Everyone’s favorite holiday is rapidly descending upon us, and we’re commemorating the occasion by counting down to All Hallow’s Eve with some of the spookiest stuff the city’s had to offer over the past month or so. And we’ll start with Ben Brown, a decade-and-a-half veteran of the local scene who’s historically shared the spotlight with Austin acts The Savage Poor and No Show Ponies. This side of the pandemic though, the singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist/producer’s been plugging away at his eponymous solo project, pushing his bold baritone to the center of attention.

Following up 2021’s Sayonara Sorrow and last Summer’s King of Air, Ben Brown kicked off October with his third album Funky Dracula. Brown’s first full-length foray into seasonal curation, Funky Dracula positions itself as a “horror pop satire”, sinking its teeth into all kinds of subgenres and shadowy figures across nearly a dozen tracks. And we appreciate how well the minimalist drum programming and arrangement complements Ben’s far-from-sincere, in-character lyrical musings.

But that’s not to diminish Ben Brown’s status as an impressive performer; his guitar, synth, and vocals collectively invigorate the energy necessary to resurrect that iconic camp of golden age Hammer Horror throughout Funky Dracula. Don’t believe us? Stir your most ghoulish spirits with one of the LP’s centerpieces, “Until the Dead Rise” and see how these tunes extend past mere novelty and enter the annals of legitimately catchy pop-rock Halloween anthems like “Werewolves of London” and “Dead Man’s Party”.

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It’s official. There’s another supergroup in town. And this kitten’s got claws!

We’re talking ameowt _cheetahcheetah_, a rising endeavor that features Live Music Capital veterans from A. Sinclair, BOOHER, Mean Jolene, and Other Vessels. _cheetahcheetah_ has spent this past summer gigging around town and showing off their brilliant spotted patterns of modern art rock, which sound sort of like a more hedonistic, less opiate-obsessed, Warhol-weary Velvet Underground. The quartet also recently confirmed that they’re not a beast just built for live gigs; _cheetahcheetah_ landed on their feet and roared onto digital streaming with the release of their debut studio single last Friday.

And we gotta say, that indoctrination into this big cat cult, “shanti b”, is about as “Bhagwan” as it gets. Brandishing the concise runtime, cheetah-speed time signature shifts, nuance of imperfectly human performance, and lackadaisical charm of Reed, Nico, and co., “shanti b” has our ears perked up, swishing our tail, and purring for more.

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When it comes to co-curating sounds for a city’s specific scene, certain artists and venues can often become inseparable. So when the band breaks up or the venue closes its doors, it’s like their counterpart loses a big piece of their identity as well. And its with reverence and empathy that we now point to a poignant example of that right here in Austin.

See, the surly, stage-filling roots-punk project Gary Lindsey & the Pleasure Tide has spent the first Saturday of each month turning it up at Eastside heavy metal hub The Lost Well for a decade straight. In that time, the seven-to-eight-piece has been perfecting their debut album, which enjoys a bittersweet release the same weekend The Lost Well has its last hurrah. This weekend, to be exact.

A loving tribute that cements The Lost Well’s legacy while providing quick access to the Pleasure Tide on digital platforms, Spirits From The Well can be heard in full during a free show 5-7PM tomorrow at The Lost Well followed by two sets from Amplified Heat’s Mötörhead tribute band Meän Machïne. With no cover charge and no remaining opportunities to enjoy one of the Live Music Capital’s heaviest HQ’s, there’s no excuse to miss this one. And because “Idle Hands”are the devil’s playthings, you’d better bless yourself with the counterculture communion tomorrow night, let your pint catch any stray tears, and spice up our local dystopia with some Celtic-inspired cynicism, courtesy of Gary Lindsey & the Pleasure Tide.

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When you’re going through the motions, relying on routine thought loops, and not taking “carpe diem” to heart, life can feel like it’s the same sh*t, different day…over and over again. But bless yourself with the small gift of variety every once in awhile, and you’ll soon find that you’re thriving rather than just surviving.

And Beth Lee definitely knows a thing or two about changing things up; especially through her chapter as Beth Lee & the Breakups, the Houston-honed, Austin-based singer-songwriter has historically harbored a country-friendly sound. But more recent outings have found lee adopting a fresher genre backdrop, leaning further away from her twangy roots and Americana comfort zone and embracing more pop-adjacent formulas that pair the principles of ’70s/’80s/’90s sass with hints of modern indie rock. And with Cat Power/Jack White/Loretta Lynn engineer Stuart Sikes handling recording duties and Chuck Prophet percussionist Vicente Rodriguez returning to the producer role, Lee (alongside some of her Breakups bandmates) takes it even further in that new direction on her next full-length Hardly Matters, out tomorrow.

