Self Released Songs

Artists like Guilla don’t come along often. Rapper, producer, singer songwriter & even a Tennis pro. He’s saved an album after his computer crashed, he’s toured & he’s done the festival circuit. With three new albums he’s producing and a new EP of his own on the way, he tells us his story and it’s a trip. Facebook.com/guilla713

In music the allure for journalists can be in the hook, the songwriting or even in the vocals. For Houston’s ATTXLA, it’s all three. While the singer songwriter’s debut was a testament to hard work & dedication, his new EP is just straight up fire. Attxla.com

Electro-pop is a genre that’s rife with overproduced tracks and studio trickery. However when you hear the music of Tee Vee, you hear well crafted melodies and well arranged notes that craft some of the best and catchiest music of the genre. From her time growing up to forming her first band Rose Ette, Tee Vee has gone through a lot before delivering music that you can’t help but love. teevee.bandcamp.com/

Being a producer means that you wear many hats as an artist. Aside from the talents it takes just to build a track, you have to have all of the elements all artists need including a way to make it compelling live. Because Rex Hudson loves music so much, he does so and then some. His brand of electronic music is catchy but not sugary and his live sets are fun and they are on another level. rexhudson.bandcamp.com

Songwriters are essential if you're starting a music project. Over time you'll notice that most bands are driven by one person's vision. Ask any record producer and they'll tell you that the key to a good song begins with great songwriting. Over the years we've gotten to know Sergio Trevino through his band Buxton. We've relished in his side project Guess Genes with Case DeMaster of Get A Life and we've adored his project Ancient Cat Society with Austin Sepulvado of Buxton and Hailey Lynch of Dollie Barnes. We sat down with him to discuss how he became a musician, how he writes songs and when we can expect a new album from Ancient Cat Society. As a bonus, he reveals a new project, Rodeo Art coming soon.

Ryan Taylor and Halston Luna have been in the Houston punk scene for as long as they’ve been in music. With their current band Liberty & Justice they deliver melodic tones and hardcore sounds. One of the best live punk bands I’ve seen in a long time, their current string of singles from this year alone place them on another level in the punk world. libertyandjustice.bandcamp.com

For years, Mikey Drag has ushered in the sixties side of rock n' roll and beyond. Part owner of Wallflower Records and the lead singer of Flower Graves, his dedication to bringing garage riffs to the masses is unparalleled. We spoke to him about growing up in Texas, his band's new album and what we can expect from Flower Graves before the year ends.

Few people are the type to get up and do anything. In a sea of people who are lethargic, those who go and learn, those who aren't afraid to ask and those who are willing to roll the dice typically get rewarded. Derek Rathbun is such a person. Not yet 21, Rathbun has toured the Europe and North America with his band Substance, he's shot portraits of Julian Casablancas, Kero Kero Bonito and Angel Du$t to name a few and he's created videos and flyers for multiple projects. But that's not all as he's also released his own music, booked his own tours, created his own scene and booked and promoted shows for touring acts. In a short time he's proved that he's not just a musician with DIY ethic, he's a one man music machine. Derekrathbun.com Substancetx.bandcamp.com

It seems like a rarity to talk with a record label owner who cares about the lives and livelihoods of the artists they work with, but that’s who Tony Presley of Keeled Scales Records is. Along with his business partner Seth Whaland, he’s curated a roster of artists into a label made by people who care about great music. Keeledscales.com

The drive to succeed is something that decides who makes music a career and who’s doing it for a hobby. Through years of hard work Mario Rodriguez took his band Tax The Wolf to new places. He and his wife started Bang Bangz and took it even further. And his world of production, publishing and engineering as Wonky Power Records has seen his vision come full circle with a drive that’s unparalleled.