I’ve said it before, but Austin quartet Russell Taine Jr. is about as cozy Austin as it gets. The kind of band you hear pouring out of a dark bar you might not have otherwise noticed. It sounds like that welcoming, sticky-sweet dive bar aroma.

Their new EP Ghost (out last month) is “shaped by an idea from French philosopher Henri Bergson that every moment we live is colored by every moment we’ve lived before.” Everything is everything and the landscape our lives changes with every lived experience. This philosophy is front and center on their single “Strangers,” layering this philosophy into the fabric of their southern rock meets 90’s indie inspired sound.

Russell Taine Jr. has an EP release show tonight at Captain Quack’s Soundspace on Menchaca Rd.

The post Russell Taine Jr.: “Strangers” appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Support for KUTX’s Love Austin Music Month coverage comes from Eldorado Cafe, embracing a community of folks who believe sharing food and music feeds the soul.

While one taste may be in the name, the latest from Austin’s Sweet Limb is savory and brimming with umami. Historically, Sweet Limb founder Chris Robinson has performed with a band, but his new EP The Pastel Noise is all him, venturing into more experimental sounds and introspective lyrics, making the new direction more than a metaphorical artistic manifestation.

On “Who’s This,” Robinson takes a look in the mirror and proudly pontificates on his new, self-confident stride while reflecting on the journey that brought him there. Proving you don’t need density to be deep, these two-and-a-half minutes wrapped in a minimalist yet head-bopping groove are a sweet mantra you can use during your own regularly scheduled reflecting glass time.

Sweet Limb plays KUTX’s Free Week show tomorrow, January 9th at Stubb’s Indoors at 9:45PM.

The post Sweet Limb: “Who’s This” appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Support for KUTX’s Love Austin Music Month coverage comes from Eldorado Cafe, embracing a community of folks who believe sharing food and music feeds the soul.

Good Looks! You know Good Looks. Our May 2022 Artist of the Month was fairly quiet throughout 2025, but they’re kicking off the new year in perfect Austin fashion with a Free Week Show this Saturday at Mohawk right before the Bright Light Social Hour, almost like a metaphorical torch passing between eras of Austin indie darlings. And sure, they sound fantastic on the radio, but their live show will consume you. The line-up rounds out with Parker Woodland and Hayden Butler.

The post Good Looks: “Vaughn” [Live In Studio 1A] appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Support for KUTX’s Love Austin Music Month coverage comes from Eldorado Cafe, embracing a community of folks who believe sharing food and music feeds the soul.

I like to say that Free Week is a time for exploration, moving on feeling, looking to be pulled in by sound and locked into place. And if you’re looking for something totally off the wall that you’ll spend the rest of the year trying to describe to your friends, look no further than haha Laughing. The experimental noise rap group duo of Jay Dilick and Aby Oviedo blends hardcore, rap, free-jazz, electronic, and other elements, creating sublime shambolic chaos. It’s like a stone soup of sound, to be understood only through experience, as they nourish the villagers their audience.

haha Laughing plays a Free Week show this Saturday at Chess Club with Night Ritualz, Die Mart, and more!

The post haha laughing: Pulled Apart By Horses appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Support for KUTX’s Love Austin Music Month coverage comes from Eldorado Cafe, embracing a community of folks who believe sharing food and music feeds the soul.

It’s Free Week, baby! Time to see your favorite groups you haven’t seen in a while, check out bands you haven’t seen but perhaps have heard on your favorite radio station, and the perfect opportunity to bounce around and discover your next favorite Austin artist. And Song of the Day is celebrating all week long.

Our January 2023 Artist of the Month Je’Texas is steeped in nostalgia. Specifically, the shimmery, hazy days of following jam bands around the country, blending a bit into the old cosmic cowboy days of Austin past. They subvert being wholly nostalgic with a balancing act of grit, tempo changes, and off-the-wall moments that keep you on your toes. After taking a break from the studio, the trio released their 2nd album Suit Yourself back in October, but we’re throwing back even farther, revisting an old favorite from their 2019 debut album, performed live in Studio 1A.

The post Je’Texas: “California Sun” [Live In Studio 1A] appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

KUTX’s Artist of the Month Program is powered by PNC Bank.