Despite the title, Hardly Matters is an optimistic if not surreal outlook on life in the Live Music Capital, something else Lee knows quite a bit about, even after a recent string of gigs across West Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and AmericanaFest up in Nashville. But that’s all been building up to the Hardly Matters album release show 6PM Sunday night at the Skylark Lounge. So if you’re eager to shake things up this weekend with some heartfelt hometown honesty, let one of Hardly Matters‘ more uptempo additions get you looking forward to “Another Day”.

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Feeling comfortable can quickly devolve into a dangerous game. One weekend you decide to kick back and relax with a six pack, then the next thing you know you’re stuck in a daily routine of gettin’ smashed and trashing your home. Yeah, substance abuse and addictive tendencies aside, that “recliner decline” is a slippery slope towards self-destruction that we all risk at some point or another.

And it’s not like it only happens to the chronically lazy. Naw, take Hayden Butler, who on top of singing and songwriting, keeps busy as a bookmaker, painter, photographer, and professional copywriter. The native Austinite’s portfolio paints the picture of a highly-driven individual who’s got the gumption to go places, and the release of Butler’s debut LP Hand of God this July only reinforces that sentiment.

Still though, Hayden’s only human, and the appeal of Lone Star-assisted hedonism can easily overcome any period of productivity. And that’s masterfully reflected in Hand of God‘s midpoint (and music video) “Old News”. So before getting off your ass to see Hayden Butler at The White Horse 10PM tomorrow night alongside Taylor Graves at 8PM and The Shiglers ’round midnight or next Thursday at 10 between Gilded Lows at 8 and Jonathan Terrell at 12, indulge in this double-wide southern rocker that treats Hayden like a Texas twist on The Wall or Citizen Kane. And if you can’t watch the wanton meltdown til the closing bell, might as well crank up “Old News” and let Butler’s simple-yet-sophisticated country twang struggle inspire you to maybe make a much-needed change in what could be problematic monotony.

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If you’ve been itchin’ to catch some good ol’ fashioned Southern rock reminiscent of Sticky Fingers-era Stones or classic Lynyrd Skynyrd, but don’t feel like you’re getting what you need from the local scene, this weekend you’re in luck. And that’s because Stillwater, Oklahoma six-piece Southall‘s gonna be swinging through town.

Despite releasing records together for nearly a full decade now, it’s only been a couple years since the Read Southall Band adopted the abbreviated, mononymous handle we know ’em by today. Still, the sextet’s one of the strongest purveyors of the red dirt sound (which started in their home state) this generation has to offer. For most of this year, Southall’s been struttin’ the stuff off their eponymous full-length re-brand from last September across the country (and Western Europe) as part of the Get Busy Tour.

After several sporadic stops spread out over the Lone Star State, the Get Busy Tour finally brings Southall to Austin – 7:30PM this Friday at Scoot Inn. And because nothing in life is free, complement Scoot Inn’s cover charge by paying dues to Southall‘s centerpiece heavyweight “Scared Money”, a Skynyrd-esque testament to the pursuit of the almighty dollar and making an honest living – be it in the garage, working your farm, riding in a firetruck, or on the road playing tunes with your best buds.

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For a lot of industry folks who have “made it”, they’re more than happy to use their powers “for good” by helping to boost the profile of “the little guy”…to pretty much whoever’s willing to pay their fee. On the other hand, while Public Hi-Fi headmaster Jim Eno retains a well-deserved rate for most clients, his decades of experience have led to a keen observation; in the world of production, his peers rarely identify as women.

Whether you think of it as philogyny or affirmative action (just don’t call it a DEI endeavor), Project Traction (in its still-young run) has continued to provide strong opportunities for women looking to get some time behind the board in a producer/engineer role. And after the success of the inaugural Volume 1 ATX class of collaborations, Eno’s casting the net further North to tap into the Centennial State.

Yep, Project Traction’s Volume 2: Colorado compilation is chugging along and gearing up to release in full next year. As always, Eno’s there to chime in and give guidance as needed, but by and large, he’s letting these talented ladies have free reign in shaping their recording partners’ sound. The latest example? Fort Collins’ Co-Stanza finding middle ground with Ecuador’s Neoma with “Bet On Love”. In her very first outing producing someone else’s work, Neoma did an outstanding job of finding an ’80s-inspired niche for Co-Stanza’s emotional, breakup-imbued indie pop original, almost like The Cure cozied up to something a little more downtempo and acoustic. All in all? Nicely done and an impressive team effort.

