Matthew McConaughey Wants Young Musicians to Get Bold

Artist Press

GARRETT T. CAPPS & NASA COUNTRY

“[Garrett T. Capps & NASA Country] take as much influence from the country music of their Texas home state as they do from groups like Kraftwerk, Neu!, and Stereolab. As cool as that sounds on paper, it's even better in execution; on People Are Beautiful, Capps and NASA Country employ modular synths and break out into extended psychedelic jams, all while Capps leads the way with his countrified Texas drawl.” - Brooklyn Vegan

“Garrett T. Capps and his band NASA Country blend synth and twangy guitar with lyrics about outer space and social unrest on their latest album, People Are Beautiful.” - Rolling Stone

TROUBLE IN THE STREETS

“Trouble in the Streets’ debut full-length Satisfy Saturn is the future.” - AFROPUNK

“Trouble in the Streets ascends from earthly rebels to astral amusants with Satisfy Saturn. Much like its celestial nomenclature, the debut full-length pulses, gleams, and shimmers.” -Austin Chronicle

“Austin’s Trouble in the Streets creates dance music that will make you cry.” - Austin Statesman

“…safari of sounds (whose menagerie includes crunchy bass synth, vehement vocal harmonies, and a truly brilliant bridge section) is an enduring reminder of Trouble in the Streets’ idiosyncratic dynamics and an enticing glimpse of what’s to come.” - KUTX

MELLOTRON VARIATIONS

“The sonic landscape they produce as Mellotron Variations is ingenious and impressive. It's a score with the audience as collective filmmaker, each one of us capable of creating imagery in our heads to this music of mystery and sometimes comedy. In the words of my teenaged self, "it was a trip.” - Bob Boilen, NPR All Songs Considered / Tiny Desk Concert

“mind-bending… it breaks open a wall where keys pile on top of one another, and the sounds blur into a sacred staircase built for the listener’s ascension." - Aquarium Drunkard Record Review

“A musical whim in Memphis has turned into a full-blown all-star project”

- Billboard

LISTEN TO MELLOTRON VARIATIONS ON NPR ALL THINGS CONSIDERED

WATCH MELLOTRON VARIATIONS’ TINY DESK CONCERT



KALU AND THE ELECTRIC JOINT

“blending both West African and American brands of funk with bluesy grit and psychedelic ambience, along with a chin-out attitude"

– Billboard

“‘Sea Of Life’ allows plenty of room for James’ emotive vocals to take center stage, all over a lush, rolling backdrop of crunchy guitars and soaring vocal harmonies” - American Songwriter

“‘Too Low To Get High’, is exemplary of their seamless blend, creating a distinct neo-soul-infused sound the band terms “ethno-funk.” A musical journey that touches the heart while blessing your ears.” - Afropunk

“Time Undone speaks a universal language and reveals deceptively simple truths at every turn: "Life goes on, don't be fooled, love is good.”

- Austin Chronicle

In 'Time Undone,' Kalu & The Electric Joint Get Back To Their Musical Roots

CALLIOPE MUSICALS

"Their bubbly brand of pop-rock holds up -- the crowd swells significantly as passersby get sucked into the genuinely good vibes..." - Billboard

“The Austin band presents a rich and swirling example of modern space-rock done right.” -NPR

“The psych-pop outfit has a reputation for jaw-droppingly high-energy extravaganzas that could have been dreamt up by Wayne Coyne, albeit on a slightly smaller scale – and from an entirely different dimension that’s reverberating with the subatomic particles of Nina Hagen. And none of it feels small, either. It’s a gigantic love, and the fierce and fabulous tower of power leading the charge is songwriter Carrie Fussell, fearlessly dancing and singing with every single fiber of her being until you are the one left breathless. The audience feels it.” - KUTX

“From psychedelic visionary Roky Erickson to art pop conceptualists the Polyphonic Spree, Austin, Texas, has a proud tradition of musical eccentricity. And that tradition is alive and well in the theatrical dance band Calliope Musicals.” - Boston Herald

CHRISTEENE

“...a feral, sexualized creature that takes a blowtorch to every norm society has to offer.” - Interview

"[Christeene] Injects both hip-hop and gay culture with a much needed dose of punk-rock humour and attitude.” - The New Yorker

“Set to a cacophony of wailing saxophones and grinding guitars that amount to a sonic slap in the face, the record's opening lines set the tone for the wild 28-minute ride that is Midnite Fukk Train. From the jump, Christeene does not merely provoke for provocation's sake, but instead to rage against injustices both personal and political.” - Austin Chronicle

GOLDEN DAWN ARKESTRA

“…pulling in elements of French pop, post-punk, krautrock, tropicalia and more into their jazzy, funky, cosmic sound.” - Brooklyn Vegan

“You can dance and/or trance, or sit back and enjoy the spectacle.” - NPR Tiny Desk Concert

“Tuned equally to the cosmos as their inner starchild, Golden Dawn Arkestra continues to evolve their sound from roots in afrobeat, world funk and psych punk to fusing adolescent charged discotheque and indulgent nu-wave soundscapes.” - Glide Magazine

THE TENDER THINGS

“It’s heartening to know that bands like The Tender Things are still keeping [Austin] grounded in authenticity, churning out music stripped of calculation, trendiness and pretension in favor of solid groves and good times. 

