I’m guessing that teenage twins, Annie & Kate, never have time to be bored. High school is hectic enough, but somehow they manage to play ten instruments between them, write songs, and play shows left and right. If they’re this efficient now, I’m excited to see where they’ll go! The world needs more girls like Annie and Kate Brogdon, unafraid to pick up guitars and start a rock band. Their debut CD, Running Out of Time, is online to stream and its physical release is coming on the 21st at Roots Bistro in Georgetown. –Written by Marie Meyers

For more than four years, the Austin Jazz Alliance has served as a grassroots organization to help jazz musicians in Austin and Central Texas promote their music. Since its creation in 2009, it has become dedicated to celebrating jazz music and bringing together jazz musicians, jazz fans, and jazz related businesses. To further celebrate the contributions of jazz musicians across the state, The Austin Jazz Alliance and PEEKS Cruises & Tours have joined forces to organize the first ever Texas Jazz Jam This luxury cruise, which sets sail from Galveston, Texas on October 5th, 2014 and runs through October 12th, 2014 will allow jazz musicians and fans to enjoy a beautiful vacation on the Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas, while enjoying some of the finest music Texas has to offer. A portion of the proceeds will go to support the mission of several jazz organizations, including The Austin Jazz Society, Women in Jazz, and the Austin Traditional Jazz Society.

To launch this unique and exciting event, the Austin Jazz Alliance will celebrate with a kick-off party at SoundCheck Austin (1501 E. 51st Street, Austin, TX, 78723) on February 22nd from 1pm to 5pm. The party will include complimentary hors d’oeuvres and feature performances from members of the Texas Jam House Band, including Paul Klemperer, Evan Arredondo, and Wayne Duncan. The event will also give attendees a chance to network and learn more about the cruise. In addition to hearing members of the Texas Jam House Band, fans will be treated to special guests including Dr. James Polk, the recipient of the 2013 Jazz Journalists Association and AJA’s Jazz Hero Award. Fender Musical Instrument Corporation and Gretsch Drums have come aboard as the official musical instrument/backline provider and sponsor and will be represented by Jeff Van Zandt, manager of the Fender Artist Relations office in Austin, Texas. Fender’s new re-issue, of the ’68 Silverface Twin Reverb will be given away to one lucky attendee during the cruise!

The brainchild of founder Fito Kahn, the Texas Jazz Jam Cruise gives jazz musicians an opportunity to take a vacation while playing with some of the most gifted musicians the state has to offer. Musicians will be encouraged to bring their instruments to jam along with the house band and hone their skills and even take in a workshop or two. Jazz fans will be treated to a trip on a beautiful ship and will also be able to sign up for the workshop of their choice, including “Jazz 101” and “The History of Jazz.” All guests will be able to enjoy the sounds of some of Texas’s finest jazz as they cruise to Roatan, Honduras, Belize City, Belize, and Cozumel, Mexico aboard the majestic Royal Caribbean’s Luxury cruise ship.

Press Release Submit by Gina Sigillito

Folk/rock outfit Canvas People only have three songs released, but those three reveal a talented trio worth watching. Honest songwriting and vivid storytelling color this band’s canvas, led by vocalist Kyle Taylor. Wes Maxwell (guitar) and Luke Williams (bass) lend harmonies, crafting a full, melodic sound. Expect more music soon, as the band plans to release their first full-length album, Sirens, by spring. –Written by Gillian Driscoll

Austin electro-pop group, Borrisokane, is in the process of curating a project that hopes to bring together our local music scene in an ambitious and, frankly, really darn cool way. They’re calling it the Versus Project: six Texas bands will cover a Borrisokane song and in addition contribute something new of their own. Borrisokane will return in kind, rounding out the total to 24 songs, with 12 covers and 6 new tracks from the host band. Look forward to tracks from MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR, Knifight, Yum, Pageantry, Young Tongue (formerly The Baker Family) and Home by Hovercraft.