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One of the more intriguing musical migrations as of late has been the blurring of lines between psych, Americana, and synth. Ya know, that hint of trippy in the twang. That splash of pop songwriting against a Southern backdrop. And between our geographical position and Austin’s ever-expanding melting pot status, we’ve witnessed it unfold firsthand.

For a recent example, look no further than Aaron Miller, the former frontman of ATX synth-pop trio Sphynx who’s currently best known by his solo handle Josie Lockhart. As heard on his 2021 debut Santa Rosa, Josie Lockhart’s a genuine innovator of the Cosmic Americana sound first familiarized ’round these parts by the likes of The Bright Light Social Hour, and the international impressions that followed show that interest isn’t regionally limited. What also arrived in Santa Rosa‘s immediate shadow was a retreat by Miller to Durango, Colorado to draft Josie Lockhart’s sophomore follow-up, What Golden Hues.

While those initial sketches maintained the auteur approach of Santa Rosa, the final version of What Golden Hues that we’ll hear next February is more of a full house; Miller recruited session players from both Austin and Nashville, plus Leon Bridges/Steve Earle engineer Steve Christensen and Wild Child/Modern Medicine producer Carey McGraw to elevate this second installation of Josie Lockhart’s discography. The result is a shimmering, contemporary twist on Miller’s heartland rock roots, as introduced by the LP’s lead single, “Every Kind of Light”.

In other words, by dusting off any tired antiquities of Americana and replacing them with a clean sheen of synth and psychedelia, “Every Kind of Light” locks in Josie Lockhart as the sonic cowboy destined to shake up expectations in 2025.

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Think we’re already finished talking about ACL Fest 2024? Don’t be a silly goose! Sure we’re quickly shifting gears to Halloween, Levitation Fest, Thanksgiving, and the Winter Holidays, but we do have one more piece of ACL awesomeness ahead of that Fall gauntlet.

So let’s take a gander at Geese. Almost a decade removed from their fledgling days, Geese and their distinct crossbreed of indie artcore post-punk rock still haven’t run afoul of stagnation. And even as they hatch the next Geese release, this Brooklyn outfit’s still feeling the impact from their golden egg: the Summer 2023 concept album 3D Country, as well the 4D Country outtake offshoot and this June’s Alive & In Person EP. As for the forecast for the rest of this year, it’s about to be open season up in Geese’s BK HQ for the three-day GEESEFEST going down the first week of December.

A couple years after they joined us for our SXSW Studio 6A live broadcast, the cosmos aligned to reunite KUTX with Geese on the second Saturday of Austin City Limits. They turned the KUTX tent into an aural aviary with a trio treatment of the final feather off 4D Country, “Space Race”, during which percussionist Max Bassin relegated both hands to the cajon and one foot to a tambourine, which interestingly offers more of a convincing kit sound.

A deep cut? Perhaps. But a prime piece of Geese? Undoubtedly.

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It’s always super cool to see our KUTX Artists of the Month get some additional hometown love out at ACL Fest. Off the top of our head, this year we saw Kalu & The Electric Joint, promqueen, Chief Cleopatra, and West 22nd added to the lineup. On top of those, we were stoked to see our October 2023 Artist of the Month DAIISTAR get some well-deserved recognition in the stacked ACL schedule as well.

Considering the quartet only hit streaming last February, DAIISTAR is decidedly still in a dawning phase. But with the release of their debut full-length Good Time last September, the four-piece made their mellotron-tinged brand of noise-pop felt far across Austin and beyond. Between a pair of recent remixes, a standalone original that dropped right around SXSW, and a handful of appearances on the West Coast over the next couple of months, 2024’s been a busy year for DAIISTAR.

And that includes the Good Time they had opening up the Miller Lite Stage this past toasty Sunday at ACL. After which DAIISTAR took shelter from the sun, shades still donned, in the KUTX multi-media tent for an unconventional twist on their Good Time closer “Velvet Reality”. Alongside the Sonic Boom remix that came out in April, this low-volume rendition of “Velvet Reality” is a testament to the versatility of DAIISTAR’s songwriting and the absence of limits in the nuanced world of noise.

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