Austin Music We’re Loving

Austin Music We’re Loving April 2022

by: Taylor Wallace-Riegel

Big Bill: “Almost Everything”

Step back into the glorious, rough-hewn indie rock of the ’90s. The latest single from this quartet has the soul of Built to Spill’s Keep It Like A Secret and the heart of Weezer’s Blue Album, two of my favorite albums. Distorted guitar riffs are dug into the backbeat, shoving you in the sternum with short, intense swells. All the while, Eric Brayden’s mildly-harmonized vocals weave through in a cool and reserved manner.  As much as I love the off-kilter wit and hammy vocals of Big Bill, it’s their curveballs that always knock me over with a feather.  Get a free download of “Almost Everything” (courtesy of Song of the Day)


Buffalo Hunt: “Apple Tree”

Everything about this song from our April Artist of the Month hearkens to “enchanted folk.” The kaleidoscopic opening notes of the song seem to draw you behind a tapestry hanging from the titular apple tree, into a space that may or may not exist, intrigued by the denizens beckoning you further. Gushing with dark forest melodies spiked with power chords, “Apple Tree” resembles a soundtrack to a dream as much as a cautionary tale.


Adrian Quesada: “Mentiras Con Carino”

A quick draft of this entry could simply say: “Adrian Quesada is Austin Music We Love.” Boleros Psicodelicos’s opening track “Mentiras Con Carino” is a smokey ballad celebrating the traditional balada while marrying it to a modern sound. This also describes the album as a whole, a loving tribute to a tradition of music from Quesada’s youth blended with the Latin sounds and soul of today. The song features Puerto Rican singer iLe reminding a lover that she is enough for herself; that bending for the ego of another only compromises her identity, and is not an expression of true love.


Iram Reyes: “Awaken the Heart” (ft. Jake Lloyd, Yasi Baby, JaRon Marshall, and Eric Gonzalez

Imagine a steady stream of golden butter slowly dripping off a delicate hand. Ex-Romantica frontman Iram Reyes plays the producer role here, alongside JaRon Marshall and Eric Gonzalez, laying down an understated, flute-studded groove that could top any “study beats” playlist. Reyes takes that self-sustaining bed to another level with the vocals of Jake Lloyd and Yasi Baby, whose verses keep the song pulsing and flowing respectfully.  “Awaken the Heart” works as well for a drive around town as it does setting the mood for your next date.

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