The synthpop flame has flickered recently, signalling a decline of dance-centric synth artists that straddle the line of indie rock and electronica. However there are some out there still holding true – Moonray is Jonray and Barb, an alternative duo/couple that emits positive messages through 80’s influenced beats, intimate vocals and, buliding choruses. Moonray derives from a dark place that is used as the music’s bedrock, but the songs themselves are beams of light proving resilient and victorious simultaenously. A curious balance of humbleness and grandiosity makes their music heartfelt and enervating simultaneously. Moonray released their debut EP Freedom From The Realm in 2014 and is expecting to follow it up with Digital Moon this Summer in 2017. Check out "Hand of Queens"  off of their upcoming album.

 

Queen of Austin rock, Sabrina Ellis, elicits more shock and awe with her coquettish and racy lyrics than a Vietnam bombing campaign could ever hope for. Sabrina fronts the power pop band Sweet Spirit, who just dropped their sophomore album, St. Mojo, earlier this month. While Sweet Spirit’s local momentum is at a fever pitch, a national tour may bring the rest of the country up to speed with Austin. The latest single "Pamela" is a perfect ode to Baywatch goddess, Pam Anderson, and the slow motion video shoot is an apt tribute to a woman who is ingrained in our collective memory, running in slow motion on a beach wearing a red bathing suit. "I’ve been around the world and never have a found a girl like Pamela!…Anderson!" is the building chorus that Ellis repeats like a mantra, while the band crashes through the track with their signature exhilirating gusto. The song is an earworm, and the band doesn’t take themselves too seriously, allowing the listener to join in the fun without hesitation. Sweet Spirit’s trajectory has never had more acclivity, and songs like "Pamela" will continue to win the hearts and minds of all those deprived of having seen Sweet Spirit in action.

-Lee Ackerley

 

 A dark gothic atmosphere serves as the backdrop for the new single "Rabbit Hole" from Austin angst-punkers, Crooked Bangs. The immediate differentiator for Crooked Bangs amidst the sea of punk bands, is that lead singer, Leda Ginestra, oscillates between laissez-faire French murmurings and incisive English punctuations. The bilingual vocal stylings evoke francophile nostalgia for bands like Metal Urbain and Plastic Bertrand, but Crooked Bangs brings a contemporary laser-like focus that eviscerates their predecessors in favor of their own unique sound. The trio’s second full-length, II, is out April 21st on Nervous Intent Records with much touring to follow. While pop, new wave, hardcore have strands of DNA within II, the wide umbrella of punk envelopes Crooked Bangs for the most part. Though this album seems a bit more polished and fine-tuned than the band’s debut, the band doesn’t sacrifice its acerbic angst or visceral primality in the process.  "Rabbit Hole" teeters on a steady backbeat as guitars whirr like a diesel-fueled chainsaw, and Ginestra’s vocals swirl above the melee with an almost aloof objectivity as the vortex dips in and out of the chorus. Crooked Bangs have the deadly triumvirate of technical precision, vocal uniqueness, and a wanton ethos of unpacifiable rage which will make, II, a highlight of this crop of Spring album releases.

 

-Lee Ackerley

 

US Weekly has been banging around the Austin live music circuit for the past year, emitting nihilistic punk diddies while their fans craved an official release.  The time has come, April 22nd marks the release of their self-titled debut LP on Night Moves Records.  The quartet’s first single "American Piss" is a commentary on the police shooting of Tamir Rice in 2015 and the general social injustices that pervade contemporary America. Heaving a nice dollop of grunge on top of their punk stylings, US Weekly sounds like a burgeoning Pissed Jeans or Metz coming to fruition in Austin.  US Weekly launches a ten date East coast tour on May 10th and will be ripe for festival season in Austin as they ride the momentum of their first official release.

-Lee Ackerley

 

 While SXSW features exotic music like throat-singers from the steppes of Mongolia or flute bands from the peaks of the Andes, we must not forget that some of most exhilarating music comes from our own backyard.  Here are 11 bands that will be slaying at SXSW this week.

