endeavor Otis Wilkins.

Otis Wilkins reaches into a retro-stratosphere of soundscapes relatively untouched by the Destroyer, with an emphasis on ’60s-’70s pop and rock. The project launched in 2018 with the Strangest Place EP and caught national attention with two singles the following year (“Shaker #42” and KUTX/NPR Music favorite “Joni Mitchell Was Punk”). Otis’ last offering was 2020’s “Charlene”, but after two years of pensive pandemic patience, Wilkins is finally back with more. Jack White/Widespread Panic producer Brett Orrison helped shape a new slew of singles for 2022, a sequence that starts today with “Kamakura”. Inspired by the burial place of legendary filmmaker Akira Kurosawa as well as the tone and narrative pacing of his iconic films, the marching band-style snare drum cadence, ethereal vocal reverb, cutting guitar solo, and heavenly synth pads of “Kamakura” all add up to a ghostly but reverent experience that transcends into immortality.

Robin Mordecai: “Caroline”

It’s been three quarters of a decade since Austin songwriter Robin Mordecai shared his last EP Here Goes Something, but fortunately for us he’s finally got another album coming out this weekend. True to its title, Portraits features five succinct snapshots of fictional personalities anchored in ’70s/’80s-style pop rock, not unlike The Cars or Tom Petty. This lyrical gallery showcases Mordecai’s multi-instrumental mastery across drums, bass, keyboard, guitar and vocals, with additional polish from producer David Messier and Same-Sky Studio engineer Andre Catave. Robin Mordecai plays 8PM tonight at Geraldine’s and 10PM at Saxon Pub on Tuesday the 26th so see him in person when you can. In the meantime, find your favorite character on Portraits and let these narratives spin with the record, beginning with album opener “Caroline”, co-written by Jeff Plankenhorn.

Chief Cleopatra: “Fortuity”

For just over a week now we’ve graced KUTX’s airwaves with our February 2022 Artist of the Month Chief Cleopatra, the Corsicana, Texas-born singer-songwriter who conjures a seductive concoction of rock, psychedelia, and soul. That’s not to say that Cleo’s a complete stranger to KUTX, considering her appearances on The Breaks and genre-bending performance during their 2020 Summer Jam, both following the release of her 2019 debut EP. In the short time since then, Chief Cleopatra’s ascended to a higher plane, now harnessing even more impressive celestial interpretations. You’ll hear those refined spirits on Chief Cleopatra’s upcoming EP Luna, out March 4th, plus appearances from fellow KUTX favorites Curtis Roush and Jack O’Brien (ofBright Light Social Hour) as well as Song Confessional host/multi-instrumentalist/producer Walker Lukens. Hopefully you’ve already made acquaintances with Luna‘s lead single “Friends”, because the album’s sophomore offering “Fortuity” (and its music video, which just premiered over at Flood Magazine) is here!

The Cactus Blossoms: “Hey Baby”

Although Minneapolis brothers Page Burkum and Jack Torrey didn’t begin singing together until they were in their thirties, The Cactus Blossoms and their handsome harmonies have already flourished a reputation that gives The Everly Brothers a run for their money. A half decade after The Cactus Blossoms released their debut LP You’re Dreaming and just two since their 2019 sophomore Easy Way, Burkum and Torrey have just announced a new full-length, One Day.

One Day drops February 11th of next year and The Cactus Blossoms have shared a little bit of its pollen early to keep our honey jar healthy, courtesy of the record’s soft-spoken, indie-folk-foot-tap lead single, “Hey Baby”!

The Eldridge Band: “All Away”

Based out of Tennessee, guitarist-vocalist-organist Jon Eldridge has enlisted some of Nashville’s finest for his eponymous rock project The Eldridge Band – fellow multi-instrumentalists Johnny Boyd and Caroline Browning as well as drummer Will Morrison. And after tracking their debut full-length Hindsight this past year, The Eldridge Band teamed up with acclaimed Jack White/Chris Stapleton engineer Vance Powell to mix the record and take it to another level. It’s been a couple weeks since Hindsight dropped in late November, giving us plenty of time to look back and fully appreciate how well put-together this album is; Hindsight‘s impressive sonic and dynamic range finds The Eldridge Band topping crests of psych-and-country-driven rock before effortlessly lulling back down into delicate valleys of soft piano-centric Americana, alongside some perfectly-packaged, radio-ready, harmony-heavy standouts like “All Away”!

A. Sinclair: “Secrets”

One of the most auspicious arbiters of rock here in Austin is undoubtedly A. Sinclair. Since 2014’s Pretty Girls, Aaron Sinclair’s consistently curated an intricate indie rock sound bolstered by cavalier-but-calculated vocals and gorgeous guitar work, a legacy that’s continued with this year’s Sunshine Ghost LP. This two-time Studio 1A veteran joins a roster of fellow Mr. Pink Records artists this Sunday at Hole in the Wall for the release of A. Sinclair’s latest single, “Secrets”. Over a mere three minutes, “Secrets” escalates from a stripped-down pairing of dry vocals and acoustic guitar into an enormous, reverb-drenched indie rock masterpiece that’ll have you sharing it with your own network of music nerds in no time.

Strand of Oaks: “Easter” [KUTX Pop-Up]

Singer-guitarist Timothy Showalter took the trauma of his early twenties and transformed it into his solo project Strand of Oaks while he was still in Pennsylvania but it’s open been since he moved down to Austin that his style has fully flourished. Following the release of his eighth album In Heaven back at the beginning of October, Showalter’s been touring America alongside Jason Isbell and embarks on an international tour beginning next February. But the latest from this three-time Studio 1A veteran is a pop-up session which Strand of Oaks graciously allowed our multimedia team to capture in Showalter’s own home, and even though we just got done with Thanksgiving, we’re confident that the set-opener “Easter” is perfect for a playlist of any season.

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”!

Brandy Zdan: “The Worst Thing”

Canada’s Brandy Zdan may have settled into her current home base of Nashville back in 2014, but the preceding three years she spent here in Austin was plenty enough to win over a following. This year Zdan’s zeroing in on Falcon, the full-length follow-up to her 2018 sophomore release Secretear that’s set to spread its wings at the end of the month.

Falcon features some of Zdan’s most personal reflections to date, and is a testament to how far this take-no-guff multi-instrumentalist-producer has soared in the rock aurora. Hear Zdan soar with Falcon on October 29th and get on the wing early with one of the record’s very best, “The Worst Thing“!

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.