New Music, Emerging from your Local Scene
Expiremental Rock group Maurice has released the second single, "Steamed Brocoli", from their forthcoming EP. This song, just as the first single, "Quarantine Single #1", was record remotely pushing the group sound in an unintended new direction.
Maurice is the work of David Grant (Electric Piano, Clavinet), Moses Aguilar (Guitar), Kevin Meyer (Bass), Corey McCafferty (Drums, Synthesizer), James Davis (trumpet, flugelhorn), and Jonathon Kirk (trombone, euphonium).
Local D.I.Y. songwriter Marcos Rocha [A.K.A. subcommander] dropped a new single earlier this month via their North Loop apartment studio. The barely-there vocal style attests to their environment, being quarantined in a room with parchment paper walls. Though a lot of musicians are adjusting to working remotely, subcommander’s process hasn’t changed much. “All of my work has been made with really limited resources. It just so happens now that the resource I’m lacking is human contact”. Despite the current state of music in Austin, subcommander brings us a mini-symphony in “Hacksawteeth”.
The track starts with a funeral march style piano/string arrangement, then comfortably transitions into a warm, lounge vibe. The light fingerpicking on the nylon strings sound like Rocha’s sitting in the room with you. “Don’t take the beaten path if it beats you to death” they whisper in the last line of the verses. Rocha is open about the feelings that went into creating the track, stating “One of my biggest fears is living a life that isn’t worth living, out of fear that I can’t have what I really want.” They added, “Meanwhile life is grinding away at you like a hacksaw & you’re expected to rise to whatever you’re handed using any tools you’ve got.” Rocha is well known in the Austin music community for their unabashed, guerilla marketing and no-frills approach.
In “Hacksawteeth”, subcommander took inspiration from fear, anxiety, false promises, Disney movie ‘Tangled’ and their cat Michael Caine. Rocha explains, “There is a horse named Maximus that has a whole personality and story arc. When the hero, Flynn, gets taken to jail near the end of the movie, I thought “Oh, obviously Maximus is just gonna go pay his bail” & that idea was really funny to me. That’s how I got the first line of the song ‘spent the night in jail / my cat paid bail.’ In a broader sense I feel like the song is about feeling helpless.”
The subcommander discography is packed with a healthy dose of lo-fi, trip-pop tunes & more recently, an emotionally charged split album with Lizzie Page entitled ‘The Mud/Goodwill’ via local net-label Digital Hotdogs. Rocha plans on releasing an EP with their power-pop band Luvweb by the end of the year. Until then, you can purchase and stream “Hacksawteeth” on all major music streaming sites. Make sure to follow their Instagram and Facebook accounts to stay tuned in.
Aalok Bala‘s sophomore single "Moon Juice" defies explanation, but Bala seeks to create music that helps people transcend any earthly reason. A blend of synths, Andean flutes, and effected percussion and vocals, Bala toys with sound to create hypnotic melodies and arrangements. The video for "Moon Juice" shows the kind of psychedelic visions Bala seeks to create with her music. Whooshing 3D environments of breathing alien landscapes, temples to unknowable deities, and windows into alternate worlds accentuate the spiritual inspiration that feeds Bala’s artistic vision. "Moon Juice" follows Bala’s debut single "Sueño", and will appear on her debut EP Sacred Mirror. Take a look at the video for "Moon Juice" below. – Will Sisskind
To a sultry and dangerous blues crawl, Boston’s Abigail Ory enters, drenched in a hot and sticky passion few times encountered in music and elsewhere: the singer/songwriter’s latest single “Waves” is a milky sonic sea to bathe in. The heart-beat bass, the fuzzy electric guitar strums, and Ory’s velvety vocals all ignite the unison shifts that give life and edge to the track, fit for the most underground of clubs, for the best places to catch an evening-altering song. In “Waves,” Ory shows, at a young age, a maturity that separates her from the current crop of indie-pop artists, selecting with care influences beyond the available palette. Stream “Waves” below for a dramatic exit from the week, for a fiery entrance into the weekend. – Rene Cobar
Singer/Songwriter/Actor Bethany Thomas has released the opening track from her forthcoming solo debut BT/She/Her which is due out August 28th.
This truly has to be one of the most powerful, stage setting, opening tracks of the year. It is actually a proclamation as Thomas declares “I no longer feel beholden to apologize for my body. My color, my size, the places I go or the space I occupy. If there’s a problem- it is surely yours.”