1. Mobley (Post-Genre Pop)

Cutting vocals in the woods behind his college dorm. Mixing in the backseat of a sedan. Sneaking into the music department after hours to teach himself to play new instruments (and sneaking out before the faculty arrived in the morning). From the start, Mobley’s work has been marked by solitude, ingenuity, and a drive that could only be called obsessive. Whether you experience his music on record or at one of his incredible live shows, the passion is palpable. Mobley grew up all over the world, from the Spanish Mediterranean to the California coast. Perhaps it’s because of this itinerant childhood that he finds it so hard to sit still.

2. Night Drive (Synthpop)

Inspired by sci-fi cinematic landscapes, Night Drive creates modern synth-pop that explores the darker currents of abstract emotion. Infectious melodies wrapped in thoughtful lyrics with pulsing dance beats unveil a stylish, energetic sound that has been featured in film, tv and radio around the world. Touring and opening for international bands such as CHVRCHES, Robert DeLong,Tesla Boy, Miami Horror and The Psychedelic Furs, Night Drive has quickly garnered a reputation as a captivating, must see live show.

3. Leopold and His Fiction (Alt Rock)

For Leopold and His Fiction, creating an album as sublimely chaotic as Darling Destroyer took a lifetime of cultivating a kaleidoscopic musicality. Born and raised in Detroit, Daniel first began making music after finding a forgotten about guitar in his grandmother’s basement as a child. “It had only two strings, but I took it home and started studying immediately,” he recalls. He also played drums in a band at school and learned to play horns and bass, but his focus remained on the guitar. “I’m an only child and was always alone, but I was lucky enough to have an instrument I could bury myself in,” he says. “It was a kind of gold mine, having such an outlet growing up.”

4. Black Joe Lewis & The Honey Bears (Blues Rock)

Black Joe Lewis trawls the familiar intersection of blues, soul, funk, and garage rock, but he’s got a few enlivening strategies to make the old formula feel fresh.

5. Los Coast (Soul Rock)

Los Coast’s music is a punchy, psych-tinged, lyrical variety of soul.  For the band, comprised of Trey Privott, John Courtney, Megan Hartman, Damien Llanes, and Natlie Wright, this style of music is uniquely effective medium of communication.

6. Melat (R&B)

Born in Austin, Texas, Mélat is the eclectic soul of modern RnB. Mélat tells a story that is both challenging and inspiring crafted from her very own life experiences. It is a pure and honest reflection of her soul. From love, lust, success, to failure Mélat sings of what it means to be a human being simply longing to “be”.

7. Sweet Spirit (Cabaret Rock)

Quickly becoming the most anticipated live shows in Austin, Sweet Spirit is on a roll.  In between shows, the band found time to work with producer Steve Berlin (Los Lobos, Deer Tick) on their sophomore full-length St. Mojo. The new record comes out on April 7, 2017 on Austin label Nine Mile Records and features a bigger, more dynamic set of songs. Lead single "The Power" has already become a fan favorite at live shows, while the Queen-esque track "The Mighty" and Prince dance funk of "I Wanna Have You" take the band is exciting, unexpected new directions. Guest contributions from members of Grupo Fantasma, Mother Falcon and A Giant Dog help expand the band’s already considerable sound.

8. Annabelle Chairlegs (Psych Rock)

Annabelle Chairlegs plays out around town often, exuding polished, glitzy, Sixties-inspired rock & roll fleshed out by guitar licks straddling the line between surf-y and noir. Helmed by Mackin’s strange, arresting voice, usually either a powerful belt or contorted into theatrical yelping, the band commands the stage with intense authority.

9. Mr. Kitty (Gothtronica)

An artist creates to evoke a reaction, and Forrest and Isaac Ross Lemaire of Mr. Kitty are electro-goth sorcerers who succeed in creating an 8-bit dreamworld for their listeners.  Not quite neophytes, Mr. Kitty have had five previous releases, and their discography runs the gamut between wistful tracks of wintered melancholy to frenetic electro-bangers of seizure-inducing speed. The constant through all of their music is the gothic romanticism of Forrest’s lyrics and the perpetually evolving innovativeness of Isaac’s hard-hitting beats and crystalline synths.

10. CAPYAC (Electro-Funk)

CAPYAC is a surreal dance act made up of one half swamp baby (P. Sugz), one half agave plant (Potion). To question the origins of the band is to ponder the origin of humanity itself. When founding member Potion stumbled upon the name, half-conscious on his bedroom floor at 3 a.m., it was nonsense, much like the primordial soup from which life on this planet emerged.

