Follow Being Dead
“Goodnight”
The vocal style of The Mamas & The Papas meets the fuzzed-out guitar of Dinosaur Jr., with lyrics that I can’t make heads or tails of. This song is a fever dream.
– Jacquie Fuller
Being Dead has always been great, with nary a lilt in their petals. But Eels is an impressive progression as they continue to trust in their idiosyncratic intuition. “Goodnight” is dark, brooding, a little cavernous at the beginning, slowly building into a fun, rollicky jam with all of their familiar, haunting harmonies. And this isn’t even their final form. My prediction for Being Dead in the last half of the decade: world domination.
– Taylor Wallace-Riegel
Follow Font
“Hey Kekulé”
I can’t believe this year is almost over and that Font’s “Hey Kekule” came out just this year! Hearing this tune’s frenetic energy live for the first time took me back to the quirky & twitchy days of my 1980’s youth. I’m so glad that the recorded version captured so much of their live feeling.
– Jake Perlman
Font has been my 2024 Austin obsession since seeing them at KUTX Live at Scholz for SXSW back in March, and I’m excited to see them rising. I love their debut album, Strange Burden from front to back, and this song is all kinds of cool.
– Trina Quinn
Follow Grandmaster
“Castle Door”
Super goofy. but also extremely catchy. I imagine a Black Knight-type scenario; uncouth merrymaking against a medieval backdrop. I’m picturing egregious finger guns, strutting on the dining hall table, and sloshing grog across the court with shades on and in a fuzzy bathrobe.
– Jack Anderson
Hometown bands are a dime a dozen but every once in a while one stands out. Grandmaster has more members than Wu-Tang, but their sound is distinctive and unique. They told me this song is inspired by Funkadelic’s “You and Your Folks, Me and My Folks” so that’s a huge plus.
– Confucius Jones
Speaking of live performances, Grandmaster is on a whole ‘nother level (maybe a whole ‘nother galaxy, parallel to ours?). “Castle Door” might be the best example of what the Grandmaster does- and what he can teach us. Clever songwriting with groovy rhythms and a pretty healthy dose of theater.
– Jake Perlman
“Eternal Cycle”
It’s ludicrous for me to have to choose just one song from this monumental, AWESOME Austin-bred album (Grandmaster). If listening to “Eternal Cycle” isn’t enough to convert you into the newest Zealot (followers of The Grandmaster), maybe the fact that this 11-piece-powerhouse is not only a band, but rather a design lab/studio/arcade/marketing agency/production company/party zone will. Long live The Grandmaster!
– Maile Carballo
“Is This Love (feat. Danielle Ponder)”
Guitar-based acts are historically what Austin is known for, so it’s cool when an artist comes out of Bat City representing another dimension of Austin music. LP Giobbi is well-known in many places, but she hasn’t really tracked back to Austin like our rock, country and blues exports have. With this song, that starts out like it belongs in a Bond film and morphs into a dance track that’s impossible to sit still for, hopefully that changes.
– Matt Reilly
Follow Mike Melinoe
“CASPER”
A standout hip hop track for me this year. Mike’s production feels super unique and fresh. The beat textures and his distinctive vocal delivery bring an ethereal feel that might sound stark at first, but those spaces are filled with a ton of vibe. I hope to hear a lot more from Mike Melinoe.
– Rene Chavez
Follow San Gabriel
“Play with Fire”
San Gabriel’s music speaks to my eighties inner child, and I pretty much love everything he puts out. This song just has all the right sounds, riffs and lyrics for me. I’m a San Gabriel super fan. Deal with it.
– Elizabeth McQueen
Somebody Someone
Follow Somebody Someone
“Better”
The super talented Aubrey Hayes, a Gulfport, Mississippi native and Austin-based singer-songwriter since 2015, has crafted a piano ballad that makes me stop whatever I’m doing and listen every time I hear this undiscovered masterpiece. Their voice. The melody. The emotion. LOVE it.
– Susan Castle
Follow Superfónicos
“La Semilla”
Long among my favorite Austin bands, this dance-happy, Latin-grooved tune shows why they are one of our premier party acts here in town.
– Jay Trachtenberg
Follow Urban Heat
“Sanitzer”
Urban Heat dropped an incredible record this year with The Tower. “Sanitizer”’s fuzzy arpeggiated bass synth, generous use of harmonic distortion, and distinctive melody bring a sense of urgency and nostalgia that reminds me of early-oughts darkwave and the Contra video game music on NES. It’s a standout from a record of great tracks.
– Rene Chavez
It emanates elements I love about ‘80s goth and industrial – dark, pulsating, relentless. Audiences worldwide are discovering this trio is an unstoppable force.
– Laurie Gallardo
Follow Hovvdy
“Bad News”
Such a well-crafted pop tune. Fun to listen to
– Marnie Castor
Graham Reynolds & Marta Del Grandi
Follow Graham Reynolds
“Linger In Silence”
This song also made my mid-year list, and it still hasn’t let me go. At turns soothing and jarring, it kicks my synesthesia into high gear: all I can hear is landscape.
– Jacquie Fuller