Fresh off her debut full-length BLUEPRINT, Austin R&B/soul singer (and our August Artist of the Month) Grace Sorensen has made it abundantly clear she is a force to be reckoned with. Well before her debut LP dropped, Sorensen had become an integral part of Austin’s R&B and rap scenes — including a guest appearance on BLK ODYSSY’s debut album, BLK VINTAGE, and a single featuring Austin rap group Magna Carda for some guest verses. She’s also been an official SXSW artist, performed at ACL Festival, AND opened for Diana Ross.

Today we’re sharing another preview of our new series The Hole Story. Think of it as MTV: Unplugged, but Austin. Short, stripped-down story-driven solo sets by some of our favorite Austin musicians performed on The Hole In the Wall’s famous front stage. And starting January 16th, we’ll be sharing new installments every week online, on-air, and right here with Song of the Day. Sorensen’s full episode will premiere on February 6th.

The post Grace Sorensen: “Cologne” [Live At the Hole In the Wall] appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

KUTX’s Artist of the Month program is powered by PNC Bank.

Texas band Chaparelle harkens back to a golden era of country with modern lyrics. What started as a mind-meld between Zella Day and Jesse Woods in 2023 not only evolved into a match on its way towards matrimony, but also into a trio, originally working with Beau Bedford in a producer role before he became part of the band full time. And it’s the magic among the three that puts Chaparelle on-track to be in the same discussions as Paul Cauthen, Leon Bridges, and Orville Peck (all artists Beauford has done production for).

The melodies, storytelling, and twangy vocals of Day and Woods set the group solidly in the modern era of golden country, and that power will be on full display this New Year’s Eve at Auditorium Shores with the Head & the Heart, The Point., and Tameca Jones. The show is free, all ages, and open to the public.

The post Chaparelle: “Devil’s Music” [Live In Studio 1A] appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

KUTX’s Artist of the Month program is powered by PNC Bank.

Our October Artist of the Month. Teethe was formed up in the DIY music enclave of Denton, all students of the University of North Texas. Now, with streaming numbers on their side, a move to Austin, and a European and east coast tour under their belt, the quartet is champing at the bit to keep their incisors sharp and their momentum growing.

While their debut album was an amalgamation of their individual songs synthesized together, their new album Magic of the Sale is wholly Teethe: a little no-wave; a little dark, dream pop; and a bit of that classic Denton DIY energy.

The post Teethe: “Holy Water” [Live In Studio 1A] appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

For over a decade, the windows in the KUTX booth and the front of the Hole In the Wall have gazed at each other from across the street. Generations of musicians and music lovers have storied memories of the 51-year-old venue, whether you were there to see Townes Van Zandt’s regular performances or Lucinda Williams get her start, spotted icons like Courtney Love and Dave Grohl, or witnessed Yard Act’s first show in the U.S..

So it would make sense that two iconic Austin music institutions would finally converge. Over the last few months, we’ve invited our Concert Club members to be part of a new tradition, a series we’re calling The Hole Story. Think of it as MTV: Unplugged, but Austin. Short, stripped-down story-driven solo sets by some of our favorite Austin musicians performed on Hole In the Wall’s famous front stage.

And now, we’re sharing these sets with you, kicking it off with our May Artist of the Month Half Dream. A regular on the Hole In the Wall calendar, Half Dream’s Paige Renee Berry performed a plugged-in solo set, showcasing her lofty, haunting vocals and bare-it-all-while-sometimes-taking-no-prisoners songwriting prowess.

The post Half Dream: “Fly” [Recorded Live at the Hole In the Wall] appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

It’s been six years since we’ve had a full Jay Som album, but Melanie Duterte has remained ambient. She kicked-off the early 2020’s as one half of the side project Bachelor alongside Palehound (El Kempner); produced music for Lucy Dacus, Jeff Tweedy, and Hatchie; and worked as both a producer and live band member of one of the biggest supergroups of the decade so far, boygenius.

Turning the lens back on herself, Duterte, as Jay Som, released Belong back in October. It’s a confluence of her years behind the board and as a musician, absorbing the processes of the songwriters around her in the interim years. A bit grittier, more reflective, and with a pop-punk edge of tension, it’s a marked growth for Duterte. She brought the full band to Studio 1A last week ahead of her show at Brushy Street Commons.

The post Jay Som: “What You Need” [Live In Studio 1A] appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.