11.  S U R V I V E (Instrumental Electronica)

S U R V I V E has been producing synth-heavy, horror-score-influenced compositions for years, and two of the group’s members are known for crafting the critically acclaimed score for the popular Netflix series Stranger Things. For almost a decade, the band has explored these themes with drum machines and analog synths, shown on numerous EPs and on their first full-length, Mnq026 from 2012. Releasing their second full-length record ‘RR7349’ last September on Relapse Records, S U R V I V E kick off their 2017 globe-trotting, festival-heavy tour schedule with a series of shows for SXSW in their hometown of Austin, Texas.

You have to be living under a rock to not have noticed that the greatest threat to the American public these past few years hasn’t come from ISIS, immigration policies, the hyperbolic ‘media’, or the increasingly polarized political climate. Rather, the most diabolical and deadliest threat originates from a deluge of cheap, and readily available heroin, that has percolated into every socioeconomical class, ruining lives and killing addicts indiscriminately.  All the while being criminally underreported by the media.

  Despite the rising body count, the stigma around addiction has stifled conversations around seeking solutions, and instead focused on shifting blame from Big Pharma, to lawmakers, to the addicts themselves. While the crisis is being co-opted by opportunists for political gain; addicts are dying, families are suffering, and drug traffickers are cashing in.

Barrett O’Donnell and his newly formed band, Bearoté, wrote "Memphis TN" as a response to the epidemic and also a personal tragedy. The name Bearoté is derived from an old Native American story where mythical coyote-bear hybrids would always be born in litters of three. The strongest two bearotés of the litter would then cannibalize the third, not out of pure brutality, but as to gain the third’s guidance in the spirit world. Barrett and his brother Thaddeus, along with bandmates Cale Kiffin and Hans Bohlmann, wrote "Memphis TN" after losing the third O’Donnell brother, Daniel, to a heroin overdose in 2012. The bearoté legend says that while the third bearoté no longer inhabits the physical world, he becomes a spiritual guide to the remaining two, protecting them while also pushing them towards enlightenment. Whereas Daniel may not maintain a physical presence on Earth, Barrett and Thaddeus have never ‘lost’ their brother, since Daniel’s presence reigns over them guiding them toward a higher earthly purpose and spiritual significance.

  The song opens with distorted newscast soundbytes of opiate epidemic reports playing over a wonky, folk-styled melody. The lackadaisial progression has an intoxicated feel, while Barrett’s woozy yet comical vocals detail the brothers move to the ill-fated and drug-infested Memphis.

"If you dont want to have to deal with them heavy-hitting thugs/ Just cruise on out to the suburbs, find a highschool kid for your drugs/ Heroin and cocaine and methamphetamine/ It really ain’t that all hard to find for a Shelby county school teen"

The song, despite its playful analogies, has a melancholic undercurrent that tugs heart strings and has a gravitating effect . The guitar sounds of Cale and Thad intertwine seamlessly, while Barrett’s vocals oscillate between completely aloof to a focused and angry conviction. "Memphis TN" is the first single from the band’s upcoming yet-to-be-named debut album that was recorded by Sam Whips Allison in Bandera, TX as well as Austin.

It’s out of bottomless pain that some of the world’s best art is born, and the opiate edpidemic has created a surplus of agony that the O’Donnell brothers know all too well. Bearoté has already aligned itself with  institutions that offer resources to battle addiction, including the Austin-based Infinite Recovery. Bearoté has begun playing more live shows around the Austin area and it’s evident that the spirit of the third brother is guiding this band in a positive direction.

"Memphis TN" is  available for free on www.bearote.com

 

-Lee Ackerley

 

 Aptly described as ‘Austin’s answer to the Roots’, Magna Carda refuses to back down from their lyrical conviction and inventive beats. MC/producer duo, Megz Kelli and Dougie Do, have a knack for Southern-styled ambient beats in which they drop effortless flows that are equally provocative as they are amusing.  Sprung from the campus of St. Edwards in 2012, the duo has continued to evolve and progress as they ascend to sharing the stage with the likes of the Pharcyde, Joey Badas$$, and Chali 2na.  Having recently released the album CirQlation in 2016, Magna Carda is riding some strong momentum from their live-wire performances and growing national recognition.  While Magna Carda is the Deli Austin’s ‘Best Emerging Soul/Hip-Hop act of 2016’, it can’t be denied that their ability to shine on the national stage will be evidenced in 2017.