-Glide Magazine

“…Blistering grooves, slices of indie rock and Texafied funk, and swaying country ballads licked by Ebaugh's poetic narrative pull.” - Austin Chronicle

“How You Make a Fool, due out March 27, cuts a wide swath of styles, from country rockers such as "Sister Elizabeth" and "Fix Me" to the Little Feat-flavored boogie of "The New Mission Bell," also with Ellis, the "Wichita Lineman" vibe of "I Don't Know How to Love You" and the Muscle Shoals soul of the title track and "Texas City." - Billboard

“Novice and professional songwriters alike often carry their own set of unique skills and virtuosity that propel them, but some of even the most talented songwriters are not as clever as country-folk mavens The Tender Things.” - American Songwriter

Live Sessions: The Tender Things

SAILOR POON

“Austin’s dearly beloved squad of unapologetic raunchy feminist punks… They are one of those multi-genre gems pushing music with a lyrical message forward.” - Brooklyn Vegan

“The best source of comedy are the jokes riddled with underlying truths. Austin punk band Sailor Poon find a sweet spot between social critique and satirical gold… Utterly outrageous and wonderfully crude, Sailor Poon puts on one of the most worthwhile live shows in town. It’ll make you laugh, it’ll make you scream – it might even make you a little uncomfortable; that’s the point.” - KUTX

Live Sessions: Sailor Poon

CROY AND THE BOYS

“It's a righteous collection of topical tunes that could easily be assailed as overly preachy if it weren't accurate and cleverly penned…
proletariat Roger Miller honky-tonk… delivers social critiques with a warm smile and two-step rhythms like a honky-tonk Howard Zinn.” - Austin Chronicle

LIVE SESSIONS: Croy and the Boys

HONG KONG WIGS

“LOIS is an outstanding stepping stone for Hong Kong Wigs and a phenomenal first full-length entry into their still-growing art rock discography.” - KUTX

"It's an incontrovertible fact that three is a magic number in rock & roll and Hong Kong Wigs summit that power-trio supremacy with catchy lyrics." - Austin Chronicle

PRIMO THE ALIEN

“Whether it’s her out-of-this-world stage presence or stellar synth pop songs, Primo the Alien provides plenty of reasons to make you think she’s from an entirely different planet.”

- Austin Monthly

“Futuristic pop infused with Eighties vibes, Laura Lee Bishop travels through time and space to fill your ears with stars. Writing and producing as Primo the Alien, she whips up effervescent sensations doused in far-out pulses.” - Austin Chronicle

WATCH: Music Lessons with Austin Artists: Voice lessons with Primo the Alien

“The Austin singer belts through choruses all while intoxicating listeners with the sweet nectar of riveting bridges, sounds mere Earthlings couldn't comprehend without her intergalactic intervention. Flickering cinematic backing tracks and pulsing electrifying movements, Heart on the Run and Rock Professor EPs leave hearts racing and the souls of the unappreciated empowered.” - The Austin Chronicle

“Primo the Alien has become a must-hear performer thanks to her incandescent vocals and ability to blur the boundaries between the retro-pop of Tina Turner and the contemporary flairs of Dua Lipa.” -KUTX

“Her glittery, gleaming brand of synth-pop reimagines and revitalizes the ‘80s as they could have been, as they should have been: bright, fun, sparkly, sexy.” - The Deli Mag

URBAN HEAT

“Frontman and bandleader Jonathan Horstmann oozed charisma, mixing svelte goth romance with a fiery Texas edge.” - SPIN

Urban Heat's Darkwave Road Map for Uncertain Times (Cover Story)

“Be warned: Austin’s dark and vibrant new gothy synthwave sensation Urban Heat is poised to take over the world.” - New Noise Magazine

“Urban Heat delivers dreamy, dark pop dance beats.” - Post-Punk.com

“[Urban Heat] will leave you dripping sweat in the best way possible.” - KUTX

Watch: Urban Heat Dances As the World Burns - “A Simple Love Song” reiterates romance during the apocalypse

“Following an appearance at ACL Fest—and riding the hype of winning song of the year at the Austin Music Awards—post-punk outfit Urban Heat are ready to stun.” - Austin Monthly

SLOMO DRAGS

“The quintet's strain of studio-loving sonic pop, with corkscrewing guitar solos and rhythms reminiscent of Tame Impala's best days, lays a compositionally exciting foundation for a concept EP that's effectively meta: a cheeky critique of modern musical existence.”

- Austin Chronicle

“Indulge in life’s more saccharine, caffeinated substances for an extra sparkly start to your weekend with the album’s bubbly lead single (and music video), ‘Pepsi Cola Addict’!” -KUTX

BIG BILL

SXSW 2022: The Coolest Things We Saw