Austin is the Live Music Capital of the World, and every single night of the week, all over town, you can find local bands doing their thing. To highlight some of the great talent you should be out there supporting, we will discuss five local bands you should be listening to, and
share a new list every week.
Read below to discover 5 local bands you should be listening to this week. For last week's entry, featuring
Hard Proof, Whiskey Shivers, Roger Sellers and more, click
here.
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What: A six-piece band that blends psych guitar riffage with a healthy dose of folk, pop, and honky-tonk. Known for their magnetic performances, filled with fireworks, confetti, costumes and face masks, Calliope Musicals never fail to deliver a memorable experience.
When: Check out Calliope Musicals' Artist Page to see where they're playing next.
"Carrie Fussell, the lead singer, has the most gorgeous voice. Her energy was enormous and the band was flawless. There was a strong sense of family that was evident to all of us in the audience and she was clearly mesmerized by the moment just as much as I was. This was absolutely my favorite part of UTOPiAfest." - Rad Austin Magazine
"Sharing a collective love for David Bowie, Paul Simon, Talking Heads, Animal Collective and Edward Sharpe to name a few, Austin TX six-piece, Calliope Musicals are proud pedlars of psychedelic party folk." - The Mad Mackerel
RIYL: The Mamas and the Papas, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
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What: A melodic, ethereal pop-rock outfit with folk sensibilities. They are currently putting the finishing touches to their follow-up to their 2012 effort, Plague, which you can listen to here.
When: Check out The Eastern Sea's Artist Page to see where they're playing next.
"Many of The Eastern Sea’s songs work this way: with simple, structured parts combining into a polyrhythm, then adding or excising layers to provide an emotional wallop. In that way, it’s almost like scaled-down post-rock." - The Austinist
"Plague’s dense lyrics and denser arrangements seem to pick up somewhere between the space Explosions in the Sky and Death Cab For Cutie last left off. That’s a pretty cool place to be for a band this young." - Paste Magazine
RIYL: Local Natives, The National
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What: An experimental, psych-funk band led by Autry Fulbright and Jason Reece of …And They Will Know Us By the Trail of the Dead. Drenched in spiritual themes of life and death, midnight masses started in 2008 after lead singer Autry Fulbright's father died. They are currently working on new music and will be heading out on tour this fall.
When: Check out Midnight Masses' Artist Page to see where they're playing next.
"Redemption, sin and death run through their music, reflecting leader Autry Fulbright’s upbringing as a preacher’s son. No doubt the untimely death of Fulbright’s father acted as a catalyst for these meditations, but from that tragedy, something beautiful has grown." - The Deli Magazine
"With old losses that remain familiar and their trajectory as a band still somewhat undefined, Midnight Masses are still traversing that space that comes between darkness and light, where hope is grasped at before it's certain that it will come to pass." - The Quietus
RIYL: TV on the Radio, The Smiths
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What: A rambunctious, female-fronted punk rock band who consistently churn out anthemic garage rock stompers. Leading lady Sabrina Ellis also kicks it with local bands Sweet Spirit and Bobby Jealousy (RIP). Check out A Giant Dog's short and spunky tunes here.
When: Check out A Giant Dog's Artist Page to see where they're playing next.
"A Giant Dog pulses of youth. Its short, fast, triumphant songs capture all the desperation, lust, and wildness of the young spirit. In the oversaturated local garage punk scene, the band's commanding live performances inspire both emotion and rowdiness." - The Austin Chronicle
"A Giant Dog deliver yet another collection of raw, unfettered garage punk songs, bursting with exuberance if not a little short on hooks." - OVRLD
RIYL: Perfect Pussy, Bikini Kill
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What: An indie rock-pop quartet with strong hooks, distorted guitars, and melodic vocals. They have effortlessly brought back that classic indie rock sound that made us all fans to begin with. Check out Growl's fantastic EP, No Years, right here.
When: Check out Growl's Artist Page to see where they're playing next.
"We thought when Growl released their Gallery EP that they were off to a really good start, but they’ve made an EP that begs for you to listen to anywhere you please, just as long as you aim to have a little fun. Get the No Years EP, turn it up loud, and remember what it’s like to rock out. Good to know Austin has a voice for great guitar rock." - Austin Town Hall
"Another favorite discovery of mine from last year is the Austin indie pop/rock quartet Growl. Their music is fun and energetic, combined with a wry sense of humor and a good heart." - Side One Track One
RIYL: Surfer Blood, Menomena
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