 

-Lee Ackerley

  

Bluegrass acts in Austin can’t help but veer into the unexpected. While Sour Bridges features a banjo, violin, and other tell-tale Bluegrass harbingers, they don’t stay inside the traditional lines. With non-traditional themed songs like "Cocaine Lorraine" and "Midwife Crisis", Sour Bridges projects their ‘Browngrass’ which, which in their own words, "Is a little bit dirtier than Bluegrass". While the eclectic influences, like the Beatles and the Byrds, seem to blend seamlessly, its the live-wire energy of the quintet’s live shows that leave their mark on listeners.  Its no surprise that Sour Bridges were the Austin voters pick for ‘Best Emerging Roots/Songwriter Act’ because although the band members come from the Pennsylvanie woods, Oklahoma plains, and Texas hills – their sound is uniquely Austin.

 -Lee Ackerley

Johnny Zachman is the consumate front man, having previously written and performed with bands like Secret Cove, Clam, Twiga, Lofts, and Blow!, Zachman has found his niche curating alternative, psych-infused rock. Becoming a frquent fixture in the Austin live music scene, Zachman has been on a tear playing shows at the Mohawk, Cheer Up Charlies, Sidewinder, Lamberts, and more.  While the band lists influences like Pink Floyd, The Velvet Underground, and Sigur Ros – they also share similarities with 2000’s drone rockers like the Secret Machines. Zachman clinched the Austin voter’s poll for ‘Best Emerging Psych Rock Group’ and their momentum should garner future accolades to come. Good karma seems to surround the band as they also strive to give back, most recently, raising money for the ACLU by releasing their latest single "Park Ave." on Soundcloud.

 

In Ethiopia, music is the lifeblood, and an endless trove of quality music and musicians have orginated from the East African nation as part of a rich tradition.  Austin is lucky to have a seed of the Ethiopian diaspora end up in Central Texas where it/she has blossomed into one of the most intriguing and talented chanteuses in the Austin scene. Melat Kassa blends sensual R&B beats with jazz and electronic tinges that are accentuated by her otherworldly smoky vocals. It is no coincidence that Melat won the best emerging artist poll for Soul/Hip Hop given her stratospheric talent and overwhelmingly attractive looks. While Melat may not be the typical style of music to come out of Austin, she has all the tools to become the most succesful yet.

 

 

 Sprung from a seed fertilized by punk, Drip-Fed’s sound branches out into thrash, hardcore and noise genres with exhilirating outcomes. The Austin quartet of unrelenting force is beginning to show how their music breaks into an echelon of beautiful destruction that is unto themselves. Lead singer, Jeffrey Blum, has a vocal set that awakens a visceral and primal element, while simultaneously writing lyrics that are gripping and impactful. "The Shivers" has a serrated edge of adrenaline cutting through a catchy backbeat,of which it’s genius can only be truly appreciated after having left the track on repeat.  Drip-Fed’s next upcoming album release, Under the Wave Blanket, drops March 3rd and I can comfortably say that Operation Rolling Thunder will look like a cap gun compared to the devastating impact their new album is certain to cause.

-Lee Ackerley          

Jess Ledbetter grew up in Texas, but spent time in New York playing music under the moniker, JACKIE. Upon moving back to her home state, Jess became the frontwoman of 90’s nostalgia-influenced band, Honeyrude. However Jess also wanted to try writing, recording, and playing everything on her own in a home studio, hence this new self-titled project. While Jess’s sound is sprinkled with alternative 90’s sounds, her soothing yet pained voice evokes more of an Angel Olsen or Cat Power vibe that meanders through catchy melodies and shimmering guitars. In the new music video for "SENTIMENTAL", Jess links up with cinematographer and friend, Cyrus Moshrefi, to create a visual link to her hometown and past. The video features shots of Ledbetter’s childhood neighbor and friend, Libby Spencer, as well as an airplane that sat on Spencer’s lawn, playing in the theme of sentimentality. Jess is approaching the rollout of her music in a unique way, choosing not to release an album, but instead put forth a continuous stream of songs accompanied by videos for as long as it seems necessary.