The whole package will be split onto six disks and put into a lovely box-set with artwork from Shawn Magill. There’s a Kickstarter set up, and you have until early March to help it happen. If the campaign is successful, the full project will be released on Earth Day, April 22nd, through the homegrown Oscillation Records. Too much good music is being promised for us to let this go by the way-side! And now, for a taste of what’s (hopefully) to come; check out Borrisokane’s “Sinking Catalina” covered by Young Tongue (The Baker Family) below!  –Written by Marie Meyers

Kay Leotard’s Kristina Boswell and Kelsey Wickliffe double the drama with their sensual, psychedelic rock anthems. Warbling vocals paired with powerhouse guitar riffs create a stunning contrast that will put you in touch with your flower child. Put your “palms to the sky” for this badass band. -Written by Gillian Driscoll

It would be wise to proceed with caution when listening to Cautiontape’s heady dose of electronic rock. Singer Brit Kagan’s captivating vocals add a touch of mischief to the band’s sound that’s a little My Gold Mask meets Metric. Songs like “Delights of Someone Dreamed” and “Be Sweet” will “drag you back” for repeat plays. Catch Cautiontape this Wednesday, February 5th. -Written by Gillian Driscoll

Psych outfit The Boxing Lesson is starting the New Year with plenty of reason to celebrate, with honors and excitement carrying over from 2013. They’ve just released their last big work-in-progress, the space-age video for their single “Health is the New Drug”. Its parent album, Big Hits!, is the band’s first full length release in five years. Both album and single received honors on year-end lists from the Austin Chronicle, no doubt thanks to plenty of agile shredding from all members. The band is riding the wave well; Big Hits! has just received its vinyl release through Cliff House Records out of Corpus Christi. –Written by Marie Meyers

Danny Malone‘s newest video for “Sugarwater” is an adorably sweet addition to his already impressive repertoire. The playful doctor-shopping theme combined with skillful cinematography, dancing, and a bit of dark rebelliousness create a wonderful reflection of the music itself. With tasteful instrumentation and polished songs like "Sugarwater" and "Spiderlegs" under his belt, Danny proves to be a mature and poetic songwriter, regardless of how young he appears to be. Danny is currently touring through NYC, bringing his Iron and Wine-like lullabies to the famed Rockwood Music Hall. We look forward to having him back in Austin soon! – Written by Jodi Lang

She Sir make bright, synth-saturated songs perfect for sunny drives or even providing a little comfort during a cold snap. The four-piece have two EP’s under their belt, so you may already be familiar with their sound, but be warned, She Sir has taken their dreampop to another level. The band’s been fine-tuning their sound in preparation for the release of their debut full-length album, Go Guitars, out February 25th on Shelflife Records. Inspired by My Blood Valentine, Fleetwood Mac and Phil Spector, She Sir brought on Erik Wofford at Cacophony to record, mix and master the release. A few songs off Go Guitars can be previewed on SoundCloud (including the one listed here). Listen and enjoy the gloss. –Written by Gillian Driscoll

My Russian Princess create charming, upbeat pop songs filled with soaring harmonies, mellifluous whistles and discerning violin. Fronted by Meggan Carney, the singer/songwriter has a knack for stringing words together in an evocative way. From the sweet ballad “Green Winter Love” to the howling “Nautica”, My Russian Princess is royally talented. Check them out at one of the many shows they regularly play around Austin. –Written by Gillian Driscoll

Dedicated to making the people dance, four-piece disco outfit, Whiite Walls, finished in the top three of our Best of 2013 Readers’ Poll. They played in some great company last year and I can only see them gaining momentum going into 2014; they’ve got an EP coming any day now. If its tracks are anything like the jangly, slick-beat demos they’ve put out so far, the release is sure to keep you boogying wherever you choose to spin it. You can get the full experience on the 24th, when they’ll play The Parish in support of The Black & White Years’ CD release. –Written by Marie Meyers

Psychedelic space rockers Isaiah The Mosaic blew Austin’s mind this past year. The proof? They landed second place on the Deli’s 2013 Best of Austin Year End Readers’ Poll. The five-piece build atmospheric soundscapes paired with pensive vocals to create a sound that’s as dreamy as it is trippy. Isaiah The Mosaic plan to record a full-length album with Danny Reisch (White Denim, Okkerville River, What Made Milwaukee Famous) this year, so stay tuned for more space anthems from these rockers. Before that, catch them building on the buzz at SXSW. –Written by Gillian Driscoll