Emo Rapper Safehold has released the latest single, "Loose Ends", from his new album, Boyish, which is out today via Mutant League Records.
The single is accompanied by an Alex Zarek directed video and when asked about the track here is what Safehold had to say; "Loose Ends lyrically was supposed to represent partying and young lust. I think this story represents my years in high school, when I would desperately try to cling on to cool people who did not care about me in the slightest."
In the climate of masks, protests and the eternal quarantine, Theo’s new single “Rescue Me” is the cure. He reminds us to stay strong and to remember that we are not alone. Local Austin artist Thelonious “Theo” Love released his latest single on April 3, 2020 in collaboration with Kate Priestley. This heartfelt song is laced with beats to guide a rough day back to tranquility.
Theo is never afraid to take risks in both his lyrics and his musical style. A combination of modern hip-hop and live instruments truly makes his music unique to the Austin scene. The vibe of the music along with Theo’s soothing voice work together in a harmony that could make a N95 mask melt.
The live experience is unlike anything else. Remember live music? Theo and his group have such synergy on stage you almost want to look away; as if you are watching a private moment between a small group of close friends. His recorded music is reflective of this energy and “Rescue Me” feels like you are inside the heart and mind of the artist.
Theo is more than an artist; he is an activist, a songwriter and, above all, an advocate for love. Now, more than ever the lyrics “still tryna get free, what do I do? What they say feels like chains to me” is an honest reminder of the struggle a black/queer person experiences in daily life. Theo’s response to this adversity: “I chose to be the example. Of life and love and love and love and love”.
There is something eerie about how a song can capture an emotion so specifically. Almost as if this song was created for a time of strife… to keep us humble and keep us together.
– Magz Baillio
Photo Credit: Theo Love’s Facebook Page
Experimental Jazz and Hip Hop group Not Lovely has released a new single called "Keep Warm". The sales of the single on bandcamp are going to support Brave Space Alliance.
This is the work of Joshua Virtue (Vocals), Jack Clements (Vocals), Michael Queenan (Guitar), Lyn Rye (Bass, Vocals), and Taylor Stevenson (Percussion, Production).
James Swansberg has released visuals for the latest single "Blue Summer" from his debut album The One and Only.
The long anticipated full-length solo debut from the longtime member of The Lemons is filled wonderfully warped nostalgic rock sounds.
Love songs tend to be fairly focused in their subject matter, yet Queens-based folk songwriter Ian Wayne takes an eagle-eyed approach on new track “Baby,” penning a ode on an “imagined longview of life in love” that speaks the universality of the emotion. Sweetly sparse and consistently grounded, Wayne’s vox glides over a downtempo indie, almost Americana saunter, offering a plainspoken view of adoration that accepts both the good and bad in equal measure. With an economy of language and an ear for balance between the track’s winding guitar solos and a softer central voice, his capacity to render emotional intimacy in terms comprehendible to any warrant praise and a careful listen. Stream it below, and keep an ear out for Wayne’s forthcoming record Risking Illness, out September 18th on Whatever’s Clever.
After eight years since their last release, alt-Americana group Atta Boy will release their sophomore LP Big Heart Matters on September 11th. Following the surprise success of their debut Out of Sorts in 2012, Atta Boy’s members pursued solo projects on both the West and East coasts, all the while coming up with ideas for a possible second record. They reconvened earlier this year to put together Big Heart Matters, and while times have made creating and releasing music difficult, Atta Boy have already put out two singles from the upcoming album. The first, "Devoted", hit streaming services in May, and the second, "Shade", came out in June. Both singles retain the folk feel of Out of Sorts, having the mood of the dog days of summer and the uncertainty of not just these past several months, but of life in general. With a big fan base behind them now, Atta Boy look forward to sharing the record with many more years of experience under their belts. Take a listen to "Shade" below, and look out for Big Heart Matters on September 11th. – Will Sisskind
Immediately smile-inducing, the brash, fisherman’s tone of Odd Fellows Way’s latest single “World’s Worst Liar” is as New England as music can get. Truly anthemic and furious-paced with drums that gallop and guitar chords that take flight, the song is bar-ready and so replayable. The lead vocal is a story told in a cheerful spirit, rough and ready to infect. Odd Fellows Way provides the type of happiness we all seek these days, and beyond that too. Listen to the butter-smooth sax that deliciously spreads itself all over the track below. – Rene Cobar, photo by Curtis Arnett
